The Legend of Zelda is a video game series created by Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. Nintendo mainly develops 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 Link, a brave young man from the Hylian race, which is similar to elves, and Princess Zelda, a royal descendant of the goddess Hylia. Together, they fight to protect the land of Hyrule from Ganon, a powerful evil ruler who wants to use the Triforce, a holy relic that can grant any wish when complete, to reshape the world in his own dark vision. Zelda often helps Link, sometimes acting as someone in need of rescue or as a supporter. If someone who lacks balance among the virtues of Power, Courage, and Wisdom tries to touch the Triforce, it will break into three parts and connect with three people who each have one of these qualities. While battles against Ganon are central to the series, some games take place in different worlds with other enemies, and Link may travel to these places to help.
Since the first game was released in 1986, the series has grown to include 21 main games on Nintendo's major consoles, along with many spin-off games. An American animated TV show based on the games aired in 1989, and Japanese manga adaptations have been made since 1997. The Legend of Zelda is one of Nintendo's most popular franchises, and several games in the series are considered some of the greatest video games ever made.
Gameplay
The Legend of Zelda games include puzzles, action-adventure, and exploration. These elements have been part of the series since the beginning, with small changes in each new game. Later games added stealth, where players avoid enemies, and racing. Depending on the game, players control Link or Princess Zelda from a top-down view or in a 3D world with a moving camera.
Players can complete Zelda games with little exploration, but solving puzzles or finding hidden areas often gives helpful items or new abilities. Some items appear in many games, while others are only in one. Common items include bombs, boomerangs, keys, shields, bows and arrows, light sources, magical rods, hammers, musical instruments, digging tools, and a grappling hook called the hookshot. These items can be bought, rented, or found as rewards. In Breath of the Wild (2017) and Tears of the Kingdom (2023), swords and weapons are found in the world or taken from enemies. Players use buttons to switch between weapons, while the sword is usually fixed. In Echoes of Wisdom, Zelda uses a Tri Rod to copy objects or enemies to solve puzzles or fight. Early games give Link a sword, and stronger swords or abilities are found later. Existing weapons can also be upgraded.
In Skyward Sword (2011), motion controls let players swing a controller to attack or block. Breath of the Wild uses a physics engine, allowing solutions like rolling boulders onto enemies. It also uses a chemistry engine, where elements like fire or water interact with objects. Echoes of Wisdom lets Zelda use echoes to attack or clear paths with bombs. Newer games let Link or Zelda move objects remotely to defeat enemies or cross gaps.
Zelda games include role-playing elements, but most focus on direct combat. Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is the only game with an experience system. Some debate whether Zelda games are action RPGs, a genre they influenced. In 1992, co-creator Shigeru Miyamoto called Zelda a "real-time adventure game," not an RPG. In 2012, Dark Souls creator Hidetaka Miyazaki listed A Link to the Past as one of his favorite RPGs.
Zelda games introduced features like save functions and targeting systems. The original Zelda (1986) was the first console game with a save function. Ocarina of Time (1998) added a targeting system for 3D combat.
Mainline Zelda games have three areas: an overworld for free movement, areas to interact with characters (like towns or caves), and dungeons (or temples) with puzzles, enemies, and bosses. Each dungeon usually has a key item needed to solve puzzles or beat the boss. A Link Between Worlds (2013) let players rent items to complete dungeons. Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom let players access dungeons in any order. These games do not hide items inside dungeons for progression, but Tears of the Kingdom uses companions to solve Temple tasks.
Dungeons often have maps and compasses to help players find items or keys. Later games include a "big key" to unlock bosses. In Breath of the Wild, Link uses the Sheikah Slate to activate controls before fighting a boss. In Tears of the Kingdom, companions unlock doors in Temples. Early games called dungeons "the underworld," but later games have underground areas not labeled as dungeons, like Subrosia or the Still World. Some games, like Four Swords, use random levels or hub worlds instead of a connected overworld.
Rafts first appeared in the original Zelda, but were limited. The Wind Waker (2002) and Phantom Hourglass (2007) require sailing to move between islands. In Breath of the Wild, rafts use wind from the chemistry engine, and logs can be used as boats. Tears of the Kingdom lets players build rafts or flying machines with Ultrahand and Zonai parts. Gliding, introduced in The Minish Cap (2004), became more important in newer games. Players can climb walls and glide to choose routes, unlike in The Witcher or Skyrim, where players used glitches to climb.
Conception and production
The Legend of Zelda was mainly inspired by Shigeru Miyamoto's experiences exploring the hills and forests near his childhood home in Sonobe, Japan. Miyamoto recalled finding a cave entrance in the woods. After some hesitation, he entered the cave and explored it with a lantern. Miyamoto described creating the Zelda games as an effort to design a "miniature garden" for players to explore in each game.
Takashi Tezuka created the story and setting of the games. He wanted to make a fairytale adventure and took ideas from fantasy books like J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. Keiji Terui, who wrote the backstory for the first game, explained that the name "Death Mountain" was once a working title for the Triforce legend, inspired 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 was "pleasant and significant." Tezuka based Link's appearance on the 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 Zelda games include musical instruments, especially in puzzles. Instruments often trigger events, such as the recorder in The Legend of Zelda, which can reveal secret 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 essential to the game, as players use the controller to play them. Ocarina of Time was one of the first non-dance games to include music-making as part of gameplay, using songs to help players progress. This mechanic also appears in Majora's Mask.
"The Legend of Zelda Theme" was created for the first game. Koji Kondo, the series' composer and sound director, originally wanted to use Maurice Ravel's Boléro as the theme but had to change it because the piece was not yet in the public domain. Kondo then wrote a new version of the overworld theme in one day.
Until Breath of the Wild, the Zelda series did not use voice acting for speaking characters. Instead, it relied on written dialogue. Series producer Eiji Aonuma explained that having other characters speak while Link remained silent "would be off-putting" to players.
Plot
The Legend of Zelda takes place in a fantasy world called Hyrule, which is inspired by medieval Western Europe. Hyrule has a rich history and many different areas. The main people living in Hyrule are called Hylians, who look like elves. These characters include the hero, Link, and the princess, Zelda.
Each game in the series takes place in different lands with their own stories. Some places, like Labrynna, Holodrum, and Hytopia, are separate from Hyrule. Others, such as Termina, the World of the Ocean King, and Lorule, are parallel worlds that exist alongside Hyrule. Koholint is a distant island that seems to be part of a dream.
Hyrule was created by three goddesses named Din, Farore, and Nayru. They made the world to trap a being called Null, which existed in an endless void and absorbed life. Before leaving, the goddesses left behind the Triforce, a powerful artifact. The Triforce is made of three golden triangles, each representing one of the goddesses' virtues: Power, Courage, and Wisdom. The Triforce does not choose between good and evil and will grant any wish. Because of this, it was hidden in a place called the Sacred Realm until someone with balanced virtues could find it. If a person does not have balanced virtues, the Triforce will split into three parts. The part that matches the person’s beliefs will stay with them, while the other two will go to others. To control the Triforce fully, the user must find the other parts and reunite them. The Sacred Realm changes based on the hearts of those who enter it: a kind 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 could control time. After fighting the goddess Hylia, who protected the Triforce, Demise was sealed in her temple. Hylia saved the people of Hyrule by placing them on a floating island called Skyloft and created the Goddess Sword (later called the Master Sword) for her chosen hero. She gave up her divinity to live among the people of Skyloft. Later, Zelda and Link (who were Hylia and her warrior reborn) completed Hylia’s plan, defeating Demise. However, Demise promised to return and cause trouble for Link and Zelda’s descendants. This prophecy came true in Ocarina of Time, when Ganondorf gained the Triforce of Power. The Triforce of Wisdom went to Hylian princesses descended from Zelda, and the Triforce of Courage was passed to a boy named Link across generations. The Triforce of Courage was first introduced in Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. In some games, like The Wind Waker, Link must find pieces of the Triforce of Courage before returning to Hyrule. In the original The Legend of Zelda, Zelda broke her Triforce of Wisdom into eight pieces for Link to find before being captured by Ganon.
The timeline of the Legend of Zelda series was unclear until the Hyrule Historia book was released in 2011. Before this, in 2003, the series creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, mentioned that an internal document connected all the games. Later, in 2010, producer Eiji Aonuma said this document was kept secret and only known to Miyamoto and each game’s director.
Earlier, some games and statements gave hints about the timeline. 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 story before these games and was followed by Link’s Awakening. The events of Ocarina of Time occurred centuries before A Link to the Past. Majora’s Mask came after Ocarina of Time. Four Swords happened before Ocarina of Time. The Wind Waker took place in a timeline that split from Ocarina of Time, over a century later. Four Swords Adventures was a sequel to Four Swords. The Minish Cap was a story before Four Swords, explaining the villain Vaati and the Four Sword. Twilight Princess happened after Majora’s Mask. Phantom Hourglass followed The Wind Waker, and Spirit Tracks came about a century later in a different land. Skyward Sword happened before The Minish Cap, explaining the creation of the Master Sword.
In the early 2000s, Nintendo of America posted a timeline on its website, showing a 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 named Daniel Owsen said that Nintendo of America had once planned to share another timeline, but Japanese developers refused to allow it.
In December 2011, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the series, the Hyrule Historia art book was released. It showed an official timeline of the series up to that point. According to this timeline, after Ocarina of Time, the story splits into three paths. One path leads to the Imprisoning War and games like A Link to the Past, Oracle of Seasons, Oracle of Ages, Link’s Awakening, The Legend of Zelda, and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. Two other paths show Link defeating Ganon. One path follows Link’s childhood, where Zelda sends him back in time to warn young Zelda about Hyrule’s dangers. This path includes Majora’s Mask, Twilight Princess, and Four Swords Adventures. The other path follows Link’s adulthood, where Zelda tries to rebuild her kingdom. This path includes The Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass, and Spirit Tracks.
In 2013, A Link Between Worlds takes place six generations after A Link to the Past. It shows the Triforce being reunited and Ganon being brought back. In 2015, Tri Force Heroes is 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 on the Famicom Disk System. A cartridge version for the Nintendo Entertainment System, which used special memory that doesn't lose data, was released in the United States on August 22, 1987, and in Europe on November 27, 1987. The game includes a "Second Quest," which players can access either after completing the game or by entering the name "ZELDA" when starting a new game. The "Second Quest" has different dungeons, item placements, and stronger enemies.
The second game, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, was released for the Famicom Disk System in Japan in January 1987. It was later released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in Europe in September 1988 and in North America in December 1988. This game changed the view from top-down to side-scrolling, though the top-down perspective was still used for overworld areas. It also introduced new features, 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 idea: an alternate dimension called the Dark World. The game was released for the Super NES in November 1991. It was later re-released for the Game Boy Advance in 2002. The Super NES version was also re-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 made for Nintendo's Game Boy. It was the first Zelda game for a handheld device and the first to take place outside Hyrule and not include Princess Zelda. Link's Awakening was re-released in full color as Link's Awakening DX for the Game Boy Color in 1998. This version added a new dungeon based on colors and a photo shop that worked with the Game Boy Printer. Link's Awakening DX was later released on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console in June 2011. An HD version of the game 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 originally called Zelda 64 and was planned for a different system before switching to a cartridge format. It kept the basic gameplay from earlier 2D games but added new features, such as lock-on targeting, which helps Link aim better in 3D spaces. The game uses context-sensitive buttons, where one button can do different actions depending on what Link is doing. For example, pressing a button near a block makes Link grab it, while pressing it while moving into a block makes Link climb. 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 popular video games ever made. It was ranked the best game for a Nintendo console by Nintendo Power in 2006. A version called Ocarina of Time Master Quest was later released on the GameCube in 2002 and included harder dungeons. It was also re-released on the Wii, Wii U, and Nintendo Switch in HD. A 3D version of the game was released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2011.
Ocarina of Time was followed by Majora's Mask, released in April 2000. This game used the same 3D engine as Ocarina of Time but added a time-based system, where Link relives three days repeatedly to complete the game. It was originally called Zelda Gaiden in Japan. Players can use masks to change 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. The game was released on the Wii and Wii U Virtual Console. A 3D version of Majora's Mask was released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2015. The original Nintendo 64 version was later added to Nintendo Classics in 2022.
Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages were released together for the Game Boy Color in 2001. Players can use passwords or a Game Link Cable to connect the two games. After completing one game, a password allows the other game to be played as a sequel. These games were developed by Flagship with supervision from Miyamoto. After trying to port the original Legend of Zelda to the Game Boy Color, the team decided to create a new trilogy called the "Triforce Series." When the password system proved too complicated, the idea was changed to two games: Oracle of Ages, which focuses on puzzles, and Oracle of Seasons, which focuses on action. Both games were later released on the 3DS Virtual Console and Nintendo Classics.
The Game Boy Advance version of A Link to the Past in 2002 included a new game called Four Swords, the first multiplayer Zelda game. This game introduced Toon Link, a name later used in Super Smash Bros. Brawl to describe Link's cartoon-like design. A special version called Four Swords Anniversary Edition was released in 2011 as free DSiWare until 2012.
The Wind Waker, a 3D game with a cartoon-like look and featuring Toon Link, was released in Japan in December 2002 and in the United States and Europe in 2003. Players use a baton called the Wind Waker to control wind and sail a boat across an ocean filled with islands. The game keeps similar mechanics to earlier 3D Zelda games. A Collector's Edition for the GameCube in 2003 included the original Legend of Zelda, Zelda II, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, and a demo of The Wind Waker. An HD version of The Wind Waker was released for the Wii U in 2013.
Four Swords Adventures was released for the GameCube in 2004 in Japan and America, and in 2005 in Europe. Based on the handheld game Four Swords, this game focused on level-based and multiplayer gameplay. It has 24 levels and a map screen, but no overworld. For multiplayer, each player needs a Game Boy Advance linked to the GameCube. The game includes two modes: "Hyrulean Adventure," which has a story and gameplay similar to other Zelda games, and "Shadow Battle," where multiple players control Links and battle each other.
Spin-off games
As the series has become more popular, several games have been created that take place in the world of The Legend of Zelda or feature characters from it, but are not directly connected to the main series or its main timeline.
Three Zelda-themed LCD games were made between 1989 and 1992. The Game & Watch game Zelda was released first in August 1989 as a handheld electronic game with two screens. It was re-released in 1998 as a Toymax, Inc. Mini Classic and later included as an unlockable extra in Game & Watch Gallery 4, a 2002 compilation for the Game Boy Advance. While Nintendo created the Game & Watch Zelda itself, the next two LCD games were developed by other companies with permission from Nintendo. In October 1989, Nelsonic made The Legend of Zelda as part of its Game Watch line. This game was a digital watch with simple gameplay based on 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.
Three video games were made for the CD-i in the early 1990s. These games were the result of an agreement between Philips and Nintendo after they failed to create a CD-ROM peripheral for the Super NES. These games were made without input or influence from Nintendo and include Link: The Faces of Evil, Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon, and Zelda's Adventure. Nintendo did not include these games in the Zelda timeline, and they are considered to be in a separate, self-contained story. These games are widely known as the least well-received in the series, though they have gained a small following through internet memes.
The Satellaview games from The Legend of Zelda series (1995–1997) are side games, not part of the main timeline of the franchise.
Other side games include RPG Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland, its sequel Ripened Tingle's Balloon Trip of Love, and the Nintendo DS version of Balloon Fight, called Tingle's Balloon Fight. All of these games feature the character Tingle.
Although it is set in the world of Twilight Princess, The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia considers the rail shooter game Link's Crossbow Training for the Wii to be a side game.
Hyrule Warriors is a side game and a crossover that combines the world of The Legend of Zelda with the gameplay style of Koei Tecmo's Dynasty Warriors series. It was released in North America in September 2014 for the Wii U. A version for the Nintendo 3DS called Hyrule Warriors Legends, which includes more content and gameplay changes, was released in March 2016. The 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.
Cadence of Hyrule, developed by Brace Yourself Games, is an officially licensed crossover of Zelda with Crypt of the NecroDancer. It was released in June 2019 for the Nintendo Switch.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, developed by Omega Force, shares the action style of the side game Hyrule Warriors. Age of Calamity was released in November 2020.
A Zelda-themed version of Vermin was included on the limited edition Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda unit, released in 2021. This special edition of the Game & Watch 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 called Flagship, which is part of Capcom, to release two games at the same time: The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages for the Game Boy Color. Originally, Nintendo planned to release three games together. However, one game, The Legend of Zelda: Mystical Seed of Courage, was canceled because technical problems arose due to how the games were connected to each other.
A company closely associated with Nintendo, Retro Studios, created ideas for two other Zelda games. One idea was a game called Heroes of Hyrule for the Nintendo DS. This game would have combined the usual style of Zelda games with the strategy elements found in games like Final Fantasy Tactics. Another idea was an action game for the Wii featuring a character named Sheik. This game would have explored the background story of the Master Sword. Both ideas were rejected by Nintendo and never made.
Reception
The Legend of Zelda series has received a lot of praise from critics and players. Games like Ocarina of Time, Skyward Sword, Breath of the Wild, and Tears of the Kingdom each earned a perfect 10/10 score from Edge magazine. These four games, along with Wind Waker, 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 named the highest-rated video game in history by Guinness World Records, based on its Metacritic score of 99 out of 100. Individual Zelda games were recognized as 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 appears in nine of the 100 highest-rated games on Metacritic (all from the Zelda series), and he is listed by Guinness World Records as the "most critically acclaimed video game character." Computer and Video Games gave Wind Waker and Twilight Princess a 10/10 score. 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, IGN, and others. GameRankings gave Ocarina of Time its highest overall score. Game Informer awarded Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword, A Link Between Worlds, and Breath of the Wild a 10/10 score. Phantom Hourglass was named DS Game of the Year by IGN and GameSpy. In December 2011, Spike TV’s Video Game Awards honored the Zelda series with the first-ever "Hall of Fame Award," which Miyamoto accepted in person. Ocarina of Time used musical themes to represent different areas of the game, a technique similar to how Richard Wagner used music to represent characters and themes. Ocarina of Time was so well-received that sales of real ocarinas increased. IGN praised the music of Majora’s Mask for its brilliance, even though it used a lot of MIDI sounds. Majora’s Mask was ranked the seventh-greatest game by Electronic Gaming Monthly, while Ocarina of Time was ranked eighth. The series won the "Best Series Ever" competition on GameFAQs.
As of March 2025, the Legend of Zelda franchise has sold 156.28 million copies. The original Legend of Zelda was the fourth best-selling game for the NES. In 1996, the series was ranked 64th among the top games overall by Next Generation. In 1999, Next Generation listed Zelda as number 1 on their "Top 50 Games of All Time," noting that the series offered more gameplay and innovations than most other game series. Empire magazine called Zelda "the best game series ever" due to its detailed world and varied gameplay.
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, Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword, A Link Between Worlds, Breath of the Wild, and Tears of the Kingdom). Two of these games, Ocarina of Time and Breath of the Wild, won the top award during their respective ceremonies.
Legacy
Many people in the video game industry have talked about how The Legend of Zelda games have influenced their work. Dan Houser, the founder of Rockstar Games and director of the Grand Theft Auto series, said that Zelda and Mario games on the Nintendo 64 helped shape the development of Grand Theft Auto and other 3D games. Sam Houser, also a Rockstar Games founder and Grand Theft Auto director, mentioned Zelda's influence, calling Grand Theft Auto III "Zelda meets Goodfellas." Hideki Kamiya, the director of Ōkami and founder of PlatinumGames, said that The Legend of Zelda series inspired his work, with A Link to the Past being his favorite game ever. Amy Hennig, the director of Soul Reaver and Uncharted (formerly of Crystal Dynamics and Naughty Dog), said Zelda inspired the Legacy of Kain series, noting 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 that A Link to the Past's way of combining gameplay with storytelling inspired Soul Reaver. Chris Roberts, the director of Wing Commander and Star Citizen (from Origin Systems and Cloud Imperium Games), said 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 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 making 3D action games. Peter Molyneux, the founder of Lionhead Studios, said 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, said The Wind Waker inspired Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. CD Projekt Red said the Zelda series influenced The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Majora's Mask was the main inspiration for Alex Hall's web series, Ben Drowned. 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 has been part of the character list in all later games in the series. Zelda (who can change into Sheik), Ganondorf, and Young Link (a younger version of Link from Ocarina of Time) were added to the character list in Super Smash Bros. Melee and appeared in all later games except for "Young Link," who was later 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 character starting with Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. Both Young Link and Toon Link are in the fifth game, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Other parts of the series, such as locations and items, also appear in the Smash Bros. games, including Assist Trophies, where computer-controlled versions of characters like Tingle, Skull Kid, Midna, and Ghirahim from Skyward Sword can help players fight. Outside of Smash Bros., 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 with a design based on Skyward Sword, along with a racetrack called Hyrule Circuit inspired by The Legend of Zelda series. The first DLC pack for Mario Kart 8 is named after the series. In a later update for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Link and his vehicle received new designs based on 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. It used the main gameplay style of Sonic Lost World but included elements from The Legend of Zelda series, 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 shared with others by Viacom Enterprises. The Zelda cartoons aired every Friday, replacing the Super Mario Bros. cartoon that normally played during the week. The series was loosely based on the original The Legend of Zelda and The Adventure of Link games, combining elements from those games with new ideas. 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 was being planned around 2015, according to an anonymous Netflix employee who spoke to The Wall Street Journal. The project was a joint effort between Netflix and Nintendo, aiming to create 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. They had spoken with Miyamoto about the project but stopped working on it after Nintendo requested they halt the project due to leaks about the live-action Zelda show. Nintendo, which protects its intellectual property, canceled many outside projects, including this one.
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, were produced under license from Nintendo. These adaptations were mostly created by Japanese artist Akira Himekawa and did not always follow the exact stories from the games, sometimes adding new elements.
Many books, novels, and gamebooks based on the Zelda series were also released. The earliest was Moblin's Magic Spear, published in 1989 by Western Publishing and written by Jack C. Harris. It took place during the first Zelda game. Two gamebooks, The Crystal Trap and The Shadow Prince, were published in 1992 by Archway as part of the Nintendo Adventure Books series. A novel based on Ocarina of Time was released in 1999 by Sybex Inc. Two more gamebooks, based on Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages, were published in 2001 and 2002 by Scholastic. In 2006, Scholastic released Link and the Portal of Doom, a novel set after the events of Ocarina of Time.
In 2011, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the series, an art book called 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 to the release of Skyward Sword in 2011, essays about the games' 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 the sales of E. L. James's 50 Shades of Grey trilogy. In 2017, Dark Horse released The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts, a follow-up art book with more artwork and interviews.
On September 23, 2010, in Cologne, Germany, a video game music concert called Symphonic Legends focused on music from Nintendo, including The Legend of Zelda. After an intermission, the second half of the concert was dedicated to a 35-minute symphonic piece telling 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 called The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses. The performance took place in Los Angeles in 2011 and later toured the United States and Canada. A CD containing eight tracks from the symphony was included with the special edition of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for the Wii. In 2017, Nintendo released an album to celebrate the series's 30th anniversary in Japan.
As of June 2025, the Nintendo Music streaming service allowed subscribers to Nintendo Switch Online to listen to soundtracks from eight Zelda games, including 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 Monopoly board game based on The Legend of Zelda was released in the United States in 2014. A Clue board game inspired by the series was released in 2017. A UNO-style Zelda game was released in 2018, available only at GameStop in North America. A limited-edition Zelda 25th anniversary 3DS was released in Australia in 2011.
In 2007, Imagi Animation Studios, known for creating TMNT and Astro Boy, made a proposal for a computer-animated Zelda movie. Nintendo rejected the idea due to the poor reception of the 1993 live-action Super Mario Bros. film. In 2013, Aonuma said that if a movie were made, Nintendo would want to include audience interaction. In 2023, reports suggested Nintendo was close to making a deal with Illumination and Universal Pictures to create a Zelda movie after the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie. However, Illumination's CEO denied these claims.
By November 2023, Nintendo was developing a live-action Zelda film with Sony Pictures, which would help fund and distribute the movie globally. Wes Ball was chosen to direct, with Derek Connolly writing the script. Miyamoto and Avi Arad would 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 ended in April 2026.