You can say that they're their own race, but from a design standpoint they're absolutely anthropomorphized birds

they are literally a different intelligent species

In my opinion, they would be, by all definition, a form of x animal.

if a furry is a "anthropomorphized animal" then it would logically need to have a real-life counter part for this definition to work, i.e., fox-furry, horse-furry, etc

Hylians arent even human, they are more akin to elves

doesnt need to exist in real life to count
See: Dragons

but then it leaves out shit like dragons

it's all semantics

what is a furry even?

I actually associate Hylians more as humans, and the Zora as a type of sea elves.

OK, but that doesn't mean they aren't furry.

@Schedrevka define furry

anthropomorphized animal

Are Ewoks furries?

so it needs a real life counterpart?

different species imo

So, would you argue there's a distinction from an animal with human qualities

Ewoks are a different species imo

And a human with animal qualities?

Their real life counterpart is bird

as are Zora and Rita

They don't have a real life counterpart. They're given their wings by magic.

If you just took a picture of a rito and divorced it from its context in Zelda they would fit in perfectly well within furry shit

So if I took any furry character and gave it lore it would stop being furry?

humans dont have to be the only default intelligent life

If an Ewok is into humans and dresses like a human is that Ewok the equivalent to a furry?

at what point does something become furry? using rito as an example

is it the feathers, the beak, the talons on the toes

Furry defines a fetish isn't it?

They also absolutely have human form, not chicken legs or anything like that

Including hair.

Some of the Ninas from breath of fire are directly related to birds, are they furries?

The intent is what matters

More a subculture based on a common interest than just a fetish

There's lots of furry shit that isn't sexual, even if there is a TON of sexual furry shit

Unless the question is what are furries into

are humans furries because we're anthropomorphized monkeys?

That is why I say intent

Humans are already an animal

But you can't know the creator's intent

Two people could create the exact same thing and one could say 'it's furry' and the other not

yes