Tingle Character & Backstory: Zelda’s Weirdest NPC Explained

The Legend of Zelda is populated with countless quirky characters and the oddest among them is likely Tingle, a bizarre man waiting for his fairy

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“Hello, Mr. Fairy!” says a voice from above. Looking around, there is no one in sight. Link raises his head and sees a middle-aged man in green spandex dangling from a giant red balloon. The man descends ungracefully and introduces himself only as Tingle, thus beginning a strange friendship with one of The Legend of Zelda’s most unusual characters.

Over the years, Tingle has become a household name for The Legend of Zelda fans, synonymous with words like “odd” and “peculiar.” First introduced in The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, Tingle began as a map merchant floating above Clock Town by a large red balloon, though his backstory changes depending on which game players happen to meet him in.

His friendly disposition defines his as harmless, and while his cartography skills would make him an invaluable member of Link’s regular entourage, it’s a relief to most players that Tingle doesn’t tag along on Link’s adventures. Tingle has also appeared in The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, Minish Cap, Oracle of Ages, and Four Swords Adventures, and he has even managed to star in a few of his own games as well (though their popularity is limited mostly to Japan and Europe).

Who Zelda’s Tingle Is & Where He Comes From

Link’s relationship with Tingle is unlike that of any other character in The Legend of Zelda series, as Tingle constantly does his best to reign in his enthusiasm that Link has his very own fairy. Tingle dresses himself in green like the “forest fairies,” hopefully awaiting a fairy for himself. At age 35, it’s unlikely that Tingle will ever get that fairy, but his positivity is infectious and his assistance is more than welcome, so Link (as usual) keeps his opinions to himself.

Over the years Tingle has had multiple purposes within The Legend of Zelda games, often providing Link with valuable items that ease the burdens of his various quests and sharing his questionable catchphrases (“Kooloo Limpah!”), prompting players to greet his appearances in The Legend of Zelda series with conflicted groans of annoyance and relief. Link’s patience for Tingle’s peculiar habit of speaking in the third person is, at the very least, awe-inspiring.

In most games that Tingle appears, Link’s interactions with him are limited, making Tingle a pretty one-dimensional addition that sometimes prompts a side quest or two. During his appearance in The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, however, Tingle explains that his father does not approve of his lifestyle and nags at Tingle to “grow up.” Once Link reaches the Southern Swamp, he meets Tingle’s father, the Swamp Tourist Center Guide (who bears no resemblance). Their family dysfunction is confirmed as he spouts off “A child his age has no business searching for fairies!” Players can interpret their dynamic any way they like, as the two characters are never seen on screen together.

Tingle’s history is disjointed and curious, to say the least. In Majora’s Mask and Wind Waker he provides Link with helpful tools, while in Four Swords Adventures, he acts almost as an indifferent antagonist by stealing Link’s Force Gems. While the lore explains that every generation breeds a legendary hero and a princess of godly lineage, it doesn’t currently explain why Tingle appears throughout history as well. Is there more to the man than meets the eye?

Maybe new additions to the Zelda mythology will elaborate on Tingle’s past. Perhaps one day Tingle will even get his fairy, but until he does, his lot is limited to ensuring that the legendary hero gets what he needs to save the day. That in itself is an honorable calling, and while players remain conflicted over their feelings for Tingle, his heart is in the right place. Maybe Tingle is the real hero of The Legend of Zelda, and the world just doesn’t know it yet.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/legend-zelda-tingle-map-fairy-history-lore-family/