King of Red Lions

The is a recurring character in , first appearing in .
==Biography==
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The King of Red Lions is a talking sailboat that Link meets after he is tossed out into the Great Sea upon being caught by the Helmaroc King in the first time he entered the Forsaken Fortress. It is with this particular boat that Link is able to move from one island to another across the ocean. Good-spirited and filled with great wisdom, the King of Red Lions speaks to Link and explains what is currently happening and what he needs to do next in order to save his younger sister Aryll and defeat Ganondorf. He can glimpse Link's various adventures apart from him through the Pirate's Charm, which he also uses to give the young hero hints.
The boat can be operated with multiple items in Link's arsenal, such as the Sail. When attached to the mast, it allows for easy sailing to the prevailing direction of the wind. In , Link can also obtain the Swift Sail from the nightly Windfall Auction at Windfall Island. The upgrade doubles the boat's sailing speed and automatically changes the direction of the wind to the boat's heading. This assures high-speed sailing in all directions and eliminates the need for the Wind's Requiem while at sea, as backlash from fans in the original GameCube game find the sailing too tedious. The Grappling Hook can be used with the salvage crane to retrieve items from the bottom of the Great Sea. Bombs will give the ship a cannon to fire at enemies.
Later in the game, it is revealed that the boat is actually Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, the current King of Hyrule who lives under the sea. The King of Red Lions is last seen at the end of the game, lifeless, as King Daphnes himself chooses to remain in Hyrule after the final battle and drowns when the waters washed away the kingdom. The Hero of Winds is then seen departing from Outset Island in the boat to search for a new land alongside Tetra and her pirate crew. The King of the Red Lions is nowhere to be found in the game's direct sequel, Phantom Hourglass, however, suggesting that Link abandoned the boat in favor of a new one.
The King of Red Lions understands ancient Hylian tongue, and speaks so on Link's behalf in conversations with Valoo and Jabun (though unlike them, his text is always in the game's native language).
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In , the King of Red Lions appears only in Navi Trackers mode.
==Spinoff appearances==
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In and its reissues, and , King Daphnes transforms into the King of Red Lions as part of his Sail Weapon's moveset, as well during his victory animation.
==Crossover appearances==
=== series===
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In , The King of Red Lions appears in the Pirate Ship stage, floating behind the ship every once in a while, creating an extra platform. He also appears as a Trophy and a Sticker.
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In , the King of Red Lions returns as a Trophy, and he retains his appearance in the Pirate Ship stage.
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In , the King of Red Lions returns a third time as a feature in the Pirate Ship stage.
==Trivia==
*If the King of Red Lions is struck with any of Link's weapons, an updraft, or enemy bombs, he will react in pain.
*If he remains still long enough, the King of Red Lions can be seen yawning.
*During the Earth and Wind Temple quests, Medli and Makar can be seen sitting next to Link and ridding on the King of Red Lions' head, respectively.
*The design of the King of Red Lions was likely inspired by the sailboats seen in Asian cultures.
==Nomenclature==
==Gallery==
File:Wind Waker Scene.jpg|Artwork of Link and the King of Red Lions from 
File:TWWHD E3 10.png|The King of Red Lions using the Grappling Hook in 
File:SP8 King of Red Lions.png|The King of Red Lions image from the Sliding Puzzle
File:Navi Trackers King of Red Lions.png|The King of Red Lions in Navi Trackers
File:SSBB King of Red Lions.jpg|The King of Red Lions in 
File:HWL The Wind Waker Cast Artbook Poster.png|Artwork of the King of Red Lions with Link and Tetra from 
File:HW King of Red Lions.png|The King of Red Lions during King Daphnes' victory animation in 
File:HW King of Red Lions Laughing.png|The King of Red Lions during King Daphnes' victory animation in 
==See also==
* Prince of Red Lions