The Imprisoned

The Imprisoned's History

After his failed attempt to obtain the Triforce, Demise was transformed into the Imprisoned by the goddess Hylia and trapped within the Sealed Grounds. In the present day, Demise's servant, Ghirahim, seeks to break the seal on his master and return him to his original form by using the soul of Zelda, the Hylian reincarnation of Hylia.

During Link's first visit to the Sealed Temple, the Imprisoned's seal is weakened to the point that it attempts to escape and destroy the temple, but with the help of the Old Woman, Link manages to re-seal it. The Imprisoned eventually manages to fully break free of its seal on three occasions; first when Link goes to the Sealed Temple with Groose, again just before Link activates the Gate of Time, and once more when Link goes to Faron Woods to learn Faron's part to the "Song of the Hero". Each time, Link manages to defeat it and restore the seal temporarily; however, the Old Woman realizes that the beast is breaking free more quickly each time, indicating that Demise is regaining his strength.

Later, when Link obtains the Triforce, he and Fi use it to wish for Demise's destruction; in accordance with this wish, the Isle of the Goddess detaches from Skyloft and plummets back to the Surface, crushing the Imprisoned beneath it just as it was breaking free of its seal for a fourth time. Unfortunately, Ghirahim circumvents this by kidnapping Zelda and traveling back in time to resurrect Demise. Despite Link's best efforts to stop him, Ghirahim completes the rite; the Imprisoned emerges from its seal and devours Zelda's soul, allowing Demise to return.

Strangely, while The Imprisoned is breaking free of its seal, Link is free to return to The Sky at any point. Also, ironically, the three boss battles with The Imprisoned that precede the ultimate face-off with Demise are, in a sense, a result of Demise's defeat in the past at the end of Skyward Sword. Chronologically, the events of Skyward Sword begin with Link's defeat of Demise in the past and progress to the loosening of The Imprisoned's seal in the present, to the three times Link reseals The Imprisoned at the Sealed Grounds, and then to the ultimate defeat of Demise via the Triforce and the Isle of the Goddess. In this way, the battle with Demise at the end of Skyward Sword occurred before Link faces The Imprisoned for the first time