Sahasrahla

Sahasrahla standing with his staff.
Sahasrahla
Species	Hylian
Hair color	White
Debut	The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Sahasrahla was a wise old man who was featured as a supporting character in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Link Between Worlds. He acts as a constant guide to Link and a source of information on the lore and history of Hyrule.

Background

Sahasrahla was descended from one of the seven sages and acted as the elder of Kakariko Village.

A Link to the Past

After Agahnim rose to power and the soldiers began wandering the area in search of the sage's descendants, he fled to a secret retreat near the Eastern Palace. In order to find him, Link had to receive directions from a young boy who knew where Sahasrahla had went.

When Link found him at his hiding place, Sahasrahla told Link about the nature of the Master Sword. He instructed Link that if he was serious, he should go to the Eastern Palace and retrieve the Pendant of Courage. When Link returned with the pendant, Sahasrahla told him more of the story of the Master Sword and the Knights of Hyrule. He then gave Link the Pegasus Boots, which were a magical item passed down by his ancestors. He also encouraged Link to go and find the Ice Rod, which he felt would be helpful to him.

Not only was he wise, but Sahasrahla also possessed the ability to communicate telepathically. In dungeons, he would use special blocks to communicate to Link and provide him with helpful information. He also spoke to Link telepathically after Link retrieved the Master Sword. When Link was forced into the Dark World after defeating Agahnim, Sahasrahla communicated to Link again telling him the nature of the Golden Land. He then begged Link to find the maidens and bring peace back to Hyrule. After Link defeated Ganon, Sahasrahla was able to return to his home in Kakariko Village.

Link Between Worlds

Generations later, Sahasrahla still resided in the same house at Kakariko Village and took on a descendant of the seven sages named Osfala as a pupil. He heard about sightings of a strange man near the Eastern Palace and sent Osfala to investigate. However, Link soon came across with news that a sorcerer named Yuga was turning people into paintings and had taken one of them away. That person was Seres, who Sahasrahla knew to be a descendant of the seven sages. Fearing that Yuga was seeking the descendants in order to free Ganon, he sent Link ahead of him to try to find Osfala before Yuga did. By the time Sahasahla reached the Eastern Palace, it was too late. Though Link was able to survive his encounter with Yuga, Yuga had been successful in capturing Osfala. They then rushed back to the castle to try to help Princess Zelda, only to find that Hyrule Castle was surrounded by a powerful magical barrier.

Sahasrahla saw all of this as an echo of the events that transpired years ago. So he tasked Link with gathering the Pendents of Virtue so that he could wield the Master Sword, and he was relieved to find that Link had already been giving the Pendent of Courage by Zelda. As Link went about his quest, Sahasrahla contacted him telepathically twice: first telling him to find the Master Sword in the Lost Woods after Link gathered the pendants and then telling him that it was time to destroy the barrier at Hyrule Castle. He then waited outside the castle, where he congratulated Link on his accomplishment, marveled at the sword's power and urged Link onwards to rescue Zelda. He feared the worst when Link did not return, and he proceeded to investigate mysterious fissures that appeared throughout Hyrule following an earthquake that occurred after Link entered the castle. Link soon was reunited with Sahasrahlia outside Link's home after his return of Hyrule, and Sahasrahla learned about the success of Yuga's plan as well as the kingdom of Lorule.

The situation was bleak, but Sahasrahla still had hope in Link and the Master Sword. He urged Link to look more into the fissures, which were portals to Lorule, as he felt that they could be the keys to Hyrule's salvation. In the end, Link was able to destroy Yuga Ganon, and peace was restored to Hyrule again. During the ending credits, Sahasrahla was seen reunited with Osfala while his caretaker wept.

Trivia

• His name seems to be based on Sahasrara, the seventh chakra of Hinduism.
• In A Link to the Past, it is possible to go into the Eastern Palace before talking to Sahasrahla at all. If one does that and talks to him afterwards, he will be surprised and tell Link everything all at once.
• If Agahnim is defeated without the Moon Pearl, Sahasrahla will note Link's helplessness and instruct him to go to Death Mountain yo track the item down.
• Although one child in Kakariko Village refers to him as "grandpa", the original Japanese text makes it more likely that he's using the honorific used to refer to old men. The boy and the old woman in Sahasrahla's house (who only refers to him as "the elder") are both seen with Sahasrahla in the ending, but their relation is unclear.