At Skyloft’s Bazaar, shop owner Gondo has a peculiar-looking object lying in the back that often piques his customer’s interest. When asked about it, he tells them his grandfather’s stories about how it used to be a robot that could carry anything from anywhere. But since it’s now covered in dust and doesn’t look like it’s been used for decades, no one believes the stories are true. To them, it’s just a piece of junk and Gondo might be the only one who wants to think that his grandfather’s stories aren’t pure fantasies — until Link comes to pay his store a visit.
The dusty and non-functional robot is nicknamed Scrapper (his full name LD-301S Scrapper), but no one really knows how he ended up in Skyloft when the rest of his hardworking companions in the LD-301 series are still in Lanayru Desert. Those ancient robots are dependent on Timeshift Stones to power and awaken them, but such stones don’t exist in Skyloft. This would be a problem if Gondo didn’t recall his grandfather telling him that an Ancient Flower contains an oil that will work to repair Scrapper.
Luckily for this little ancient robot, Link happens to have just the flower needed to bring it back to life, but when Gondo repairs it with the oil from the flower’s stem, Scrapper surprisingly doesn’t seem to be very grateful at all. Link is short and looks way too young for Scrapper to like him and finds it hard to believe that a “child,” as he calls Link, is supposed to be a hero.
Despite not being in use for generations, this little guy comes with a bright personality and a sharp attitude. To express his dislike in Link even further, Scrapper quickly gives Link the rather rude nickname “Master Shortpants.” He has no problem with letting Link know what he thinks of him, taking any opportunity he gets to try to boss him around and pick on his nerves.
In a sense, Scrapper reminds me of a certain guy with a ridiculously tall, red pompadour that also happened to pick on Link. But Scrapper is never as bad as Groose, which makes him funnier. Groose saw Link as a competitor for Zelda’s affection but to Scrapper, he’s just a child and therefore someone inferior to himself. Scrapper annoys Link not with the intention to make him feel bad but to constantly remind him who’s the better of them.
If fate hadn’t crossed their paths, I’m fairly sure Scrapper wouldn’t want to have anything to do with Link, and perhaps the feeling between them is mutual. I wouldn’t blame Link if that’s what he’s feeling too.
There is, however, one person Scrapper would do anything for; Link’s sword spirit, Fi. One can say that it was love at first sight, even though it happens to be one-sided since Fi seems to lack the ability to express any emotions. That never seems to bother Scrapper, though, who will continue to affectionally address the sword spirit as “Mistress Fi” soon after laying his eyes on her. Since Fi assists Link through his adventure, Scrapper will indirectly help Link with various tasks as long as he knows it will please Fi. But not without trying to order him around, of course, or expressing his dissatification with Link getting to carry Fi around on his back.
Just like an unwillingly single guy desperate for love, Scrapper will go anywhere for Fi and always makes sure to speak to her with warmth in his voice. Fi is the apple of his eye, the sunrays that brighten up his days, and it’s clear to everyone but Fi that his feelings for her are strong. This makes Scrapper both pathetic but also super adorable; here’s an ancient robot completely falling for a sword spirit who speaks more like a robot than what he himself does. It can’t get sweeter than this.
When I say that it can’t get any sweeter, I mean it. Fi unfortunately never responds to Scrapper’s affection and he ends up yearning for her in vain. Scrapper embodies the “forever alone” meme, which makes it perfect to think about him a little extra today, November 11, which has been dubbed as “Singles’ Day”. No matter how sweetly he speaks to her, he and Fi are never destined to end up together. Hylia’s pre-programmed sword spirit goes back to eternally rest inside Link’s Master Sword after Zelda is saved and the adventure is over, and Scrapper is left alone with Link with their shared memories of her.
Being an ancient robot, Scrapper must have lived a long life. It must be bittersweet to only get to spend a very short time of it together with Fi, but I hope Scrapper isn’t bitter but rather grateful that he got to meet her. Perhaps Fi was his first and only crush, and I’m sure he spent the rest of his robot life thinking back fondly on their time together.
