Summary
Of all the recurring characters in theLegend of Zeldaseries, Dampe is one of the most intriguing and mysterious. His appearance is highly unlike that of most human NPCs in the franchise, and yet he also has a charming and peaceful aura about him that manyotherZeldacharactersdon’t. Fans of Dampe will be pleased to know then that he is returning once again inThe Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.
Dampe has most had one job throughout theLegend of Zeldaseries, butZelda: Echoes of Wisdomand another recent installment have seen him changing his occupation in rather unique ways. Although he is an engineer inZelda: Echoes of Wisdom, he is most commonly known for being something much different.
Dampe Began His Franchise Career as a Gravekeeper and Kept That Job Through Several Installments
Throughout the majority of theLegend of Zeldaseries, Dampe has had one job: gravekeeper. His first appearance was inOcarina of Time, which is likely a large part of what contributed to him becoming a recurring character throughout the series. Before his debut, some may not have thought that a gravekeeper could be such a lovable character, but his kindness and unusual charm overshadow the darker details of his job.
After he was established as a gravekeeper inOcarina of Time, Dampe went on to retain the same job in four other mainlineZeldainstallments, as well as the spin-off titleCadence of Hyrule. Also, despite his debut being inOcarina of Time, he chronologically first appeared inThe Minish Cap. It wasn’t until the 2019 release of theLink’s Awakeningremake for Nintendo Switch that he changed his occupation for the first time in the series.
Dampe Moved on to Making Chambers in Link’s Awakening for the Nintendo Switch
After serving as a gravekeeper for over two decades and sixZeldagames, Dampe drastically shifted his role in theLink’s Awakeningremake for the Nintendo Switch. He never appeared in the originalLink’s Awakening, but he was added in the remake and given a shack in Tal Tal Heights where he would craft Chambers out ofChamber Stonesfor Link based on the various dungeons found throughout Koholint Island. Upon having Dampe craft Chambers, players could arrange them to customize the layout, puzzles, enemies, and mini-bosses of a Chamber Dungeon.
This added an extra layer of challenge to the game’s dungeons, and it even came with a multiplayer element that allowed players to save their crafted Chamber Dungeons onZelda-themed amiibo and share them with other players.
Dampe Is an Engineer in Echoes of Wisdom Who Makes Automatons for Zelda to Use in Combat
Dampe’s upcoming occupation as an engineer inEchoes of Wisdomis perhaps his most distinctive role yet, although his jobcrafting Chambers in theLink’s Awakeningremake likely paved the way for this one. InZelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Dampe creates Automatons for Zelda, which seem to behave similarly to various items featured throughout the series' history. Only a few Automatons have been revealed so far, including one that is thrown and explodes like a bomb, another that fires cannonballs at foes from range, and a third that creates musical note bubbles that briefly stun enemies when popped.
As Dampe’s job in aLegend of Zeldagamehas once again changed inEchoes of Wisdom, it seems that trend will continue in future installments. It will be interesting to see where Dampe’s next appearance takes him occupationally, and how his services will be used to benefit that game’s protagonist.
