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What Are Poes?
Why Are They Called Poes?
Notable Poe Appearances In Zelda Games
Poes have featured in lots of games in The Legend of Zelda series, often as enemies to Link; however, there are some exceptions to this, such as in Tears of the Kingdom, where they only appear as lost souls.
Related: Are All The Legend Of Zelda Games Connected?
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 living and, in some cases, have become monsters.
They’re unable to move on to the afterlife because of a “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 seen carrying a lantern that holds their Poe Soul.
Poes are usually hostile, attacking Link with their lanterns.
Why Are They Called Poes?
Though it hasn’t been confirmed directly by Nintendo, it’s possible that the 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 they appear as enemies in the graveyard in the Light World.
Interestingly, they don’t appear as Poes in the Dark World, with Hyu taking their place.
Ocarina Of Time
Ocarina of Time gave 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 Bottle and sell to the Poe Collector as an adult.
Big Poes can appear in Hyrule Field while Link rides Epona, but they disappear when he gets off her, meaning that only a bow and arrow can harm them.
Related: The Legend Of Zelda: The Complete History Of The Master Sword
There is one Poe in the game that Link has to use the Lens of Truth to see. This Poe will lead Link to the Spirit Temple through the Haunted Wasteland. It’s unknown 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 meets two 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 that they were Sheikah in life. The Composer Brothers have different 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 about their research in discovering the Sun’s Song.
Their red and green coloring, mustaches, and contrasting short and tall statures mean they could also be a reference to Mario and Luigi.
Four Poe sisters also appear as a miniboss in 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, where Link 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 on the Poe Collector’s challenge of defeating the Poe Sisters within a time limit to win a Piece of Heart.
Oracle Of Ages/Seasons
In Oracle of Ages, Link can help 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 are colorful 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 to numerous Poes that appear translucent until Link shines light on them using the Mirror Shield.
Jalhalla, the boss of the Earth Temple, is made up of multiple Poes. If Link throws Jalhalla at the wall of the boss room, it will split into the various Poes, allowing Link to damage it.
Twilight Princess
The four Poes in Arbiter’s Grounds are only visible to Wolf Link, and they 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 also Imp Poes - Link discovers that a man named Jovani has sold his soul to them in exchange for wealth. By defeating 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 like deep 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 Worlds appear as enemies when in the overworld.
Nine Poes lead Link to the Master Sword in the Lost Woods, though they attempt to trick him by separating and challenging Link to find the true path.
Tri Force Heroes
There’s a variety of Poes in Tri Force Heroes:
- Regular Poes come in different colors and can only be attacked by the Link of the corresponding color.
- The Palace Noir’s boss, Grim Repoe, is a fun play on the Grim Reaper.
- Prankster Poes are a horrifying image of Link as a Poe.
- Similarly, Key Bandit Poes look like Link holding a key above his head.
- One Lantern Poe can be found in Palace Noir, which looks like regular Poes from the rest of the series.
Tears Of The Kingdom
Rather than monstrous spirits, Tears of the Kingdom’s Poes are more akin to Poe Souls, acting only as items.
By collecting Poes in The Depths, Link can trade the Poes to Bargainer Statues in exchange for various rewards, including the Depths armor set.
This armor set bears 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 has evolved since their first appearance in A Link to the Past, with the lore surrounding them continuing to be expanded upon across the series.
Next: How Many Races Are There In The Legend Of Zelda Series?
