Daruk (The Legend of Zelda)

"Speaking of which, can you believe this view? Just look at all those delectable rocks sprinkled on those mountains... Mighty tasty. I may not know a whole lot about this Calamity Ganon thing... but mark my words, I'll protect this land of ours to the death! Right, little guy?"

- Daruk

Daruk is a major supporting character in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and reappears in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. He is a Goron warrior who hails from Goron City, wields a huge sword Boulder Breaker, and can generate a forcefield called Daruk’s Protection to protect himself from attacks. He is a good friend to Link and is the Goron Champion of Hyrule who was called to pilot Divine Beast Vah Rudania, with the other three Champions being Mipha, Revali, and Urbosa. Depending on the games, Daruk and the Champions either die in Breath of the Wild, or they live to see another day, due to Terrako’s involvement.

Why He’s on a Roll

 * 1) Daruk brings a confident yet humble disposition to the team and he acts as a father to the team of Champions.
 * 2) His voice actor, Joe Hernandez does a great job voicing Daruk.
 * 3) His character design is cool and makes him jovial and intimidating (in a good way) at the same time.
 * 4) Daruk's main theme is really good and his battle themes in Age of Calamity help with the heat of epic battles.
 * 5) He had a good start with Link when they first met, given that they both love to eat and are very strong in the art of swordsmanship and their friendship feels genuine.
 * 6) Daruk can be quite hilarious for the most part, such as when he slaps Link on the back, making the latter jump forward because of his sheer strength, him bragging about being fearless but showing himself to be afraid of dogs, and giving Link a Prime Rock Roast under the impression that Hylians eat rocks when it wasn’t true, and Link actually ate it. Even Princess Zelda and Impa are surprised by this. furthering his misconception. He even once mentioned having a dopey look on his face when he saw how strong Link was and hoped the latter didn’t see it, which makes him enjoyable.
 * 7) His fighting prowess with a sword is awesome and top notch, especially with him attacking a group of Bokoblins that were targeting the dog.
 * 8) *His history of being chased by dogs as a child also does make him somewhat sympathetic and anyone who has been attacked by a dog can relate to him.
 * 9) *With a Boulder Breaker and Daruk’s Protection, Daruk can go without a standard shield as it would have been pointless for him to have anyway, since he has a forcefield to make up for it.
 * 10) Daruk’s Protection is very helpful in guarding against enemy attacks, even when Link misses a chance at parrying a projectile or is attacked from behind. Additionally, his descendant, Yunobo also shares this trait which helps confirm that he and Daruk are related.
 * 11) His simple lifestyle perfectly matches his light-hearted and easy-going personality as he prefers it this way and not worry about trivial details.
 * 12) Like Urbosa, Daruk isn’t hesitant to stand up to Revali whenever he picks on Link and doesn’t shy away from snarking or talking back to him every once in a while, even if he doesn’t always succeed in getting him to stop.
 * 13) Even after his death, Daruk is still willing to contribute to the cause and even expresses concern for his tribe and wonders if they are still thriving over the course of a hundred years and upon seeing his descendant Yunobo, he expresses joy and relief that they are still going strong.
 * 14) In Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, after Daruk was saved by Yunobo from being killed by Fireblight Ganon, he quickly established a bond with him and he is revealed to dislike being addressed by any formalities other than his own name and is quick to forgive others. Their bond is believable, since Daruk is brave and confident while Yunobo is cowardly and timid; Daruk is the one who helps Yunobo to brush aside his fears and to stay focused on the mission.
 * 15) *It’s especially heartwarming as it goes even farther; when Yunobo is reluctant to take credit for his actions in protecting Kakariko Village from the monsters and the Yiga Clan and tells his tale about him going from a coward to a brave young Goron thanks to a certain friend of his, Daruk grabs his hand and raises it before telling him that he is proud to call him his descendant regardless, dubs him the Champion of the Future, and tells him to give his friend his regards, which puts Yunobo back into a good mood.

The Only Bad Quality

 * 1) While he is likable, in Breath of the Wild, Daruk sometimes doesn't show much variance in terms of personality that sets him apart from the other standard Gorons, as they too have most of his traits.

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