Urbosa
The Legend of Zelda character
Urbosa, as she appears in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
First appearanceThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)
Designed byNaoki Mori
Hirohito Shinoda
Voiced by
Various
  • Elizabeth Maxwell (English)[1]
  • Rei Shimoda (Japanese)[1]
  • Laetitia Lefebvre (French)
  • Kerygma Flores (LA Spanish)
  • Marta Barbará (EU Spanish)
  • Tania De Domenico (Italian)
  • Cornelia Waibel (German)
  • Natalya Gracheva (Russian)
In-universe information
RaceGerudo
NationalityHyrulean

Urbosa[lower-alpha 1] is a fictional character from Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series. She first appeared as one of the major characters in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, where she is the leader of the Gerudo and one of the four Champions who helped Princess Zelda and Link protect Hyrule from Calamity Ganon. She also appears in the hack-and-slash video game Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity as a playable character.

Within the game, Urbosa is the pilot of Divine Beast Vah Naboris, one of the four Divine Beasts that the Champions used to protect Hyrule from Calamity Ganon. Like the other Champions, Urbosa has a unique skill that is used in gameplay, which is the ability to control the power of lightning, referred to as Urbosa's Fury. She has been positively received by both fans and critics due to her heroic, wise and charismatic character.

Concept and creation

Urbosa was created for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. She was designed to have a "more feminine, motherly appearance" than other Gerudos, and was also "slightly less muscular" than other Gerudos, "possessing both the strength of a warrior and a mother".[2] Cinematic designer Naoki Mori designed a scene where Urbosa saves Princess Zelda from the Yiga and serves as her "spiritual mother", going on to describe her as kind, relaxed, and sassy.[2] She was also written as wanting to take responsibility for Ganondorf's rise to power in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which Mori did as part of expanding the "expansive nature" and "rich history" of the series.[2] Lead NPC artist Hirohito Shinoda designed her outfit with the idea of "a person an ordinary Gerudo would look up to".[2] Urbosa's name was the first to be finalized during the development of Breath of the Wild.[3]

Character design

As a member of the Gerudo race, Urbosa was designed with common traits of her people. She has dark skin, red hair, green eyes, and blue lips. She wears a multicolored golden breastplate with shoulder guards and a gold belt with a blue skirt, symbolizing that she is one of the Champions of Hyrule. She also wears green high-heels and several gold jewels. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity depicts Urbosa at a point in the storyline when she serves as Gerudo Chief before being named Gerudo Champion. She wears the Chief's crown, which is identical to the one Riju wears as Chief in Breath of the Wild, and a black skirt with the Gerudo symbol on it. She keeps her signature weapon, the Scimitar of the Seven, and her Daybreaker shield holstered to the back of her body.[4] Urbosa has been noted for her tall stature and muscular build, which are common traits of the Gerudo.[5]

Portrayal

In both Breath of the Wild and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, Urbosa is voiced in English by Elizabeth Maxwell.[6] She is voiced in Japanese by Rei Shimoda.[7]

Characteristics

Urbosa is the Chief of the Gerudo and a fierce leader, as well as the pilot of the Divine Beast of lightning, Vah Naboris. She has the ability to control the power of lightning.[8] In battle, she wields the Scimitar of the Seven, which can shoot out green lightning and create electrical storms to take down enemies. She can also snap her fingers to attack with a bolt of lightning. Urbosa is depicted as a calm and confident authority figure, but also possesses great wit and is caring towards Zelda, supporting her when she doubts her ability to unveil her power and not hesitating to defend Link against Revali.[9] In the backstory of Breath of the Wild, Urbosa is determined to aid Zelda in defending Hyrule against Calamity Ganon, partly motivated by her personal resentment for Ganon's legacy in his previous form as Ganondorf, as the only Gerudo male born in 100 years. As leader of the Gerudo, she is willing to risk her own life to protect her people by agreeing to pilot Vah Naboris, despite her people pleading with her that it is too dangerous.[3] In the sixth Memory, "Urbosa's Hand", Urbosa displays great wisdom and strength and a special connection with Zelda, as she watches over her as she sleeps.[10] Urbosa is related to Riju, the current Gerudo Chief and her direct descendent, who appears in Breath of the Wild.[11]

Like the other Champions, Urbosa has a unique skill that the player uses during gameplay. In Breath of the Wild, Urbosa bestows a skill upon Link named Urbosa's Fury, which is a powerful lightning attack. In Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, Urbosa can charge up her lightning to create a stronger attack on enemies.[12]

Appearances

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Urbosa appears in Breath of the Wild as one of four Champions, alongside Mipha, Revali, and Daruk, who are tasked with aiding Princess Zelda and Link in protecting Hyrule from Calamity Ganon. In the game's backstory, she commands Vah Naboris, one of the four Divine Beasts, but Calamity Ganon manages to take control of the Divine Beasts, resulting in her death and the death of the other Champions as Link is put in a 100-year slumber. After Link awakens, he can go to Vah Naboris to try to tame it, and there he meets the spirit of Urbosa, who helps to guide him in the innards of the Divine Beast.[13]

Urbosa plays a major role in the backstory of Breath of the Wild, which is revealed to the player through cutscenes and Urbosa's diary entries. Urbosa is shown to have had a special connection with Zelda's mother, the Queen of Hyrule; this friendship is reflected in the support that she offers to Zelda. Urbosa displays maternal instincts towards Zelda, calling her by her nickname, "Little bird" as a term of endearment. She also plays a motherly role in relation to other characters, including Link and the other Champions. Urbosa is shown to be a strong supporter of the relationship between Link and Zelda and plays an active role in bringing them closer together. Her diary entries also reveal that she is willing to break the rules to help Link and Zelda's relationship by teaching Link how to enter Gerudo Town without getting thrown out for being male. Urbosa's supportive role continues after her death, as her spirit appears to encourage Link to destroy Calamity Ganon.[3]

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity

Urbosa reappears as a playable character in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity.[14] The game is a prequel set 100 years before Breath of the Wild.[15] The storyline takes place in an alternate timeline created after Terrako, a small Guardian that Zelda built in her childhood, time travels into the past to prevent Hyrule's fate in the Breath of the Wild timeline. Urbosa arrives home to Gerudo Town just as Master Kohga, leader of the Yiga Clan, is about to strike down Zelda while disguised as Urbosa, only to be electrocuted. Though Kohga later escapes thanks to his right-hand Sooga, Urbosa, due to her close friendship with Zelda, agrees to pilot Vah Naboris against the Calamity. After Zelda and Link gather the other Champions, they travel to Korok Forest to meet with the Great Deku Tree and recover the Master Sword; in the process, they encounter Astor, a seer allied with the Yiga and Calamity Ganon. After recovering the Master Sword, Zelda voices her concern about Link changing after getting the sword, but Urbosa assures her that Link is still himself. Urbosa is then dubbed Gerudo Champion and returns to pilot Vah Naboris and locate the Yiga Clan's hideout. Though Kohga and Sooga escape again, Urbosa returns to Gerudo Town to prepare for the Calamity's return as King Rhoam orders the civilians to evacuate and has the soldiers transferred to Hyrule's two main strongholds, Akkala Citadel and Fort Hateno, to reinforce the garrisons.

After Calamity Ganon awakens, Urbosa is cut off from the other Champions and Hyrule Castle when Ganon shuts down the Sheikah Towers' teleportation ability, and soon finds herself fighting a stronger Thunderblight Ganon sent to take over Vah Naboris. Before she can be killed by the Blight Ganon like in the original timeline, she is saved by Riju and Patricia, who were summoned from the future by Terrako to protect her, until Link arrives to help them destroy Thunderblight Ganon. Joined by the other Champions and their Divine Beasts after they are saved by the future Champions, they protect Akkala Citadel and Fort Hateno from the Calamity's forces, saving the Hyrulean Army in the process, and then defend the Great Plateau, where it is revealed that King Rhoam also survived. After Purah summons the Gerudo warrior women to bolster the Hyrulean Army with the Rito, Gorons, and Zoras, along with a reformed Master Kohga and the Yiga Clan, Zelda leads a full-scale assault to reclaim Hyrule Castle from the Calamity. Urbosa helps to defeat Astor and the Harbinger Ganon, which is Terrako possessed by Malice from the future, before facing Calamity Ganon. After the future Terrako sacrifices itself to weaken Calamity Ganon, Link delivers the finishing blow with the Master Sword, while Zelda uses her awakened power from the Triforce to seal away Calamity Ganon, winning the war. Afterwards, Urbosa bids Riju and Patricia goodbye as, with their job done, they are returned to their own timeline with Yunobo, Sidon, and Teba, leaving Robbie and Purah to rebuild Terrako and reunite him with Zelda.

Other media

Urbosa appears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a Spirit.[16]

Merchandise

For the release of Breath of the Wild, Nintendo released an Amiibo of Urbosa.[17][18] It was later reprinted for the launch of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity.[19]

Reception

Urbosa has received a generally positive reception, identified as a fan favorite by Screen Rant.[20] Holly Green of Paste Magazine and Rich Meister of Destructoid held her as one of their favorite characters of 2017.[21][22] She has been regarded as one of the best characters in Breath of the Wild by multiple sources, including The Gamer, Game Informer, and Zelda's voice actress, Patricia Summersett.[23][24][25] Destructoid contributor Pixie the Fairy called her a recent favorite. Pixie was "awed" by her when they played Breath of the Wild, citing how she is both "heroic and fearsome" and "gentle, perceptive and wise".[26] Hussain Almahr of Vice called her "amazing" while feeling that Arabic themes in the Gerudo were not represented adequately in the game.[27] Kent Springborn Jr. of The Collegian praised her voice actress as a standout among the cast of Breath of the Wild.[28] Urbosa has been a popular choice for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, either as a group with the other Champions or on her own.[29][30][31][32][33] In her review of Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Calamity for Kotaku, Ash Parrish singled out the option to play as Urbosa to be the singular highlight of the game for her.[34] The Gamer writer Cian Maher also enjoyed being able to play as Urbosa, adding that he wanted to see her get her own game. He discusses how much he enjoyed the Gerudo elements in the series, and regarded Urbosa as one of his favorite characters in The Legend of Zelda series.[35] Game Informer writer Liana Ruppert felt favorably about Urbosa, expressing hope that Urbosa would appear more in the future.[36]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Japanese: ウルボザ, Hepburn: Uruboza

References

  1. 1 2 "Urbosa Voices (Legend of Zelda)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 16 August 2021. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  2. 1 2 3 4 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild--Creating a Champion. Dark Horse Comics. November 20, 2018. p. 91. ISBN 9781506710181.
  3. 1 2 3 Benten, Emma (2021-06-13). "Breath Of The Wild: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Urbosa". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2021-08-29.
  4. ↑ Christopher, Michael (2020-10-01). "Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Calamity - Every Playable Character We Know Of". TheGamer. Retrieved 2021-08-30.
  5. ↑ Zackery, Cuevas (2021-02-08). "Big ladies of Zelda deserve love, too!". iMore. Retrieved 2021-08-30.
  6. ↑ Osborne, Mary (2021-06-28). "The Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Cast Is Gorgeous In Real Life". Looper.com. Retrieved 2021-08-30.
  7. ↑ "Urbosa". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 2021-08-30.
  8. ↑ The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild--Creating a Champion. Dark Horse Comics. 2018-11-20. p. 377. ISBN 978-1-5067-1018-1.
  9. ↑ "Age Of Calamity Is Great, Now When Do I Get My Urbosa Game?". TheGamer. 2020-11-20. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  10. ↑ "Zelda: Each Main Character's Most Iconic Scene". ScreenRant. 2021-05-21. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  11. ↑ Carpou, Madeline (2021-06-18). "Breath of the Wild: Age, Height and Relationship Status of the Main Characters". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  12. ↑ Kok, William "Shadowz" (9 November 2020). "Nintendo Highlights Urbosa In Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity". The Outerhaven. Retrieved 2021-08-30.
  13. ↑ Reyes, Jessica (2021-02-04). "The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Ending Explained". Looper.com. Retrieved 2021-08-30.
  14. ↑ Lynn, Lottie (2020-11-23). "Hyrule Warriors characters list - Every playable character and how to unlock each character in Age of Calamity listed". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2021-08-30.
  15. ↑ "Review - Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity". Nintendo Wire. 2020-12-07. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  16. ↑ Spirits - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Wiki Guide - IGN, retrieved 2020-12-12
  17. ↑ "Nintendo Is Bringing Back Four Amiibo For Re-Release Run". GAMING. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  18. ↑ "Urbosa amiibo Figure by Nintendo - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Series". www.nintendo.com. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  19. ↑ "Mipha, Revali, Daruk, and Urbosa amiibo reprints launch alongside Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity on November 20th". Nintendo Wire. 2020-09-08. Retrieved 2021-09-02.
  20. ↑ "The Legend Of Zelda: 10 Most Powerful Female Characters, Ranked". ScreenRant. 2021-08-01. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  21. ↑ Green, Holly (December 13, 2017). "The Best New Game Characters of 2017". Paste Magazine. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
  22. ↑ Meister, Rich (December 27, 2017). "Rich Meister's personal picks for Game of the Year 2017". Destructoid. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
  23. ↑ Hepburn, Chris (September 7, 2019). "Zelda's Voice Actress Learned How to Read and Write Hylian Script". Only Single Player. Archived from the original on August 11, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
  24. ↑ Hilliard, Kyle (November 11, 2017). "Ranking The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild's Best Amiibo-Exclusive Unlocks". Game Informer. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
  25. ↑ Alexander, Daniel (2019-07-24). "Legend Of Zelda: The 10 Best New Characters In Breath Of The Wild". TheGamer. Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  26. ↑ Andriessen, CJ (March 19, 2017). "Imma let you finish, but Carmen Sandiego is the greatest female video game character of all time". Destructoid. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
  27. ↑ Almahr, Hussain (June 19, 2017). "'Breath of the Wild' Missed an Opportunity To Represent Arabic Culture". Vice. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
  28. ↑ Springborn Jr., Kent. "Breath of fresh air". The Collegian. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
  29. ↑ Bailey, Kat (March 8, 2018). "Smash Bros: The 7 Characters We Want in the New Switch Version". USGamer. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
  30. ↑ Prell, Sam (March 23, 2018). "20 characters we want to see in Super Smash Bros. on Switch". GamesRadar+. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
  31. ↑ "11 Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC Characters We Really Want To See". GameSpot. January 2, 2019. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
  32. ↑ Greenwald, Will (March 14, 2018). "10 Female Fighters Who Should Be In The Switch Super Smash Bros". Geek.com. Archived from the original on May 31, 2019. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
  33. ↑ Harding, Xavier (August 8, 2018). "'Super Smash Bros. Ultimate': 5 options for the Switch game to add more characters of color". Mic. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
  34. ↑ Parrish, Ash (November 18, 2020). "Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Calamity: The Kotaku Review". Kotaku. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  35. ↑ Maher, Cian (November 20, 2020). "Age Of Calamity Is Great, Now When Do I Get My Urbosa Game?". The Gamer. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  36. ↑ Ruppert, Liana (June 29, 2021). "This Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Cosplayer Shares Stunning Urbosa Cosplay". Game Informer. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
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