Impa

Impa in Ocarina of Time.
Impa
Species	Sheikah/Unknown
Hair color	White
Eye color	Red
Debut	The Legend of Zelda (instruction manual only) The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (first in-game appearance)

Impa is the nursemaid of Princess Zelda in all her appearances. She looks radically different in most of these games, suggesting there are different Impas in the vein of the multiple Links and Zeldas. However she is always a strong and determined woman who is fiercely loyal to Princess Zelda.

Background

Ocarina of Time

The Impa of Ocarina of Time was actually one of the Sheikah shadow people. She was a tough warrior and even sealed the shadow beast Bongo Bongo at the bottom of the Kakariko Well. She was also quite kind-hearted and opened up Kakariko Village to the general public. Impa was the only person who believed the princess's prophetic dream and aided her and Link's quest to stop Ganondorf by teaching Link how to play the song of the royal family. Impa later helped Zelda escaped Hyrule Castle and over the seven years of Link's slumber, probably played some role in Zelda's transformation into Sheik. Impa later went off to the Shadow Temple to slay Bongo Bongo after Ganondorf freed him from his well prison, but she failed.

After Link destroyed Bongo Bongo, he and Impa traveled to the Chamber of Sages. Impa had been awakened as a Shadow Sage and granted Link the Shadow Medallion. Impa told Link that Zelda was safe, and that he would meet her face-to-face soon. With the other Sages Impa created a rainbow bridge leading to Ganon's Castle and later sealed Ganon within the Dark Realm. Impa traveled in the form of a purple sprite to Death Mountain with the other sages in the ending, and from their perch they saw the Lon Lon Ranch festivities.

Impaz

Impa does not appear in Twilight Princess but is referenced. A woman named Impaz is shown to be the last resident of the Sheikah Hidden Village. Impaz mentions doing work for the Royal Family, similar to the work done by Impa and the rest of the Sheikah. Impaz also claims to be named after the village's founder.

The NES Zeldas

Impa and Link in Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

In The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link Impa was a hunched and wrinkled old woman. But even then she was skilled, as it was she who hid the eight shards of the Triforce of Wisdom in the different areas of the Underworld. While traveling in the forest she was ambushed by monsters and rescued by Link, a foreigner from unknown lands. She instructed him to gather the Triforce pieces and rescue Zelda, which he did quite handily.

Later on Impa was the only one who could explain Link's strange development of a Triforce mark on his hand. She revealed that one of the duties Impa's family had for generations was to protect the sleeping Princess Zelda, whom had been cursed to sleep forever in North Hyrule. She was able to give Link the special jewels necessary to break the curse on Zelda. Thanks to Link, the sleeping Zelda was at last awakened after centuries of sleep.

Oracles Series

Impa's appearance in the Oracle games.

Impa also appeared in both Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages, in which she was far more heftier than in other games. Zelda sent Impa to both Holodrum and Labrynna to protect Din and Nayru from dark forces, but Link wound up doing the saving. She winds up being the first person Link encounters in the openings of both games. In the opening of Ages, Impa was momentarily possessed by Veran to get close to Nayru, at which point Veran left Impa to then possess Nayru.

Impa's skills in these games are unknown, as she is kept out of action by convenient injuries. Impa's worries increased when Zelda herself left Hyrule for a front row-view of the foreign disasters while trying to find a way to help. Eventually everything turned out well in the end.

Trivia

• Although Impa is an important part of the instruction manual stories for the NES Zelda games and is featured in official artwork, she is absent from the actual games.
• In The Wind Waker, Impa's image is seen on one of the stain glass windows in the basement of Hyrule Castle, as she appears in Ocarina of Time, along with the other sages from that game.