Zelda is one of the most recognizable and well-known video game series in the entire world. The Zelda Universe is vast. With games that span ages, head into different realms, and lead Link on countless adventures, the lore of Hyrule is deep and detailed. Through video games, manga, and dedicated Hyrulian history books, we can learn all the ins and outs of Link's great adventures. This includes many different creatures and races that inhabit the land. Each new race introduced has its own lore and history than impacts the world.

One of the most recognizable and popular races in Hyrule is the Goron. The Goron are large rock creatures that show up in many of the Zelda video games. Depending on what game you are playing, you will encounter the Goron in different capacities and areas. The Goron might help Link solve a puzzle, guide him to safety, help with his weapons, or send him on new quests and adventures.

Even though the Goron show up throughout the Zelda Universe, much of their culture and history is mysterious. These rock folk are not as simple as they seem, and their past harbors some strange and interesting secrets. Have you ever wondered where the Goron came from, how their community works, or what they eat? Have you heard of all the Goron's strange abilities and weird habits? Even the most serious gamers and Zelda fans will be surprised by some of these weird Goron facts.

15 Goron Don't Just Eat Rocks

Via zeldadungeon.net

The Goron mostly eat rocks mined from their local quarries. With an ever-growing population of Goron, eating their home rocks might end up being a bad idea someday, but they don't seem concerned. Luckily, Goron have been known to eat other foods as well, not just chunks of their own mountains. In Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons, Goron are shown drinking Lava, and they make special dishes like Lava Soup and Lava Juice. In Oracle of Ages, the Goron even gave Goronade, which is a Goron version of an energy drink. In Phantom Hourglass, Goron ditch stone altogether and eat Wood Hearts, which can help them grow big and strong. They also might drink milk, which is implied later on in Twilight Princess. Watch out for your weapons around the Goron, too! In The Minish Cap, they like to eat steel and take a nibble out of Link's Small Shield!

14 Goron Is More Than Just A Name

Via Mic.com

The Goron are not called the Goron just because it sounds cool, their name might have a deeper meaning. Goron may derive from a Japanese word, "Goro Goro." Goro Goro is a Japanese onomatopoeia for the sound of a rolling rock, specifically a big rolling boulder. It's easy to see how that could be the case, since the Goron are big, rolling boulders themselves. Goron are made of stone and are famous for curling themselves into balls for travel or defense. They even have rolling competitions! Another theory is that the Goron name is derived from the word "Gore," which means "Mountain" in some Slavic languages. this would also make sense, since the Goron usually live on or under mountains, and some Goron, like Biggeron, are as big as mountains themselves!

13 Goron Have A Deep Cultural Bond

Via zeldadungeon.net

The Goron are in almost every video game in the Zelda franchise, because they are one of the oldest races in the Hyrulian world that has survived to "modern" day. They live under ancient mountain ranges, and can be found on remote islands, which implies that the Goron have been around for a long, long time. Being an ancient race means the Goron have a developed cultural bond, which is demonstrated in the game. The Goron all refer to each other as "brother," which shows their cultural and familial bonds. The Goron also have a special Goron dance that signifies members of the tribe. They are not known to fight amongst each other, and they bond through tribal living and traditions, like Goron strength competitions, rolling races, dancing, rock-related revelry, explosions, and forging powerful swords. The Goron even have matching tattoos of Goron's Ruby! That's brotherhood.

12 Outsiders Not Welcome

Via zeldadungeon.net

The Goron are an ancient race, and they have lived through many ages of Hyrule. They have a close brotherhood and are a peaceful race. They primarily live on or under giant mountains and mountain ranges. Other Goron live on isolated islands. All these factors contribute to the Goron being less than friendly to strangers. The Goron won't just trust any stranger. Newcomers have to prove themselves. Some Goron require outsiders to know the special Goron dance, or prove their heart and intention. When under stress or when their community is threatened, the Goron can even become scared of and unwelcoming to strangers. In Ocarina of Time, when the Goron are threatened and their patriarch was taken, they want to keep outsiders out of the problem, because it's a "Goron problem." The Goron have a strong brotherhood and culture, and being wary of strangers has likely helped preserve their safety.

11 Goron Have A Dragon Problem

Via Zelda.wikia.com

The Goron are a very strong race, but not explicitly designed for fighting. They are presented as a mostly peaceful community. Goron are more interested in exploring, dancing and eating rocks than they are in fighting. Though they compete to demonstrate their strength, their rolling powers are designed mainly as a defense mechanism. A giant creature made of rock is not likely to have a lot of predators, but there is one thing the Goron fear— dragons. In Ocarina of Time, the Hero of Time learns that the Goron of Death Mountain have been kidnapped by Ganandorf. The evil Ganendorf is planning to feed the Goron to the spirit of the dragon Volvagia, to prove his power. This is not the first time in Goron history that their community has been hurt by a dragon. Luckily, Link is around to defeat Volvagia with the Megaton Hammer.

Via DeviantArt (DaKidGaming)

Did you know Link was a Goron? Well, not exactly. In Ocarina of Time, Link meets a Goron...also named Link. With names like Biggeron and Darunia for most of the other Goron, Link definitely seems out of place. Goron Link is left behind when Ganondorf starves and kidnaps the other Goron in order to feed them to the Dragon Volvagia. Goron Link is named after the Hero of Time, and is introduced as Link, Hero of the Goron. In Majora's Mask, Link is a Goron again, but in a completely different way. Link can become Goron Link by donning the Goron Mask, which he received from the spirit of a Goron leader. This gives him special powers, like the Goron Punch, Goron Pound, and the ability roll like the Goron. Goron Link also has the Drums of Sleep instead of his ocarina, to play the Goron Lullaby.

9 Have They Always Been Around?

Via Zelda.wikia.com

The Goron are a weird-looking race, which makes it a little surprising that they are one of the most popular races in the Zelda Universe. Of all the cool creatures in Hyrule, the Goron seem like a runner-up for the most popular imaginary Hyrulian races. Against all odds, though, the Goron show up, one way or another, in almost every single Zelda video game. Their lore is integral to Hyrulian history, and the Goron are almost as popular as Link himself. The Goron are present in Zelda games from N64 to DS and (of course) the Nintendo Switch. What a list! And that does not include the other franchises the Goron have popped up in throughout the years. These rock guys sure know their way around!

8 How Big Is TOO Big?

Via Zelda.wikia.com

The Goron might all be of the same race, but some of them seem like they belong to a whole different species! A very similar species of rock-type organisms, perhaps, but it is weird to see a group of Goron that can range in size from pebbles to mountains! Goron are all different sizes, from teeny tiny, to at least taller than Link, to gigantic rock monsters! In Ocarina Of Time, you meet Biggeron. Biggeron is the largest of the Goron (which you can totally tell by his very creative name). He is almost the size of Death mountain, which is the gigantic stone mountain where the Goron live. I wonder how those sleeping arrangements work out? Biggeron has a little brother, Medigron, which is apparently the ultra-creative name reserved for medium-sized Goron. Where is Minigron? Maybe he will show up in the next Zelda game.

7 How Do You Prove Who Is Strongest?

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The Goron are extremely strong— which, really, shouldn't be much of a shock from a race that is constructed of stone. Even without added muscle, most regular Hyrulian folks would suffer from a punch delivered by a rock arm. The Goron are proud of their strength, and they like people to know it. They like to hold competitions to see which Goron are the strongest. The Goron Olympics include amazing feats of strength like...rolling. I guess rocks like to roll? The Goron also challenge each other in Sumo Wrestling, physical strength, and rolling racing. The Goron are made of rocks, and have stocky, boulder-shaped bodies, which is pretty close to what human bodybuilders are going for. Lugging around all that extra stone body weight has to be a workout in itself, especially when scaling Death Mountain! The Goron give new meaning to "rock hard abs."

6 By Land, By Air, By Sea?

Via YouTube (NintendoMovies)

If I were a giant rock monster with an intimidating home like Death Mountain, I would probably want to stay there and eat rocks for all of my boulder-smashing days. Goron, though, really love to get around Hyrule. The gorons don't just live in the mountains, they also live on islands, like Goron Island (aptly named), and under several mountain ranges. With pockets of Goron all over the place, they had to travel at some point to get around! The Goron are often seen departing their mountain homes and setting off on journeys. Some come down from their mountain homes and set off on rocky adventures, like in The Wind Waker, The Minish Cap, Skyward Sword, and Breath of the Wild.  They probably don't need to pack much, because they eat rocks, which are just as easy to find on an island as they are on Death Mountain!

5 Clumbsy Thumbs — Delicate Swords

Via Zelda.wikia.com

Goron are made of stone and live under mountains, and are somehow really good at making swords. This might be a cool nod to the mythology of Hephaestus, the Greek God of Smiths and Metalworking, who made all the weapons for Olympus. Or, Goron just really like making swords. Biggeron is known as the best wordsmith of the Goron. His brother, Megigoron, is a skilled smith as well. In Ocarina of Time, you have to go through the Adult Link Trading Sequence to get Biggeron to make a special sword just for Link, and it is insanely complicated. Luckily, the giant sword is worth it, because Biggeron is considered the best smith in Hyrule. The only unfortunate thing I that the Goron are way stronger than Link, resulting in a giant sword that is too big to wield with a shield in your other hand. At least its well-made!

4 About Swimming...

Via zeldadungeon.net

Goron might be super strong and great at all the important things in life, like making swords and rolling around, but they are missing one very important skill— they can't swim! Goron are really have and dense (they are made of stone, so that should be obvious) which probably contributes to their lack of aquatic ability. Goron also move pretty slowly, and keeping afloat takes speed and effort, so they are pretty much designed to sink. In Twilight Princess, the Goron demonstrate that they can hold their breath for a long time and don't need to come up for air, so hopefully, if they sink they can sit tight long enough for a rescue party to get them to shore. What's confusing, though, is how the Goron decided on island living when danger awaits them on every side of their home.

3 Goron Gardens Are "The Bomb"

Via YouTube (ChronoRaven)

The Goron's main pastime is mining. They need rocks to eat, so mining is not an optional activity. Mining is made much easier by the Goron's "Special Crop." Goron harvest the bombs from bomb flowers, and refer to it as a "Mining Plant." Bomb Flowers grow on Death Mountain— a good place for an explosive plant. The Bomb Flowers are also the raw source for the materials for regular bombs, making it a necessity for Link. In Ocarina of Time, young Link is too weak to lift the bombs from the flowers. He needs the Goron Bracelet to help get the bombs. Later, in Majora's Mask, Link no longer needs the help of the Goron Bracelet, and Goron Link can use them to solve puzzles and distract killer moths, but they also slow Goron Link down in the Goron Races.

2 Summer All Day

Via Zelda.wikia.com

The Goron are made of stone, but that does not mean they like to be cold. They like hot rock foods, like lava soup and lava juice, and they travel to live on warm, tropical islands. In Majora's Mask, the Goron live in the Snowhead region. Snowed doesn't sound warm, but the mountain villages where the Goron man their homes are warm. The Goron are in trouble, though, because they have been plagued by an endless, icy winter. Link has to get the Goron Mask from the spirit of the Goron leader Darmani, who froze to death while investigating the blizzard. Link then has the ability to become Goron Link, and he uses his powers to lull the invisible Biggeron to sleep with the Goron Lullaby and defeat the mechanical monster, Goht, to defeat the blizzard. Luckily the Goron had Link to save them all from being frozen to death.

1 There Are Only Male Goron

Via TouTube (YTSunny)

The Goron are rock people, and they all look really similar. Some might have different rock hair, different colors of skin that range from bright yellow to red, or be as big as a mountain, but none of them appear to be female. Every Goron you meet in the game, From Biggeron to Goron Link, is male. The Goron also refer to each other as "brother" this could be a mistranslation, but it seems unlikely. While playing the games, you never see any Goron in relationships besides tribal brotherhood and friendship, as far as we can tell. There are a lot of theories about female Goron, including the idea that the all-female race of very similar creatures, the Gerudo, are the female version of Gorgons, but they are two separate species. What we do see all over the place, though, is baby Gorons. Nintendo needs to explain that one someday.