Daphnes Kazakk (Total War)

"You my boy have been a gift from the Goddesses. All of you Sages have. I had many doubts about you Sages, but you all came through and saved my Kingdom. All of you will be given honors for your deeds in this war."

- Kazakk praising Link and the Sages.

Daphnes Kazakk, married name Daphnes Nohansen Kazakk, is the fourth King of the Zelda Dynasty, husband of Oraiya Nohansen Zelda IV, and father of Tetralyna Nohansen Zelda V.

Physical Characteristics
Daphnes is a male Hylian with short black hair and blue eyes. He tends to sport a short beard.

Personality
Daphnes is a courageous and deeply devout, if headstrong man deeply loyal to the Kingdom of Hyrule and the royal family, and harbors affection for Marhala and her daughter Oraiya prior to the Gerudo Wars. He is the superior officer and friend of Commander Akazoo Vapith during the Gerudo Wars, and is frequently seen exchanging banter and offering advice to the younger military man. As incumbent King, he projects a headstrong and impatient persona.

Daphnes is a deeply spiritual individual to the point of intolerance, considering the Stalfos to be abominations and holding strong prejudices against the Gerudo.

History


First Golden Age
Daphnes Kazakk was born in Nal Ordona, in a pureblood Hylian family that has long settled in Ordona Province. As he comes of age, Daphnes joins the Hylian army, eventually rising to the rank of General.

Gerudo Wars
In 99 AG, when trade from Ordona Province suddenly stops, Daphnes accompanies Princess Mahrala Zelda III and Commander Akazoo to investigate the situation. There they discover the Gerudo and the Darknuts trying to take over the town. The Hylian army is able to work with the Ordonians to fend off the invaders. When Akazoo shows interest at the Stalfos who were raised from death earlier in the battle, Daphnes tries to dissuade him, considering the Stalfos to be evil abominations and undeath to be damnation.

Immediately after the battle, Princess Zelda recalls the entire army to Hyrule Castle, having been warned that Agahnim has been abusing his authority by declaring war against the Gerudo.

After driving Agahnim away, Zelda orders Daphnes, Akazoo and Rauru to fortify the city as Gerudo armies under the command of Ganondorf prepare for an assault.

Ganondorf's forces prove to be too powerful for the Hylian defenders. After Zelda is defeated by Ganondorf in a duel, the rest of the garrison surrenders to the Gerudo.

A year after the city's fall, Daphnes and Akazoo lead the imprisoned Hylian garrison to aid Impa in a revolt against Agahnim. When Agahnim is killed and the Darknuts driven back, Princess Oraiya Zelda IV, the young daughter of Zelda III, is captured by Vaati and brought to Ontheon in a last ditch attempt to escape.

Daphnes and Akazoo pursue Vaati into the Gerudo Desert. When the Hylians reach Ashinon, they find the locks to the city broken by the traitor Nabooru, allowing them to storm inside the city and capture Ganondorf and Twinrova. Daphnes decides to put them into custody until Princess Zelda could be freed and judge them.

At Ontheon, Daphnes receives the aid of the Gorons of Darunia, who decides it's the time to pay his debt to Princess Nylin Zelda I who freed his people from slavery a century earlier. Daphnes wishes he had come to their aid two years past when Hyrule Castle was attacked by Ganondorf, but Darunia reminds Daphnes to be thankful that the Gorons decided to show up at all.

During the battle, the Hylians and Gorons find unexpected reinforcement when Yaraxonal, the Sage of Spirits imprisoned by Vaati five millennia ago, is freed from underneath Ontheon. With the help of Yaraxonal, they defeat the Darknuts, opening a way into the Cathedral of Ontheon where Vaati hides. While Daphnes and Darunia hold the puppet Darknut king Zalunbar and his men at bay, Yaraxonal enters Vaati's chamber and makes short work of him.

With the deaths of Vaati and Agahnim, the Gerudo Wars draw into a close.

Second Golden Age
Daphnes serves as Commander-in-Chief of the Hylian army for nearly thirty years afterwards. In 105 AG, he marries Princess Zelda IV, and is adopted into the Nohansen line, becoming King Daphnes Nohansen Kazakk. A year later, his wife gave birth to their only daughter Tetralyna.

The Return of Sulkaris
In 126 AG, the traitor Akazoo unleashes a swarm of Gohma upon Hyrule, disgruntled of being denied marriage to Zelda and the glory he accomplished in the Gerudo Wars. Taking advantage of Daphnes' absence at Malkariko where the Princesses are on vacation, Akazoo is able to have the Gohma overwhelm the garrison and take Princess Zelda V prisoner. Upon the apparent deaths of his wife and daughter Daphnes becomes acting King of Hyrule.

At Vigjaro when Daphnes' forces are outnumbered and demoralized, the mysterious knight Link leads the awakened army of the Order of the Wizzrobe from Vigjaro Cathedral to help defend the city and repel the Gohma. Daphnes demands to know their identity and purpose, but Link only reveals they're serving an authority even higher than the King of Hyrule himself. After the Gohma are repelled from the city, the Hylians capture Agitha, whom attempts to divert their attention by divulging that the traitor Akazoo has custody of Princess Zelda V and is attempting to barter her to Keatons. An emotional Daphnes, seizing on an attempt to save his daughter, departs to Vigjaro Glade to stop Akazoo, insisting that Link come with his forces.

Unique Abilities
King Daphnes puts emphasis on Commander and Cavalry units such as the Iron-Clad Elite. His Knightly Slaughter ability in conjunction with his Chamfron Horse Armor tech improves both the attack and defense of all Hylian Cavalry units, respectively. Commander units also see improvements under Daphnes' King of Red Lions ability. Both cavalry and commander units are produced 10% faster because of his Ironclad Leader passive. Daphnes' unique unit, the Knight of Red Lions, is a very powerful Cavalry Commander unit that buffs all nearby Cavalry, and is quite durable in combat as well. Choose Daphnes if Cavalry and Commander units are the way you want to go.

Unique Bonuses
Daphnes rides his golden clad horse into battle, trampling anything smaller than himself with ease. His cavalry nature makes him excellent at doing battle against enemy infantry, though it is wise to keep him away from spearmen and other anti-cavalry attackers. Being a mounted unit, Daphnes is quite fast for such a durable and hard-hitting hero unit, making him the most immediately powerful Hero in the Hylian roster. He becomes even more destructive after gaining the Royal Guards ability, which summons two powerful cavalry units to follow him into battle. Daphnes' shield also gives him quite an edge against ranged archer units, allowing him to shrug off damage while he races to run down retreating archers.

Trivia

 * Daphnes' armor and dialogue during the Hyrule Historia mission The Knight in Green are a reference to the Hylian King Harkinian from the games Link: Faces of Evil and Zelda: Wand of Gamelon for the Philips CDi.
 * Daphnes is described by UndyingNephalim as the most successful man in Hyrule.

List of appearances

 * Ordonian Omen (First appearance)
 * The Fall of Hyrule
 * Agahnim's Descent
 * Confronting Ganondorf
 * The Crime of Idols
 * Of Princess and Portents (Mentioned only)
 * The Knight in Green
 * Seeds of Conspiracy
 * A Vision of Ice and Fire
 * Day of the Arachnids
 * To Kill a Sage
 * The Cleansing
 * Unholy Alliance
 * Skyfall
 * Sulkaris Showdown
 * The Covenant