Link is the protagonist of Phantom Hourglass, and also the protagonist of The Wind Waker. Three months after the end of The Wind Waker, Link and Tetra set out to explore the seas. When tetra is abducted by a mysterious Ghost Ship, Link fails to save her and falls straight into the ocean.
Fortunately, he meets a captain named Linebeck, and sets out to save Tetra with Linebeck and a fairy named Ciela.

Tetra is Phantom Hourglass’s damsel in distress. A brave and daring she-pirate who players first met in The Wind Waker, she’ll go to any lengths to explore new lands and go where she desires. Because of this, she rashly explores the mysterious Ghost Ship that passes by, and becomes trapped within its hull. It’s up to Link to save her – even if the Life Force is sucked out of her in the process.

Ciela is a strange fairy who awoke Link when he washed upon the shores of Mercay Island after attempting to save tetra from the Ghost Ship. Ciela is both the player’s and Link’s guide in the game, comparable to Navi from Ocarina of Time. However, Ciela seems to have lost her memory – where could it have gone?

Linebeck is a self-righteous captain who only cares about himself and treasure. In fact, the only reason Link is able to borrow Linebeck’s steamboat is because Linebeck wishes to discover treasure along Link’s journey. Ciela loathes him and often makes snide remarks about Linebeck behind his back. Linebeck may be tempted to abandon Link if there’s nothing in it for him…

Link meets Oshus just a few minutes after encountering Ciela on the beaches of Mercay Island. Oshus acts as Ciela’s “grandpa,” but in reality is an old man living in a house relatively alone on Mercay Island. His past is shrouded in mystery, and he refuses to communicate it with Link. He believes that Link has much to do to prove his worth as a hero, though one can’t say why.

Astrid is a helpful psychic who has recently suffered the loss of her valuable partner. Link finds her trapped in her basement on the Isle of Ember, and must free her from the trap within. Once freed, Astrid can provide Link with hints and clues as to where to venture next.

Leaf is the Fairy of Power, appearing in the color red, and is rescued from the Temple of Fire. When Link gives Leaf ten Power Gems, Leaf gains the ability to coat Link’s sword in flames, doubling his attack power. After Link gathers twenty Power Gems, this ability quadruples Link’s attack power.

Neri is the Fairy of Wisdom, appearing in the color blue, and is rescued from the Temple of Courage. When Link gives Neri ten Wisdom Gems, Neri gains the ability to double the defense power of Link’s shield. After collecting twenty Wisdom Gems, Neri can quadruple Link’s defense.

The Fairy of Courage is lifeless and white… what could have happened to this poor soul? Giving the Fairy of Courage ten Courage Gems will allow Link to fire shock waves from his sword. Collecting twenty Courage Gems will double the width of the shock wave.

Jolene is a daring she-pirate who used to work with Linebeck, but now has a grudge against him for stealing treasure from her ship. When she is nearby Linebeck, she will immediately attack with torpedoes and, eventually, will ambush the SS. Linebeck. She gets along very well with her sister, Joanne, and often exchanges letters with her.

Joanne is the sister of Jolene and, for some strange reason, enjoys dressing up as a mermaid.

Zauz is a legendary blacksmith – and one of the last remaining people who harbor the knowledge to forge the Phantom Blade, the only object capable of defeating Bellum. For him for forge Link a Phantom Blade so that he may restore peace to the seas, Link must gather first the three Pure Metals – Crimsonine, Azurine, and Aquanine. His appearance suggest that he has some relation to the Rito race present in The Wind Waker.

Biggoron is the leader of the Goron tribe of Goron Island. His son, Gongoron, leads Link through the Goron Temple. Biggoron is a very inquisitive individual, and will never pass up the chance to play a game or give somebody a round of riveting questions.

As the son of Biggoron, Gongoron is next in line to lead the Goron tribe. He is playful and mischievous, and will lead Link on a chase before showing him the way to the Goron Temple. Once inside the Temple, Gongoron is captured by monsters and Link must free him. Gongoron marks the first time in Phantom Hourglass where the player can switch between controlling Link and another character. After Link finishes Goron Temple Gongoron relocated to Dee Ess Island to help with the Goron Game.

The Anouki are a race of Inuit-like people that inhabit the Isle of Frost. After an agreement with the Yooks, they built housing on the west side of the island while the Yooks were banished to the Eastern Ice Fields. The Anouki keep one of the three Pure Metals that Link must obtain to forge the Phantom Blade.

The Yooks are a race of brainwashed monsters living in the Eastern Ice Fields on the Isle of Frost. While brainwashed, they will attack Link – but they’ll also eat anything that comes their way. When Link completes the Temple of Ice, their trance is broken and they regret attempting to devour Link.

Freedle is a whimsical man with three magical boxes that lives on Mercay Island. He allows you to trade ship parts with other players across the world via the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection.

The Old Wayfarer is obsessed with mermaids and adventure, but for the most part his mind is consumed with thoughts of the mermaid that lives on his island. If you destroy all of the monsters on the island, you might just catch a glimpse of this mermaid he wishes to meet so badly…

Nyeve’s name is derived from the word “knave,” meaning novice. This man dresses like Link, but acts far more heroic. While the Nyeve may not be Link himself, he knows much about fighting that Link can learn. His ship is the mighty Prince of Red Lions, a play on the King of Red Lions from The Wind Waker. His role is akin to Orca’s from The Wind Waker. If you manage to strike him 100 times with your sword, you will receive a heart container.

The Teller of Treasures will price any items you have in Rupees and then buy it from you! Sounds like a good deal, but watch out – his prices aren’t always the best on the market. You could probably do better than to sell to this man, if you look in the right spot. However, if Link has ship parts that he does not need, the Teller of Treasures is the best person to take them off his hands.

The Postman can only be found when delivering letters to Link. He is always flying, and never touches the ground, but unlike in The Wind Waker is not a Rito. He is a short, lively character who likes to read the letters he delivers out loud in a telegram fashion, and is completely dedicated to his work.