Old Wayfarer

"What?! Wayfarers must always be looking for adventure! In my search for the mystical creature, the mermaid... I sacrificed many of life's pleasures...friends, family, good snacks... I gave it all up to search for the mermaid."

- Old Wayfarer

The Old Wayfarer is an elderly, adventurous man from The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. Meeting him is entirely optional, but he is important to multiple sidequests. He lived on Molida Island with his wife and son, Romanos, until his adventurous nature led him to pursue the Ghost Ship in the Northwestern Sea, discovering the Isle of Gust. On both Molida Island and the Island of Gust, hidden rooms where he kept journals can be found; the former also has several pedestals with words he carved into them. In his writings, he expresses regret for leaving his family, but continues to seek the thrill of adventure. While on the Isle of Gust, he discovers other small islands around, those being Bannan Island, Zauz's Island, and the Uncharted Island. He builds a house on the first of these, and begins trying to find his next discovery, which he hopes to be the mermaid.

When Link first meets him, he tells him of his plans to catch a mermaid and keep her in a pool in his house. He warns him that the mermaid is a shy creature that will not appear while feeling in danger from monsters. As it happens, defeating all the enemies on that side of the island causes Joanne, a woman who dresses as a mermaid, to appear. She agrees to pretend to be a mermaid as an excuse to listen to his stories, and goes to meet him. However, when spoken to, it is revealed he has not seen her, as she accidentally went to Linebeck first. Going into his house again, however, shows she has arrived. The Old Wayfarer gives Link a fishing line out of gratitude, saying that he planned to use it to catch the mermaid as he did not expect one to come to him.

Later, he has left his house. It is revealed that due to Joanne's large appetite, he is running low on food and money, so he has gone to the Southeastern Sea on his ship, the SS Wayfarer, to find more food. When Link speaks with him, he asks if he has found the romance of the sea yet. Replying "yes" prompts Link to show him the Wood Heart he has collected, amusing the old man at his seeming naivety at first before asking if he can have it. After giving it to him, the old man simply thanks him, though as Link is about to leave, he decides another reward is in order, but his gift is still at his house. After a rematch with the Giant Eye Plant, Link returns to the wayfarer's house, and receives the Swordsman's Scroll. The wayfarer will have returned too, satisfied with the Wood Heart rations.

When he is at his house, Link can show the Old Wayfarer the fish he has caught with his line. If a fish he shows has a Stowfish on it, he says they are the wayfarers among fish and gives Link a random ship part. Once he shows him a Loovar, the Old Wayfarer gives him the Big Catch Lure for huge fish. When he shows him a Rusty Swordfish, he also gives a random ship part, but also tells him of rumors that the legendary giant Neptoona has reappeared after a long time. When Link successfully catches and shows it to him, he is so impressed he dubs Link "the legendary romantic" and commemorates it with a Heart Container.