Most games in The Legend of Zelda series are primarily concerned with the three major characters - Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf. These three are usually the bearers of the Triforce thirds, but there is another character inextricably tied to the destiny of Hyrule - Impa. Though her prominence in The Legend of Zelda's plots has increased in more recent games, Impa has been in the series since its very first entry.
Impa is the most prominent member of The Legend of Zelda's Sheikah tribe and is often the only character of Sheikah ancestry depicted. Much like Link and Zelda, Impa is a name passed down through the generations of Hyrule. There are many different Sheikah women named Impa, and while none of them is the exact same person, they each share similar traits and carry a responsibility pertaining to the eternal struggle against Ganondorf.
Impa's role in The Legend of Zelda is usually in direct service of Hyrule's royal family, and Princess Zelda in particular. She is frequently aware of the larger conflicts that arise and uses her knowledge and position to give guidance to Link. To date, Impa has appeared in eight Zelda games, making her one of the series' most prominent recurring characters. Impa has always played important roles in Hyrule's many eras, but more recent appearances have established her as invaluable, and she is expected to reappear in the still-unnamed sequel to Breath of the Wild.
Impa In The First Legend Of Zelda Game
Impa's role in the very first Zelda game is entirely told through The Legend of Zelda Instruction Booklet. Released in 1986, The Legend of Zelda didn't have any opening cutscenes, only a text scroll that briefly outlines the premise in order to tell players the objective of their journey. The inciting events are outlined in the beginning of the instruction manual. Ganon invaded Hyrule with his evil army in order to steal the Triforce. After the "Prince of Darkness" managed to acquire the Triforce of Power, Princess Zelda split the Triforce of Wisdom (the only other piece of the Triforce in the first game) into eight pieces to be hidden from Ganon.
Zelda then told Impa, her nursemaid, to seek a hero "with enough courage to destroy the evil Ganon." Impa was pursued across Hyrule by Ganon's henchmen, and was on the verge of being captured when Link arrived to save her. Impa informed Link of Zelda's plight, and the hero decided to reunite the scattered pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom, the only item powerful enough to fight Ganon while he held the Triforce of Power.
Impa In The Adventure Of Link
As one of The Legend of Zelda's direct sequels, The Adventure of Link has the same incarnation of Impa as the first game, though her appearance in The Adventure of Link Instructions Booklet has changed slightly to give her white hair. The white hair would become a common physical trait of the Sheikah Tribe in following games, but the mysterious people are not explicitly mentioned in Zelda II. It does, however, begin the tradition of Impa and her ancestors knowing closely-guarded secrets of the royal family.
When Link comes to Impa after the symbol of the Triforce appears on his hand, Impa shows him a previous incarnation of Princess Zelda, who was put into an endless slumber after refusing to divulge information about the Triforce. The game's manual says, "only the descendants of the Impa family who served the king knew how to open the door" to the ancient princess' chamber. Impa then gave Link a box of artifacts passed down through her family: a scroll which told Link of his quest, and six crystals he would need to unlock the Triforce of Courage's resting place.
Impa In The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
Ocarina of Time is the first game in the series where Impa is encountered during the game and is an attendant rather than a nursemaid to the princess. As a child, Link meets Impa after successfully sneaking through the Hyrule Castle gardens, where she teaches him "Zelda's Lullaby." She also directs him toward Kakariko Village - where she and the Sheikah are from - and Death Mountain in his search for the second Spiritual Stone. Impa is again seen during Link's childhood when she helps Zelda escape Hyrule Castle during Ganondorf's coup. Impa presumably cared for Zelda during the seven years Link was locked away in the Sacred Realm after pulling the Master Sword from its pedestal.
After Link emerges from the Sacred Realm as an adult, an invisible monster - later revealed to be Bongo Bongo - attacks Kakariko Village, and Impa enters the Shadow Temple to deal with it. Once Link braves the dungeon and defeats Bongo Bongo, Impa is awakened as the Sage of Shadows, making her instrumental in destroying Ganondorf. The door to the Shadow Temple is above the Kakariko Village graveyard and bears the eye symbol of the Sheikah. The Shadow Temple's many torture chambers point to a dark past for the Ocarina of Time's Sheikah Tribe prior to the events of the game and give an idea of the lengths Impa may have gone to in order to protect Zelda and other members of the royal family.
Impa In Oracle Of Ages & Oracle Of Seasons
The incarnation of Impa in both Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons is once again Zelda's nursemaid, though she does do more than send Link on his quest. In Ages, Zelda sends Impa to Labrynna to retrieve the Oracle of Ages, Nayru, and bring her back to Hyrule. Before she can reach Nayru, however, Impa is possessed by Veran, the main antagonist in Ages. When Varen has the opportunity, she dispossesses Impa and takes control of Nayru. Impa then helps Link find the Harp of Ages, which he uses throughout his quest to rescue Nayru from Veran.
Impa's role in Oracle of Seasons is rather similar, though she does not get possessed by the game's villain. Zelda once again sends Impa abroad, to the land of Holodrum, in order to bring Din, the Oracle of Seasons, back to Hyrule. Impa joins Din's troupe of traveling entertainers, but before she can bring the Oracle to Hyrule, General Onox attacks with the power of a tornado. General Onox, Seasons' antagonist, kidnaps Din during the tornado attack, which leaves Impa injured and unable to complete her mission.
Impa In The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Skyward Sword depicts Impa's most important role in the series, and since it's chronologically the earliest game on the Zelda timeline, it lays the groundwork for the recurring importance of her lineage. In Skyward Sword, Impa is selected by the Goddess Hylia to protect her mortal reincarnation, which will eventually become the Princesses Zelda. After Zelda falls to the surface, which is infested with the minions of the Demon King Demise, Impa defends Zelda throughout much of the game.
Similar to her role in Ocarina of Time, Impa in Skyward Sword keeps Zelda alive while Link realizes his destiny as Hylia's chosen hero. She aids Link on his quest in two timelines, appearing as a young warrior (pictured above) and as the old woman who watches over The Imprisoned in the Sealed Grounds. After Demise is defeated at the end of Skyward Sword, the young Impa remains in the past to watch over the Master Sword, inside of which Demise was sealed.
Impa In A Link Between Worlds
In A Link Between Worlds, Impa is once again Princess Zelda's nursemaid. When considering Impa's other appearances as a nursemaid - The Legend of Zelda, The Adventure of Link, Oracle of Ages, and Seasons - it appears to be a position exclusive to primarily top-down Zelda games. Impa's physical appearance in A Link Between Worlds is also unique in that she has bright purple hair. Although her hair was a very light blonde in Skyward Sword, this is the greatest departure from her usual look since she was first given white hair in Zelda II.
Impa plays a key role as one of the Seven Sages in A Link Between Worlds. Yuga, the game's antagonist, enacts her plan to break the seal holding Ganon by capturing the Sages, including Impa, within paintings and harnessing their power. Once Impa is saved from within the Turtle Rock dungeon, she and her fellow Sages use their powers to summon the Triforce of Courage, which Link uses to defeat the combined form of Yuga and Ganon.
Impa In Breath Of The Wild
In Breath of the Wild, Impa is one of only four key characters who lived through the Second Great Calamity, the others being her sister Purah, Princess Zelda, and Link. Having lived through the entirety of Hyrule's 100 years of ruin (and not reversing her aging like Purah), Impa is roughly 120 years old. She once again has white hair, as do all of the Sheikah living in Kakariko Village. The Sheikah are a highly visible and independent people in Breath of the Wild, a first for the series, and while Impa is directly involved with the affairs of the Hyrule royal family, she does not appear subservient to the now-deceased King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule nor Princess Zelda.
Though entirely confined to Kakariko Village, Impa is once again integral to the plot of Breath of the Wild. Impa's home in Kakariko Village is the first main objective for Link after he leaves the Great Plateau. Impa is the one that directs Link on the rest of his quest; she points him to the four Divine Beasts and also advises him to seek out Purah in Hateno Village in order to begin recovering his memories. Breath of the Wild is the first game in which Impa has any family members who are shown, which is emblematic of the Sheikah Tribe's unprecedented importance to The Legend of Zelda narrative. The aged Impa may not be physically involved in the story as much as in previous entries, but she is paramount to the game's history.