The Dark Interlopers: Sheikah Traitors?

A Speculative Article by Clonan Rhenche

Ever since Ocarina of Time, the Sheikah have been a big part of the Legend of Zelda franchise. This tribe of ninja-like warriors with red eyes and pointed ears are said to be loyal followers of the Royal Family and played a major role in the Hyrulean Civil War, at which many were killed almost to the point of extinction. In Ocarina of Time, only one true Sheikah remains, Impa. Throughout Ocarina of Time, though, there are traces of the Sheikah; from the Eye of Truth to the Shadow Temple, they truly left their mark on Hyrule as master inventors and a Shadow Folk, as is seen from their many dark practices. They are said to excel in magic (mostly of the dark variety as mentioned before), and many of the people said to be Sheikah were said to be extraordinary in whatever they did. In Twilight Princess, there is the legend of the Dark Interlopers, a people said to excel in dark magic, said to be great inventors as is seen from the Fused Shadow, and are often depicted as having red eyes and pointed ears. Is this a coincidence that these two races seem so similar, or could it be that they are the exact same? Let’s find out.

The word Interloper is defined as “one who intrudes a place, situation, or activity” which is clear from the fact that these people intruded on the Sacred Realm in order to rule and gain power over the Triforce. In order to establish dominance, these interlopers invented the Fused Shadow, a combination of inventive skill and dark magic. Once the three Light Spirits intervened, they were banished to the Twilight Realm and became the Twili. Several similarities exist from this group of Dark Interlopers and the Sheikah. The most obvious similarity is the fact that both of them use dark magic, hence the names Dark Interlopers and Shadow Folk. The Dark Interlopers used their magic to invent a device called the Fused Shadow, while the Sheikah are said to have invented numerous objects like the Eye of Truth, the Mask of Truth, and the Stone of Agony. A little less obvious is the similarities in their respective appearances. While it could be said that the Dark Links shown during the explanation of the legend of the Dark Interlopers were just mere interpretations of something dark and evil, these Interlopers are depicted as having red eyes and pointed ears. Also, Midna, who is of the Twili race, possesses red eyes and pointed ears. While many other individuals in the Twili race do not possess red eyes (i.e. Zant), she seems to be one of the few (if not the only one) with visible irises, which are once again red. Whatever the case, these similarities just seem too obvious to ignore, but what else could lead us to believe the Dark Interlopers were Sheikah?

The Sheikah Eye Symbol is seen all over the place in many Zelda games, and Twilight Princess is no exception. From the get go, Princess Zelda is seen with an eye on her cloak, and a very accurate representation of such. The Eye Symbol is then seen on the Howling Stones as well as the Wooden Statue given to Link by one of the last Sheikah, Impaz. These are not the only references to this eye in Twilight Princess, though. Right on the back of the Fused Shadow is a great interpretation of the Sheikah Eye Symbol. In addition, there is another identical eye symbol above Zant’s throne. A noticeable difference between the Sheikah Eye and the Twili Eye is the teardrop. While non-canonical, the Ocarina of Time Manga gives an explanation for this. The teardrop in the Symbol, according to the Manga, was added after a betrayal by the Royal Family lead to the banishment of the Sheikah from Hyrule for a time. While this source is once again non-canonical, it may be that Nintendo decided to roll with this idea when creating the Twili. Whatever the case, this is another similarity that the Twili share with the Sheikah.

The bottom line? The Twili, who were once the Dark Interlopers, share numerous similarities with the Sheikah. It is most likely that a few individuals in the Sheikah race decided to betray the Royal Family in an attempt to control the Triforce. At that, the Royal Family banished those individuals to the Twilight Realm and left a few Sheikah to live in Hyrule. Either many of these Sheikah joined the Dark Interlopers and were banished, leaving few to live in Hyrule, or only a few were banished and most of the Sheikah were killed in the Hyrulean Civil War. All of this would explain the drop in Sheikah population, the Eye Symbol on the Fused Shadow, and the resemblance in actions and appearance. Maybe all of the Sheikah weren’t as loyal as Impa said.