There are a handful of strange and quirky recurring characters throughoutThe Legend of Zeldaseries that help add to its charm. One of the series' more forgotten characters is the graveyard keeper Dampe, who pops up in several of Link’s adventures to offer services that include accessing important items and interesting side content. While other recurring side characters are likely more memorable than Dampe inThe Legend of Zeldaseries, this graveyard keeper has ironically helped make the world of Hyrule feel more alive.

Although Dampe is missing from many of the more recentZeldatitles, likeBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom, he has seen a resurgence in some capacity through his presence in theLink’s Awakeningremake for Nintendo Switch and the spin-off titleCadence of Hyrule. This graveyard keeper is often characterized by his hunched back, bald head, and shovel constantly in hand, making him a recognizable character between entries where he appears. Given that Dampe’s presence ranges from interesting to forgettable depending on the entry, he ends up being more closely associated with certainZeldatitles, more so than others.

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The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Dampe made his debut inOcarina of Timeas Kakariko Village’s graveyard keeper,sleeping during the day and pacing the graveyard by night. During his nighttime patrol, players can participate in Dampe’s Heart-Pounding Gravedigging Tour, where the caretaker can unearth graves for Link to reveal rewards like Rupees or Pieces of Heart. In a somewhat macabre twist, Link can return to the graveyard as an adult to find Dampe has died in the seven years that have passed, but players can challenge his ghost to a race to earn the ever-important Hookshot, a necessary tool players will need to complete the game.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask

InMajora’s Mask, Dampe appears again, this time as the keeper of the haunted Ikana Graveyard, home to numerous ghosts that Dampe appears to be afraid of. Funnily, players can spook Dampe by talking to him while wearing the Captain’s Hat, which can be obtained from Captain Keeta in the same graveyard, causing him to lock himself in his shed. Dampe is also crucial to obtaining a coveted Bottle inMajora’s Mask, since the player can help guide the graveyard keeper beneath a gravestone on the third day by using the light from Tatl to help him uncover blue fires and eventually a Big Poe, which reveals a chest containing a Bottle when defeated.

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Although he isn’t present in the earlier versions of the game, theNintendo Switch remake ofLink’s Awakeningadds Dampeto act as the NPC that governs the Chamber Dungeon building mode new to this version of the game. Players can find Dampe in his shack in Tal Tal Heights, where he will craft Chambers for players based on the various dungeons around Koholint. These chambers can then be arranged into custom dungeons created by the player, making Dampe a fun optional NPC to interact with for players looking to flex their creative muscles and give dungeon-building a shot.

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The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures

While not as crucial to the plot ofFour Swords Adventuresas he is in otherZeldatitles, Dampe can still be a helpful NPC, serving as a guide for players stuck on how to progress. He can be found tending the graveyard in The Swamp but has trouble completing his work due to the presence of Shadow Link and the monsters that have overtaken the cemetery. If spoken to, Dampe will reveal to players that the Dark Mirror can be found somewhere in the forest ahead, which players will need to find to stop Ganon’s production of Shadow Links.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

InThe Minish Cap, Dampe serves as the graveyard keeper in the Royal Valley and aids Link in accessing the Royal Crypt, provided the player first obtains the key stolen by the takkuri enemy. After retrieving the Kinstone Piece from the crypt, Dampe reveals that there is a secret path in the woods that leads to 50 Rupees. Additionally, players canfuse Kinstoneswith Dampe on two separate occasions to unlock other hidden areas, like the tomb of Gina and a secret location in the Wind Ruins, where players can obtain more treasure like 100 Mysterious Shells and a red Kinstone Piece, respectively.

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Dampe plays a minor role inA Link Between Worlds, acting as an early game guide to prompt the player to find the secret passage into the Sanctuary as part of the quest to deliver the Captain his sword. While this is a helpful tip for progressing through an early-game quest, Dampe doesn’t serve much purpose outside this interaction. It is interesting to note that he does have aLorulecounterpart in the form of Dampe, whom Link can speak with to find out no one has spoken with him in a very long time, as there are no more graves to tend.

Cadence of Hyrule

The spin-off rhythm adventure gameCadence of Hyrulefeatures cameos from many recurringZeldacharacters, including Dampe, who is once again the graveyard keeper of Kakariko Village. In this game, Dampe finds either Link or Zelda, the playable character that wasn’t chosen, asleep and carries them to safety, prompting the player to seek out the Hibiscus Potion from Kakariko Crypt as a means to wake the sleeping character. In theSymphony of the Mask DLC, Kakariko Village has become Kakariko Graveyard, with Dampe having become a ghostly version of his former self.