Very little is known of the background and origins of Tetra's Pirates. They used to serve under Tetra's mother orders, but after she passed away, Tetra followed in her footsteps and became their new leader.[2] The Pirate Crew are known to be extremely loyal and follow whatever orders they are given to by "Miss Tetra", showing their dedication towards their leader at any given moment. Curiously, they appear surprisingly similar to the group shown in a painting on a wall of the sunken Hyrule Castle. The picture depicts an antediluvian Princess Zelda along with several of her courtiers, each of them bearing a striking resemblance to the members of Tetra's Pirate Crew. Since Tetra is later on revealed to be Princess Zelda, they are likely the Pirates' ancestors who served the Princess in past generations.
Pirates
The crew is made up of six pirates:
Senza appears to be the con-man of the crew as he is very talented in persuasion.
Gonzo is (next to Tetra) the highest ranked of the Pirates, he steers the Ship.
Nudge is the strongest of all the crew, he councils Tetra in decision making.
Mako is called the brains of the Ship and the king of invention.
They are first seen right after Link acquires the Telescope from his sister, Aryll. Using the Telescope, Link sees the Crew attacking the Helmaroc King with cannon balls from their Ship, attempting to free their leader Tetra from the bird's grasp. After one of their shots lands a hit, the bird drops Tetra into the Fairy Woods where Link saves her. The Helmaroc King returns shortly after and kidnaps Aryll, mistaking her for Tetra. They help Link reach the Forsaken Fortress in an attempt to rescue his sister, but the young hero ultimately fails.
The Pirates are not seen again until Link goes to Windfall Island. He sees Tetra and her crew stealing Bombs from Bomb-Master Cannon in order to gain entry to the cave in Outset Island where Jabun lies hidden. Tetra allows her pirates to stay at Windfall for the night, which lets Link gain a head start to reach Jabun and receive Nayru's Pearl from him.[3]
After Link visits the Forsaken Fortress a second time to rescue Aryll, the Pirates appear to take back the other two kidnapped girls, Mila and Maggie, to Windfall Island in order to get a hefty reward from their fathers.[4] Tetra also promises Link that they will return Aryll safely back to Outset Island for free.[5]
Tetra's Pirate Crew are seen again during the ending credits. After Tetra and Link resurface from the now-sunken land of Hyrule, the Pirates are seen greeting them along with other characters aboard their Ship. Afterward, they set sail from Outset Island as they accompany Tetra and Link in search of new lands, which sets the background for Phantom Hourglass.
Phantom Hourglass
Tetra and her Crew also appear in Phantom Hourglass, but only in the game's opening and ending cutscenes. The Pirates who appear are Gonzo, Niko, Mako and Zuko. Nudge and Senza are nowhere to be seen, but it is safe to assume that they're still with the other Pirates. Due to her royal lineage, the Pirates in Phantom Hourglass have taken to referring to Tetra as "Princess Zelda", much to her annoyance.
After defeating Bellum, Link and Tetra reunite with the rest of the Pirates.
The following section is not part of the Zelda canon and should not be taken as such.
In the Phantom Hourglass manga by Akira Himekawa, Tetra's Pirate Crew makes an appearance. While Link and Tetra duel each other, Niko expresses concern,[6] but Gonzo says they need the exercise.[7] Zuko announces that the ship will be entering "that" area soon,[8] which Gonzo explains is the ocean where the Ghost Ship sails.[9] Niko states that he dislikes ghosts,[10] although Link comforts him by saying the Ocean King rules and protects the ocean.[11] Tetra says that the Ghost Ship is just a tale pirates use to keep curious eyes away, and that she will uncover the truth.[12] When Link and Tetra resume their fight, Link accidentally cuts Tetra's scarf, causing it to fall into the ocean. Gonzo exclaims that the scarf is Tetra's trademark.[13] As Link undresses to dive after the scarf,[14] Niko covers his lower half with a broom. Tetra tells the hero not to be ridiculous, as the lives of her crew are more important.[15] In tears, Niko, Gonzo, and Nudge agree with her.[16] Zuko then shouts that he sees a ship approaching.[17] Gonzo and Niko hold each other in terror, as it is the Ghost Ship.[18] Niko voices fear toward the vessel,[19] but Tetra tells him to show some spine, and that she will prove it is not a ghost ship.[20] Tetra boards the Ghost Ship and is captured. Gonzo shouts for Tetra,[21] and Niko shouts for Link not to chase after her.[22] Despite this Link does, and falls into the sea.
Tetra's Pirate Crew are again shown at the manga's end. When Tetra and Link have been returned from the World of the Ocean King, Mako and Niko greet them.[23][24] Niko asks what happened on the Ghost Ship and if there was any treasure.[25] Tetra responds by angrily asking why the crew did not come and rescue her.[26] Niko says that it has only been ten minutes since they boarded the Ghost Ship,[27] as Gonzo and Mako look on with confused expressions.
Senza is the only member of the crew to not make an appearance in the manga.
Trivia
After the Helmaroc King drops Tetra in The Wind Waker, Gonzo and Senza can be seen arguing aboard the Ship. After Link rescues Tetra, Senza can be seen tending to their Ship's catapult.
Interestingly, after Link steals the Bombs from the Pirates on board their Ship, Tetra tells him through the Pirate's Charm that they still have another supply of them left and that they intend to reach Jabun first if he fails to do so by the following morning. Despite this, immediately after leaving the Ship, Link can receive a letter from Beedle stating that he now sells Bombs from many of his shops,[citation needed] and visiting him before obtaining Nayru's Pearl reveals that they were sold to him by the Pirates themselves,[citation needed] indicating that Tetra was not totally honest that they would wait for the next morning to use the Bombs.
Gallery
The painting in Hyrule Castle that resembles Tetra and her Pirates from The Wind Waker
↑Orphaned at a young age, Tetra followed in her mother's footsteps, becoming a pirate and watching after her mother's gang of lovable swabbies. — Figurine (The Wind Waker)
↑All right! Fine! Have it your way! We can leave town tomorrow, you big babies. — Tetra (The Wind Waker)
↑Hmm... Well, never mind about that. For now, we'll just take these girls. I'm sure their fathers back in town will pay a handsome reward for their return. — Tetra (The Wind Waker)
↑If you're worried about your sister...don't be. I promise I'll deliver her safely back to your little island. Normally, I'd expect a huge reward for something like this...but this time, it's my treat! — Tetra (The Wind Waker)
↑Don't worry, Niko. We heard back in port... that the Ocean King rules these waters. I doubt we'll see a Ghost Ship in waters protected by such a powerful spirit. (Phantom Hourglass (Himekawa), VIZ Media, pg. 9)
↑Link's right! That's just a tale pirates tell to keep curious eyes away! (Phantom Hourglass (Himekawa), VIZ Media, pg. 9)
↑Well, since I was... held prisoner on the Ghost Ship I don't really know! Link sailed the seas and fought monsters to rescue me! But what about you guys? Why didn't you come after me?! (Phantom Hourglass (Himekawa), VIZ Media, pg. 186, 187)
↑W-What are you talking about, Cap'n? It's only been about ten minutes... Since you went aboard the Ghost Ship! (Phantom Hourglass (Himekawa), VIZ Media, pg. 187)
