dampé

Dampé is a character from Nintendo's popular video game series, The Legend of Zelda. He first appeared in the Nintendo 64 title, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, released in 1998. Dampé is a gravekeeper who resides in the Kakariko Village Graveyard. He is depicted as a skeleton, often seen wearing a tattered cap and carrying a shovel.

In Ocarina of Time, Link encounters Dampé as an obstacle. To progress through the graveyard and obtain a specific item, Link must win a race against Dampé's ghost. This spectral race involves navigating through a dark, underground dungeon filled with traps and enemies. Winning the race rewards Link with the Hookshot, a crucial item for further exploration.

Dampé's character has been re-imagined in subsequent Zelda titles. He reappears in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask as a ghost who hosts a mini-game where Link must dig for treasure within a time limit. In The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Dampé is presented as a living, albeit somewhat eccentric, old man who still works as the gravekeeper of Windfall Island. He offers Link a reward for completing a ghost-themed dungeon.

The character's consistent presence and unique role as a spectral or underworld inhabitant have made Dampé a memorable figure within The Legend of Zelda franchise, often associated with themes of death, the afterlife, and spooky challenges.