The legendary hero Link often has to confront the dangers of Hyrule alone. On rare occasions, he is given a companion to help in on his quest, and this companionship often takes the form of Epona, his noble steed. This beautiful rust-colored horse is a faithful friend of Link's, appearing in a few games over the years.

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First appearing in Ocarina of Time, Epona is a special horse that will only lend herself to those that can prove themselves to her. Link initially does this by playing Epona's Song, taught to him by Malon at Lon Lon Ranch. Since then, Epona has appeared a few times in different capacities. Here are all of her appearances, ranked.

7 Breath of the Wild

Link sits atop Epona in Breath of the Wild.

Breath of the Wild's version of Epona is rather beautiful, similar to many things in this game because of its fantastic aesthetic and art style. However, Epona doesn't canonically appear in this iteration of Hyrule, instead appearing upon the use of an amiibo.

For this reason, BOTW Epona, despite being gorgeous, ranks at the bottom of the list. Sure, she exists within the game, but she plays no role in the story and is not given her full presence like in other games. However, she has an immediate 100% bond with Link, which is a nice touch.

6 Minish Cap

Link and Malon with Epona pulling Malon's milk cart in The Minish Cap.

Many players might not remember this, but Epona actually has an appearance in The Minish Cap. This is rather forgettable, as her role is very small and she does not serve as a companion to Link like she normally does. Instead, she's under the ownership of Malon and her ranch. After Link helps Malon and her father, Talon, find a key for their house, Malon will sell milk to Link from a wagon pulled by Epona.

This appearance of Epona ranks low because she is not a major part of the game like her other appearances. However, she does get some points in this iteration as Link can actually speak to her for the first time when he's Minish-sized. He's also able to fuse a kinstone with her, which is very cute.

5 Hyrule Warriors

Promotional art for Epona as a weapon in Hyrule Warriors' Master Quest DLC.

In one of her appearances, Epona's role is strange when explained to the uninitiated. Epona serves as a weapon in Hyrule Warriors — yes, you read that right, a weapon. As part of the Master Quest DLC pack, Epona becomes a "weapon" for Link, barrelling through enemies and trampling them down. Link is also able to swing his sword and shoot arrows from her back, making this character-weapon combo like a cavalry option for the layer.

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The levels or tiers of this "weapon" changes what Epona looks like. At level 1, she's in her standard Hyrule Warriors design, but level 2 makes her resemble her appearance from Twilight Princess, and level 3 represents Epona's look from Ocarina of Time.

4 Majora's Mask

Link rides Epona in Termina in Majora's Mask.

In Majora's Mask, Epona serves a pretty crucial role to the game's story. She's seen with Link at the very beginning of the game, riding into the Lost Woods before the events of the game. Link is knocked off of Epona by Tatl and Tael before the Skull Kid steals her and rides off. Part of Link's main quest in this game is to recover Epona and save her from her kidnapping.

Link finds Epona after clearing Snowhead Temple at Romani Ranch, where he can learn Epona's Song. She's needed to enter Great Bay and Ikana Canyon, as there are fences in the way of Link entering these areas that Epona can leap over.

3 Ocarina of Time

Adult Link riding Epona in Hyrule Field in Ocarina of Time.

In her original appearance, Epona was super cool to new players who were around when the game came out. It was an entirely brand-new experience to have a horse to summon and ride around the land in the series. Before this, Link could only walk, run occasionally, and fast travel, so having a faster way of moving was unparalleled.

Epona's addition to the game, along with a fully 3D world to traverse, made for a killer combo. Galloping around Hyrule Field was fantastic, even if it was a bit frustrating when she got stuck on random bits of terrain. Epona's Song is also one of the catchiest and most memorable tunes from the series.

Using Epona to race the evil Ingo and escape the ranch by jumping the fence is an epic and memorable moment, as well.

2 Twilight Princess

Link riding Epona in Twilight Princess.

Epona's most recent appearance in a main-series game (aside from her amiibo summon from BOTW) is amazingly all the way back in Twilight Princess, almost 14 years ago. In that role, she appears very early to Link, helping him on Ordon Ranch to herd the goats. The player can name their horse whatever they want, but she looks exactly like Epona and her default name is Epona.

This iteration of Link's faithful horse companion is fantastic, really making him feel like a true hero, galloping across the land for quest and glory. Part of why this iteration of Epona appears at the top of the list is because of her role against Ganondorf. In the third portion of the final battle against the Demon King, Link puts up his fight atop Epona's saddle. This makes for a high-speed, epic battle.

1 Bonus: Animal Crossing

The inside of Epona's house when she is a villager in Animal Crossing: New Leaf.

Yes, that's right — Epona appears in an Animal Crossing game. And, she doesn't just appear in a cameo or on an item or anything like that. She's a full-blown villager.

If the player scans the Sheik, Ocarina Link, Link Rider, or Majora's Mask amiibo in New Leaf's Welcome Amiibo update, they can receive Epona as a villager in their town. She'll have the peppy personality, meaning she's chatty, gossipy, and upbeat.

The player can also have other Zelda characters, including Wolf Link, Ganon, or Medli as villagers if they have the right amiibos.

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