the
hyrulian compendium
who is kaepora gaebora?
Kaepora Gaebora, or the Owl of Ocarina of Time, is one of the most misunderstood characters in the Zelda series. In the Lost Woods, a Gossip Stone says, "They say that the owl named Kaepora Gaebora is the reincarnation of an ancient Sage." In this theory, I will examine all the evidence of who or what the Owl is, and lay out my complete logical explanation. Feel free to send in your own theories to this as well.
The Idea(s)
- Kaepora Gaebora is Rauru
- Kaepora Gaebora is an unknown Ancient Sage
- Kaepora Gaebora is the Owl from LA
- Kaepora Gaebora is no one
Evidence
- The Gossip Stone
- The Owl's appearances in OoT
- Link's Awakening's Owl
- Nintendo's practice of recycling characters
- Sage's descendants in LttP
My Theory
Based on all the evidence, my theory is one this: Kaepora Gaebora is an unknown ancient Sage that is reincarnated to help Link in his quest. The other more logical answer to this is that Kaepora Gaebora is just another victim of Nintendo's egregious character recycling. The Owl appeared in Link's Awakening which was released before Oacrina of Time, and therefore is just the reuse of a good idea (which is rampant in the Oracle Series with OoT/MM characters). However, this is not possible, because the infamous Lost Woods Gossip Stone gives Kaepora Gaebora both a name and a history. Also, because OoT took place BEFORE Link's Awakening no matter what timeline you look at, they cannot be one in the same, because the Owl of LA is just a figment of the Wind Fish's dream.
It is also thought that by reincarnatd sage, Nintendo meant that Kaepora Gaebora is Rauru, the Sage of Light. However, that too is impossible because Rauru is alive in both times of OoT and to be reincarnated one must be dead!
Therefore, the only remaining possibility is that we really don't know who Kaepora Gaebora is, except that he is the reincarnation of an ancient Sage that has been long dead. People may think that a Sage is immortal, but that is not true. In Link to the Past, which takes place a good century after OoT, the sages are long dead and their children, seven girls (including Zelda), are the Sages. This means that Sages are replaced even century of so by their kin, and the fact that Kaepora Gaebora is an "ancient" sage must mean that he's been dead for quite some time. As for what he might have been the sage of, no one knows. Clues say that because the only place he appears in the "future" is over the Desert Colossus means that he must be the Spirit Sage. However, eh appears there when Link returns as a child and gets the Power Gloves, so that point is moot.
Conclusion- Kaepora Gaebora is an ancient sage that was reincarnated to help Link is his quest. What Kaepora Gaebora was the sage of, we do not know.
Your Theories
captainbob47@hotmail.com
In response to your theory section I just want to say this. First, I only remember seeing Kaepora Gaebora when Link was a child. Second, I only remember seeing Rauru in Link's adulthood. Rauru may not have died and reincarnated as an owl, but maybe has the ability to change form or identity. Zelda did it by turning into Sheik and giving Link advise, so who says Rauru couldn't do it to. They were both sages you know.
Update (6/21/02)
In response to the discussion this theory has initiated, I looked into the matter and the following fact still proves that Gaebora cannot be Rauru. Those who replied state that you don't see the Owl as an adult, which is untrue, because during the sequence where Shiek teaches Adult Link the Requiem of Spirit, you cans ee the Owl fly overhead. Furthermore, when Link first wakes up and meets Rauru, Rauru tells him that when Link first arrived seven years ago, he put Link in a sleep. That means that although we don't see Rauru in Link's youth, he was still there.
Yugiohking2002@aol.com
I reckon that he is the reincarnated spirit of the Great Deku Tree.
hypermegamattaman@hotmail.com
I'd just like to add my part to your sage theory. I think he is the
reincarnation of the woman in the Desert Colosseus and Spirit Temple.
He can
be seen flying towards the desert in the end of OOT. He's also seen
when you
are learning the Requiem of Spirit. And he is waiting for you at the
Spirit
Temple. He(or is that she?) has to be the Sage of Spirit!
captainbob47@hotmail.com
Your explanation makes perfect sense on how Rauru and Kaepora have been seen or mentioned in both time periods. My theory still poses a question, though. Rauru has been a sage for all we know since the beginning of the game. He is only seen in the Temple of Light, as Rauru anyways. Now, after Link awakens each of the remaining sages, it is assumed (to me at least) that they remain in the Temple of Light as well. I mean for example, after beating the Forest Temple, I don't remember seeing Saria anywhere but the Temple of Light. Back to my point, maybe the only way Rauru could help Link along his journey was to take another form, as the owl. That's farfetched, I know, but my gut instinct tells me that the sage and owl are the same person.
One more point I would like to make about their similarity apart from their looks: Webster's describes a sage as "a very wise person," and the owl has always been rumored as "a very wise animal/bird." So tell me why Rauru couldn't be both.
Webmaster's Reply: Obviously I can't tell you why they couldn't be the same person. But on the same coin, I can't tell you why they could be the same person, cause there's no proof either way. It's all speculation.
pizza_rocks@hotmail.com
Who is Kaepora Gaebora?
I think he is the owl from LA but still not there. Yet at the same time
hes
a unknown sage.Hes a unknown sage because there no really good reasons
hes
not and hes the owl from LA because when link comes into the windfish's
dream he added that from his own mind
cmonnig@zoomnet.net
I think the owl with the ridiculous name is only as much the same as the one in Link's Awakening as Malon and Talon are Marin and Tarin or Jabu Jabu is Wind Fish. (They do that a lot, I'm told.) But I think I can solve the reincarnated sage thing by sayint that the 7 sages who originally sealed the Triforce in what's now the dark world would include like King Zora, King ??? of Hyrule, and the Deku Tree. Thier powers eventually got handed down. So maybe Rauru and Kaepora (or whatever) are two more of the first seven sages.
Pat2779608@aol.com
I agree with some people that Kaepora Gaebora is The Great Deku Tree because one needs to be dead to be reincarnated. The Great Deku Tree is the only person dead in the game, (don't count the bosses because, THEY ARE NOT SAGES) and the first encounter with Kaepora Gaebora is right after you leave the forest for the first time and The Great Deku Tree is dead. I think The Great Deku Tree is an ancient sage because the rest who have the other two spirituial stone are Daunia and Princess Ruto. THEY ARE BOTH SAGES!!! The Great Deku Tree must of been the sage of Forest before he died but he lived so long (sign of ancient) and Ganondorf put a spell on him and he died. Then Saria took The Great Deku Tree's place! That is my theory!
