Twili Midna

Released as a project for Nintendo Papercraft, I thought I could also put it on my own site since it's very relevant to Hyrule Papercraft too! This model has been a long time in the making, well in the papercrafting world that means a couple of months at least! Now 6 years on since Twilight Princess, I don't think this is as big a spoiler anymore!

Midna is Link's main companion during Twilight Princess and for most of the game is seen in her imp form due to the curse placed on her by the power hungry Zant. However once Ganondorf has been defeated the curse is finally broken and she is restored to her true Twili form. You can't blame Link for being surprised when the bossy little imp that's been skulking in his shadow turns out to be the towering ruler of the Twili! And a little easier on the eyes than Zant and his cronies!

This model is the result of a collaboration between me and Squeezycheesecake for Nintendo Papercraft. Throughout the years I've always dreamed of having this as a papercraft. It's been attempted in the past but to no avail. The original model files are easy to find on the internet- but everything is stuck in a T-pose, and the cloak would cause obvious headaches from day one. Thanks to some rigging by Squeezy we got it into a simple pose and set to work simplifying, editing and cleaning textures. Fast forward a bit and now it's finally complete, standing 48-49cm tall with 16 pages.

There's a lot I could talk about on construction but I'll keep it short since there's a lot of info in the notes and on PDO/PDF #1. This is a complex model, so make sure you have some experience and correct materials for crafting. The instructions are pretty detailed but use of the PDO is highly recommended. Finally, we really recommend colouring the back of the cloak a cyan colour to avoid a massive white surface (likewise, the hood and skirt insides benefit from colouring black). Some ideas on how to do this are written in the notes.

Download Here

By Squeezycheesecake and Xenon

Saria

The result of the mini poll was tied, so I ended up going with Saria, who I'd already started building when it was looking like she might win. Don't worry I have PDO files ready for almost all of the characters listed so you can expect to see the others eventually!

Saria is Link's best childhood friend who enjoys playing the ocarina in the Sacred Forest Meadow. Unlike most of the Kokiri she has an air of wisdom and maturity about her and indeed she is later revealed to be the Sage of Forest once Phantom Ganon is defeated. She's also known for teaching Link one of the most catchy tunes in the entire Zelda series!

Now this model has a bit of a history. In February 2010 I was working on her but ran into difficulties because of the size. When I upgraded computers I thought I lost the template, but found her again this year. With improved skills I edited the 3D model into a better form for papercrafting, resulting in the craft you see here. Thank goodness I never released the first version as the editing was pretty shoddy compared to this one.

The size is still an issue, even after enlarging her slightly. Saria is actually a very small character in game (a child after all) so in my scale she is tiny compared to everyone else, at only 16cm. However because of the small size and difficulty, admittedly close to my own limits for size versus detail, I decided to create a bigger 22cm version that you can build instead. Though I'll respect you more if you manage the small one! ;p

Regardless of size, the hands, legs and shorts are quite tricky. Also the side hair strands ought to be built in a certain way to prevent difficulty closing the model, so please check the instructions.

Difficulty: 7.5/10 (16cm)
                  ~6/10? (22cm)

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Poe Collector 2

I've remade the Poe Collector, who was my very first papercraft design though required a lot of improvisation to build. This new version starts from the beginning, with much more extensive editing to make it look better and to improve construction. Arguably it is a bit more difficult due to the specific order of construction and some fiddling around with the inner robes, but it all fits together and ought to need far less manual adjustments/improvisation.

The Poe Collector is a mysterious hooded figure who lives in the ruins of Hyrule Castle Town and pays good money for any Poes that Link brings him, especially for rare specimens. He's a rather strange and unwholesome character, preferring life under Ganondorf's evil reign as it creates ideal conditions for his business!

List of improvements/changes:

• Hood, cowl and eye geometry now fully shaped, no more hanging eye piece or surface contact gluing
• Robes shaped into right-angle for ledge sitting
• Bottom piece added to semi-close the model
• Ocarina of Time textures and better texturing overall
• Inner surfaces for arm gluing added
• Better unfold in general
• Better scaling compared to the other models though not strictly 100% accurate
• Optional crate to sit him on

The template is numbered to help with build order. This is important for the hood and body but less so for the limbs which can be built at any time really. All limbs glue via surface contact in the folds of the robes or behind the tunic- apply glue to the upper faces and hold in place until secure. He will need to be weighed down  in his robe trails at the back to perch safely. Measures ~19cm from top to toe depending on how the legs are glued on.

Difficulty: 5.75/10

Download Here!

[The old Poe Collector with Majora's Mask textures will be left as a showcase but the link will no longer be available.]

Aveil

I'm trying to produce a few more models for this site before summer's up so here's Aveil from Majora's Mask. As I like to say, the more obscure the better!

Aveil is the stern leader of the Gerudo Pirates in Great Bay, who cause mayhem along the Terminian coastline from their base nestled in the northern cliffs. Always on the lookout for new loot to plunder, she becomes obsessed with the Skull Kid's claims of treasure within the Great Bay Temple. In the events of the game, Link must rescue the stolen Zora eggs from their fortress as the hatched baby Zora are the key to accessing the temple. Though Link is more interested in saving the world than looking for non-existent treasure!

In 2009 I was working on the Gerudo Thief model from Ocarina of Time in a cool combat stance. But it proved too problematic to make and I shelved the project. The game essentially uses the same model for Aveil, scaled better (the OoT one was huge compared to Link!) and in a more suitable pose. Lessons learned from the gerudo have helped to improve this model greatly!

This model is medium difficulty with more detail than usual on the face, and some small or narrow parts on the legs and body. The head, hands and feet all glue on to the body by surface contact with marked tabs. This allows some manual adjustments to the pose in case she doesn't stand straight or her hands aren't initially in the right position. Stands around 22.6cm depending how how the hair is glued on.

Difficulty: 6.5/10

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Anju

It's been a while since I've worked on a character model, with holidays, other important matters and this project taking up time instead. But I can't neglect this site, so here's a model of Anju!

Anju makes a minor appearance in Ocarina of Time as the "Cucco Lady" in Kakariko village, but receives much more character development in Majora's Mask where she works in Clock Town's Stock Pot Inn. She has a poor memory for reservations, allowing Link to obtain a room key in a case of mistaken identity. Her main role in the game is as part of the long and detailed Kafei-Anju sidequest in which Link must work over all three days to reunite the couple before the moon crashes.

There have been a few versions of Anju released already I believe, all seeming to have her holding an umbrella! Well mine is much more plain haha with, just her in her standing pose at the Stock Pot Inn's desk.

The model is average difficulty, with some small parts on the hands but fairly straightforwards construction elsewhere. The head and hair should be built and closed in a certain order though, so take a look at the instructions. Of course the PDO file with Pepakura Designer/Viewer is a handy resource too! Scaled to everyone else as usual, standing quite tall at about 22.1cm.

Difficulty: 6/10

Download Here!

Adult Link Equipment Pack

When I made Red 'Endgame' Link  I realised the advantages of being able to customise your own version. The first step would be to create a set of items all scaled to Link and my other models. Although, it took a lot longer than I thought! (Mostly because working on things like items is such a chore compared to character models). For now the items are limited to those seen on the "Equipment" screen in the menu.

So this pack, which may be updated in future contains:

Biggoron's Sword

Broken Giant's Knife

Hover Boots
Hylian Shield

Iron Boots

Master Sword

Megaton Hammer

Mirror Shield

Silver and Golden Gauntlets

Can these be built without having to build a Link model too?

Of course! Mostly. All the items except for the gauntlets and boots work well on their own if you choose to build them. The boots only represent the metal parts, not the feet, and the gauntlets are just simple bits that ought to be glued to Link's arms.

Will you build other versions of Link in future?

Yes, I plan to re-use my Red Link to make different Links with alternate poses and tunics. Different weapons will be compatible with these. Currently only the Master Sword doesn't really work with Red Link, and the shields only benefit when just put on his back. With different posed Links, hopefully the equipment will be more interchangeable.

Why does the Giant's Knife look identical to Biggoron's Sword?
The actual models wielded in combat seem to be the same. The Giant's Knife was really just included for a laugh, and for completions sake.

Difficulty: Variable but mostly easy. Swords are harder due to their small size and detail.

Download Here!

Red 'Endgame' Link

I wanted to design a model of Link in my own scale, but to make him a bit more unique I decided to make him with some different equipment. Red or Endgame Link as I call this incorporates several late game or obscure items not normally depicted.

So he carries the huge Biggoron's Sword, Silver Gauntlets, Hover Boots, Goron Tunic and Mirror Shield. With these items he will be able to smash through the toughest foes, endure blistering heat, lift boulders and walk in thin air temporarily. Actually as stylish as this configuration is, it's not very practical since he can't defend himself and will be sliding all over the place with those tractionless boots! In fact it's not what you might want to use at the end of the game after all. But y'know let's ignore all that for now!

The model is medium-hard. The legs, arms and most of the items aren't very hard, but there are some small parts and tricky folds and joins around the face, ears and hood. I recommend scoring the lines so it will all fit neatly together.

Note that most of the equipment doesn't have to be attached permanently. You can just rest his feet into the snug Hover Boots, and attach the shield to the sheath using blu-tack/putty or a pin. I'm saying this because it's likely I'll be putting together a pack of scaled interchangeable equipment, and possibly some alternate versions of Link in the future.

Stands ~21.6cm tall, not including the sword.

Difficulty: 7/10

Download Here!

Rauru

It's been a while since I've done a Zelda character model after being tied up with another more complex non-Zelda craft, so here's the ever wise, serious and slightly mysterious Rauru from Ocarina of Time.

Rauru is the Sage of Light and the first person Link meets after being revealed as the Hero of Time. He explains the events of the last seven years and the effects of Ganondorf's evil reign. Things look bad at first but he starts Link off on his quest to awaken and unite the five other Sages to gain their power to save Hyrule!

This model is easy to medium. The body and arms are large and blocky and should be simple so long as you assemble them in a suitable order. He has no visible legs or hands, which gets rid of a few tricky parts! The head has more detail, and although the parts are moderately big, there's some important folds around the face, moustache and chin which must be done cleanly. Eventually the head glues via surface contact into the inner hood, and the arms attach in the same way underneath the shoulder arches.

Scaled to my other characters as usual and stands ~25cm tall. After some infuriating balance problems with my recent non-Zelda crafts it's a great relief to build something that is completely stable!

Difficulty: 5/10

Download Here!

Mirror Shield

A quick craft made in one evening, as an experiment for my standard scale of Zelda models. I wanted to see what a few items might look like scaled to my character crafts, so here we have the Mirror Shield from Ocarina of Time.

The Mirror Shield is one of the treasures of the Spirit Temple within the Desert Colossus. Its highly polished surface and magical properties allow Link to reflect, or absorb and re-emit the fire and ice beam attacks of Twinrova. Unsurprisingly it reflects sunlight quite well too, which is handy for some puzzles in the temple! Apart from these special abilities, it functions exactly the same as the Hylian Shield, so whether you equip it after the Spirit Temple is simply a matter of preference! I for one think it looks quite striking with the red Goron Tunic. ;)

As for the papercraft it's about ~10.4cm from top to bottom, very easy and should give no real problems. The Handles are optional- leave them out if you want a plain back to the shield. I've included them because who knows...I may eventually make someone to hold it!

Difficulty: 2/10

Download Here!