Link is an apprentice Railroad Engineer living in New Hyrule 100 years after it was discovered by Link and Tetra from The Wind Waker. The game begins with Link on his way to Hyrule Castle to be declared Royal Engineer by Princess Zelda herself.

Calling him to a secret meeting, Zelda brings Link along to investigate the disappearance of the Spirit Tracks, which quickly evolves into a perilous quest to keep an ancient evil from being released from it’s prison.

Princess Zelda is part of the royal family of New Hyrule, the kingdom founded by the Princess Zelda of the Wind Waker era 100 years earlier.

Early in the game, the villainous Chancellor Cole takes away Zelda’s body to be used as a vessel to resurrect the ancient Demon King. Zelda’s spirit is separated, and so she accompanies Link in his quest to restore the Spirit Tracks and save New Hyrule.

Introduced in Phantom Hourglass, Phantoms are malicious spirits possessing an invulnerable suit of armor. Usually they are Link’s enemies, but the spirit of Princess Zelda has the ability to take over the Phantom and use it to help Link throughout the Spirit Tower.

In this form, Princess Zelda has the ability to use the suit’s resilience to protect Link from harmful traps, and can even carry Link on her shield as she walks through lava! Zelda cannot possess a Phantom until Link has collected three Tears of Light from that floor of the tower and used their power to stun it, and she cannot take the Phantom outside of the Spirit Tower.

Anjean is the first member of the mysterious Locomo people that Link encounters on his journey. She is the protector of the Spirit Tower, and it is all she can do to keep what is left of it standing.

She entrusts Link with the mystic Spirit Train so that he can stop the return of the Demon King.

Chancellor Cole is a politician at Hyrule Castle, and has a bad habit of watching Princess Zelda like a hawk. Zelda is suspicious of the Chancellor, and she slips Link a note to meet her in secret.

Later, she is proven right when Chancellor Cole ambushes them, revealing his two demon-like horns and zapping Zelda’s spirit from her body, so as to use it as a vessel to resurrect the Demon King. The Chancellor is also accompanied by a mysterious henchman, who appears to have a robotic arm.

Alfonzo is the Master Railroad Engineer and Link’s mentor figure for the beginning of the game. Apparently, he once was a member of the Hyrule Guard, but left for reasons unknown as of yet.
When Link and Zelda sneak out of Hyrule Castle at the beginning of the game, Alfonzo tags along to help them.

At some point before the events of Spirit Tracks, the spirits of New Hyrule fought an epic battle against an evil Demon King known as Mallard. Unable to kill him, they instead locked him away with chains and shackles and then buried him deep underground. These shackles became known as the Spirit Tracks, which are now a vital part of New Hyrule’s culture, not to mention their means of transportation.

Unfortunately, the Spirit Tracks have begun to disappear, and it is up to Link and Zelda to fix them and stop the Demon King from spreading destruction and death once again.

No information has been released about this smoke-billowing train. Its fiery eyes and cold demeanor suggest that it may be one of Mallard’s henchmen – or, perhaps, his highest level subordinate.