The series centers on the various incarnations ofLink, a courageous young man of the elf-likeHylian race, andPrincess Zelda, a princess within the bloodline of thegoddess Hylia, as they fight to save the land ofHyrule fromGanon, an evil warlord turned demon king who wishes to use theTriforce, a sacred relic that can grant any wish its user desires when complete, to remake the world in his own dark image. If someone with a heart that does not possess a balance of Power, Courage, and Wisdom attempts to touch the Triforce, it will split into three triangles and bond with three people whose hearts embody the required virtue. While the conflict with Ganon serves as a backbone for the series, some games have featured other settings and antagonists, with Link traveling or being sent to these other lands in their time of need.
Gameplay ofThe Legend of Zelda games feature a mix ofpuzzles,action-adventure, and exploration. These elements used to be constant[b] throughout the series, with small refinements and additions in each new game. Later installments include stealth gameplay, where the player must avoid enemies while proceeding through a level, as well as racing elements. Depending on the game, players controlLink orPrincess Zelda from a fixed top-down perspective[c][8][9] or in a3D game world with a free-roaming camera.[7][10]
Zelda games can be beaten with a minimal amount of exploration andside quests, but the player is frequently rewarded with helpful items or increased abilities for solving puzzles or exploring hidden areas. Some items are consistent and appear many times throughout the series, while others are unique to a single game. Staples of the series include bombs that can both act as weapons and open blocked or hidden doorways;boomerangs, which can kill or paralyze enemies; keys for locked doors; shields;bows and arrows; light sources; magical rods, hammers, and musical instruments; digging tools; and a grappling hook-like device called the hookshot. Items can be bought, rented, or found as a puzzle-solving reward, depending on the game. In 2017'sBreath of the Wild and its 2023 sequel,Tears of the Kingdom, swords and other weapons originally found in dungeons or purchased from shops are now found in the game world and stolen from defeated enemies.[11][12] These are generally used through by swapping out to one or more selected button prompts through a menu, while the sword is usually fixed.[d] Echoes copied by Zelda inEchoes of Wisdom also attack or clear paths with bombs.[20] Early in certainZelda games, swords are given to Link and/or found in a secluded area.[21] More powerful swords, or special sword abilities, can be discovered by Link or taught to him in the games. Existing weapons can also receive upgrades.[22][23][24][6]
Themotion controls of 2011'sSkyward Sword, using either theWii'sWii MotionPlus or theNintendo Switch'sJoy-Con, simulate sword fighting by swinging the controller in specific directions to attack enemies or counter an enemy's attempt to block.[25][26]Breath of the Wild introduced aphysics engine—allowing for physics-based solutions such as crushing an enemy via rolling a boulder onto it[27]—and what was called a chemistry engine, a rule-basedstate calculator in which various elements (fire, water, wind, etc.) interact with other objects and elements in different ways.[e][29][11][12]Echoes of Wisdom is also a departure from other games' style of combat, as the playable Zelda is primarily unable to directly hit enemies on her own.[f] Instead, she uses an item called the Tri Rod to create echoes via coping objects and enemies and recreating them to solve puzzles and defeat enemies, even if the object or enemy in question is not in the area or region her current situation is.[31] Another physics-based technique in newerZelda titles involves using certain abilities to allow Link or Zelda to remotely move or drop objects on top of enemies, drop enemies down holes, or propel themselves across gaps.[g]
The games pioneered a number of features that were to become industry standards. The originalZelda was the first console game with asave function that enabled players to stop playing and then resume later.Ocarina of Time introduced a targeting system that let the player lock the camera on to enemy or friendly non-player characters which simplified 3D combat.[45]
Overworld and Dungeons
The Legend of Zelda often includes nonlinear gameplay and varying environments in an explorable world, similar to this illustration.
Many mainlineZelda game consist of three key areas: anoverworld which connects all other areas and allows multidirectional movement is multidirectional, giving players some degree of freedom;[46] areas of interaction with other characters (like caves, towns, or hidden rooms) in which the player can purchase equipment, gain special items or advice, or complete side quests;[47][48] anddungeons (or temples, towers, etc.), labyrinthine areas found underground[49][50][51] (with some exceptions),[52][53][54] comprising a wide range of difficult enemies,bosses, and items.[55][56] Each usually has one major item that can be essential for solving its puzzles[8] and often plays a crucial role in defeating its boss[57][58] and/or progressing through the game.[8][17] In 2013,A Link Between Worlds introduced a more open-ended progression system by allowing Link to rent items to reach and beat the last seven dungeons.[8] Following this, every main dungeon inBreath of the Wild andTears of the Kingdom can be accessed in any order before reaching the final boss in their open world setting. Neither game has items hidden inside dungeons for progression, but the latter involves the help of specific companions to solve tasks in their respective Temples.[1][59]
Navigating a dungeon is usually aided by locating a map, which reveals its layout, and a magic compass, which reveals the location of significant and smaller items such as keys and equipment.[60] In games released after theNES, dungeons include a special "big key" or "boss key" that unlocks the door to fight its boss.[61] In place of a big key,Breath of the Wild has Link use his Sheikah Slate to activate all the control terminals inside the dungeon before its boss attacks him,[62] andTears of the Kingdom has companions reach and interact with the locations of multiple locks in the relevant Temple to open the door to the boss.[53][59] The originalZelda on the NES had its dungeons known as "the underworld" in contrast to the overworld,[49] but later games had broad sections located underground or behind rifts that were not dungeons in of themselves, but connected to the overworld or other dungeons, such as Subrosia inOracle of Seasons,[63] the Depths inTears of the Kingdom,[64] and the Still World inEchoes of Wisdom.[65] Some games, likeFour Swords,Four Swords Adventures andTri Force Heroes, have no broadly-connecting overworld, and use randomly picked levels,[66] a linear progression of numbered levels,[67] or a hub world like Hytopia Castle Town.[68]
Sailing and gliding
While a raft first appeared in the first game, they had limited use and can only be boarded from a dock.[69] Sailing is—by design—the only way to traverse the island-dotted overworlds ofThe Wind Waker in 2002 andPhantom Hourglass in 2007.[70] ByBreath of the Wild, rafts' sails could be propelled by wind using the chemistry engine, and logs could also be used as makeshift boats.[71] The introduction of Ultrahand and Zonai machine parts inTears of the Kingdom gave players the ability to build a raft or a flying machine out of parts.[6][72] While gliding had previously been used for puzzles and minigames with the guidance of chickens known as Cuccos,[73] and an item to help scale cliff faces appeared in 2004'sThe Minish Cap,[74]Breath of the Wild andTears of the Kingdom use both elements more prominently. In the games' open world, climbing walls and gliding off them on a paraglider makes it possible for the player to plot out multiple routes; in contrast to the way some players had been "glitching" up mountains players while controllingGeralt inThe Witcher series[h] and Dovahkiin inThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011), here it is not considered unintentional climbing. Instead of mountains being impassable walls they are fully climbable for the players by design.[76][77][78]Tears of the Kingdom also allows Link to be launched into the sky and travel further with either Zonai machines or gliding.[6] The Reverse Bond ability inEchoes of Wisdom also has Zelda attach herself to a climbing spider or flying bird monster to progress through the game world.[41]
Health and fairies
In mostZelda games, the player'sHP or life meter is represented by a line of hearts. The player usually starts with three hearts;[79] their max health can be increased by finding heart-shaped crystals called heart containers. Full heart containers are usually received at the end of dungeons and dropped by dungeon bosses. Smaller "Pieces of Heart" are awarded for completing side quests or found hidden throuought the game world, and require a certain number (commonly four) to form a full heart container.[80] Health can be replenished by picking up hearts left by defeated enemies or destroyed objects, consuming items such as potions or food, or going to a Great Fairy Fountain to have the Great Fairy heal Link completely.[81][82]Breath of the Wild andTears of the Kingdom broke from this tradition, and had Link hunt and cook his food or find potion ingredients in cut grass rather than freely be given hearts to pick up.[83][84][85] Occasionally, the player will find fairies hidden in specific locations; they can either heal Link immediately[86] or be kept in empty bottles, and will revive him the next time he dies.[87]
Conception and production
Inspiration
Shigeru Miyamoto, the series creator, was inspired by his adventures in forests and caves as a child.
The Legend of Zelda was principally inspired byShigeru Miyamoto's "explorations" as a young boy in the hillsides and forests surrounding his childhood home inSonobe, Japan. According to Miyamoto, one of his most memorable experiences was finding a cave entrance in the middle of the woods.[88] After some hesitation, he entered the cave and explored its depths with the aid of a lantern. Miyamoto has referred to the creation of theZelda games as an attempt to bring to life a "miniature garden" for players to play with in each game of the series.[89]
Princess Zelda was named after American novelist, socialite and painterZelda Fitzgerald, as Miyamoto thought the name sounded "pleasant and significant".[100] Tezuka modeled Link's appearance after the eponymous character ofWalt Disney'sPeter Pan (1953).[101][102] When the series made the transition to 3D, the combat system ofOcarina of Time was based on thechanbara (samurai) style of Japanese sword fighting.[10]
Games inThe Legend of Zelda series frequently feature in-game musical instruments, particularly in musicalpuzzles, which are widespread.[103] Often, instruments trigger game events: for example, therecorder inThe Legend of Zelda can reveal secret areas, as well as warp Link to the dungeon entrances. This warping with music feature has also been used inA Link to the Past andLink's Awakening. InOcarina of Time, playing instruments is a core part of the game, with the player needing to play the instrument through the use of the game controller to succeed.[104]Ocarina of Time is "[one of the] first contemporary non-dance title[s] to feature music-making as part of its gameplay",[105] using music as aheuristic device and requiring the player to utilise songs to progress in the game[106] – agame mechanic that is also present inMajora's Mask.[107]
"The Legend of Zelda Theme" is a recurring piece of music that was created for the first game. The composer and sound director of the series,Koji Kondo, initially planned to useMaurice Ravel'sBoléro as the game's title theme, but was forced to change it after learning the orchestral piece had not yet entered thepublic domain late in production. As a result, Kondo wrote a new arrangement of the overworld theme within one day.[108]
Up untilBreath of the Wild, theLegend of Zelda series avoided using voice acting in speaking roles, relying instead on written dialogue. Series producerEiji Aonuma previously stated that having the other characters speak while Link remains silent "would be off-putting".[109]
The Legend of Zelda takes place predominantly in amedievalWestern Europe-inspiredfantasy world calledHyrule,[110][111] which has developed a deep history and wide geography over the series's many releases. Hyrule's principal inhabitants are pointy-eared,elf-like humanoids calledHylians, which include the protagonists Link and Zelda.[i]
The fictional universe established by theZelda games sets the stage for each adventure. Some games take place in different lands with their own back-stories. Labrynna (fromOracle of Ages), Holodrum (fromOracle of Seasons), and Hytopia (fromTri Force Heroes) are different countries separate from the Kingdom of Hyrule,[113] Termina (fromMajora's Mask), the World of the Ocean King (fromPhantom Hourglass), and Lorule (fromA Link Between Worlds) serve as parallel worlds,[114][115] andKoholint is an island far away from Hyrule that appears to be part of a dream.[116]
The world of Hyrule was created by threegolden goddesses: Din, Farore, and Nayru.[117] They created the world to trap Null, which absorbed all life that appeared in an endless void created by it. Before departing, the three goddesses left theTriforce, a sacred artifact which could grant any wish to its user. It manifests as three golden triangles, each embodying one of the goddesses' virtues: Power, Courage, and Wisdom.[118] However, as the Triforce has no will of its own and it can not judge between good and evil, it will grant any wish indiscriminately.[119][120] Because of this, it was placed within an alternate world called the "Sacred Realm" until one worthy of its power and has the balanced virtues of Power, Courage, and Wisdom in their heart could obtain it in its entirety. If a person does not possess balanced heart and tries to use the Triforce, it will split into three parts; the virtue that the user mostly believes in will stay with that person and the remainding two will seek out others. In order to master and control the triforce as a whole, the user must get the other parts found in other individuals and bring them together to reunite them. The Sacred Realm can itself be affected by the heart of those who enter it: a pure heart will make it a paradise while evil will transform it into a dark realm.[121]
TheTriforce is represented as three conjoined golden triangles.
InSkyward Sword, the Triforce was sought by the demon king Demise,[122] an eternal being that had conquered time itself.[123] After a long battle against the goddess Hylia, guardian of the Triforce, Demise was sealed away within her temple.[118][124] Hylia, placing the world's inhabitants known as Hylians on a floating island in the sky called Skyloft to protect them, orchestrated a means to stop the demon from escaping: creating the Goddess Sword (later becoming the Master Sword) for her chosen hero[125] and discarding her divinity to be reborn among the people of Skyloft.[126] In time, Zelda and Link (the reborn Hylia and her predestined warrior) enacted the goddess's plan and Demise was destroyed, but he vowed that his rage would be reborn and forever plague those descended from Link and Zelda.[127] Following the establishment of Hyrule Kingdom, Demise's prophecy came to fruition inOcarina of Time, when Ganondorf's attempt to get the Triforce scattered it with him gaining the Triforce of Power. The Triforce of Wisdom ended up with the Hylian princesses descended from Zelda, each named after her, while the Triforce of Courage is passed to a youth named Link across generations. While the Triforces of Power and Wisdom have been part of the series since the originalThe Legend of Zelda, it was inZelda II: The Adventure of Link that the Triforce of Courage was introduced, being obtained by Link at the end of his quest. The Triforce, or even a piece of it, is not always distributed as a whole. Such as inThe Wind Waker, Link must find all the pieces (called Triforce Shards) of the Triforce of Courage before he can return to Hyrule. Even in the originalThe Legend of Zelda, Zelda breaks her Triforce of Wisdom into eight pieces for Link to find, before she was captured by Ganon.
The chronology of theLegend of Zelda series was a subject of much debate among fans until an official timeline was released within theHyrule Historia collector's book, first released in Japan in December 2011.[130][131] Prior to its release, in a 2003 interview, series creatorShigeru Miyamoto confirmed the existence of an internal document which connected all the games, with series producerEiji Aonuma later revealing in 2010 the confidential nature of this document, which only Miyamoto himself and the director of each game had access to.[132][133]
In-game content, marketing material, and developer statements once partially established a timeline of the released installments: the originalThe Legend of Zelda was followed byZelda II: The Adventure of Link, which takes place several years later;[134][135]A Link to the Past is a prequel to the previous two games,[136][137][138] and is followed byLink's Awakening;[139][140] the events ofOcarina of Time occur many centuries beforeA Link to the Past (according to character designer Satoru Takizawa, it was meant to implicitly tell the story of the Imprisoning War),[141][142] and was followed byMajora's Mask;[143]Four Swords predatesOcarina of Time;[144]The Wind Waker takes place in one of the parallel timelines that emerged fromOcarina of Time, more than a century later;[145][146]Four Swords Adventures, upon its release, was considered to be a direct sequel toFour Swords, set sometime after its events;[144]The Minish Cap is a prequel toFour Swords, telling of the origins of the villain Vaati and the creation of the Four Sword;[147]Twilight Princess takes place afterMajora's Mask;[145][146]Phantom Hourglass is a sequel toThe Wind Waker,[148] and is followed bySpirit Tracks, which is set about a century later on a land far away from the setting ofThe Wind Waker;[149]andSkyward Sword precedesThe Minish Cap, telling the story of the creation of the Master Sword.[150][151]
In the early 2000s, Nintendo of America released a timeline on the official website of the series as one of the possible interpretation of the events from all entries released up to that point, featuring a single protagonist named Link, the "Hero of Time" from its first adventure inOcarina of Time. It was followed byMajora's Mask,A Link to the Past,Oracle of Seasons,Oracle of Ages, the originalThe Legend of Zelda,Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, and finallyLink's Awakening.[152] In 2011, series translatorDaniel Owsen revealed that, at one point, his coworkers at Nintendo of America and him conceived another complete timeline and intended to make it available online, but the Japanese series developers rejected the idea so that the placement of each game would be kept open to the imagination of the players.[153]
On December 21, 2011, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the series,The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historiaart book was published byShogakukan, which contained an official timeline of the fictional chronology of the series up to that point.[130] This timeline subsequently posits that followingOcarina of Time, it splits into three alternate routes: in one, Link ultimately fails to defeat Ganon, leading into the Imprisoning War andA Link to the Past,Oracle of Seasons andOracle of Ages,Link's Awakening,The Legend of Zelda andThe Adventure of Link. The second and third, where Link successfully defeats Ganon, lead to a split timeline between his childhood (where Zelda sends him back in time so he can use the wisdom he has gained to warn young Zelda of the horrifying fate of Hyrule) and adulthood (where adult Zelda lives on to try and rebuild her kingdom). His childhood continues withMajora's Mask, followed byTwilight Princess andFour Swords Adventures. The timeline from his adult life continues intoWind Waker,Phantom Hourglass andSpirit Tracks.[130]
Released in 2013,A Link Between Worlds takes place six generations afterA Link to the Past, and features the Triforce being reunited, and Ganon being resurrected,[154] while 2015'sTri Force Heroes is a direct sequel toA Link Between Worlds, which takes place several years later.[155][156]
In 2018, Nintendo revealed the placement of the timeline of the previous year'sBreath of the Wild was after all previous games in the series, without specifying a connection to any of the three timeline branches. Aonuma andBreath of the Wild director Hidemaro Fujibayashi justified the vague placement with the previous idea of keeping it open to players' imaginations.[129] Nintendo movedLink's Awakening to take place beforeOracle of Seasons andOracle of Ages.[129] In 2020, Nintendo releasedHyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, a gameplay-wise sequel to the 2014 spin-off gameHyrule Warriors, set 100 years beforeBreath of the Wild,[157] but with the events ofAge of Calamity diverging from the backstory established inBreath of the Wild, ostensibly creating an alternate timeline separate from it. However, events depicted withinAge of Calamity unrelated to its use of time travel differ from events established inBreath of the Wild and its supplementary art book,Creating a Champion - such as Link pulling the Master Sword during the events ofAge of Calamity, when he was previously established to have obtained it in his youth - renderingAge of Calamity wholly non-canonical.[158] In 2023Tears of the Kingdom, a direct sequel toBreath of the Wild, was released;[159] it depicts the Imprisoning War as taking place shortly after Hyrule's founding by the Zonai king, Rauru.[160] In 2025Echoes of Wisdom was added to the timeline afterTri Force Heroes and beforeThe Legend of Zelda.[128]Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment takes place during the events ofTears of the Kingdom, where Zelda was sent back in time to when Hyrule was founded and fights in the Imprisoning War. To date, it is the only canonicalHyrule Warriors game.
The central protagonist ofThe Legend of Zelda series, and the primary player character of every individual game except forEchoes of Wisdom, Link is the name of various Hylian young men or boys who characteristically wear a green tunic and a pointed cap, and are the bearers of the Triforce of Courage. In most games, the player can give Link a different name before the start of the adventure, and he will be referred by that given name throughout by thenon-player characters (NPCs). Miyamoto said in a 2002 interview that he named the protagonist "Link" because the character is/was supposed to be the "link" between the player and the game world. The various Links each have a special title, such as "Hero of Time", "Hero of Winds" or "Hero of the Wild". Like manysilent protagonists in video games, Link does not speak and only produces grunts, yells, and similar sounds, but he is not mute – dialogue from him is referenced second-hand by in-game characters, despite not being seen or heard by the player. Link is depicted as a silent protagonist so that the audience is able to have their own thoughts as to how their Link would answer the characters instead of him having scripted responses.
Princess Zelda is the princess of Hyrule and the guardian of the Triforce of Wisdom. Her name is present in many of her ancestors and descendants. She sometimes plays a supporting role in battle, using magical powers and weapons such as Light Arrows to aid Link. She was not playable in the main series untilSpirit Tracks, where she becomes a spirit and can possess a Phantom Knight that can be controlled by the player, and becomes the primary playable character inEchoes of Wisdom, in which Link is largely absent and Zelda does not speak. Zelda appears under various otheraliases andalter egos, includingSheik (inOcarina of Time) andTetra (inThe Wind Waker andPhantom Hourglass). InSkyward Sword, it is revealed that the Zelda of that game is a reincarnation of the goddess Hylia, whose power flows through the royal bloodline. The name "Zelda" derives from the American novelistZelda Fitzgerald.[161]
Ganon, also known as Ganondorf in hisGerudo form, is the final boss in a slight majority (12 out of 21, including Demise) ofThe Legend of Zelda games. In the series, Ganondorf is the leader of a race of desert brigands called the Gerudo, which consists entirely of women save for one man born every one hundred years. He is significantly taller than other human NPCs, but his looks vary between games, often taking the form of a monstrous anthropomorphic boar. His specific motives vary from game to game, but most often, he seeks the complete Triforce, a powerful magical relic, part of it often in the possession of Link and Zelda. He often possesses a portion of the Triforce called the Triforce of Power, which gives him great strength, but it is often not enough to accomplish his ends, leading him to hunt the remaining Triforce pieces. Unlike Link, Zelda, and most other recurring characters, he is actually the same person in every game, with the exception ofFour Swords Adventures, where he is a reincarnation of the original. In each game the battles with him are different and he fights using different styles. The gameSkyward Sword indicates that Ganon is a reincarnation of a Demon King known as Demise.
The Legend of Zelda, the first game of the series, was first released in Japan in February 1986, on theFamicom Disk System.[163][page needed] A cartridge version for theNintendo Entertainment System, using battery-backedmemory, was released in 1987 in the United States on August 22, and in Europe on November 27. The game features a "Second Quest", accessible either upon completing the game, or by registering one's name as "ZELDA" when starting a new quest. The "Second Quest" features different dungeons and item placement, and more difficult enemies.[164]
A Link to the Past returned to the top-down view and added the concept of an alternate dimension, the Dark World. The game was released for theSuper NES in November 1991.[163][page needed]A Link to the Past was re-released for theGame Boy Advance in 2002. The SNES version was later re-released on the WiiVirtual Console in January 2007, on the Wii U Virtual Console, and onNintendo Classics.
The series made the transition to3D withOcarina of Time for theNintendo 64, which was released in November 1998. This game, initially known asZelda 64 and in development for the Japanese-only64DD before converting to cartridge format when the hardware was delayed,[168] retains the core gameplay of the previous2D games. A new gameplay mechanic, lock-on targeting, enables more precise sword fighting in a 3D space by focusing the camera on a nearby target and alters the player's actions relative to that target.[169] The game heavily uses context-sensitive button play, having the player control various actions, each handled slightly differently, using only one button on the controller (e.g. standing next to a block and pressing A would make Link grab it, enabling him to push orpull it, but moving forwards into a block and tapping A has Link climb the block). The game debuted Link's horse,Epona, allowing Link to travel quickly across land and fire arrows from horseback.Ocarina of Time was very successful commercially and critically, considered by many critics and gamers to be thebest video game of all time, and ranking highly onIGN andEGM's "greatest games of all time" lists, as well as scoring perfect scores in several video game publications.[170] In February 2006, it was ranked byNintendo Power as the best game released for a Nintendo console.[171] The cancelled 64DD expansion forOcarina of Time, known asUra Zelda during development, was re-released on theGameCube in 2002 as apre-order incentive forThe Wind Waker in the U.S., Canada and Japan.[172] NamedOcarina of Time Master Quest, the game was given reorganized dungeon layouts for greater difficulty.[172][173] Europe would receive this "Two-Game Bonus Disc" free in every copy ofThe Wind Waker, except for the discountedPlayer's Choice version.Ocarina of Time was available through the Wii[174] andWii U's respective Virtual Console services andOcarina of Time has been made available through Nintendo Classics in HD resolution onNintendo Switch andNintendo Switch 2.Ocarina of Time 3D for the Nintendo 3DS, featuring remade graphics and stereoscopic 3D, was released in June 2011.
Ocarina of Time's follow-up,Majora's Mask, was released in April 2000. It uses the same3Dgame engine as the previous game,[175] and added a time-based concept, in which Link relives the events of three days as many times as needed to complete the game's objectives. It was originally calledZelda Gaiden,[176] a Japanese title that translates asZeldaSide story. Gameplay changed significantly; in addition to the time-limit, Link can use masks to transform into creatures with unique abilities. WhileMajora's Mask retains the graphical style ofOcarina of Time, it is also a departure, particularly in its atmosphere. It features motion-blur, unlike its predecessor. The game is darker in tone,[175] dealing with death and tragedy in a manner not previously seen in the series, and has a sense of impending doom, as a large moon slowly descends upon the land ofTermina to destroy all life.Majora's Mask was available on the Wii and Wii U Virtual Console catalogues.The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D was released for 3DS in North America, Europe, Japan, and Australia in February 2015. The Nintendo 64 version was added toNintendo Classics in February 2022.
Oracle of Seasons andOracle of Ages were released simultaneously for the Game Boy Color in 2001, and interact usingpasswords[177] or aGame Link Cable.[178] After one game has been completed, the player is given a password that allows the other game to be played as a sequel.[177] They were developed byFlagship in conjunction with Nintendo, with supervision from Miyamoto. After the team experimented with porting the originalThe Legend of Zelda to the Game Boy Color, they decided to make an original trilogy[179] to be called the "Triforce Series".[180] When the password system linking the three games proved too troublesome, the concept was reduced to two games at Miyamoto's suggestion.[181] These two games becameOracle of Ages, which is more puzzle-based, andOracle of Seasons, which is more action-oriented.[182] Both titles were later released on the 3DS Virtual Console and Nintendo Classics.
2002–2005: Introduction of Toon Link and multiplayer
The Game Boy Advance release ofA Link to the Past in 2002 featured a new game,Four Swords,[163][page needed] the first multiplayerZelda. This game introducedToon Link, a name first used inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl to refer to cartoon-based visual designs of Link.Four Swords Anniversary Edition[183] was released in September 2011, as freeDSiWare available until February 20, 2012.
The Wind Waker, a 3Dcel-shaded game also featuring Toon Link, was released in Japan in December 2002, and the US and Europe in 2003. The gameplay centers on controlling wind with a baton called the Wind Waker and sailing a small boat around an island-filled ocean, retaining similar gameplay mechanics as the previous 3D games in the series.The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition, released for the GameCube in 2003,[184] included the originalThe Legend of Zelda,Zelda II,Ocarina of Time,Majora's Mask, and a demo ofThe Wind Waker.The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD was released for Wii U in 2013.
Four Swords Adventures was released for the GameCube in early 2004 in Japan and America, and January 2005 in Europe. Based on the handheldFour Swords,Four Swords Adventures was another deviation from previousZelda gameplay, focusing onlevel-based andmultiplayer gameplay. The game contains 24 levels and a map screen; there is no connectingoverworld. For multiplayer features, each player must use a Game Boy Advance system linked to the GameCube via aNintendo GameCube – Game Boy Advance link cable. The game features a single-player campaign, in which using a Game Boy Advance is optional.Four Swords Adventures includes two gameplay modes: "Hyrulean Adventure", with a plot and gameplay similar to otherZelda games, and "Shadow Battle", in which multiple Links, played by multiple players, battle each other. The Japanese and Korean versions include an exclusive third segment, "Navi Trackers", which contains spoken dialogue for most of the characters.
In November 2004 in Japan and Europe, and January 2005 in America, Nintendo releasedThe Minish Cap for the Game Boy Advance. InThe Minish Cap Link can shrink in size using a mystical, sentient hat named Ezlo. While shrunk, he can see previously explored parts of a dungeon from a different perspective, and enter areas through otherwise-impassable openings. It was later released on the Wii U Virtual Console and Nintendo Classics.
In November 2006,Twilight Princess was released as the firstZelda game on the Wii. It was later released in December as the last Nintendo-published game for the GameCube, the console for which it was originally developed. The Wii version features motion controls and a reversed world where everything that is in the west on the GameCube is in the east on the Wii. The display is mirrored in order to make Link right-handed to make use of theWii Remote feel more natural for the majority of players. The game chronicles the struggle of a young adult Link to confront the troubles of the "Twilight Realm", a mysterious force that appears around and interacts with Hyrule. When he enters this realm, he is transformed into awolf, and loses the ability to use his sword, shield or other items, but gains other abilities such as sharpened senses from his new form.Twilight Princess includes an incarnation of Link's horse, Epona, for fast transportation, and features mounted battle scenarios including boss battles that were not seen in previous games.Twilight Princess diverted from the cel-shading ofWind Waker, integrating graphics featuring more detailed textures, giving the game a darker atmosphere.The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD was released for Wii U in 2016.[185]
Phantom Hourglass was released in June 2007 in Japan and October in North America and Europe for theNintendo DS. It had a cel-shaded 3D graphical design with top-down gameplay and gameplay optimised for the DS' touch screen. It was later released on the Wii U Virtual Console.
The nextLegend of Zelda game for the DS,Spirit Tracks, was released in December 2009. In this game, the "spirit tracks", railroads which chain an ancient evil, are disappearing from Hyrule. Zelda and Link go to the Spirit Tower (the ethereal point of convergence for the tracks) to find out why, but villains Cole and Byrne[k] steal Zelda's body for the resurrection of the Demon King. Rendered disembodied, Zelda is left a spirit, and only Link (and a certain few sages) can see her. Together they go on a quest to restore the spirit tracks, defeat the Demon King, and return Zelda to her body. Using a modified engine of that used inPhantom Hourglass, the notably new feature in this game is that the Phantom Guardians seen inPhantom Hourglass are, through a series of events, periodically controllable by Zelda. It was later released on the Wii U Virtual Console.
Skyward Sword for the Wii was in development since the end of 2000s.[186] The game, the earliest in theLegend of Zelda timeline, reveals the origins of Hyrule, Ganon (here known as Demise), and many elements featured in previous games; it uses Wii'sMotionPlus feature as well. It was released in November 2011.An HD remaster, with optional button-only controls, was released for Nintendo Switch in 2021.[187]
2013–present: Open-world emphasis
In 2013, Nintendo releasedA Link Between Worlds for the Nintendo 3DS, a sequel toA Link to the Past.[188][189] Progression is more open-ended than previous titles, with the possibility of completing many of the game's dungeons in any order. Certain dungeon obstacles require the use of rented or purchased items.[8]
Breath of the Wild was released in March 2017, as the last Nintendo-published game for the Wii U and a launch title for theNintendo Switch.[191] Similar to the originalThe Legend of Zelda, players are given little instruction and can explore the world freely. The world is designed to encourage exploration and experimentation and the main story quest can be completed in a nonlinear fashion.[1][192] An enhanced port was released as a launch title for theNintendo Switch 2 worldwide in June 2025.
ABreath of the Wild sequel,Tears of the Kingdom, was released on the Switch in May 2023.[193][194] New toTears of the Kingdom are the battery-powered Zonai devices, which the player can use for combat, propulsion, and exploration. The game also features the new abilities to fuse materials together, ascend through ceilings, reverse objects' movement through time, and autobuild structures.[6] An enhanced port was released as a launch title for the Nintendo Switch 2 worldwide in June 2025.
Echoes of Wisdom, which features Zelda as the main protagonist, was released in September 2024 for the Switch.[195]
Spin-off games
As the franchise has grown in popularity, several games have been released that are set within or star a minor character from the universe ofThe Legend of Zelda but are not directly connected to the mainThe Legend of Zelda series or its core timeline.[128][196]
ThreeZelda-themed LCD games were created between 1989 and 1992.[l] TheGame & Watch gameZelda was released first in August 1989 as a dual-screenhandheld electronic game. It was re-released in 1998 as a Toymax, Inc. Mini Classic and was later included as an unlockable extra inGame & Watch Gallery 4, a 2002 compilation for the Game Boy Advance. While the Game & WatchZelda was developed in-house by Nintendo, the subsequent two LCD games were developed by third parties under license by Nintendo. In October 1989,The Legend of Zelda was developed byNelsonic as part of its Game Watch line. This game was an actual digital watch with primitivegameplay based on the originalLegend of Zelda. In 1992,Epoch Co. developedZelda no Densetsu: Kamigami no Triforce for itsBarcode Battler II console. The game employed card-scanning technology similar to the later-releasedNintendo e-Reader.
Three video games were developed and released onCD-i in the early 1990s as a product of a compromise betweenPhilips and Nintendo, after the companies failed to develop a CD-ROM peripheral for the Super NES. Created independently with no observation by or influence from Nintendo, the games areLink: The Faces of Evil,Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon, and later,Zelda's Adventure. Nintendo never acknowledged them in theZelda timeline,[m] and they are considered to be in a separate, self-contained canon. These games are widely acknowledged to be the worst installments in the series, though have since gained acult following in the form ofinternet memes.[197]
Hyrule Warriors is a spin-off[198] and a crossover game developed byOmega Force andTeam Ninja which combined the setting of Nintendo'sThe Legend of Zelda series and the gameplay ofKoei Tecmo'sDynasty Warriors series. It was released in North America in September 2014 forWii U.Hyrule Warriors Legends, a version for theNintendo 3DS containing more content and gameplay modifications, was released in March 2016. TheNintendo Switch gameHyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition was released on theNintendo Switch in 2018 and contained content from both the Wii U and 3DS versions.
A thirdHyrule Warriors game,Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment takes place during the events ofTears of the Kingdom, where Zelda was sent back in time to when Hyrule was founded and fights in the Imprisoning War.Age of Imprisonment was released in November 2025.
Close Nintendo collaboratorRetro Studios did preliminary work on two separateZelda pitches.Heroes of Hyrule would have been a Nintendo DS game that would have combined the traditional gameplay of the series with that oftactical role-playing games likeFinal Fantasy Tactics. They additionally proposed an action game for the Wii starringSheik that would have explored the origins of theMaster Sword. Both were cancelled after being rejected by Nintendo.[210][211][212]
The Legend of Zelda series has received outstanding levels of acclaim from critics and the public.Ocarina of Time,Skyward Sword,Breath of the Wild andTears of the Kingdom have each received a perfect 10/10 score byEdge magazine.[284] All four plusWind Waker also received a 40/40 score (10/10 by four reviewers) byFamitsu magazine,[285][286] makingZelda one of the few series with multiple perfect scores.Ocarina of Time was listed byGuinness World Records as the highest-rated video game in history, citing itsMetacritic score of 99 out of 100.[287] Individual games in theZelda series were also recognized as the most critically acclaimed games on theNintendo 64,[288]Game Boy Advance,[289] and3DS,[290] and in the open-world genre.[291] WithLink appearing in nine of the 100 highest-rated games on Metacritic as of June 2025[update] (all of them in theZelda series), he is listed byGuinness World Records as the "most critically acclaimed videogame playable character".[292]Computer and Video Games awardedThe Wind Waker andTwilight Princess a score of 10/10.[293][294]A Link to the Past has won Gold Award fromElectronic Gaming Monthly. InNintendo Power's Top 200 countdown in 2004,Ocarina of Time took first place, and seven otherZelda games placed in the top 40.[295]Twilight Princess was namedGame of the Year byX-Play,GameTrailers,1UP,Electronic Gaming Monthly,Spacey Awards,Game Informer,GameSpy,Nintendo Power,IGN, and many other websites. The editors of review aggregator websiteGameRankings gaveOcarina of Time its highest aggregate score.[296]Game Informer has awardedThe Wind Waker,Twilight Princess,Skyward Sword,A Link Between Worlds andBreath of the Wild with scores of 10/10.Phantom Hourglass was named DS Game of the Year byIGN andGameSpy.[297][298] Airing in December 2011, Spike TV's annual Video Game Awards gave the series the first ever "Hall of Fame Award", which Miyamoto accepted in person.[299]Ocarina of Time and its use of melodic themes to identify different game regions has been called a reverse ofRichard Wagner's use ofleitmotifs to identify characters and themes.[300]Ocarina of Time was so well received that sales increased for realocarinas.[301]IGN praised the music ofMajora's Mask for its brilliance despite its heavy use ofMIDI.[302] It has been ranked the seventh-greatest game byElectronic Gaming Monthly, whereasOcarina of Time was ranked eighth.[303] The series wonGameFAQs Best Series Ever competition.[304]
As of March 2025,The Legend of Zelda franchise has sold 156.28 million copies, with the originalThe Legend of Zelda being the fourth best-selling NES game of all time.[305][306] The series was ranked as the 64th top game (collectively) byNext Generation in 1996.[307] In 1999,Next Generation listed theZelda series as number 1 on their "Top 50 Games of All Time", commenting thatZelda series had always more gameplay and innovations than most other titles in their series.[308] According toEmpire magazine, with "the most vividly-realised world and the most varied game-play of any game on any console,Zelda is a solid bet for the best game series ever".[309]
The Legend of Zelda franchise has garnered the mostGame of the Year nominations in the history of theAcademy of Interactive Arts & Sciences'D.I.C.E. Awards with eight (Ocarina of Time,[310]Majora's Mask,[311]The Wind Waker,[312]Twilight Princess,[313]Skyward Sword,[314]A Link Between Worlds,[315]Breath of the Wild,[316] andTears of the Kingdom[317]); two of them,Ocarina of Time[310] andBreath of the Wild,[318] would go on to win the top honor during their respective awards ceremonies.
The Legend of Zelda series has crossed over into other Nintendo and third-party video games, most prominently in theSuper Smash Bros. series of fighting games published by Nintendo. Link appears as a fighter inSuper Smash Bros. for the Nintendo 64, the first entry in the series, and is part of the roster in all subsequent releases in the series as well. Zelda (who can transform into Sheik),Ganondorf, and Young Link (the child version of Link fromOcarina of Time) were added to the player roster forSuper Smash Bros. Melee, and appeared in all subsequent releases except for "Young Link" (who is later replaced by "Toon Link" fromThe Wind Waker, in subsequent releasesSuper Smash Bros. Brawl andSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS andWii U). Sheik becomes a separate playable character fromSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS andWii U onwards.[333][334] Both Young Link and Toon Link appear in the fifth installment,Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Other elements from the series, such as locations and items, are also included throughout theSmash Bros. series, includingAssist Trophies, where computer-controlled versions of characters in theZelda series includingTingle,Skull Kid,Midna, andSkyward Sword antagonist Ghirahim can fight as an ally.[334] Outside of the series, Nintendo allowed for the use of Link as a playable character exclusively in theGameCube release ofNamco's fighting gameSoulcalibur II.[335]
Link, using a design based onSkyward Sword, appears as a playable character inMario Kart 8 viadownloadable content (DLC), along with a Hyrule Circuit racetrack themed onThe Legend of Zelda series.[336] The first pack is named after the series. In a post-launch update forMario Kart 8 Deluxe, Link and his vehicle received alternate styles based onBreath of the Wild.[337]
In theWii U version ofSonic Lost World, a DLC stage based onThe Legend of Zelda series was released in March 2014, named "The Legend of Zelda Zone". It was built around the core gameplay mechanics ofSonic Lost World, with some elements from theZelda series, including a heart-based vitality meter, rupee collection, and a miniature dungeon to explore.[338]
A 13-episode American animated TV series, adapted byDiC and distributed byViacom Enterprises, aired in 1989.[339] The animatedZelda shorts were broadcast each Friday, instead of the usualSuper Mario Bros. cartoon which was aired during the rest of the week.[340][341] The series loosely follows the two NESZelda games (the originalThe Legend of Zelda andThe Adventure of Link), mixing settings and characters from those games with original creations.[342] The show's older incarnations of both Link and Zelda appeared in various episodes ofCaptain N: The Game Master during its second season.[343]
A live-action television series had been in development around 2015, as reported from an anonymousNetflix employee toThe Wall Street Journal. The program was a joint effort between Netflix and Nintendo, and was said to be aimed as a family-friendly version ofGame of Thrones.[344] Further details of this series went sparse until 2021 whenAdam Conover gave an interview regarding hisCollege Humor period. There, theCollege Humor team had been planning a skit that would have combinedStar Fox withFantastic Mr. Fox and had even talked to Miyamoto on the project. Conover said that they were told about a month into the project that Nintendo had requested they stop all work on the project as a result of the leak related to the live-actionZelda show; Nintendo, already protective of its IP, had pulled many external projects including the live-action show.[345]
A number of official books, novels, and gamebooks have been released based on the series as well. The earliest wasMoblin's Magic Spear, published in 1989 by Western Publishing under their Golden Books Family Entertainment division and written by Jack C. Harris. It took place sometime during the first game. Two gamebooks were published as part of theNintendo Adventure Books series by Archway, both of which were written by Matt Wayne. The first wasThe Crystal Trap (which focuses more on Zelda) and the second wasThe Shadow Prince. Both were released in 1992. A novel based onOcarina of Time was released in 1999, written by Jason R. Rich and published by Sybex Inc. under theirPathways to Adventure series. Another two gamebooks were released as part of theYou Decide on the Adventure series published by Scholastic. The first book was based onOracle of Seasons and was released in 2001. The second, based onOracle of Ages, was released in 2002. Both were written by Craig Wessel. In 2006, Scholastic released a novel as part of theirNintendo Heroes series,Link and the Portal of Doom. It was written by Tracey West and was set shortly after the events ofOcarina of Time.
In 2011, to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the series, anart book,Hyrule Historia, was published in Japan byShogakukan. It was followed by an international release byDark Horse Books in 2013. It contains concept art from the series's conception to the release ofSkyward Sword in 2011 and multiple essays about the production of the games, as well as an overarching timeline of the series. It also includes a prequel manga toSkyward Sword by Akira Himekawa.[346] The English-language release took the number one spot onAmazon's sales chart, taking the spot away fromE. L. James's50 Shades of Grey trilogy.[347] Dark Horse releasedThe Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts, a follow-up art book toHyrule Historia containing additional artwork and interviews,[348][349] in North America and Europe in February 2017.[350]
Music
Taking place inCologne, Germany, on September 23, 2010, the video game music concertSymphonic Legends focused on music fromNintendo and, among others, featured games such asThe Legend of Zelda. Following an intermission, the second half of the concert was entirely dedicated to an expansive symphonic poem dedicated to the series. The 35-minute epic tells the story of Link's evolution from child to hero.[351][352]
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the series in 2011, Nintendo commissioned an original symphony,The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses. The show was originally performed in the fall of 2011 in Los Angeles and consists of live performances of much of the music from the series.[353] It has since been scheduled for 18 shows so far throughout the United States and Canada.[353][354] Nintendo released a CD,The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Special Orchestra CD. Featuring eight tracks from live performances of the symphony, the CD is included alongside the special edition ofThe Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for the Wii. Nintendo later celebratedThe Legend of Zelda's 30th anniversary with an album which was released in Japan in February 2017.[355]
The Legend of Zelda-themedMonopoly board game was released in the United States in September 2014.[357] AClue board game in the style ofThe Legend of Zelda series was released in June 2017.[358] AUNO-styledThe Legend of Zelda game was released in February 2018, exclusively atGameStop in North America.[359] A limited editionZelda 25th anniversary 3DS was released in December 2011, in Australia.[360]
In 2007,Imagi Animation Studios, which had provided the animation forTMNT andAstro Boy, created a pitch reel for a computer-animatedThe Legend of Zelda film. Nintendo did not accept the studio's offer due to the memory of the failure of the 1993 live-action film adaptation ofSuper Mario Bros.[361] In 2013, Aonuma said that, if the development of a film began, the company would want to use the opportunity to embrace audience interaction in some capacity.[362][363] In June 2023, it was said that Nintendo was close to closing a deal withIllumination andUniversal Pictures to produce a film adaptation of the franchise following the success of their film,The Super Mario Bros. Movie,[364] but Illumination CEOChris Meledandri denied these reports later that month.[365]
By November 2023, Nintendo was developing a live-actionLegend of Zelda film withSony Pictures, which will co-finance and distribute it worldwide.[366]Wes Ball has been attached to direct, withDerek Connolly writing the script, and Miyamoto andAvi Arad will be producing alongside Ball and his producing partner Joe Hartwick Jr. through their Oddball Entertainment company.[367] In July 2025,Bo Bragason andBenjamin Evan Ainsworth had been cast as Zelda and Link respectively.[368] The film was scheduled for worldwide release on March 26, 2027,[369] which was later changed to May 7.[370] Filming began inNew Zealand in November 2025 and will continue until April 2026.[371]
Notes
^Japanese:ゼルダの伝説,Hepburn:Zeruda no Densetsu; usually romanized asZelda no Densetsu
^Attributed to multiple sources sinceBreath of the Wild began development in 2011:
Eiji Aonuma, 2013: "Our mission in developing this new game forWii U is quite plainly to rethink the conventions ofZelda. I'm referring to things such as the player is supposed to complete dungeons in a certain order. That you are supposed to play by yourself. We want to set aside these 'conventions', get back to basics to create a newbornZelda so players today can enjoy the real essence of the franchise."[1]
Eurogamer, 2016: "[UntilBreath of the Wild, i]t's hard to think of many entries since [the originalThe Legend of Zelda] which have refreshed the series so completely, and with so much style."[2]
GamesRadar+, 2017: "Well,Breath of the Wild doesn't want to play by the rules. The rulebook isn't just torn up. It's crushed beneath boulders, burned in a forest inferno and struck by lightning. Science has arrived in Hyrule, a rush of freeform simulation that brings with it a spark of life that could never quite ignite in the hand-crafted worlds of old... As a long-term fan, it's a treat to see Nintendo take its gift for problem solving outside of the Zelda comfort zone - a place the series has arguably inhabited sinceOcarina of Time. Not since that game's leap to 3D and introduction of lock-on targeting has a Zelda game made this many breakthroughs."[3]
Hidemaro Fujibayashi, 2017: "[W]e chose March 3, 2017 as the release date [ofBreath of the Wild] because we wanted more time to make the game as interesting as possible. We were thinking about breaking the conventions of theZelda series from the very start of development. Specifically, our process was to think of all kinds of different mechanics, and to try to distinguish between the unchanging, universal traits of theZelda franchise and things that had simply become conventions of the series."[4]
The Guardian, 2017: "The greens of the open plains contrast with the dark black of Death Mountain, which is streaked with orange lava on the distant horizon. As the sweeping orchestral soundtrack swells, you realise that you can go anywhere and that this is not like anyZelda you've played before. Released on Wii U andSwitch in March,The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (BotW) is the biggestZelda title ever made. One-and-a-half times the size of open-world trailblazerSkyrim and 12 times the size ofTwilight Princess, it provides a vast terrain to explore with barely any restrictions beyond a few hours of subtly enclosed preparation."[5]
GameSpot, 2023: "[Tears of the Kingdom] builds upon the foundation so thoroughly and transformationally that it feels like a revelation. This isThe Legend of Zelda at its finest, borrowing the best pieces and qualities from across the franchise's history and creating something new that is emotionally resonant, captivating, and endlessly rewarding...Breath of the Wild upended theZelda formula by presenting a vast and lush open world to explore--a reenvisioning of the unguided experience of the originalLegend of Zelda for theNintendo Entertainment System... These tools, and the sprawling world they inhabit, giveTears of the Kingdom a particular flow that feels unique to theZelda franchise. You aren't simply solving puzzles or fighting battles--you're engineering solutions."[6]
^Technical director Takuhiro Dohta explained that wind and electricity are not elements in a textbook, but they are inBreath of the Wild for the sake of how the chemistry engine is built.[28]
^With the exception of a swordfighter form that requires charging after a short period of combat.[30]
^Released in English in 2018,The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia does not provide a statement on whether laterHyrule Warriors games from 2020 and 2025 are mainlineZelda games. It does consider theWii U and3DS games to be spin-offs.[198]
^abOddo, Marco Vitto (June 18, 2021)."How Ocarina of Time Defined The Legend of Zelda Franchise".Collider. RetrievedAugust 22, 2025.Let's start with the basics:Ocarina of Time is the first 3DZelda game ever. We've had a lot of 2DZelda games sinceOcarina of Time and even more 3DZelda games that used a fixed top-down camera to limit the field of vision of the player. Even so, every main title of the franchise — the ones Nintendo focused on for a [home] console release [as of 2021] — features a 3D camera that can be moved around freely by the player.
^Aonuma, Eiji."2. 'Have it Stop.'".Iwata Asks: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Vol. 1: Wii MotionPlus Inspires New Controls (Interview). Interviewed byIwata, Satoru.Nintendo. RetrievedAugust 18, 2025.Aonuma: But there's a really tough boss named Ghirahim who can read your movements.Iwata: What he actually does is determine which direction he can be hit from.Aonuma: Yes. Ghirahim fights barehanded. You'll think, "All right, I'll strike at him from this angle," but he expects that and stops Link's sword with his hands...Iwata: You can beat him by tricking him.Aonuma: Right, you can. Ghirahim moves his hands wherever Link's sword is, so you trick him.
^Tominaga, Kentaro; Kiuchi, Takafumi."3. Fight with Your Eyes on Your Opponent".Iwata Asks: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Vol. 3: The Dense Volcano and Enemy Monsters (Interview). Interviewed byIwata, Satoru.Nintendo. RetrievedAugust 18, 2025.Kiuchi: You keep a certain distance, watch your opponent's movement closely, and then you think, "Is this it?!" That's when you lunge. When that works, it's rewarding and exhilarating.Iwata: It's like the enemy's movement contains hints.Tominaga: That's right. Of course, you can defeat some enemies by swinging wildly, but first you observe the enemy's movement and form, and you seek an opening. Judging distance is also important. If you get too close, the enemy might strike first, but if you stay too far away, your sword won't reach. And you have to stab some enemies, so this game is like a challenge from us to a sword duel using Wii MotionPlus.
^Phillips, Tom (July 15, 2016)."The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the most ambitious Nintendo game in years".Eurogamer. RetrievedAugust 18, 2025.An even larger change sees multiple items and abilities tied to a new iPad-like gadget, the Sheikah Slate, which lets you scroll through and activate a diverse range of uses... A magnetic function allows you to pick up or manipulate metallic objects from doors to giant slabs, letting you manipulate the environment around you.
^Phillips, Tom (July 15, 2016)."The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the most ambitious Nintendo game in years".Eurogamer. RetrievedAugust 18, 2025.An even larger change sees multiple items and abilities tied to a new iPad-like gadget, the Sheikah Slate, which lets you scroll through and activate a diverse range of uses... A magnetic function allows you to pick up or manipulate metallic objects from doors to giant slabs, letting you manipulate the environment around you.
^Aonuma, Eiji (2018). "Revising Expectations in The Legend of Zelda".The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia (Interview).Milwaukie, Oregon:Dark Horse Books. p. 323.A main structure of aZelda title is to start from a village and then dive into the dungeons. Clearing them means increasing what you do as the player, enabling you to go to the next area, where a new dungeon will be waiting for you... Then, inside the dungeon is a miniboss, and defeating them yields an item. You then use that to do something you couldn't before, and also to beat the boss. That's the basic setup.
^abWatts, Steve (May 11, 2023)."The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Review".GameSpot. RetrievedAugust 18, 2025.Instead, each dungeon features a companion specific to one of the diverse races in Zelda lore, like the Goron or Zora. Your companion effectively grants you their own power on demand for puzzle-solving and combat, making it feel like you've found a special item while also imbuing it with character.
^Andrew Vestal (June 19, 2015)."Q&A: Shigeru Miyamoto On The Origins Of Nintendo's Famous Characters".NPR: National Public Radio. NPR. Archived fromthe original on June 19, 2015. RetrievedMay 18, 2019.And I drew on that inspiration when we were working on theLegend of Zelda game and we were creating this grand outdoor adventure where you go through these narrowed confined spaces and come upon this great lake.
^Andrew Vestal (September 14, 2000)."The History of Zelda".GameSpot. Archived fromthe original on August 31, 2011. RetrievedSeptember 25, 2006.
^"Classic: Zelda und Link" [Classic: Zelda and Link].Club Nintendo (in German). Vol. 1996, no. 2.Nintendo of Europe. April 1996. p. 72.[The two program designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka were responsible for the game, who set themselves the goal of developing a fairytale adventure game with action elements [...] Takashi Tezuka, a great lover of fantasy novels such as Tolkien'sLord of the Rings, wrote the script for the first two games in theZelda series].
^"Shigeru Miyamoto Interview".Super PLAY (in Swedish) (4/03). Medströms Dataförlag AB. March 2003. Archived fromthe original on September 7, 2006. RetrievedSeptember 24, 2006.All ideas forThe Legend of Zelda were mine and Takashi Tezukas... ...Books, movies and our own lives.
^"照井啓司さんのコメントコーナー" [Keiji Terui's Comment Corner] (in Japanese). Archived fromthe original on September 25, 2004. RetrievedJanuary 7, 2016.[He wrote a story similar to the battle for hegemony in medieval Europe (which he called "Death Mountain" at the time) and created the legend of Triforce].
^Iwata, Satoru; Koizumi, Yoshiaki (2011)."Iwata Asks: What We Couldn't Do with Ocarina of Time".Nintendo.co.uk. Nintendo.Archived from the original on February 1, 2021. RetrievedSeptember 28, 2021.Epona is the goddess of horses and fertility in Celtic mythology, so I used that.
^Iwata, Satoru; Miyamoto, Shigeru (2011)."Iwata Asks: A Sword & Sorcery Tale Admired Worldwide".Nintendo.co.uk. Nintendo.Archived from the original on February 1, 2021. RetrievedMay 18, 2019.And I was really happy that we here in Japan could make a medieval tale of sword and sorcery liked by the people of the world.
^Nintendo (November 21, 1998).The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo 64). Nintendo.Great Deku Tree: Before time began, before spirits and life existed... Three golden goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule... Din, the Goddess of Power... Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom... Farore, the Goddess of Courage... Din... With her strong flaming arms, she cultivated the land and created the red earth. Nayru... Poured her wisdom onto the earth and gave the spirit of law to the world. Farore... With her rich soul, produced all life forms who would uphold the law.
^abShigeru Miyamoto, Eiji Aonuma (January 29, 2013).The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia. Milwaukie, Oregon: Dark Horse. p. 76.ISBN978-1616550417.
^Nintendo (November 21, 1998).The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo 64). Nintendo.Zelda: If someone with a righteous heart makes a wish, it will lead Hyrule into a golden age of prosperity. If one with an evil mind has his wish granted, the world will be consumed by evil... That is what is foretold...
^Shigeru Miyamoto, Eiji Aonuma (January 29, 2013).The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia. Milwaukie, Oregon: Dark Horse. p. 70.ISBN978-1616550417.
^Nintendo (November 21, 1998).The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo 64). Nintendo.Sheik: The resting place of the sacred triangle, the Sacred Realm, is a mirror that reflects what is in the heart...the heart of one who enters it... If an evil heart, the Realm will become full of evil; if pure, the Realm will become a paradise.
^Nintendo (November 18, 2011).The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii). Nintendo.Zelda: In his thirst to make the world his own, Demise readied a massive army of monsters for war. He sought to take the Triforce for himself by force.
^Nintendo (November 18, 2011).The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii). Nintendo.Fi: This eternal being has conquered time itself. It is the source of all monsters.
^Nintendo (November 21, 1998).The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo 64). Nintendo.Introduction: Handed down by the gods of old, this power gave its holder the means to make any desire a reality. Such was the might of the ultimate power that the old ones placed it in the care of the goddess.
^Nintendo (November 18, 2011).The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii). Nintendo.Zelda: She made the spirit that resides in your sword to serve a single purpose: to assist her chosen hero on his mission.
^Nintendo (November 18, 2011).The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii). Nintendo.Zelda: Knowing this power was her last and only hope, the goddess gave up her divine powers and her immortal form.
^Nintendo (November 18, 2011).The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii). Nintendo.Demise: I will rise again. Those like you... Those who share the blood of the goddess and the spirit of the hero... They are eternally bound to this curse. An incarnation of my hatred shall ever follow your kind, dooming them to wander a blood-soaked sea of darkness for all time!
^Fred Dutton (May 3, 2010)."Zelda Timeline Explained".Official Nintendo Magazine. Future Publishing Limited. Archived fromthe original on October 31, 2014. RetrievedMarch 2, 2015.
^"Shigeru Miyamoto Interview".Super PLAY (in Swedish) (4/03). Medströms Dataförlag AB. March 2003. Archived fromthe original on February 8, 2012. RetrievedSeptember 24, 2006.
^Nintendo EAD (January 14, 1987).The Legend of Zelda 2: Link no Bōken (Famicom Disk System). Nintendo Co., Ltd.Several years after Gannon was destroyed, Link learns from Impa about another sleeping Princess Zelda.
^Nintendo EAD (December 1988).Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Nintendo Entertainment System). Nintendo of America, Inc.After Ganon was destroyed, Impa told Link a sleeping spell was cast on Princess Zelda.
^"Zelda no Densetsu: Kamigami no Triforce – Back Cover" (in Japanese). Nintendo Co., Ltd. (viaMobyGames). November 21, 1991.Archived from the original on January 11, 2012. RetrievedJune 10, 2010.今度の舞台はリンクが活躍した頃よりも遥か昔、ハイラルが、まだ一つの王国であった時代。/ This time, the stage is set a long time before Link's exploits, an era when Hyrule was still one kingdom.
^"The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past – Back Cover". Nintendo of America, Inc. (viaMobyGames). April 13, 1992.Archived from the original on August 13, 2009. RetrievedJune 10, 2010.The predecessors of Link and Zelda face monsters on the march when a menacing magician takes over the kingdom.
^"Dengeki Nintendo 64".Dengeki Nintendo 64. MediaWorks, Inc. January 1999.Shigeru Miyamoto: (時オカ→神トラ)それから初代ときてリンクの冒険という順番になる。/Ocarina of Time,A Link to the Past, then comes the original one andThe Adventure of Link in turn.
^Nintendo, ed (1993). The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening instruction manual. Nintendo. pp. 3–4. "Though you fulfilled the Hyrulian prophecy of the Legendary Hero and destroyed the evil tyrant Ganon, the land of Hyrule enjoyed only a precarious peace. "Who knows what threats may arise from Ganon's ashes?" the restless people murmured as they knitted their brows and shook their heads. Ever vigilant, you decided to journey away from Hyrule on a quest for enlightenment, in search of wisdom that would make you better able to withstand the next threat to your homeland".
^"Zeldaの伝説 プロローグ". Nintendo Co., Ltd.Archived from the original on May 11, 2011. RetrievedJune 10, 2010.
^The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Instruction Booklet. Nintendo of America, Inc. April 13, 1992. pp. 5–6.Many centuries have passed since the Imprisoning War.
^"「ゼルダの伝説時のオカリナ」の情報･産地直送!" [The story this time is not truly original, it is from the previous SNES version and tells of the "Seal War of the Seven Sages".]. Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shinbun. November 26, 1998.Archived from the original on October 29, 2010. RetrievedJune 9, 2010.Satoru Takizawa: 今回のストーリーは本当のオリジナルではなくって、前作のスーパーファミコンに出てきた「七賢者の封印戦争」を扱っているんだ
^"新しい「ゼルダ」の世界" [The new world of Zelda].Nintendo (in Japanese).Archived from the original on January 16, 2023. RetrievedJanuary 16, 2023."舞台は、前作『時のオカリナ』での活躍から数ヶ月後の世界。" ["The setting is a few months after his success in the previous work 'Ocarina of Time'."]
^ab"Long interview with Eiji Aonuma".nindori.com. Nintendo DREAM. February 2007. Archived fromthe original on January 27, 2007. RetrievedJune 4, 2010.『時のオカリナ』から百数年後の世界です。 ... 『風のタクト』はパラレルなんですよ。『時のオカリナ』でリンクが7年後の世界に飛んで、ガノンを倒すと、子ども時代に戻るじゃないですか。『トワイライトプリンセス』は、平和になった子ども時代から百数年後の世界なんです。/ It is a world 100 and something years afterOcarina of Time. ...The Wind Waker is parallel. InOcarina of Time, Link leaps to a world seven years later, defeats Ganon, and then returns to the child era, right?Twilight Princess is the world 100 and something years after peace is restored in the child era.
^"Zelda: The interview!". Nintendo of Europe GmbH. November 17, 2004. Archived fromthe original on October 12, 2007. RetrievedMay 30, 2010.NoE: How does theMinish Cap fit into the Zelda chronology? Is it a prequel to the upcomingThe Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures on GameCube?Aonuma: Yes, this title takes place prior toThe Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, and tells the secret of the birth of the Four Sword.
^Neil Long, Chris Scullion. "Game On – The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword".Official Nintendo Magazine (July 2010). Future Publishing Limited: 51.Eiji Aonuma: I have already talked to Mr. Miyamoto about this so I am comfortable in releasing this information – this title [Skyward Sword] takes place beforeOcarina of Time.
^Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development (May 12, 2023).The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo Switch).Nintendo. Level/area: Beneath Hyrule Castle (prologue).Princess Zelda: Look at these murals... The written histories of the royal family... include stories of a great war fought long ago. It was a conflict fought between allied tribes and someone only ever referred to as the Demon King. Is it possible? Do these murals depict the same legend? This is similar to the statues we saw earlier—a Zonai. And these figures look like Hylians. This depiction certain suggests that the Zonai descended from the heavens. It is that that my ancestors—the first of Hyrule's royal family... were born from a union with gods who had descended from the heavens. These murals tell a similar story, and if they are accurate, then the gods mentioned were the Zonai... They must have forged a relationship with the Hylians of that time, working together to establish... the kingdom of Hyrule! This figure... He seems to be stealing something of incredible power from the young kingdom. This all aligns with what I've read during my studies. And then this... It shows the Demon King! And a fierce battle against him. If the creature depicted here really does represent the Demon King, then... Incredible! This mural must be the great war recorded in the royal histories! This must be the Imprisoning War, and all the events that let up to it!
^abPelland, Scott, ed. (2001).The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons/The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages Player's Guide. Redmond, Washington: Nintendo of America, Inc. p. 124.ISBN1-930206-10-0.
^Pelland, Scott, ed. (2001).The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons/The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages Player's Guide. Redmond, Washington: Nintendo of America, Inc. p. 120.ISBN1-930206-10-0.
^Hilliard, Kyle (June 11, 2014)."Eiji Aonuma Addresses Hyrule Warriors' Place In The Zelda Timeline".Game Informer.Archived from the original on October 12, 2014. RetrievedNovember 17, 2014.The universe ofHyrule Warriors really is sort of a different universe and it is connected to the timeline of theZelda series, but it is connected to several different games throughout the series.
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