The Legend of Zelda is a video game series created by Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. Nintendo mainly creates and publishes the games, though some versions and re-releases have been made by other companies, including Flagship, Grezzo, and Tantalus Media.
The series follows different versions of Link, a brave young man from the Hylian race, and Princess Zelda, a princess who is part of the royal family of the goddess Hylia. Together, they work to protect the land of Hyrule from Ganon, a powerful enemy who wants to use the Triforce, a holy object that can grant any wish when complete, to take over the world. Zelda often helps Link, either by needing rescue or by giving him support. If someone who lacks balance between Power, Courage, and Wisdom tries to touch the Triforce, it will break into three pieces and connect with three people who each have one of these virtues. While fighting Ganon is a main part of the series, some games take place in different worlds with other enemies, and Link travels there to help.
Since the first game was released in 1986, the series has grown to include 21 main games for Nintendo’s major consoles and many other related games. An animated TV show based on the games aired in 1989, and comic book versions of the stories have been made in Japan since 1997. The Legend of Zelda is one of Nintendo’s most popular game series, and several games in the series are widely regarded as some of the best video games ever made.
Gameplay
The gameplay of The Legend of Zelda games includes puzzles, action-adventure, and exploration. These elements have remained consistent throughout the series, with small changes and new features added in each game. Later games include stealth gameplay, where players must avoid enemies, and racing elements. Depending on the game, players control Link or Princess Zelda from a top-down perspective or in a 3D world with a free-moving camera.
Zelda games can be completed with minimal exploration, but players often receive helpful items or new abilities for solving puzzles or discovering hidden areas. Some items appear in many games, while others are unique to one game. Common items include bombs, boomerangs, keys, shields, bows and arrows, light sources, magical rods, hammers, musical instruments, digging tools, and a grappling hook-like device called the hookshot. Items can be bought, borrowed, or earned by solving puzzles. In Breath of the Wild (2017) and its sequel Tears of the Kingdom (2023), swords and weapons are found in the game world or taken from defeated enemies. These are usually selected through a menu, while the sword is fixed. In Echoes of Wisdom, Zelda uses an item called the Tri Rod to create echoes that attack enemies or clear paths with bombs. Early games sometimes give Link a sword or have him find one in a hidden area. Stronger swords or special abilities can be found or taught to Link. Existing weapons can also be upgraded.
The 2011 game Skyward Sword used motion controls with the Wii or Nintendo Switch to simulate sword fighting by swinging the controller. Breath of the Wild introduced a physics engine, allowing solutions like rolling boulders onto enemies. It also used a "chemistry engine" to let elements like fire, water, and wind interact with objects. Echoes of Wisdom has Zelda use the Tri Rod to copy objects or enemies to solve puzzles. Newer games let Link or Zelda move objects remotely to defeat enemies or cross gaps.
Although Zelda games include role-playing elements (only Zelda II: The Adventure of Link has an experience system), they focus on simple combat. This has led to debates about whether the series should be called action RPGs. In 1992, series creator Shigeru Miyamoto called Zelda a "real-time adventure game," saying he wanted to keep the "live" feeling of gameplay rather than relying on numbers. In 2012, Dark Souls director Hidetaka Miyazaki listed A Link to the Past as one of his favorite RPGs.
Zelda games introduced many features that became industry standards. The original Zelda was the first console game with a save function. Ocarina of Time added a targeting system for 3D combat.
Most mainline Zelda games have three areas: an overworld that connects all other areas and allows free movement; areas where players can talk to characters, buy items, or complete side quests; and dungeons (or temples, towers), which are complex areas with enemies, bosses, and items. Each dungeon usually has a key item needed to solve puzzles and defeat bosses. A Link Between Worlds (2013) let players rent items to access dungeons. Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom allow players to enter dungeons in any order. Neither game hides items inside dungeons for progression, but Tears of the Kingdom uses companions to solve Temple puzzles.
Dungeons often include maps to show their layout and magic compasses to find keys or items. After the NES, dungeons had a "big key" to unlock bosses. In Breath of the Wild, Link uses the Sheikah Slate to activate terminals. In Tears of the Kingdom, companions unlock doors. The original Zelda called its dungeons "the underworld," but later games had underground areas not labeled as dungeons, like Subrosia or the Still World. Some games, like Four Swords, have no overworld and use random levels or a hub world.
Rafts first appeared in the first game but had limited use. In The Wind Waker (2002) and Phantom Hourglass (2007), sailing was the only way to move between islands. In Breath of the Wild, rafts can be powered by wind, and logs can be used as boats. Tears of the Kingdom lets players build rafts or flying machines with parts. Gliding, previously used for puzzles, is now central to exploration. Climbing walls and gliding off them with a paraglider lets players choose routes. This is different from "glitching" up mountains in games like The Witcher or Skyrim.
Conception and production
The Legend of Zelda was inspired by Shigeru Miyamoto's childhood experiences in the hills and forests near his home in Sonobe, Japan. Miyamoto recalls finding a cave in the woods as one of his most memorable moments. After some hesitation, he entered the cave and explored it with a lantern. Miyamoto has described creating the Zelda games as an effort to design a small, imaginative world for players to explore in each game.
The story and setting were created by Takashi Tezuka. Tezuka wanted to make a fairytale adventure game and took ideas from fantasy books, such as J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Keiji Terui, who wrote the backstory for the first game, explained that the location called Death Mountain was originally a working title for the Triforce legend. This idea was influenced by battles from medieval Europe. The Master Sword was called Excalibur in the French version of A Link to the Past, a name linked to the legend of King Arthur. Link’s horse was named Epona, after a Celtic goddess of fertility.
Princess Zelda was named after Zelda Fitzgerald, an American writer and artist, because Miyamoto thought the name sounded "pleasant and significant." Tezuka based Link’s appearance on the main character from Walt Disney’s Peter Pan (1953). When the series moved to 3D, the combat system in Ocarina of Time was modeled after the chanbara (samurai) style of Japanese sword fighting.
Many games in the Legend of Zelda series include musical instruments, especially in puzzles. These instruments often trigger events in the game. For example, in The Legend of Zelda, a recorder can reveal hidden areas or take Link to dungeon entrances. This feature also appears in A Link to the Past and Link’s Awakening. In Ocarina of Time, playing instruments is a key part of the game. Players use the game controller to play the instrument, which is a unique feature. Ocarina of Time was one of the first non-dance games to use music-making as part of its gameplay, requiring players to use songs to progress. This mechanic also appears in Majora’s Mask.
“The Legend of Zelda Theme” is a song that first appeared in the original game. Koji Kondo, the series’ composer and sound director, initially wanted to use Maurice Ravel’s Boléro as the title theme. However, he had to change it because Boléro was not yet in the public domain. Kondo then created a new version of the overworld theme in one day.
Until Breath of the Wild, the Legend of Zelda series did not use voice acting for speaking characters. Instead, it used written dialogue. Series producer Eiji Aonuma explained that having other characters speak while Link stayed silent would be confusing for players.
Plot
The Legend of Zelda takes place mostly in a fantasy world called Hyrule, which is inspired by medieval Western Europe. This world has a long history and many different places. The main people living in Hyrule are Hylians, who look like elves with pointed ears. These include the main characters, Link and Zelda.
The games in the Zelda series create a world where each adventure happens. Some games take place in different lands with their own stories. For example, Labrynna, Holodrum, and Hytopia are separate countries from Hyrule. Other areas, like Termina, the World of the Ocean King, Lorule, and Koholint, are either parallel worlds or distant places that seem like dreams.
Hyrule was created by three goddesses named Din, Farore, and Nayru. They made the world to trap a being called Null, which lived in an endless void and absorbed all life. Before leaving, the goddesses left behind the Triforce, a special object that can grant any wish. The Triforce appears as three golden triangles, each representing one of the goddesses' virtues: Power, Courage, and Wisdom. However, the Triforce has no way to decide between good and evil, so it gives wishes without judgment. Because of this, it was placed in a hidden place called the "Sacred Realm" until someone with balanced virtues could claim it. If someone tries to use the Triforce without balance, it splits into three parts, and the user keeps the part they value most. To reunite the Triforce, the user must find the other two parts. The Sacred Realm changes based on the hearts of those who enter it: a pure heart makes it a paradise, while an evil heart turns it into a dark place.
In the game Skyward Sword, the Triforce was sought by a demon king named Demise, who had control over time. After fighting the goddess Hylia, who protected the Triforce, Demise was sealed in her temple. Hylia saved the Hylians by placing them on a floating island called Skyloft. She created the Goddess Sword (later called the Master Sword) for her chosen hero and gave up her divinity to live among the people of Skyloft. Later, Zelda and Link (who were Hylia and her chosen warrior) completed her plan, destroying Demise. However, Demise promised to return and cause trouble for those descended from Link and Zelda. This prophecy came true in Ocarina of Time, when Ganondorf gained the Triforce of Power. The Triforce of Wisdom went to Hylian princesses named after Zelda, and the Triforce of Courage was passed to a boy named Link. The Triforce of Courage was first introduced in Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. In The Wind Waker, Link must find pieces of the Triforce of Courage before returning to Hyrule. In the original The Legend of Zelda, Zelda split her Triforce of Wisdom into eight pieces for Link to find before being captured by Ganon.
The timeline of the Zelda series was unclear until the Hyrule Historia book was released in 2011. Before this, the series creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, mentioned that an internal document connected all the games, but it was kept secret. Some earlier games had partial timelines: the original The Legend of Zelda was followed by Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, which happened years later. A Link to the Past was a prequel to these games, followed by Link's Awakening. Ocarina of Time took place centuries before A Link to the Past, and was followed by Majora's Mask. Four Swords happened before Ocarina of Time. The Wind Waker took place in a timeline after Ocarina of Time, over a century later. Four Swords Adventures was a sequel to Four Swords. The Minish Cap was a prequel to Four Swords, explaining the origins of the villain Vaati. Twilight Princess happened after Majora's Mask. Phantom Hourglass was a sequel to The Wind Waker, followed by Spirit Tracks, which took place a century later. Skyward Sword came before The Minish Cap, telling the story of the Master Sword's creation.
In the early 2000s, Nintendo of America posted a timeline on its website, showing one possible order of events. This timeline included the "Hero of Time" from Ocarina of Time, followed by Majora's Mask, A Link to the Past, Oracle of Seasons, Oracle of Ages, the original The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, and Link's Awakening. In 2011, a translator for Nintendo of America said that another timeline was planned but not released due to Japanese developers' preferences.
In 2011, the Hyrule Historia book was released to celebrate the series' 25th anniversary. It showed an official timeline that split into three paths after Ocarina of Time. One path led to the Imprisoning War and games like A Link to the Past, Oracle of Seasons, Oracle of Ages, and Link's Awakening. The other two paths showed Link defeating Ganon, leading to a split timeline between his childhood and adulthood. His childhood timeline included Majora's Mask, Twilight Princess, and Four Swords Adventures. His adulthood timeline continued with The Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass, and Spirit Tracks.
In 2013, A Link Between Worlds took place six generations after A Link to the Past and showed the Triforce being reunited and Ganon being brought back. In 2015, Tri Force Heroes was a direct sequel to A Link Between Worlds.
Main series
The Legend of Zelda, the first game in the series, was first released in Japan in February 1986 for the Famicom Disk System. A cartridge version for the Nintendo Entertainment System, which uses memory that saves data with a battery, was released in the United States on August 22, 1987, and in Europe on November 27, 1987. The game includes a "Second Quest" that players can access either after completing the game or by entering the name "ZELDA" when starting a new game. This "Second Quest" has different dungeons, item placements, and more challenging enemies.
The second game, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, was released for the Famicom Disk System in Japan in January 1987. It was also released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in Europe in September 1988 and in North America in December 1988. This game changed the view from looking down at the game to side-scrolling, though players could still see the world from a top-down view in certain areas. It also introduced elements from role-playing games, such as experience points, which were not used in other games in the series.
A Link to the Past returned to the top-down view and added a new concept: an alternate dimension called the Dark World. The game was released for the Super NES in November 1991. It was later released again for the Game Boy Advance in 2002. The Super NES version was also released on the Wii Virtual Console in January 2007, on the Wii U Virtual Console, and on Nintendo Classics.
The next game, Link's Awakening, was released for Nintendo's Game Boy. It was the first Zelda game for a handheld device and the first to take place outside of Hyrule and not include Princess Zelda. Link's Awakening was released again in full color as Link's Awakening DX for the Game Boy Color in 1998. This version added a new color-based dungeon and a photo shop that lets players interact with the Game Boy Printer. Link's Awakening DX was later released on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console in June 2011. A high-definition remake of Link's Awakening was released for the Nintendo Switch in 2019.
The series moved to 3D with Ocarina of Time for the Nintendo 64, released in November 1998. This game was first called Zelda 64 and was being developed for a Japanese-only system before switching to a cartridge format. It kept the core gameplay from earlier 2D games. A new feature, lock-on targeting, helps players aim more accurately in 3D spaces by focusing the camera on a target. The game uses context-sensitive buttons, where pressing one button can perform different actions depending on the situation, such as grabbing a block or climbing it. The game also introduced Link's horse, Epona, which lets him travel quickly and shoot arrows from horseback.
Ocarina of Time was widely praised and became one of the most successful video games ever made. It received perfect scores and was ranked highly on lists from publications like IGN and Electronic Gaming Monthly. In February 2006, it was named the best game for a Nintendo console by Nintendo Power. A version called Ocarina of Time Master Quest, which had more difficult dungeon layouts, was released for the GameCube in 2002 as a bonus with The Wind Waker. Europe received this version free with every copy of The Wind Waker, except for the discounted version. Ocarina of Time was later available on the Wii and Wii U Virtual Console and on Nintendo Classics in HD on the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. A 3D version with remade graphics was released for the Nintendo 3DS in June 2011.
Ocarina of Time was followed by Majora's Mask, released in April 2000. It used the same 3D game engine as Ocarina of Time and added a time-based feature, letting players repeat three days to complete the game's goals. Originally called Zelda Gaiden, the game allowed Link to use masks to transform into creatures with special abilities. Unlike Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask has a darker tone and deals with themes like death and tragedy. A large moon slowly falls toward the land of Termina, creating a sense of urgency. Majora's Mask was available on the Wii and Wii U Virtual Console. A 3D version was released for the Nintendo 3DS in February 2015. The Nintendo 64 version was added to Nintendo Classics in February 2022.
Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages were released together for the Game Boy Color in 2001. Players could use passwords or a Game Link Cable to connect the two games
Spin-off games
As the franchise became more popular, several games were created that take place in the world of The Legend of Zelda or feature minor characters from the series. These games are not directly connected to the main series or its main timeline.
Between 1989 and 1992, three Zelda-themed LCD games were made. The first, called Zelda, was released in August 1989 as a dual-screen handheld game. It was later re-released in 1998 as a Toymax, Inc. Mini Classic and included as an unlockable extra in Game & Watch Gallery 4 in 2002. Nintendo created Zelda itself, but the next two LCD games were made by third-party companies with permission from Nintendo. In October 1989, The Legend of Zelda was developed by Nelsonic as part of its Game Watch line. This version was a digital watch with simple gameplay inspired by the original Legend of Zelda. In 1992, Epoch Co. created Zelda no Densetsu: Kamigami no Triforce for its Barcode Battler II console. This game used card-scanning technology similar to the later Nintendo e-Reader.
In the early 1990s, three video games were made for the CD-i platform. These games were created after Philips and Nintendo could not agree on making a CD-ROM peripheral for the Super NES. The games—Link: The Faces of Evil, Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon, and Zelda's Adventure—were made without input from Nintendo. Nintendo did not include them in the main Zelda timeline, and they are considered part of a separate, self-contained story. These games are widely regarded as the weakest in the series, though they later gained a small fanbase through internet memes.
From 1995 to 1997, several Satellaview games were released as part of The Legend of Zelda series. These games are considered spin-offs and are not included in the main timeline of the franchise.
Other spin-off games include RPG Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland, its sequel Ripened Tingle's Balloon Trip of Love, and a Balloon Fight rerelease called Tingle's Balloon Fight for the Nintendo DS. All of these games feature the character Tingle.
Although Link's Crossbow Training for the Wii is said to take place in the world of Twilight Princess, The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia classifies it as a spin-off.
Hyrule Warriors is a spin-off and crossover game made by Omega Force and Team Ninja. It combines the world of The Legend of Zelda with the gameplay style of Dynasty Warriors by Koei Tecmo. The game was released in North America in September 2014 for the Wii U. A version called Hyrule Warriors Legends for the Nintendo 3DS, with added content, was released in March 2016. A Nintendo Switch version, Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition, was released in 2018 and included content from both the Wii U and 3DS versions.
To celebrate the launch of the My Nintendo loyalty program in March 2016, Nintendo released My Nintendo Picross: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, a nonogram puzzle game in the Picross series. It was developed by Jupiter and available for download on the Nintendo 3DS.
In June 2019, Cadence of Hyrule was released for the Nintendo Switch. Developed by Brace Yourself Games, it is an officially licensed crossover combining The Legend of Zelda with Crypt of the NecroDancer.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, developed by Omega Force, shares the same gameplay style as Hyrule Warriors. It was released in November 2020.
A Zelda-themed version of Vermin was included in a limited-edition Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda unit released in 2021. This special edition also included The Legend of Zelda, The Adventure of Link, and Link's Awakening.
A third Hyrule Warriors game, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, takes place during the events of Tears of the Kingdom. In this game, Zelda is sent back in time to the founding of Hyrule and fights in the Imprisoning War. Age of Imprisonment was released in November 2025.
Cancelled games
In 2001, Nintendo worked with a company owned by Capcom called Flagship to release two games, The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages, for the Game Boy Color at the same time. The original plan was to release three games together, but one game, The Legend of Zelda: Mystical Seed of Courage, was canceled because of technical problems caused by how the games were connected to each other.
A close partner of Nintendo, Retro Studios, created early plans for two other Zelda games. One was a Nintendo DS game called Heroes of Hyrule, which would mix the usual gameplay of the Zelda series with strategy games like Final Fantasy Tactics. The other was an action game for the Wii featuring Sheik, which would tell the story of how the Master Sword was created. Both ideas were stopped by Nintendo after they were not approved.
Reception
The Legend of Zelda series has received high praise from critics and players. Several games, including Ocarina of Time, Skyward Sword, Breath of the Wild, and Tears of the Kingdom, earned a perfect 10/10 score from Edge magazine. These games, along with Wind Waker, also received a 40/40 score (10/10 from four reviewers) from Famitsu magazine, making Zelda one of the few series with multiple perfect scores. Ocarina of Time was recognized by Guinness World Records as the highest-rated video game in history, based on its Metacritic score of 99 out of 100. Individual games in the series were named the most critically acclaimed titles on the Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance, and 3DS, as well as in the open-world genre. As of June 2025, Link, the series’ main character, appeared in nine of the 100 highest-rated games on Metacritic, earning him the title of "most critically acclaimed video game character" from Guinness World Records. The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess received 10/10 scores from Computer and Video Games. A Link to the Past won a Gold Award from Electronic Gaming Monthly. In Nintendo Power’s Top 200 countdown in 2004, Ocarina of Time ranked first, with seven other Zelda games in the top 40. Twilight Princess was named Game of the Year by multiple websites, including X-Play, GameTrailers, and IGN. GameRankings gave Ocarina of Time its highest combined score. Game Informer awarded The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword, A Link Between Worlds, and Breath of the Wild with 10/10 scores. Phantom Hourglass was named DS Game of the Year by IGN and GameSpy. In 2011, Spike TV’s Video Game Awards honored the Zelda series with the first-ever "Hall of Fame Award," which Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto accepted in person. Ocarina of Time used musical themes to represent different areas of the game, a technique compared to Richard Wagner’s use of leitmotifs for characters and themes. The game’s success led to increased sales of real ocarinas. IGN praised the music of Majora’s Mask for its creativity, despite its use of MIDI technology. Majora’s Mask was ranked the seventh-greatest game by Electronic Gaming Monthly, while Ocarina of Time was ranked eighth. The series won the GameFAQs Best Series Ever competition.
As of March 2025, the Legend of Zelda franchise has sold over 156 million copies. The original The Legend of Zelda was the fourth best-selling game for the Nintendo Entertainment System. In 1996, the series was ranked 64th among the top games by Next Generation. In 1999, Next Generation listed the Zelda series as number one on its "Top 50 Games of All Time," noting its innovation and gameplay. Empire magazine described the series as having "the most vividly-realised world and the most varied gameplay of any game on any console," calling it a strong candidate for the best game series ever.
The Legend of Zelda franchise has received the most Game of the Year nominations in the history of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences’ D.I.C.E. Awards, with eight games (Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword, A Link Between Worlds, Breath of the Wild, and Tears of the Kingdom) being nominated. Two of these games, Ocarina of Time and Breath of the Wild, won the top honor at their respective award ceremonies.
Legacy
Many people in the video game industry have shared how Zelda games have affected them. Dan Houser, the founder of Rockstar Games and director of Grand Theft Auto, mentioned that Zelda and Mario games on Nintendo 64 inspired the development of the Grand Theft Auto series and other 3D games. Sam Houser, also a founder of Rockstar Games and director of Grand Theft Auto, said Zelda influenced his work, calling Grand Theft Auto III "Zelda meets Goodfellas." Hideki Kamiya, the director of Ōkami and founder of PlatinumGames, stated that The Legend of Zelda series influenced his game development, with A Link to the Past being his favorite game of all time. Amy Hennig, the director of Soul Reaver and Uncharted (formerly of Crystal Dynamics and Naughty Dog), said Zelda inspired the Legacy of Kain series. She noted that A Link to the Past influenced Blood Omen, and Ocarina of Time influenced Soul Reaver. Richard Lemarchand, the creator of Soul Reaver and Uncharted, also said A Link to the Past inspired how gameplay and storytelling were combined in Soul Reaver. Chris Roberts, the director of Wing Commander and Star Citizen (from Origin Systems and Cloud Imperium Games), mentioned Zelda influenced his action role-playing game, Times of Lore.
Hidetaka Miyazaki, the creator of the Dark Souls series, named A Link to the Past as one of his favorite role-playing video games. Fumito Ueda, the director of Ico, said Zelda influenced Shadow of the Colossus. Miyazaki also described The Legend of Zelda as a guide for creating 3D action games. Peter Molyneux, the founder of Lionhead Studios, stated that Twilight Princess is one of his favorite games and inspired the Fable series. David Adams, the director of Darksiders (from Vigil Games), said Zelda influenced his work. Raphael Lacoste, the director of Prince of Persia and Assassin's Creed, mentioned The Wind Waker inspired Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. CD Projekt Red said the Zelda series influenced The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Alex Hall's web series Ben Drowned was primarily inspired by Majora's Mask. Hajime Tabata, the director of Final Fantasy and The 3rd Birthday, said Ocarina of Time inspired the open world in Final Fantasy XV.
Crossovers
The Legend of Zelda series has appeared in other Nintendo and third-party video games, most notably in the Super Smash Bros. series of fighting games made by Nintendo. Link is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo 64, the first game in the series, and is included in all later versions of the series. Zelda (who can change into Sheik), Ganondorf, and Young Link (a younger version of Link from Ocarina of Time) joined the list of playable characters in Super Smash Bros. Melee and were included in all later games except for Young Link, who was replaced by Toon Link (from The Wind Waker) in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. Sheik became a separate playable character starting with Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. Both Young Link and Toon Link appear in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the fifth game in the series. Other elements from The Legend of Zelda, such as locations and items, are also included in the Smash Bros. series. For example, Assist Trophies feature computer-controlled versions of characters like Tingle, Skull Kid, Midna, and Ghirahim from Skyward Sword who can help players during battles. Outside of the Smash Bros. series, Nintendo allowed Link to be a playable character only in the GameCube version of Namco’s fighting game Soulcalibur II.
In Mario Kart 8, Link appears as a playable character through downloadable content (DLC), along with a racetrack called the Hyrule Circuit inspired by The Legend of Zelda series. The first DLC pack is named after the series. In a later update for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Link and his vehicle received alternate designs inspired by Breath of the Wild.
In the Wii U version of Sonic Lost World, a DLC stage called "The Legend of Zelda Zone" was released in March 2014. This stage uses the core gameplay of Sonic Lost World but includes elements from The Legend of Zelda, such as a heart-based health system, rupee collection, and a small dungeon to explore.
In other media
In 1989, a 13-episode American animated TV series was created by DiC and distributed by Viacom Enterprises. The animated Zelda shorts aired every Friday, replacing the usual Super Mario Bros. cartoon that played during other days of the week. The series was loosely based on the original The Legend of Zelda and The Adventure of Link games for the NES, combining elements from those games with new characters and settings. Older versions of Link and Zelda from the series appeared in episodes of Captain N: The Game Master during its second season.
A live-action TV series based on The Legend of Zelda was planned around 2015, according to a report from an anonymous Netflix employee to The Wall Street Journal. The project was a collaboration between Netflix and Nintendo, intended to be a family-friendly version of Game of Thrones. Details about the series were limited until 2021, when Adam Conover mentioned in an interview that a College Humor team had planned a skit combining Star Fox and Fantastic Mr. Fox, and had spoken with Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto about the project. Conover said Nintendo asked the team to stop work on the project after a leak about the live-action Zelda show, as Nintendo is careful to protect its intellectual property.
Valiant Comics released a short series of comics featuring characters and settings from the Zelda cartoon as part of their Nintendo Comics System line. Manga adaptations of several Zelda games, including A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Oracle of Seasons, Oracle of Ages, Four Swords Adventures, The Minish Cap, Phantom Hourglass, and Twilight Princess, have been produced under license from Nintendo. These adaptations are written and drawn by Japanese artist Akira Himekawa. The stories in these manga do not always follow the games exactly and may include new plot elements.
Official books, novels, and gamebooks based on the series have also been released. The earliest was Moblin's Magic Spear, published in 1989 by Western Publishing. It was set during the first Zelda game. Two gamebooks, The Crystal Trap and The Shadow Prince, were published in 1992 as part of the Nintendo Adventure Books series by Archway. A novel based on Ocarina of Time was released in 1999 by Sybex Inc. Two more gamebooks, Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages, were published in 2001 and 2002 by Scholastic. A novel titled Link and the Portal of Doom was released in 2006 as part of Scholastic’s Nintendo Heroes series.
In 2011, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the series, an art book titled Hyrule Historia was published in Japan by Shogakukan. It was later released internationally by Dark Horse Books in 2013. The book includes concept art from the series’s creation through the release of Skyward Sword in 2011, along with essays about game development and a timeline of the series. It also features a prequel manga to Skyward Sword by Akira Himekawa. The English version of the book became the top-selling item on Amazon, surpassing 50 Shades of Grey. A follow-up art book, The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts, was released in 2017 by Dark Horse Books.
On September 23, 2010, in Cologne, Germany, the video game music concert Symphonic Legends focused on music from Nintendo, including The Legend of Zelda. The second half of the concert featured a 35-minute symphonic piece that told the story of Link’s journey from a child to a hero.
To mark the 25th anniversary of the series in 2011, Nintendo commissioned a symphony titled The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses. It was first performed in Los Angeles in 2011 and has since been shown in 18 locations across the United States and Canada. A CD containing eight tracks from the symphony was released with the special edition of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for the Wii. Nintendo later celebrated the 30th anniversary of the series with an album released in Japan in 2017.
As of June 2025, the Nintendo Music streaming service included soundtracks from eight Zelda games for subscribers of Nintendo Switch Online. These games include The Legend of Zelda, A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, The Wind Waker, Ocarina of Time 3D, Skyward Sword, Breath of the Wild, and Tears of the Kingdom.
A Legend of Zelda-themed Monopoly board game was released in the United States in September 2014. A Clue board game inspired by the Zelda series was released in June 2017. A UNO-style Zelda game was released in February 2018, exclusively at GameStop in North America. A limited edition 25th-anniversary 3DS was released in December 2011 in Australia.
In 2007, Imagi Animation Studios, known for animating TMNT and Astro Boy, created a pitch reel for a computer-animated Legend of Zelda film. Nintendo declined the offer, citing concerns from the 1993 live-action Super Mario Bros. film. In 2013, Aonuma said Nintendo might explore audience interaction if a film were made. In 2023, it was reported that Nintendo was close to partnering with Illumination and Universal Pictures to make a Zelda film after the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie. However, Illumination’s CEO denied these claims.
By November 2023, Nintendo was working on a live-action Legend of Zelda film with Sony Pictures, which will co-finance and distribute it globally. Wes Ball is set to direct the film, with Derek Connolly writing the script. Miyamoto and Avi Arad will produce the film alongside Ball and his partner, Joe Hartwick Jr., through their company Oddball Entertainment. In July 2025, Bo Bragason and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth were cast as Zelda and Link, respectively. The film was originally scheduled for release on March 26, 2027, but was later moved to May 7. Filming began in New Zealand in November 2025 and will continue until April 2026.