The Legend of Zelda is a video game series created by Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is mainly made and sold by Nintendo, though some games 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, and Princess Zelda, a princess who is part of the family line of the goddess Hylia. Together, they fight to protect the land of Hyrule from Ganon, a powerful enemy who wants to use the Triforce, a special object that can grant any wish when complete, to take over the world. Zelda often helps Link or is in need of rescue during their adventures. If someone who does not have equal amounts of 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 qualities. While the battle against 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 games on Nintendo’s major consoles and many other games based on the series. An American animated TV show based on the games aired in 1989, and Japanese comic books based on the games have been made since 1997. The Legend of Zelda is one of Nintendo’s most popular game series, and some of its games are considered among the best video games ever made.
Gameplay
The gameplay of The Legend of Zelda games includes puzzles, action-adventure, and exploration. These features have remained consistent throughout the series, with small changes added in each new game. Later versions include stealth gameplay, where players avoid enemies while moving through levels, and racing elements. Depending on the game, players control Link or Princess Zelda from a top-down view or in a 3D world with a free-moving camera.
Players can complete Zelda games with minimal exploration, but solving puzzles or discovering hidden areas often rewards them with useful items or stronger abilities. Some items appear in many games, while others are unique to one game. Common items include bombs, which can destroy obstacles or defeat enemies; boomerangs, which can paralyze enemies; keys for locked doors; shields; bows and arrows; light sources; magical rods, hammers, musical instruments; digging tools; and a grappling hook called the hookshot. These items can be purchased, rented, or earned by solving puzzles. In Breath of the Wild (2017) and its sequel Tears of the Kingdom (2023), weapons like swords are found in the game world or taken from defeated enemies. These are usually selected through a menu, while the sword is often fixed. In Echoes of Wisdom, Zelda uses an item called the Tri Rod to copy objects and enemies to solve puzzles or defeat foes.
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 players to solve puzzles using realistic movement, such as rolling boulders onto enemies. It also included a chemistry engine, which showed how elements like fire or water interact with objects. Echoes of Wisdom differs from other games because Zelda cannot directly attack enemies. Instead, she uses the Tri Rod to copy and recreate objects or enemies. Other newer games let players use abilities to move objects onto enemies, drop them into holes, or glide across gaps.
While some Zelda games include role-playing elements (like Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, which has an experience system), most focus on direct combat. This has led to debates about whether the series should be called action RPGs, a genre it has influenced. In 1992, series creator Shigeru Miyamoto said Zelda is a "real-time adventure game," not an RPG, because he wanted to keep the "live" feeling of gameplay rather than relying on numbers and stats. In 2012, Dark Souls director Hidetaka Miyazaki listed A Link to the Past as one of his favorite RPGs, along with games like Dragon Quest III and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.
The Zelda series introduced many features now common in games. The original Zelda (1986) was the first console game with a save function, letting players pause and resume later. Ocarina of Time (1998) added a targeting system, letting players lock onto enemies or allies for easier 3D combat.
Most mainline Zelda games have three key areas: an overworld that connects all other areas and allows free movement; interaction areas like towns or caves, where players can buy items, get advice, or complete side quests; and dungeons (or temples, towers), which are maze-like areas with enemies, bosses, and items. Each dungeon usually has a key item needed to solve puzzles or defeat the boss. A Link Between Worlds (2013) allowed players to rent items to access dungeons. In Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, players can enter dungeons in any order. These games do not hide items inside dungeons for progression, but Tears of the Kingdom uses companions to solve tasks in Temples.
Dungeons often include maps to show their layout and magic compasses to locate items like keys. Later games use a "big key" or "boss key" to unlock boss fights. In Breath of the Wild, Link uses his Sheikah Slate to activate terminals inside dungeons. In Tears of the Kingdom, companions interact with locks in Temples to open boss doors. The original Zelda (1986) called its dungeons "the underworld," while later games have underground areas not classified as dungeons, like Subrosia in Oracle of Seasons or the Still World in Echoes of Wisdom. Some games, like Four Swords, do not have a connected overworld and instead use random levels or a hub world.
Rafts first appeared in the original Zelda but had limited use. In The Wind Waker (2002) and Phantom Hourglass (2007), sailing is the only way to travel between islands. In Breath of the Wild, rafts can be propelled by wind using a chemistry engine, and logs can be used as boats. Tears of the Kingdom lets players build rafts or flying machines using parts like Ultrahand or Zonai machines. Gliding, previously used for puzzles, is now a major feature in open-world games. Climbing walls and gliding off them with a paraglider lets players choose multiple routes. This is different from earlier games where players used glitches to climb mountains, as in The Witcher or The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
Conception and production
The Legend of Zelda was mainly inspired by Shigeru Miyamoto’s experiences as a young boy exploring the hills and forests near his childhood home in Sonobe, Japan. Miyamoto recalls finding a cave entrance in the woods and entering it with a lantern. He described creating the Zelda games as an effort to design a "miniature garden" 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 like J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Keiji Terui, who wrote the backstory for the first game, explained that the location named Death Mountain was originally 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 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, such as the recorder in The Legend of Zelda, which can reveal secret areas or lead 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, requiring players to use the controller to play music. Ocarina of Time was one of the first non-dance games to include music-making as a core gameplay element, a mechanic also used in Majora’s Mask.
"The Legend of Zelda Theme" is a recurring musical piece from the first game. Koji Kondo, the series’ composer and sound director, originally wanted to use Maurice Ravel’s Boléro as the title theme but had to change it when he learned the piece 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, relying instead on written dialogue. Series producer Eiji Aonuma explained that having other characters speak while Link remained silent would feel confusing to 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 areas. The main people living in Hyrule are pointy-eared, elf-like humanoids called Hylians, including the main characters Link and Zelda.
The games in the Zelda series create an imaginary world for each story. Some games take place in different lands with their own histories. Examples include Labrynna (from Oracle of Ages), Holodrum (from Oracle of Seasons), and Hytopia (from Tri Force Heroes). Other areas, like Termina (Majora's Mask), the World of the Ocean King (Phantom Hourglass), and Lorule (A Link Between Worlds), are parallel worlds that exist alongside Hyrule. Koholint is an island far from Hyrule that seems to be part of a dream.
The world of Hyrule was created by three golden goddesses: Din, Farore, and Nayru. They made the world to trap a being called Null, which absorbed all life from an endless void. Before leaving, the goddesses left behind the Triforce, a sacred artifact 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 does not choose between good or evil and will grant any wish without judgment. Because of this, it was placed in a special place called the "Sacred Realm" until someone with balanced virtues of Power, Courage, and Wisdom could unite the Triforce. If a person lacks balance, the Triforce will split into three parts. The part that matches the user’s strongest belief will stay with them, while the other two will search for 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 pure heart makes it a paradise, while an evil heart turns it into a dark place.
In Skyward Sword, the Triforce was sought by a demon king named Demise, who had conquered time. After fighting the goddess Hylia, who protected the Triforce, Demise was sealed inside her temple. Hylia placed the Hylians on a floating island called Skyloft to keep them safe. She created the Goddess Sword (later called the Master Sword) for her chosen hero and gave up her divinity to be reborn among the people of Skyloft. Later, Zelda and Link (Hylia’s reborn form and her chosen warrior) completed Hylia’s plan, destroying Demise. However, Demise promised to return and harm 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 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 The Wind Waker, Link must find all the pieces of the Triforce of Courage (called Triforce Shards) before returning to Hyrule. In the original The Legend of Zelda, Zelda breaks her Triforce of Wisdom into eight pieces for Link to find before being captured by Ganon.
The order of events in the Legend of Zelda series was unclear until an official timeline was released in the Hyrule Historia collector’s book in 2011. Before this, in a 2003 interview, the series creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, confirmed that an internal document connected all the games. Series producer Eiji Aonuma later revealed in 2010 that this document was kept secret and only accessible to Miyamoto and each game’s director.
Earlier timelines were based on in-game details, marketing, and developer statements. For example, The Legend of Zelda was followed by Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, which takes place years later. A Link to the Past is a prequel to these games and is followed by Link’s Awakening. The events of Ocarina of Time happen centuries before A Link to the Past (as explained by character designer Satoru Takizawa). Majora’s Mask follows Ocarina of Time. Four Swords happens before Ocarina of Time. The Wind Waker takes place in a timeline that emerged after Ocarina of Time, more than a century later. Four Swords Adventures is a direct sequel to Four Swords. The Minish Cap is a prequel to Four Swords, explaining the origin of the villain Vaati and the creation of the Four Sword. Twilight Princess happens after Majora’s Mask. Phantom Hourglass is a sequel to The Wind Waker, followed by Spirit Tracks, which takes place about a century later in a distant land. Skyward Sword happens before The Minish Cap and tells the story of the Master Sword’s creation.
In the early 2000s, Nintendo of America released a timeline on its official website, showing one possible order of events. This timeline included 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, series translator Daniel Owsen revealed that Nintendo of America had once planned to release another timeline, but Japanese developers rejected the idea to keep the order of games open to players’ imagination.
On December 21, 2011, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the series, The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia art book was published. It included an official timeline showing that after Ocarina of Time, the story splits into three paths. One path leads to Link’s defeat by Ganon, resulting in the Imprisoning War and the events of A Link to the Past, Oracle of Seasons, Oracle of Ages, Link’s Awakening, The Legend of Zelda, and The Adventure of Link. Two other paths show Link defeating Ganon, leading to a split timeline: one where young Zelda sends adult Link back in time to warn her, and another where adult Zelda rebuilds her kingdom. The childhood timeline continues with Majora’s Mask, Twilight Princess, and Four Swords Adventures. The adult timeline continues with The Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass, and Spirit Tracks.
Released in 2013, A Link Between Worlds takes place six generations after A Link to the Past and shows the Triforce being reunited and Ganon being resurrected. In 2015, Tri Force Heroes was released as 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 a special type of memory to save progress, 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 after completing the game. Alternatively, they can start a new quest by entering the name "ZELDA" at the beginning. The "Second Quest" has different dungeons, item placements, and stronger enemies than the main game.
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 gameplay perspective from top-down to side-scrolling, though the top-down view remained for overworld areas. It also introduced new elements, 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 re-released for the Game Boy Advance in 2002. The Super NES version was also available on the Wii Virtual Console in January 2007, the Wii U Virtual Console, and Nintendo Classics.
The next game, Link's Awakening, was released for Nintendo's Game Boy. It was the first Zelda game for a handheld system and the first to take place outside of 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 color-based dungeon and a photo shop that worked with the Game Boy Printer. Link's Awakening DX was later available on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console in 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. Originally called Zelda 64, the game was developed for a different system before switching to a cartridge format. It kept the core gameplay of earlier 2D games but added a new mechanic called lock-on targeting, which helped Link aim more accurately in 3D environments. The game used context-sensitive buttons, where one button could perform different actions depending on the situation. For example, pressing a button near a block made Link grab it, while pressing it while moving into a block made him climb. Ocarina of Time introduced Link's horse, Epona, which allowed faster travel and arrow shooting from horseback. The game received widespread praise and was ranked as one of the greatest video games ever made. It was re-released on the Wii and Wii U Virtual Consoles, and on Nintendo Classics in HD on the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. A 3D version, Ocarina of Time 3D, was released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2011.
Ocarina of Time's follow-up, Majora's Mask, was released in April 2000. It used the same 3D game engine as Ocarina of Time but added a time-based system, allowing players to repeat three days of events to complete objectives. The game originally had the title Zelda Gaiden, meaning "Zelda Side Story." Players could use masks to transform into creatures with special abilities. Majora's Mask had a darker tone than previous games, featuring themes of death and a large moon descending to destroy the world. It was re-released on the Wii and Wii U Virtual Consoles, and a 3D version, Majora's Mask 3D, was released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2015. The original Nintendo 64 version was added to Nintendo Classics in 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. After completing one game, a password allowed access to the other as a sequel. These games were developed by Flagship with oversight from Miyamoto. After experimenting with adapting the original Legend of Zelda for the Game Boy Color, the team decided to create an original trilogy called the "Triforce Series." However, the password system proved too complex, so the idea was reduced to two games: Oracle of Ages, which focused on puzzles, and Oracle of Seasons, which emphasized 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, 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-style design. A remastered version, Four Swords Anniversary Edition, was released in 2011 as free DSiWare until February 2012.
The Wind Waker, a 3D cel-shaded game featuring Toon Link, was released in Japan in December 2002 and in the United States and Europe in 2003. The game involved controlling wind with a baton called the Wind Waker to sail a boat across an ocean filled with islands. It used similar gameplay mechanics as previous 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. A high-definition version, The Wind Waker HD, was released for the Wii U in 2013.
Four Swords Adventures was released for the GameCube in early 2004 in Japan and America, and in January 2005 in Europe. Based on the handheld game Four Swords, this version focused on level-based and multiplayer gameplay. The game had 24 levels and a map screen, with no overworld area. For multiplayer, players used Game Boy Advance systems connected to the GameCube via a special cable. The game included two modes: "Hyrulean Adventure," which followed a story similar to other Zelda games, and "Shadow Battle," where multiple players controlled Links to fight each other.
Spin-off games
As the franchise has become more popular, several games have been made that take place in the world of The Legend of Zelda or feature characters from the series but are not directly connected to the main games or their main timeline.
Between 1989 and 1992, three Zelda-themed LCD games were created. The first, Zelda, was released in August 1989 as a dual-screen handheld electronic game. It was re-released in 1998 as a Toymax, Inc. Mini Classic and later added as an unlockable extra in Game & Watch Gallery 4, a 2002 compilation for the Game Boy Advance. While Game & Watch Zelda was developed by Nintendo, the next two LCD games were made by third-party companies under a license from Nintendo. In October 1989, The Legend of Zelda was developed by Nelsonic 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.
In the early 1990s, three video games were made for the CD-i platform. These games were created as a result of a deal between Philips and Nintendo after they failed to develop a CD-ROM peripheral for the Super NES. These games—Link: The Faces of Evil, Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon, and Zelda's Adventure—were made without input or influence from Nintendo. Nintendo did not include them in the Zelda timeline, and they are considered to be in a separate, self-contained story. These games are widely seen as the weakest in the series, though they later gained a small group of fans who shared them online.
The Satellaview games from The Legend of Zelda series (1995–1997) are 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 the Balloon Fight rerelease Tingle's Balloon Fight for the Nintendo DS. All of these games feature the character Tingle.
Though 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 spin-off.
Hyrule Warriors is a spin-off and crossover game developed 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. It was released in North America in September 2014 for the Wii U. A version for the Nintendo 3DS, Hyrule Warriors Legends, was released in March 2016 and included more content and changes. The Nintendo Switch version, Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition, was released in 2018 and combined 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 developed by Jupiter for the Nintendo 3DS.
Cadence of Hyrule, developed by Brace Yourself Games, is an officially licensed crossover of Zelda and 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 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. Originally, Nintendo planned to release three games together, but one game, The Legend of Zelda: Mystical Seed of Courage, was canceled because technical problems made it difficult to connect the games properly.
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 elements from strategy games like Final Fantasy Tactics. The other was an action game for the Wii featuring a character named Sheik, which would tell the story of how the Master Sword was created. Both ideas were not approved by Nintendo and were canceled.
Reception
The Legend of Zelda series has received very high praise from critics and players. Several games, including 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. This makes Zelda one of the few video game series to have 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 also 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, the series’ main character, appeared in nine of the 100 highest-rated games on Metacritic, all from the Zelda series. Guinness World Records named him the "most critically acclaimed video game playable character." Computer and Video Games gave The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess a 10/10 score. A Link to the Past received a Gold Award from Electronic Gaming Monthly. In Nintendo Power’s Top 200 countdown in 2004, Ocarina of Time ranked first, and seven other Zelda games placed in the top 40. Twilight Princess was named Game of the Year by multiple websites, including X-Play, GameTrailers, Electronic Gaming Monthly, and IGN. GameRankings editors gave Ocarina of Time the highest overall score. Game Informer awarded The 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 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 the use of leitmotifs by composer Richard Wagner. The success of Ocarina of Time increased sales of real ocarinas, a type of musical instrument. IGN praised the music of Majora’s Mask for its creativity, despite its use of MIDI technology. Electronic Gaming Monthly ranked Majora’s Mask as the seventh-greatest game, while Ocarina of Time was ranked eighth. The Zelda 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 The Legend of Zelda is the fourth best-selling game for the NES. In 1996, Next Generation ranked the Zelda series as the 64th best game overall. In 1999, Next Generation listed Zelda as number one on their "Top 50 Games of All Time," noting that the series offered more gameplay and innovation than most other titles. Empire magazine described Zelda as having "the most vividly-realised world and the most varied gameplay of any game on any console," calling it a strong contender 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, Ocarina of Time and Breath of the Wild, won the top honor during their respective award ceremonies.
Legacy
Many people in the video game industry have talked about how The Legend of Zelda games have influenced them. Dan Houser, who is the founder of Rockstar Games and the director of Grand Theft Auto, said that Zelda and Mario games on Nintendo 64 helped shape 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, mentioned that Zelda had an impact on his work, 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 influenced his game development, with A Link to the Past being his favorite game ever. Amy Hennig, who directed Soul Reaver and Uncharted, and previously worked at Crystal Dynamics and Naughty Dog, said Zelda inspired the Legacy of Kain series, with A Link to the Past influencing Blood Omen and Ocarina of Time influencing Soul Reaver. Richard Lemarchand, who created Soul Reaver and Uncharted, also said that A Link to the Past inspired how he combined gameplay with storytelling in his work. Chris Roberts, the director of Wing Commander and Star Citizen, 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 said that The Legend of Zelda is like a textbook for making 3D action games. Peter Molyneux, the founder of Lionhead Studios, said that Twilight Princess is one of his favorite games and inspired the Fable series. David Adams, the director of Darksiders, said Zelda influenced his work. Raphael Lacoste, who directed Prince of Persia and Assassin's Creed, said The Wind Waker inspired Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. CD Projekt Red, the company that made The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, said the Zelda series influenced their game. Alex Hall, the creator of the web series Ben Drowned, said Majora's Mask was the main inspiration for his work. Hajime Tabata, the director of Final Fantasy and The 3rd Birthday, said Ocarina of Time inspired the open world design of 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 published 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 list of characters 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) were added to the player list in Super Smash Bros. Melee and appeared in all later versions 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 playable character starting with Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. Both Young Link and Toon Link appear in the fifth game, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Other elements from the series, such as locations and items, are included throughout the Smash Bros. series, such as Assist Trophies, where computer-controlled versions of characters from The Legend of Zelda, including Tingle, Skull Kid, Midna, and Ghirahim from Skyward Sword, can fight as allies. Outside of the series, Nintendo allowed Link to be a playable character only in the GameCube version of Namco’s fighting game Soulcalibur II.
Link, based on his design from Skyward Sword, is a playable character in Mario Kart 8 through downloadable content (DLC), along with a racetrack called "Hyrule Circuit" inspired by The Legend of Zelda series. The first DLC pack is named after the series. In a post-launch update for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Link and his vehicle received alternate styles based on Breath of the Wild.
In the Wii U version of Sonic Lost World, a DLC stage inspired by The Legend of Zelda series was released in March 2014 and named "The Legend of Zelda Zone." It used the core gameplay of Sonic Lost World but included elements from the Zelda series, such as a heart-based health system, collecting rupees, and a small dungeon to explore.
In other media
In 1989, a 13-episode animated TV series based on The Legend of Zelda was created by DiC and distributed by Viacom Enterprises. The animated Zelda episodes aired every Friday, replacing the usual Super Mario Bros. cartoon that played during the rest of the week. The series loosely followed the two original Zelda games for the Nintendo Entertainment System, mixing characters and settings from those games with new ideas. Older versions of Link and Zelda from the show appeared in some episodes of Captain N: The Game Master during its second season.
Around 2015, a live-action TV series was being planned by Netflix and Nintendo. The project was described as a family-friendly version of Game of Thrones. However, details about the series were limited until 2021, when Adam Conover mentioned in an interview that the College Humor team had planned a skit combining Star Fox and Fantastic Mr. Fox and had spoken with Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto. Conover said Nintendo asked them to stop the project after a leak about the live-action Zelda show. Nintendo often stops outside projects to protect its intellectual property.
Valiant Comics released a short comic series 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, and others, were made with permission from Nintendo. These adaptations are mostly written and drawn by Japanese artist Akira Himekawa. The stories are not exact copies of the games and may include new plot elements.
Official books, novels, and gamebooks based on Zelda have also been released. The earliest was Moblin’s Magic Spear, published in 1989 by Western Publishing. It took place during the first Zelda game. Two gamebooks were published in 1992 as part of the Nintendo Adventure Books series, written by Matt Wayne. A novel based on Ocarina of Time was released in 1999. Additional gamebooks were published in 2001 and 2002 by Scholastic, written by Craig Wessel. In 2006, Scholastic released Link and the Portal of Doom, part of their Nintendo Heroes series, written by Tracey West.
In 2011, to mark the 25th anniversary of Zelda, 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, 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 Hyrule Historia became the top-selling book on Amazon, surpassing 50 Shades of Grey. In 2017, Dark Horse released The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts, a follow-up art book with more artwork and interviews.
In 2010, a music concert called Symphonic Legends in Cologne, Germany, focused on Nintendo music, including The Legend of Zelda. The second half of the concert was a 35-minute symphonic piece about Link’s journey from a child to a hero. In 2011, Nintendo commissioned The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses, a live orchestra performance of music from the series. The show was first performed in Los Angeles and later toured the United States and Canada. A CD of the symphony was included with the special edition of Skyward Sword for the Wii. In 2017, Nintendo released an album to celebrate Zelda’s 30th anniversary.
The Nintendo Music streaming service, available to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers as of June 2025, includes soundtracks from eight Zelda games, such as The Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of Time, and Breath of the Wild.
A Monopoly board game based on Zelda was released in the United States in 2014. A Clue board game inspired by Zelda came out in 2017. A UNO-style Zelda game was released in 2018, available only at GameStop in North America. A limited-edition 25th-anniversary 3DS was released in Australia in 2011.
In 2007, Imagi Animation Studios, known for TMNT and Astro Boy, created a film pitch for a Zelda movie. Nintendo declined the offer, likely due to the failure of the 1993 Super Mario Bros. film. In 2013, Zelda director Eiji Aonuma said Nintendo might want to involve audiences in a future film. In 2023, reports suggested Nintendo was close to making a Zelda film with Illumination and Universal Pictures, but the company denied the claims.
By November 2023, Nintendo was working on a live-action Zelda film with Sony Pictures. The film will be co-financed and distributed globally. Wes Ball will direct, with Derek Connolly writing the script. Miyamoto and Avi Arad will produce the film alongside Ball and his partner Joe Hartwick Jr. through Oddball Entertainment. In July 2025, Bo Bragason and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth were cast as Zelda and Link. The film was originally scheduled for March 26, 2027, but the release date was changed to May 7. Filming began in New Zealand in November 2025 and is expected to end in April 2026.