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Poes have featured in lots of games inThe Legend of Zeldaseries, often as enemies to Link; however, there are some exceptions to this, such as inTears of the Kingdom, where they only appear as lost souls.
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Though their designs have changed over the years, many of the Poes share similar characteristics, such as holding a lantern and wearing a cloak. Poes are somewhat mysterious beings in the series, with mischievous and prankster-like natures. If you’re curious about the role of Poes in the Zelda series, let’s find out: where did these spirits come from, and why are they haunting Hyrule?
What Are Poes?
In every Zelda game they appear in,Poes are spirits that linger in the world of the livingand, in some cases, have become monsters.
They’re unable to move on to the afterlife because ofa “lingering attachment” to the living world, according to The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia.
The majority of Poes can be found in graveyards or simply at nighttime, where they can be seencarrying a lantern that holds their Poe Soul.
Poes areusually hostile, attacking Link with their lanterns.
Why Are They Called Poes?
Though it hasn’t been confirmed directly by Nintendo, it’s possible thatthe name “Poes” comes from Edgar Allan Poe, an American writer famous for gothic literature that often features the supernatural.
In Oracle of Ages,there is a Poe named Allan, which adds credence to this theory.
Notable Poe Appearances In Zelda Games
A Link To The Past
Poes debuted in A Link to the Past, where theyappear as enemies in the graveyardin the Light World.
Interestingly,they don’t appear as Poes in the Dark World, with Hyu taking their place.
Ocarina Of Time
Ocarina of Timegave Poes a bigger role than A Link to the Past. Most Poes in Ocarina of Time are enemies that, when defeated,drop a Poe Soul that Link can collect in an Empty Bottleand sell to the Poe Collector as an adult.
Big Poes can appear in Hyrule Fieldwhile Link rides Epona, but they disappear when he gets off her, meaning that only a bow and arrow can harm them.
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There isone Poe in the game that Link has to use the Lens of Truthto see. This Poe will lead Link to the Spirit Temple through the Haunted Wasteland. It’sunknown why this Poe is invisible to the Hylian eye, or why its duty seems to be to guide people to the temple.
In Kakariko Village’s graveyard, Link meetstwo Poe brothers named Sharp and Flat. Their tombstone says that they “swore fealty to the Royal Family of Hyrule,” and one of the brothers tells Link that they are “of Kakariko Village,” implying thatthey were Sheikah in life. The Composer Brothers havedifferent designs to normal Poes, possessing mustaches and conductors’ batons.
Unlike regular Poes,the Composer Brothers have distinct personalities, and only attack Link because they believe him to be one of Ganondorf’s followers. When they recognize Link as an associate of the Royal Family, whom they died to serve, the brothers tell Link abouttheir research in discovering the Sun’s Song.
Their red and green coloring, mustaches, and contrasting short and tall statures mean they could also bea reference to Mario and Luigi.
Four Poe sisters also appear as a minibossin the Forest Temple. Though they act as enemies, they each have unique designs different from normal Poes.
Majora’s Mask
Poes have a similar role in Majora’s Mask, whereLink can collect their Poe Souls and sell them at the Curiosity Shop. The Composer Brothers and Poe Sisters also have counterparts in Termina.
While Sharp and Flat share the same names as their Hyrulean equivalents,they appear to be different characters. Flat teaches Link the Song of Storms that he composed together with his brother, and tells Link that Sharp“sold his soul to the devil”.
Link can use the Song of Storms to break the curse on Sharp, which was presumably placed on him by Majora.
In the Spirit House in Ikana Canyon, Link can take onthe Poe Collector’s challenge of defeating the Poe Sisterswithin a time limit to win a Piece of Heart.
Oracle Of Ages/Seasons
In Oracle of Ages, Link canhelp a friendly Poe named Allan by moving his gravestone, which frees his soul and allows him to move onto the afterlife.
Two of the Poe Sisters,Amy and Margaret, appear in the Explorer’s Crypt dungeon as mini bosses to defeat.
The Wind Waker
The Wind Waker’s Poes arecolorful compared to other iterations in the series, and they appear to be wearing masks. They still carry the signature lantern, though.
The Wind Waker’s Earth Temple is home tonumerous Poes that appear translucentuntil Link shines light on them using the Mirror Shield.
Jalhalla, the boss of the Earth Temple, ismade up of multiple Poes. If Link throws Jalhalla at the wall of the boss room, it willsplit into the various Poes, allowing Link to damage it.
Twilight Princess
The four Poes in Arbiter’s Grounds are only visible to Wolf Link, andthey look much more terrifying than previous versions, resembling a corpse with sharp teeth. Much like Ocarina of Time’s Poe Sisters, the four Poes have to be defeated to complete the dungeon.
There are alsoImp Poes- Link discovers that a man named Jovani has sold his soul to them in exchange for wealth. Bydefeating the Imp Poes and collecting their Poe Souls, Link can free Jovani from the curse placed on him.
Unlike regular Poes,Imp Poes resemble scarecrows and carry a scythe, alongside the usual lantern.
Phantom Hourglass
Although Phantom Hourglass’ Poes are visually different, looking more likedeep sea fish and not carrying a lantern, they’re still aggressive monsters that attack Link on the Ghost Ship.
A Link Between Worlds
Similar to A Link to the Past, Poes in A Link Between Worldsappear as enemies when in the overworld.
Nine Poes lead Link to the Master Swordin the Lost Woods, though they attempt to trick him by separating and challenging Link to find the true path.
There’s a variety of Poes in Tri Force Heroes:
Tears Of The Kingdom
Rather than monstrous spirits, Tears of the Kingdom’s Poes aremore akin to Poe Souls, acting only as items.
Bycollecting Poes in The Depths, Link cantrade the Poes to Bargainer Statuesin exchange for various rewards, including the Depths armor set.
This armor setbears a strong resemblance to the appearance of Poes in previous games, as well as the Garo in Majora’s Mask, having a similar hood and cloak.
The Bargainer Statues call Poes“pitiful beings who have lost their way home and wander this land.” They claim to send all Poes to the afterlife “without prejudice”.
The nature of Poes hasevolved since their first appearance in A Link to the Past, with the lore surrounding them continuing to be expanded upon across the series.
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