Daruk

Daruk is a playable character in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. A Goron warrior who possesses the power to deflect attacks. He cares deeply for his fellow Gorons. Now, he is entrusted with piloting Divine Beast Vah Rudania.

Role in Games
Hailing from Goron City in Hyrule’s Eldin Canyon region, Daruk was considered a powerful warrior among his people due to his great fighting ability and skill with his sword Boulder Breaker. This led him to be chosen by King Rhoam and Princess Zelda to become the Goron Champion to pilot Divine Beast Vah Rudania. Link, Zelda, Impa, and Terrako; the Guardian who came from the future to warn of the future events that will occur, they travel to Goron City to find a potential Champion and meet with Daruk, who happily accepts his calling to pilot Vah Rudania and accompanies Zelda’s party to climb up Death Mountain to reach and activate Van Rudania, but they had to deal with the invasion of various monsters that disrupt the work at the Goron Mines, and they needed to capture the outposts to secure the mines and eventually dealt with Igneo Talus. They find Divine Beast Vah Rudania inside the volcanic crater and Daruk boards it to take control of it in order to fend off all of the monsters from the city and destroying a ton of Igneo Taluses. Daruk eventually gets the hang of controlling Vah Rudania despite having a bit of trouble at the start. Daruk accepts their offer to use the Divine Beast to drive Calamity Ganon back and is also impressed with Link as they became sworn brothers after bonding over their mutual love for food (though Daruk's insatiable appetite was mainly reserved for Rock Roast) and he offers him a Prime Rock Roast, which he chows down with a straight face, leaving Impa, Princess Zelda, and Terrako shocked, but Daruk realized that he doesn't have enough for them, but promises that he will try to remember to provide enough next time.

After all the Champions are recruited, Daruk walks with the others through Castle Town where he develops a big brother-little sister bond with the Zora Princess, Mipha, who asks him for help with her training. They are soon attacked by the Yiga Clan led by Sooga and some of Ganon's minions. While they were able to fend them off, with a Hinox serving as a boss enemy, it was all a trap to leave Princess Zelda helpless and vulnerable to Sooga's kunai blades, but Link manages to intervene and block the attacks just in time, and Sooga is forced to call for a retreat. Daruk joins Link, Princess Zelda, and the other three Champions as they journey to Korok Forest where Revali uses Divine Beast Vah Medoh against a horde of giant monsters before letting them know that it is okay for them to proceed. While navigating the forest, Mipha makes a statement about the fog, which Revali scoffs that they're probably going in circles since they couldn't see a thing, but Daruk chastises him, with Revali shooting back that he could not see through the mist, even when he is flying. They find themselves helping the giant Korok, Hestu around the monster infested woods. They soon encounter vague appearances of Malice and four Malice creatures (known as Hollows) take the form of the Champions themselves including that of Daruk, created by Astor. Link and Zelda are cornered by the Prophet of Doom, where the former's standard sword is destroyed and rush at Zelda on Astor's orders, but the Master Sword responds to their situation and Link's will to defend her, by emitting a powerful light to dispel the evil Hollows and pulls it out of the pedistal. Astor eventually retreats upon learning that he doesn't stand a chance against the power of the Blade of Evil's Bane. Daruk and the other Champions meet with the Great Deku Tree, who lets them know they are ready and assures Zelda that she will awaken her power, which the princess strongly doubts due to her countless attempts to accomplish this. They make their way back to Hyrule Castle, only to be met with more of Ganon's forces. After accomplishing the task, Daruk and the Hyrulean Soldiers cheer Link on when he eats some edibles as Zelda and Urbosa look on. Daruk and his friends are declared the official Champions of Hyrule and are given their new attire. Daruk replaces one of his chains with the scarf that cements his status. While Terrako and Impa fight, Daruk agrees to assist Mipha with her training. They eventually return home to prepare for the following events, with King Rhoam evacuating the civilians to minimize possible casualties and some reinforcements retreat to Akkala Citadel and Fort Hateno to raise their defenses, since the fall of these strongholds would mean that Hyrule's fall is certain.

Robbie and Purah continue to research Terrako but are suddenly held at spear-point as their staff were Yiga Clan members in disguise. Purah tosses the Sheikah Slate to Terrako and tells it to flee. Just as Terrako arrives at Hyrule Castle to warn Zelda, Calamity Ganon's seal suddenly ruptures and Hyrule Castle is covered in darkness. Daruk was the first person to notice the event unfold and the Sheikah Towers lose their power, which cuts him off from the other Champions and was left without a choice but to head to his Divine Beast. King Rhoam tells Link, Zelda, Terrako, and Impa to leave despite the fact that the now corrupted Guardians have him and the Royal Guard at gunpoint and presumably dies from their lasers. Meanwhile, Daruk is fighting against Fireblight Ganon within Divine Beast Vah Rudania and used Daruk's Protection to shield himself often against the attacks, but a very powerful attack shatters his forcefield, leaving him completely vulnerable as Fireblight hurls jets of fire at him, with Daruk remaining defiant to his potential death. However, before he is slain, Terrako had already created four time portals through Zelda's grief earlier, which in Daruk's case, summons Yunobo from the future and blocks the attack with a similar forcefield, leaving Daruk shocked that Yunobo is also capable of using his power. They fight the monster but they eventually start to struggle again. After Mipha and Sidon are saved from Waterblight Ganon, Mipha stays behind to assist in cooling a river of lava to allow Link and the heroes to cross over. Yunobo's intervention has brought enough time for Link and his companions reach Vah Rudania and provide backup and they eventually destroy Fireblight Ganon, allowing Daruk to regain control over his Divine Beast and securing his safety. They are joined by Mipha and an older Prince Sidon, and Daruk asks Zelda about Hyrule Castle's fate. Yunobo is excited to meet Daruk, though Daruk tells him not to address him with any formalities and proceeds to destroy the bridges to prevent the corrupted Guardians from attacking an important outpost and annihilating any foes that have already crossed over. He joins the other Champions, whose lives are also spared from their fates by their future counterparts; in an effort to save Akkala Citadel and Fort Hateno from falling to Ganon's hands. With Purah having created a failsafe to wipe out Ganon's powerful forces mainly consisting of Guardian Stalkers, and Zelda's eventual awakening of her dormant power, giving Hyrule an advantage over their foes.

Zelda rallies her troops to never give in and to embrace hope for their victory and is soon met with a newly reformed Kohga and his surviving army who sides with her, since Astor had betrayed them and used the souls of the fallen members to revive the Blight Ganons earlier. They make their way to the Great Plateau to take control of it, and Zelda is reunited with her father, who still lives thanks to the Ancient Guardian Shield that she gave him earlier to deflect the lasers meant to cut his life short. His survival gives his troops a morale boost and they head to Hyrule Field, where Purah was able to bring the Sheikah Towers' power back online, which brings all of the tribes across Hyrule together as a single Allied Coalition, with Zelda and King Rhoam as their commanders and proceeded to take back Hyrule Castle. Astor is becoming increasingly unhinged and agitated as he vows to ensure that his prophecy comes true. Daruk and the warriors fight off several monster forces and destroyed the Blight Ganons for good. After they defeat Harbinger Ganon, a crazed Astor loses what was left of his sanity and shouts for Ganon to devour the heroes, only to be consumed by its Malice. This process causes Terrako to become corrupted and attack Link and Zelda, but they were able to best it. The Princess fully remembers Terrako's role in her past, while Daruk and the heroes mourn for the severely damaged Little Guardian and Zelda angrily assures that Calamity Ganon will fall. They head upstairs to the Santum where Ganon awaited them, but they weren't able to inflict any harm to it and Zelda resorted to using her power. Terrako barely manages to get up and runs upstairs to sacrifice itself to bring down the beast's defenses, making it more vulnerable to general attacks. After a long difficult battle, Link uses the Sword that Seals the Darkness to clieve Ganon and Princess Zelda uses her power to seal the monster away for good, ending the war and returning piece to Hyrule. Daruk and the other Champions say their good-byes to their future counterparts as they return to the future and look on as their future is looking brighter than ever before.

Daruk contributes with his friends to search for fifty of Terrako's components across Hyrule, where they eventually succeeded in finding all of them with effort. Terrako is reassembled and functioning normally, bringing much joy to the heroes and is reunited with the Princess. Following its reconstruction with the end credits, he is greeted by the little Guardian and later they are at Hyrule Castle, where Daruk gives his friends in his time a group hug.

Personality
Daruk is a brave and happy-go-lucky Goron whose passion and strong comradeship make him a good leader in his own right. He tends to be loud when in battle and dislikes showing weakness like his childhood fear of dogs.

His trademark weapon is the Boulder Breaker, the strongest Goron-made two-handed sword. Coupled with his own physical strength, Daruk is truly a formidable opponent to any foe who stands in his way.

Scenario

 * "What you'll learn about me is that I never refuse a sincere request. So of course, I'm on board on your plan!"
 * "Hmm... Except... there is one problem. Well, it's just Vah Rudania is in a difficult spot right now. The Divine Beast was found pretty high up on Death Mountain. A lot of monsters have been crawling around lately, so even getting close to o' Rudania is a big pain. Only the bravest go up there now..."
 * "So that's why it's a good thing it's gonna be us!"
 * "Come on! Death Mountain won't climb itself!"
 * "Now, all we've gotta do is get climbin'. Backup should be on the way soon."
 * "Monsters?! Guessing that means our backup is backed up. Looks like our climb's delayed."
 * "Your fun is over, monster breath! The Great Daruk is on the job!"
 * "Great work! Knew I was right about you. A Goron's gut is never wrong."
 * "More company? Fine by me! Let's split up and drive the monsters back."
 * "Whoa, there! I'm fine, but you folks had better be careful! Maybe I should go to the south side..."
 * "Oh yeaaaah! That takes care of that."
 * "MORE monsters?! Persistent little beasties, aren't they?"
 * "The big one's ready to play! Too bad for you that NO ONE runs wild on Goron City while I'm here."
 * "Heh, sorry for the trouble back there. Ready to climb this mountain already?"
 * "Hot springs! Good time to rest our weary bones. We have a ways to go, so how about a break?"
 * "We'll have to get rid of those monsters before we lower the bridges into the foothills."
 * "Let's get to climbing Death Mountain already!"
 * "Lookit that. That gang's all here! Let's combine our forces and punch our way through!"
 * "You were a big help, Link! You're really starting to grow on me, haha!"
 * "You're the kinda fella I can really count on. Bet your appetite is as might as your blade too!"
 * "That tears it, Link. From today, you're my go-to little guy! I'm countin' on ya, is what I'm sayin'!"
 * "Seeing it again, it's even bigger than I remembered! Let's get right to it, then. Ooo, I can't wait!"
 * "Heh. Getting here is all well and good, but I have no idea how to drive this thing."
 * "Welp! The best way to learn is by doing. Let's see what this thing's capable of!"
 * "Time to run wild, Vah Rudania! That is, erm... if I can figure out how you work..."
 * "Oooh... You can do all that, eh? Let's give it a whirl!"
 * "Some floaty guys too... Let's send 'em flyin' along with the rest!"
 * "A big group of 'em showed up. Heh, good thing they're no match for ol' Rudania!"
 * "And that takes care of that! I'm really gettin' the hang of this!"
 * "That was unexpected, but we pulled through to the end. You really proved yourself, eh, little guy?"
 * "Now, about me piloting Rudania... Well, go ahead and count the mighty Daruk in!"
 * "Of course! We'll smash that Calamity Ganon jerk to smithereens."
 * "Ooh, wait a minute. You must be starving after all that fighting. I know just the cure for that. My favorite... Prime Rock Roast! Doesn't it look delicious? Why don'tca dig in, little guy?"
 * "Gah, sorry! How thoughtless of me-I should have brought some for you, tiny princess! Next time, I promise to bring enough for everyone.''"
 * "Of course! The more, the merrier! The thing is, we still need a knight gritty enough to seal the darkness, and they're nowhere to be found."
 * "Although hey! If you see anybody that- *chuckles*"
 * "Didn't expect things to get rough so quickly. This is primo training, isn't it, Mipha?"
 * "With these numbers, we can't defend the gates. Hate to say it, but there's not much we can do..."
 * "Great! Then it's time to turn the tables!"
 * "Wait a minute! No one said anything about a pesky Hinox!"
 * "Can't believe we fell for it. He lured us away with phony info!"
 * "It doesn't matter who's the leader. We're all in this together, right?"
 * "Good point. If only someone could fly above and scout the way."
 * "Huh? Where'd you come from?"
 * "That's great! Mind guiding us through the fog, then?"
 * "Hey, you! Don't go ruinin' my good name, ya hear?!"
 * "We'll handle things here. Somehow. You and Impa just look out for the princess!"
 * "Ah, so you're ready to begin your training. Let's get to it!"
 * "All righty. A good spot for Rudania would be...Huh? No... I can't believe it!"
 * "No way, monster!"
 * "Wait. That's my power... Who are you?"
 * "Guh... This could be a tough rock to swallow."
 * "Stay calm, kiddo."
 * "Yes! That's the spirit! Ohhh... Alright. Let's try that again from the top!"
 * "Hahaha, you kiddin' me?! Workin' together like that, it was waaay too easy!"
 * "Well, the deed is done! We should all thank you. You really came through, little guy!"
 * "Yunobo, wasn't it? I owe you some thanks, too! Without your help, I'd have been in deep trouble."
 * "None of this makes sense, but oh well. We have bigger rocks to roast."
 * "Princess, please tell us. What happened at the castle?"
 * "I told you to drop the formalities, Yunobo."
 * "Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha! Fine, let's go. Hyrule needs us, kid!"
 * "Gang up if ya want - it makes no difference. You'll never get by me!"
 * "With you on board, our buddy here is workin' its tail off. Makes it easy to wreck stuff up!"
 * "If we stay on the defense, this will go on forever. Let's take out the bridges and stop 'em for good!"
 * "Ready! Southern bridge, right? I'll head 'em off from here!"
 * "They're on that side now, eh? OK, Yunobo, I'm heading that way!"
 * "Hahaha! Score one for the Great Daruk!"
 * "OK, it's time. Now I can smash 'em to bits!"
 * "Heh, I've got some enemies to play with here, too. Time to finish this!"
 * "We managed to protect it! Thanks for helpin' me out there, Yunobo!"
 * "Haha, calm down, little fella. Now, let's keep it up and send that Calamity Ganon creep packing."
 * "Sorry for the delay, folks. But we're here now and ready to roll!"
 * "Raaargh! Don't get in my way!"
 * "I've got this place covered, Princess. You go and help out Mipha!"
 * "All right! Time to squash the brutes on the bridge!"
 * "Time to rock and rampage! Yeah, Yunobo?"
 * "We'll use the Divine Beasts to weaken that Ganon jerk. Let's make this one to remember!"
 * "Ha! You really think we have time to take a breather? Let's keep going!"
 * "C'mon!"
 * "Argh! Even the Divine Beasts won't be able to move for a while!"
 * "Yunobo! You survived, kid! Not that I'd expect any less from my descendant, haha."
 * "So the big bad monster's here. Good timing! You're gonna pay for everything you've ever done!"
 * "You can do it, little guy!"
 * "Thanks for everything, Yunobo. We didn't get much time together, but I'll always cherish it."
 * "Eh heh heh heh heh heh."

EX Guardian of Remembrance

 * "Oh?"
 * "I'm proud that you're my descendent. You are the champion... ... of the whole future. And don't you forget it!"
 * "And about that courageous friend of yours... it seems I owe him as well. So, you better give him all my best, all right?"

Cooking

 * "Ugh, I'm starving!"
 * "That was great!"

Vocal Battle Quotes

 * "Here goes!"
 * "Dodge this!"
 * "Chew on this! Can you handle it!?"
 * "Aw, yeaaah! Let's do this!"

Miscellaneous Non-Vocal Battle Quotes

 * "Aw, yeah! Plenty more where that came from!"
 * "Hahaha! That'll teach you to mess with the mighty Daruk!"
 * "Haha! I'm not called the Great Daruk for nothin'!"
 * "Ha! That was invigorating! And still plenty more where that came from."
 * "Seeing all those tasty rocks everywhere is makin' my stomach rumble... After this, it's time to feast!"
 * "Looking for more seconds, are we? Ha ha ha! My kinda foe!"
 * "Heh, I've got some enemies to play with here, too. Time to finish this!"
 * "Hahaha! Score one for the Great Daruk!"