The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD released on July 16, inviting fans of the long-running series to return to a watercolor rendition of Hyrule first introduced on the Nintendo Wii in 2011. The re-release includes a number of additions and quality-of-life features beyond its upscaled graphics, such as the ability to play Skyward Sword entirely using button controls — an option which was not available during the heyday of Wii Remote motion controls. However, its story is exactly what anyone who played a decade ago expects to find, right down to all of the characters living on and around the floating island town of Skyloft.
There are plenty of memorable characters peppered around different places above the clouds: among them Link's fellow Knight Academy roommate Fledge, who needs help bulking up; the demon Batreaux living underneath Skyloft's graveyard; and Lumpy Pumpkin waitress Kina, who infamously asks the player to balance a load of pumpkins. Skyward Sword's rendition of Zelda is also generally regarded as one of the best in the series, being the daughter of Knight Academy headmaster Gaepora and Link's childhood friend. Yet few characters from the original Wii exclusive are as memorable as Groose.
Groose: Big Man on Campus in Skyward Sword
Immediately recognizable for his imposing build and pointy red pompadour, Groose is another student at the Knight Academy: an institution training Loftwing riders to protect the inhabitants of Skyloft from dangers such as falling off a floating island. Groose fits the head bully archetype in the cliched schoolyard setting that Skyward Sword establishes in its early hours. He causes trouble all over Skyloft and notably kicks off the game's trials by capturing Link's rare Crimson Loftwing alongside his lackeys Cawlin and Strich, hoping to impede the future hero from competing in the annual Wing Ceremony.
The character is vain, aggressive, and haughty early on, evident from his attempts to cheat in the Wing Ceremony, his propensity to fix his (admittedly iconic) hair, and the fact he monopolizes the space in a three-person dorm at the Knight Academy. However, he does also have a soft spot for Zelda, forming something of a love triangle that likely explains much of his distaste for Link.
Unfortunately for Groose, Zelda makes it clear she does not return his feelings at the beginning of the game in a moment that Nintendo of America compared to a popular cat meme on Twitter leading up to Skyward Sword HD's release. He still becomes distraught when Zelda is pulled to the surface by Ghirahim's tornado, and eventually decides to follow after Link on his black Loftwing. Link manages to stop them both from crashing too violently onto the surface using his Sailcloth, but Groose is overwhelmed by the knowledge that a whole new world exists under the clouds with races like the Goron that not native to Skyloft.
A Down-To-Earth Hero
After landing in Faron Woods with Link and recommending they call the planet "Grooseland," he meets the old woman living in the Sacred Temple - later revealed to be an aged Impa. She tells Groose he is not the fated hero meant to save Zelda, but that he has a role to play in the adventure nonetheless. Still, he doesn't believe her until encountering The Imprisoned boss after it escapes from the Sealed Grounds. When Link defeats The Imprisoned, Groose is forced to accept that Link truly is the one with the potential to save Zelda.
At that point, the character begins to turn around. He becomes more friendly with Impa during his time on the surface, even calling her "Grannie," and dedicates himself to building a device that can help fight The Imprisoned. The Groosenator is a bomb-loaded catapult can move around the rim of the circular Sealed Grounds, letting it fire ammunition at the beast to prevent it from climbing up walls or flying away. It also turns out to be useful as a way to move Link around, similar to the cannons in Twilight Princess. Link uses the Groosenator to reach a flooded Faron Woods later in the adventure, and to land atop The Imprisoned while it flies.
Groose's journey to becoming a more selfless hero continues toward the end of the game, when he attempts to stop Ghirahim from going back in time to resurrect the Demon King Demise, and he later protects Zelda's body after her soul is used in the resurrection ritual. Once Link stops Demise (though he threatens to return as new incarnations of hatred for the foreseeable future), Groose cries when the aged Impa fades away, her role in the story complete.
Groose's Lasting Popularity
Groose's arc as a character is not only blatant, it's also a rarity in the Zelda franchise. Most every incarnation of Link seems born to be a hero, courageous at heart, and a lot of NPCs are one-note. However, Groose visibly becomes a better person over the course of Skyward Sword, and he does so out of a desire to help his friends despite being afraid of the unusual surface world he discovers. If the impact he made on fans wasn't clear enough, Nintendo of America themed its Twitter account after Groose on the day Skyward Sword HD released, even releasing a "fancam" video based on the character.
That being said he was not one of the characters featured in the next major Zelda title, Breath of the Wild. Many of the locales across the open-world Hyrule that Breath of the Wild presents are named after recognizable characters from the series, including Skyward Sword. For example, "Horwell Bridge" in the Dueling Peaks region is named after an instructor at the Knight Academy, and the Pillars of Levia around Kakariko Village are named after the Spirit of the Sky Levias. With Breath of the Wild 2 set to include newly floating islands, perhaps Groose will get a proper Easter egg there.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is available now for Switch.