Terrako

Terrako is an unlockable playable character in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. A small, three-legged Guardian activated by Princess Zelda as a child when she inserted a Blessed Screw into it. The diminutive Guardian provided comfort for Zelda after her mother passed away. Terrako proves to be a vital key in creating an alternate timeline for Hyrule against Calamity Ganon that ends on a much, brighter note compared to the original timeline in Breath of the Wild.

Role in Game
Terrako is first seen lying dormant in its box in Zelda's study in Hyrule Castle Citadel as the castle and the surrounding area is besieged by Guardian Stalkers during the Great Calamity as first seen in Breath of the Wild. When Zelda awakens her dormant sealing magic granted to her by Hylia and the Triforce during her and Link's final stand against the corrupted Guardians in their futile attempt to protect Fort Hateno, the Hyrulean Army's last stronghold, after Link has already sustained mortal injuries and the fort is on the verge of collapse, Terrako is awakened as a result. Upon climbing out of its box and surveying things from the window, hearing Zelda's heartbroken plea that she needs to protect everyone, as by that point, her father, the Champions, and many citizens have been slaughtered by Calamity Ganon, Terrako responds to its mistress' pleas by playing a magical flute-like tune in order open a time portal to travel into the past before Ganon's assault. With Hyrule Castle collapsing all around it, Terrako leaps through the time portal, just escaping disaster when a Guardian Stalker, seething with Calamity Ganon's Malice, arrives and tries to shoot it, but Terrako barely avoids the shot.

The diminutive guardian is found shortly afterwards by Link, but now powered down. Impa accidentally activates both her Sheikah Slate and Terrako when she drops the Slate while fleeing many Bokoblins attacking the surrounding area. Terrako responds to the threat by summoning the Central Sheikah Tower and scaring off the Bokoblins that were chasing Impa.

After the Moblin and Bokoblin forces are driven off, Terrako follows Link and Impa to Zelda. Terrako tries rushing to Zelda, but Link easily restrains the small machine. After hearing their stories, Zelda decides that Terrako knows something vital for their success against Ganon. She convinces her father to let her take it to the Royal Science Academy to be analyzed by Purah and Robbie. As the group heads there, Harbinger Ganon possesses a dormant Guardian Stalker and tries to kill Zelda. Terrako reveals it can activate some dormant Decayed Guardians to blast the Guardian Stalker, saving its companions.

At the acadamy, Robbie and Purah are able to comb Terrako's memory banks and show on the Sheikah Slate what they found: Images of Hyrule Castle Town and Hyrule Castle being devastated by the Great Calamity. Terrako accompanies Link, Impa, and Zelda on their quest to awaken the Divine Beasts with Champions to pilot the massive machines. While at Rito village, Revali reveals seeing a machine similar to Terrako who led monsters to attack his home.

Back in Castle Town, Zelda is with Link, Daruk, and Mipha when they are ambushed by Sooga and the Yiga Clan. During the ambush, Sooga manages to get behind Zelda and throws three kunai at her. Though Terrako heroically jumps up to block them and protect Zelda, its moment of glory is ruined when Link smacks it away to block the kunai himself with his shield. After Sooga orders a retreat, Terrako scolds Link for ruining its heroic moment with protecting Zelda. Later, Terrako joins the Champions as they head into Korok Forest to recover the Master Sword. When Zelda starts to feel despondent with how Link has the Master Sword now and her own sealing magic has not surfaced yet, Terrako comforts her with playing Zelda's Lullaby. This causes Zelda to have a flashback of Terrako lulling her to sleep when she was younger with that same song, but before Zelda can fully remember, more of Ganon's monsters attack.

After Link and the other Champions are given their Champion attire and are celebrating later on the Central Sheikah Tower, Terrako expresses desire to be considered a champion as well through its beeps and whistles. Impa tries to scold it, but Terrako deliberately smacks Impa's hand away every time, further angering the princess' bodyguard and a fight ensued, and Revali finds himself pulled into their shenanigans. He demanded that they take it somewhere else, but it fell on deaf ears and the flustered Rito flies off, following with the words “How asinine”. Terrako later defends Zelda to King Rhoam when the king tries to scold the princess for not focusing enough on awakening her power, causing the king to recognize the creation, which he keeps to himself.

Through Terrako's information, Zelda and the crew master the Sheikah Towers, a major victory in hunting the Yiga Clan and Ganon's forces. Despite this advantage, further memories within Terrako reveal the date of Calamity Ganon's assault: the day of Zelda's 17th birthday. As preparations for that day get underway, Terrako undergoes further analysis by Robbie and Purah. Upon learning even further dire information, the scientists are stopped in their tracks by treacherous Yiga spies, with Terrako just barely escaping with the Slate from the Yiga. Terrako sounds the alarm as it approaches the heroes and just as Impa and Zelda are checking the Sheikah Slate to see what was so important for Terrako to bring it to them, the seal on Calamity Ganon ruptures, and the being of Malice and evil incarnate engulfs Hyrule Castle.

Terrako's new memories show the Divine Beasts falling into Ganon's hands, and Zelda breaks down in guilt and grief for not awakening her power. Terrako tries to comfort her with Zelda's Lullaby again, but as Zelda cries in frustration and guilt over how Hyrule will fall to Ganon and its all her fault, one tear lands on Terrako's eye. In that instant, Terrako shines with a holy light that causes Zelda to stop crying and stare at him in shock. The small guardian plays the tune from the beginning and opens new portals from the future. These new portals allow the future Champions the chance to come to the past and save the current Champions from their grim fates.

Terrako also extends its ability to control Guardians to grant Link, Zelda, and Impa access to the Divine Beasts as the Champions fight against the Blight Ganons attempting to seize control of the Divine Beasts. Once regaining those valuable weapons, Terrako accompanies the heroes as they defend Akkala Citadel and Fort Hateno, and retake the Great Plateau, where King Rhoam is found to have survived as well thanks to a Guardian Shield Zelda gave him earlier, protecting him and his Royal Guard from several corrupted Guardian Stalkers, stunning the automatons long enough for the king and his men to withdraw to safety.

Once the united coalition has advanced deep enough into entering the castle courtyard, they are confronted by Astor, joined by Harbinger Ganon, causing Zelda to recoil in shock when she sees that Harbinger Ganon looks just like Terrako before it transforms into its battle form. This was the lookalike causing trouble before. After besting Astor and Harbinger Ganon in combat, Calamity Ganon consumes Astor and the past Terrako/Harbinger Ganon to give itself a new body. As Calamity Ganon roars in victory after gaining a physical form, Malice shoots from all over it, with some hitting Terrako. The diminutive companion struggles against the infecting Malice, but finally submits to the Malice's influence and fires at Zelda. Link is forced to fight Terrako until he manages to purge the tiny guardian of the Malice, but at the cost of Terrako being critically damaged. As Zelda checks to see if Terrako is alright, Terrako tries one last time to play Zelda's Lullaby to comfort the upset princess before shutting down completely. At that point, Zelda finally remembers Terrako as she flashes back to when she first activated the Guardian with a screw and showed it to her mother before she passed away, Terrako comforting her after her mother passed, and Rhoam confiscating Terrako despite Zelda's pleas, apologizing for doing so.

After finally remembering Terrako completely, Zelda is filled with a burning fury towards Calamity Ganon, and promises, right then and there, that the heroes would bring the Malice of Ganon to a final end. During their assault, no blow harms Calamity Ganon, powered as he is by his current and future self. The pressure of Ganon's assault upon Zelda forces her full power, which Terrako responds to faintly. It recognizes Zelda's danger and musters the strength to move again, rush into the castle, and fling itself against Calamity Ganon as it activates its self-destruct. Terrako's self-sacrificing attack shatters Ganon's defenses, leaving him vulnerable to conventional attack. Calamity Ganon is defeated thanks to Terrako's sacrifice.

Some time later, after Hyrule is free of Ganon's influence, Zelda, Link, Impa, and the Champions gather on the castle balcony to overlook a freed Hyrule. The only remaining part of Terrako is the blessed screw that initially activated Terrako. The piece begins to glow, as do the future Champions. With Hyrule safe, Terrako, despite its death, is returning them home to the Breath of the Wild timeline, yet at least they leave with the knowledge that they helped save the Hyrule of an alternate timeline, along with the original Champions. Zelda holds the leftover screw from Terrako close, happy that Terrako's efforts ensured Hyrule will survive and prosper.

A little while later, Zelda, Impa, Link, and the Champions manage to recover many of Terrako's scattered pieces in an effort to repair him. When they've collected enough, Robbie and Purah get right to work. When they add the screw back in, Terrako begins to wake up and reactivate, but only truly responding when it sees Zelda. The princess takes her old friend in her arms and hugs him before, with tears of joy in her eyes, welcomes Terrako home. Unaware that Zelda was crying tears of joy, not sadness or grief, Terrako tries to comfort her once more with Zelda's Lullaby, much to Zelda's happiness and amusement.

Quotes

 * "(Plays Zelda's Lullaby)"
 * "(Beeps and whistles)"

Gameplay

 * X: Terrako makes to small balls of energy, one on each side, that slowly draw enemies in for attack.
 * Y, X: Terrako spins in a circle and launches several small beams of energy, which home-in on enemies in front of Terrako.
 * Y, Y, X: Terrako Spins its upper half with blades extended while it walks forward, slashing all in its path.
 * Y, Y, Y, X: Terrako shoots a blast of energy from its eye that forms into a blue sphere that draws all nearby enemies into it.
 * Y, Y, Y, Y, X: Terrako leaps upside-down and begins to spinning its legs quickly, striking foes and creating a small vortex.
 * Y, Y, Y, Y, Y, Y, X: Terrako dashes forward in a zigzag pattern, emitting electric energy. It ends the attack by jumping into the air and emitting energy all around itself for massive damage.
 * Y, Y, Y, Y, Y, Y, Y: Terrako moves forward, slashing its two blades, twisting forward and ending with a flurished cross slash.


 * A: Terrako gathers up an extreme amount of energy and fires it forward in a massive beam of power.


 * Weak Point Smash 1: Terrako using its guardian aim to lock onto its foe and blasts them with a fully charged shot of energy.


 * Weak Point Smash 2: Terrako summons several of its blue, translucent, energy balls and detonates them all at once on the target.


 * Weak Point Smash 3: Terrako takes out its ancient spears and leaps into the air, corkscrewing into its target spearpoint first.


 * ZR: Terrako shoots a blast of energy. If the button is tapped it can shoot many small beams, if held down, it can charge up to three tiers of power, each one more powerful then the last.