The Legend of Zelda is a video game series created by Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is mainly developed and published by Nintendo, but 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 member of the royal family descended from 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 fully united, to take over the world. Zelda often helps Link, sometimes by being rescued or by providing 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 represent one of these virtues. While fighting Ganon is a central theme in the series, some games take place in different worlds with other enemies, and Link may be sent to these places to help.
Since the first game was released in 1986, the series has grown to include 21 main games for Nintendo's major consoles, along with many other related games. An animated TV show based on the games aired in 1989, and manga versions of the series 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 Legend of Zelda games include puzzles, action-adventure, and exploration. These elements have remained consistent throughout the series, with small changes in each new game. Later games added stealth gameplay, where players must avoid enemies, 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 finding hidden areas often rewards them with helpful items or new abilities. 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 called the hookshot. These items can be bought, rented, or found as rewards. In 2017’s Breath of the Wild and its 2023 sequel, Tears of the Kingdom, swords and weapons are now 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 copy objects or enemies to solve puzzles or defeat foes.
In Skyward Sword (2011), motion controls let players simulate sword fighting by swinging the controller. Breath of the Wild introduced a physics engine, allowing players to solve puzzles using real-world physics, 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 differs by letting Zelda use echoes to attack or clear paths with bombs. In earlier games, swords are given to Link or found in hidden areas. More powerful swords or abilities can be discovered or learned in games. Existing weapons can also be upgraded.
The motion controls in Skyward Sword (2011) simulate sword fighting by swinging the controller. Breath of the Wild introduced a physics engine, allowing players to solve puzzles using real-world physics, 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 differs by letting Zelda use echoes to attack or clear paths with bombs. In earlier games, swords are given to Link or found in hidden areas. More powerful swords or abilities can be discovered or learned in games. Existing weapons can also be upgraded.
Although the games include role-playing elements (only Zelda II: The Adventure of Link has an experience system), they focus on direct combat. This has led to debate over whether Zelda games are action RPGs, a genre the series influenced. In 1992, series co-creator Shigeru Miyamoto said Zelda is a "real-time adventure game," not an RPG, because he wanted to keep the "live" feeling of gameplay. 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 games introduced features that became industry standards. The original Zelda (1986) was the first console game with a save function. Ocarina of Time (1998) added a targeting system that let players lock onto enemies or allies for easier 3D combat.
Most mainline Zelda games have three 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 challenging areas with enemies, bosses, and items. Each dungeon usually has a key item needed to solve puzzles or 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 complete dungeons in any order. These games do not hide progression items inside dungeons, but Tears of the Kingdom uses companions to solve Temple puzzles.
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 doors. In Breath of the Wild, Link uses his Sheikah Slate to activate terminals instead of a key. In Tears of the Kingdom, companions interact with locks to open boss doors. Early Zelda games called dungeons "the underworld," but later games had underground areas not labeled as dungeons, like Subrosia in Oracle of Seasons. Some games, like Four Swords, have no overworld and 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 was the only way to move between islands. In Breath of the Wild, rafts can be powered 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. Gliding, previously used for puzzles, is now central to exploration. Players can climb walls and glide to reach new areas, unlike in games like The Witcher or Skyrim, where climbing was often glitched.
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 entrance in the woods and entering it with a lantern. He has described creating the Zelda games as an effort to build 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 called Death Mountain was first used as a working title for the legend of the Triforce, inspired by battles from medieval Europe. In the French version of A Link to the Past, the Master Sword was named Excalibur, similar to the sword from 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 found the name "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. These instruments often trigger events, such as revealing hidden areas or transporting Link to dungeon entrances. This feature was used in The Legend of Zelda, 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 them. Ocarina of Time was one of the first non-dance games to include music-making as a gameplay element, a mechanic also seen in Majora's Mask.
"The Legend of Zelda Theme" was created for the first game. Koji Kondo, the series' composer and sound director, originally planned 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 composed 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 feel confusing to players.
Plot
The Legend of Zelda takes place mainly 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 Zelda games 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. Other areas, like Termina, the World of the Ocean King, Lorule, and Koholint, are different places connected to Hyrule in some way.
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 took life from everything. Before leaving, the goddesses left behind the Triforce, a powerful 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 who gets its power or decide if a wish is good or bad. Because of this, it was placed in a special place called the Sacred Realm until someone with balanced virtues could find it. If someone without balance tries to use the Triforce, it splits into three parts. The part that matches the user’s strongest belief stays with them, while the other two parts 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 peaceful place, while an evil heart turns it into a dark realm.
In the game Skyward Sword, a demon king named Demise tried to take the Triforce. After fighting the goddess Hylia, who protected the Triforce, Demise was trapped in a temple. Hylia saved the people of Hyrule by placing them on a floating island called Skyloft and created the Goddess Sword (later known as 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 chosen warrior) completed her plan, defeating Demise. However, Demise promised to return and harm those related to Link and Zelda. This prophecy came true in Ocarina of Time, when Ganondorf took 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 through generations. 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 Legend of Zelda series was unclear until an official timeline was included in the Hyrule Historia collector’s book, released in Japan in December 2011. Before this, in a 2003 interview, the game’s creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, confirmed that an internal document connected all the games. Later, in 2010, series producer Eiji Aonuma revealed 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 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, followed by Link’s Awakening. The events of Ocarina of Time happened centuries before A Link to the Past. Majora’s Mask came after Ocarina of Time, and Four Swords was earlier than 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 direct 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 was a sequel to The Wind Waker, followed by Spirit Tracks, which took place a century later. Skyward Sword happened before The Minish Cap, telling the story of the Master Sword’s creation.
In the early 2000s, Nintendo of America published a timeline on its official website, showing one possible order of events. This timeline included games like Ocarina of Time, 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 series translator named Daniel Owsen shared that Nintendo of America had once planned another timeline, but Japanese developers rejected the idea to keep the timeline open to players’ imagination.
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the series, the book The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia was published in December 2011. It included an official timeline showing that after Ocarina of Time, the story split into three paths. One path led 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. The other two paths showed Link defeating Ganon, leading to timelines where young Zelda sends him back in time or where adult Zelda rebuilds her kingdom. The childhood timeline included Majora’s Mask, Twilight Princess, and Four Swords Adventures. The adult timeline included Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass, and Spirit Tracks.
Released 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 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 on the Famicom Disk System. A cartridge version for the Nintendo Entertainment System, which used a special type of memory that did not need power to keep 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 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 came out 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 view was still used for overworld areas) and 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 world called the Dark World. The game was released for the Super NES in November 1991. It was re-released for the Game Boy Advance in 2002. The Super NES version was later 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 the first Zelda game for a handheld system, the Game Boy, and the first game not set in Hyrule or without Princess Zelda. It 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 released 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, which was released in November 1998. This game was originally called Zelda 64 and was planned for a different system before being made for the Nintendo 64. It kept the core gameplay from earlier 2D games. A new feature called lock-on targeting allowed players to aim more precisely by focusing the camera on enemies. The game used context-sensitive buttons, where pressing 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 Link climb it. The game introduced Link's horse, Epona, which allowed fast travel and archery from horseback. Ocarina of Time was widely praised and considered one of the greatest 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, which had more difficult dungeon layouts, was released for the GameCube in 2002. It was included with The Wind Waker in some regions. Ocarina of Time was later available on the Wii, Wii U, and Nintendo Switch through Virtual Console and Nintendo Classics. A 3D version with remade graphics was released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2011.
The follow-up to Ocarina of Time, 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, where players repeated the same three days until they completed the game's goals. The game was originally called Zelda Gaiden in Japan. Players could use masks to transform into creatures with special abilities. Majora's Mask had a darker tone than previous games, with themes of death and tragedy. A large moon slowly descended over 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 2015. The 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 used passwords or a Game Link Cable to connect the two games. After completing one game, players received a password to unlock the other as a sequel. These games were developed by Flagship with guidance from Nintendo’s creator, Shigeru Miyamoto. After experimenting with updating the original Zelda game for 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 focused on puzzles, while Oracle of Seasons focused on action. Both games were later released on the 3DS Virtual Console and Nintendo Classics.
The 2002 Game Boy Advance version of A Link to the Past included a new game called Four Swords, the first multiplayer Zelda game. This game introduced Toon Link, a name later used for a cartoon-style version of Link in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. A special
Spin-off games
As the video game series has grown in popularity, several games have been released that take place within 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.
Three Zelda-themed LCD games were created between 1989 and 1992. The Game & Watch game Zelda was released first in August 1989 as a dual-screen handheld electronic game. 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 the Game & Watch Zelda was developed by Nintendo, the next two LCD games were created by third-party companies under 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. developed 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 developed for the CD-i system in the early 1990s. These games were created as a compromise between Philips and Nintendo after the companies failed to develop 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 independently without input or influence from Nintendo. These games are not officially part of the Zelda timeline and are considered a separate, self-contained story. While they are widely considered the weakest games in the series, they have gained a small fan base through internet references.
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 set in the world of Twilight Princess, The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia classifies the rail shooter game Link's Crossbow Training for the Wii as 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 with added content. The Nintendo Switch version, Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition, was released in 2018 and included content from both earlier 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 released for download on the Nintendo 3DS.
Cadence of Hyrule, developed by Brace Yourself Games, is an officially licensed crossover game that combines 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, follows the same gameplay style as Hyrule Warriors. It was released in November 2020.
A Zelda-themed version of the game Vermin was included on the 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 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, but one game, The Legend of Zelda: Mystical Seed of Courage, was canceled because of technical problems caused by how the games were connected.
A close partner of Nintendo, Retro Studios, created early plans for two Zelda games. The first idea was a Nintendo DS game called Heroes of Hyrule, which would mix the usual gameplay of the Zelda series with the style of strategy games like Final Fantasy Tactics. The second idea was an action game for the Wii featuring a character named Sheik, which would explain how the Master Sword was created. Both projects were stopped after Nintendo did not approve them.
Reception
The Legend of Zelda series has been highly praised by critics and players. Games such as Ocarina of Time, Skyward Sword, Breath of the Wild, and Tears of the Kingdom each received a perfect 10/10 score from Edge magazine. These four games, along with Wind Waker, earned a 40/40 score (10/10 from four reviewers) from Famitsu magazine, making Zelda one of the few game 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 Zelda games 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 main character, appeared in nine of the 100 highest-rated games on Metacritic, all from the Zelda series, 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 magazine. A Link to the Past was awarded a Gold Award by 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 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 identify different game regions, a technique compared to Richard Wagner’s use of leitmotifs for characters and themes. The success of Ocarina of Time led to 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. Majora’s Mask was ranked the seventh-greatest game by Electronic Gaming Monthly, while Ocarina of Time was ranked eighth. The Zelda series won the GameFAQs Best Series Ever competition.
As of March 2025, the Legend of Zelda franchise has sold 156.28 million copies. The original The Legend of Zelda was the fourth best-selling game for the NES. In 1996, the series was ranked 64th among the top games by Next Generation magazine. In 1999, Next Generation listed Zelda as number 1 on its "Top 50 Games of All Time," noting its innovation and gameplay. 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. 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 shared how The Legend of Zelda games have influenced their work. Dan Houser, founder of Rockstar Games and director of Grand Theft Auto, said that Zelda and Mario games on the Nintendo 64 helped shape the development of the Grand Theft Auto series and other 3D games. Sam Houser, also a founder and director at Rockstar Games, mentioned that Zelda games inspired the design of Grand Theft Auto III, calling it "Zelda meets Goodfellas." Hideki Kamiya, founder of PlatinumGames and director of Ōkami, said that The Legend of Zelda series influenced his work, with A Link to the Past being his favorite game ever.
Amy Hennig, director of Soul Reaver and Uncharted, said Zelda games 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, creator of Soul Reaver and Uncharted, said A Link to the Past’s way of mixing gameplay and storytelling inspired Soul Reaver. Chris Roberts, director of Wing Commander and Star Citizen, said Zelda games influenced his action role-playing game, Times of Lore.
Hidetaka Miyazaki, creator of the Dark Souls series, said A Link to the Past is one of his favorite role-playing games. Fumito Ueda, director of Ico, said Zelda games influenced Shadow of the Colossus. Miyazaki also said The Legend of Zelda serves as a guide for making 3D action games. Peter Molyneux, founder of Lionhead Studios, said Twilight Princess is one of his favorite games and inspired the Fable series.
David Adams, director of Darksiders, said Zelda games influenced his work. Raphael Lacoste, director of Prince of Persia and Assassin’s Creed, said The Wind Waker influenced Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. CD Projekt Red said the Zelda series inspired The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Majora’s Mask was the main influence for Alex Hall’s web series Ben Drowned. Hajime Tabata, director of Final Fantasy and The 3rd Birthday, said Ocarina of Time inspired the open world 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 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 Super Smash Bros. games. 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 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 appear in the fifth game, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Other elements from the series, such as locations and items, are also included in the Super Smash Bros. games, such as Assist Trophies, where computer-controlled versions of characters like Tingle, Skull Kid, Midna, and Ghirahim from Skyward Sword can fight as allies. Outside of the Super Smash Bros. 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 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 inspired by The Legend of Zelda series was released in March 2014 and called "The Legend of Zelda Zone." It used the main gameplay style of Sonic Lost World but included features from The Legend of Zelda, such as a heart-based health system, rupee collection, and a small dungeon to explore.
In other media
A 13-episode American animated TV series, created by DiC and shared by Viacom Enterprises, was shown in 1989. The animated Zelda episodes aired every Friday, replacing the usual Super Mario Bros. cartoon that was shown earlier in the week. The series mixes elements from the original The Legend of Zelda and The Adventure of Link games with new characters and settings. Older versions of Link and Zelda from the series appeared in some episodes of Captain N: The Game Master during its second season.
A live-action TV series was being planned around 2015, as reported by an anonymous Netflix employee to The Wall Street Journal. The project was a partnership between Netflix and Nintendo, and it was meant to be a family-friendly version of Game of Thrones. Details about the series were not shared 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. They had also spoken with Miyamoto about the project. Conover said Nintendo asked them to stop the project after a leak about the live-action Zelda show, as Nintendo wanted to protect its intellectual property and canceled other outside projects, including the live-action series.
Valiant Comics released a short comic series featuring characters and settings from the Zelda cartoon as part of their Nintendo Comics System line. Manga versions 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 made under Nintendo's license. These manga were mostly written and drawn by Akira Himekawa. The stories in these manga are not exactly the same as the games and may include new plot details.
Official books, novels, and gamebooks based on the Zelda series have also been released. The first was Moblin's Magic Spear, published in 1989 by Western Publishing and written by Jack C. Harris. It takes place during the first Zelda game. Two gamebooks were published in the Nintendo Adventure Books series by Archway, both written by Matt Wayne. These books are called The Crystal Trap and The Shadow Prince, and were released in 1992. A novel about Ocarina of Time was published in 1999 by Sybex Inc. and written by Jason R. Rich. Two more gamebooks were released in the You Decide on the Adventure series by Scholastic. These books, based on Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages, were written by Craig Wessel and released in 2001 and 2002. In 2006, Scholastic published a novel called Link and the Portal of Doom, written by Tracey West, which takes place 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 beginning up to the release of Skyward Sword in 2011, along with essays about the games' development and a timeline of the series. It also includes a prequel manga to Skyward Sword by Akira Himekawa. The English version of the book became the top-selling item on Amazon, surpassing E. L. James's 50 Shades of Grey trilogy. In 2017, Dark Horse released a follow-up art book called The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts, which includes more artwork and interviews.
A video game music concert called Symphonic Legends took place in Cologne, Germany, on September 23, 2010. The concert focused on music from Nintendo games, including The Legend of Zelda. After a break, the second half of the concert was dedicated to a 35-minute symphonic piece that tells 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 was first held in Los Angeles in the fall of 2011 and has since been shown in 18 locations across the United States and Canada. Nintendo also released a CD called The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Special Orchestra CD, which includes eight tracks from the symphony. The CD was included with the special edition of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for the Wii. In 2017, Nintendo celebrated the 30th anniversary of the series with an album released in Japan.
As of June 2025, the Nintendo Music streaming service includes 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 Monopoly board game themed around The Legend of Zelda 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, available only at GameStop in North America. A limited-edition Zelda 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 Zelda movie. Nintendo did not accept the offer because of the failure 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 June 2023, it was reported that 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 the reports later that month.
By November 2023, Nintendo was working on a live-action Zelda movie with Sony Pictures, which will co-finance and distribute it globally. Wes Ball is set to direct, 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 movie 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