The Legend of Zelda series is set in a fantasy world that first appeared in the original The Legend of Zelda, which was developed and published by Nintendo. The game introduced Hyrule as the series' primary setting and series protagonist Link, a Hylian boy or young man who is the player character. The storyline of each game varies, but follows a common overarching plot that involves Link travelling through Hyrule to rescue Princess Zelda and save the world from evil, which is typically the series' main villain, Ganon. A recurring plot element in the games is Ganon's attempts to obtain the Triforce, a mystical artifact that will enable him to possess ultimate power. Although Link and Zelda have similar appearances in each game, they are different characters who reappear whenever evil threatens the world. Skyward Sword was established as the beginning of the series' history and involves the antagonist Demise cursing the first incarnations of Link and Zelda so their descendants appear in an endless cycle to protect Hyrule from evil.