Impa

Impa is a recurring fictional character in Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series. She is one of the oldest and most frequently recurring characters in the series, having appeared in seven titles of The Legend of Zelda games and several spin-off games. She has been redesigned in a variety of forms over the years, but her role of each of her reincarnations has always been to take care of Princess Zelda either as a nursemaid or guardian, and act as a guide to the hero, Link. Impa is also a member of the Sheikah, a mysterious ninja-like group in the lore of the series that is skilled in combat and magic. She first appeared in the instruction manual for the original 1986 action-adventure video game The Legend of Zelda, then made her debut as a major character in the 1998 action-adventure game Ocarina of Time. She has since appeared in several titles in The Legend of Zelda series, including Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages, Skyward Sword, A Link Between Worlds and Breath of the Wild. She also appears in several spin-off games, including Hyrule Warriors, Cadence of Hyrule, and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. Her most recent appearance was in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom in 2023. Impa has received a positive reception for her representation as a strong female character and also for her role in the narrative and lore of the Zelda series. In a foreword to Hyrule Historia, The Legend of Zelda game creator Shigeru Miyamoto revealed the origins of the series, including Impa's role in the game's lore: "Impa, Link, and Zelda were the guardians of the Triforce. Today, when you think of characters who are connected to the Triforce, you think of Link, Zelda, and Ganon, but that started in Ocarina of Time". He also explained that Impa's name originated in her early role as a female storyteller, as her name was taken from the word "impart". Impa's character design has evolved significantly over the course of The Legend of Zelda series. She has been depicted in a variety of forms and ages to fulfill various roles in the games.