Surface

The Kingdom of Hyrule,^(Series)[2] also simply known as Hyrule,^{(TLoZ | TAoL | ALttP | LA | OoT | MM | OoS | OoA | FS | TWW | FSA | TMC | TP | PH | ST | SS | ALBW | TFH | TotK | HW | DotT | HWAoC)[3][4][5][6][7][8]} the Land of the Gods,^(Series)[9] the Lesser Kingdom of Hyrule,^(TAoL)[10] the Surface,^(SS)[11] and Hyrule Kingdom,^(BotW)[12] is the name of the medieval-like kingdom that serves as the iconic main setting for The Legend of Zelda series, appearing in the majority of installments.^{[note 1]} It is usually depicted as a beautiful and prosperous land blessed with deep forests, tall mountains, vast lakes, a barren desert, great cities, villages, and many ancient temples hidden throughout.^{[15][16][17][18][19]} It is the homeland of Link and Princess Zelda, as well as the place the Demon King Ganon wanted to rule with an iron fist for undisclosed reasons, and because of this, it is the essential objective of the aforementioned two to protect the kingdom at all costs, often with the help of others, including its normally unseen king.

Once ruled by the goddess Hylia as an unnamed land in ancient times, it became established as the Kingdom of Hyrule by the descendants of her mortal incarnation. The sacred bloodline that was started by the Zelda of Skyward Sword would go on to become known as the Royal Family of Hyrule. At the northern center of Hyrule is seated Hyrule Castle (its government area), where the family reside, and a bustling town surrounded by a stone wall, populated mostly by the Hylians and a variety of shops. To the west of the kingdom can often be seen a desert, forests to the south and south-east and a mountain range to the east and north-east.

The kingdom has its own long and unique history with many wars and conflicts over the Triforce, deities, legendary relics, historical heroes and villains.^[20][21] It is connected to a variety of different realms or universes via magical artifacts and portals, including but not limited to the Sacred Realm, the Twilight Realm, its own direct parallel world Lorule and, to a lesser extent, Termina. The story of the Sacred Realm and the Triforce would shape Hyrule's future in the centuries that followed its establishment, becoming the basis of its providence.^[22] It is also home to a multitude of different races and tribes, each inhabiting a different part of the country and sometimes protecting its legendary relics and guarding its temples.^[23]

After the birth of the Gerudo thief from the western desert, Ganondorf (the human form of Ganon), who wishes to conquer the kingdom for himself using the Triforce's tremendous power,^[24] a young hero clad in a green tunic and armed with the legendary Master Sword and Hylian Shield will often rise up to save the land from destruction and defeat him to restore peace and order. The hero is generally assisted in this effort by the kingdom's young princesses, traditionally named Zelda. This would become a repeated history that would doom Hyrule on several occasions, one account resulting in its sealing during the Great Flood. Many years after the flood, it was succeeded by a new kingdom named after it. ==Notes==

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