The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is an action-adventure game created and released by Nintendo for the GameCube. It is part of The Legend of Zelda series and was first released in Japan on December 13, 2002, in North America on March 23, 2003, and in Europe on May 2, 2003.

The game takes place on a group of islands in a large sea, which is a new setting for the series. The story follows Link, who goes on a journey to save his sister from the sorcerer Ganon and becomes involved in a battle for the Triforce, a powerful relic that can grant wishes. With help from allies such as Tetra, a pirate captain who is actually Princess Zelda in disguise, and a talking sailboat named the King of Red Lions, Link travels across the sea, explores islands, and enters dungeons to gain the strength needed to defeat Ganon. Wind plays an important role in the game, and players can control it using a magical baton called the Wind Waker.

The game was directed by Eiji Aonuma and produced by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. Development began in 2000. It uses a similar 3D gameplay style as earlier games in the series, such as Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, but the developers chose not to use realistic graphics. Instead, they used a unique cartoon-like art style created with a technique called cel shading.

When it was first released, The Wind Waker was praised for its visuals, gameplay, level design, music, and story. However, some players had different opinions about the art style, which led to lower-than-expected sales. The game sold 4.6 million copies, compared to 7.6 million copies sold by Ocarina of Time. Because of this, Nintendo changed its approach for the next major Zelda game, Twilight Princess, which had a more realistic style. Over time, The Wind Waker gained more recognition and is now considered one of the greatest video games ever made. The game introduced the character "Toon Link" and had two direct sequels for the Nintendo DS: Phantom Hourglass (2007) and Spirit Tracks (2009). It was re-released as a launch title for the Nintendo Switch 2 as part of the Nintendo Classics service on June 5, 2025. A high-definition version, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, was released for the Wii U in September 2013.

Gameplay

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is an action-adventure game that includes role-playing elements. The way to play is similar to older games in the series: the player moves the main character, Link, in three dimensions from a third-person view. Link fights enemies using a sword and shield, as well as other weapons and tools. He interacts with other characters and objects by pressing an action button. Like previous games, The Wind Waker has a targeting system that lets Link "lock on" to enemies or targets. A new feature is the ability to move the camera around Link. Onscreen meters show how much health and magic Link has. Link can increase his health by finding "heart containers" and pieces in the game.

The game world includes 49 sections of the "Great Sea," each with an island or group of islands. Some islands must be explored to continue the story, while others are optional. Like all Zelda games, The Wind Waker has several dungeons—large, enclosed areas where Link fights enemies, finds items, solves puzzles, and progresses in the game. Each dungeon ends with a battle against a boss, a very strong enemy. In addition to the main story, the game has many sidequests—small tasks the player can choose to complete for rewards. For example, Link can use the "Picto Box," a camera tool, to take pictures to finish quests.

Throughout the game, Link finds items and weapons that give him new abilities. These items are often needed to reach certain areas, defeat bosses, or continue the story. For example, the grappling hook is required to pass obstacles and defeat the boss in the Dragon Roost Cavern dungeon. It can later be used to access areas that were previously unreachable. The "Tingle Tuner" is a special item that lets a second player control the character Tingle if the system is connected to a Game Boy Advance with a link cable.

A large part of the game involves sailing between islands on Link's boat, the King of Red Lions. The boat's sail moves based on wind direction, which can be one of eight possible directions. A tailwind behind the boat gives it the fastest speed, while sailing against the wind is harder. The Great Sea has enemies and obstacles different from those on land. Some items also have new uses while Link is on the King of Red Lions. For example, the grappling hook acts as a crane to recover sunken treasure. Link uses a sea chart to explore the ocean, which can be updated with information about each area and island. As the game progresses, Link finds more charts that show the locations of treasure chests and important places. On land, dungeons also have similar maps.

Early in the game, Link receives the Wind Waker, a baton that lets him control the wind and use other powers by "conducting" specific songs. The player controls the Wind Waker by moving the joypads to change the song's pitch and rhythm. The first song, the "Wind's Requiem," lets Link change the wind's direction, allowing him to sail anywhere. Link can learn five other songs for the Wind Waker, which give abilities like traveling to different areas or changing the time of day.

Synopsis

The Wind Waker is set in the "New World" timeline, one of several timelines in which Zelda games take place after the events of Ocarina of Time. The game follows the "Adult Link" timeline, which begins after Link, called the "Hero of Time," defeats Ganon and time-travels back to his childhood. A crisis happens when Ganon returns, but Link is not there to stop him. Centuries later, people live on islands in the Great Sea. They remember Link’s story as a legend, but the fate of his kingdom is unknown. The main character, a young boy named Link, lives on Outset Island, where boys wear green clothing like the Hero of Time when they come of age.

During Link’s coming of age, a large bird drops Tetra, a pirate captain, into the forest of Outset Island. Link rescues Tetra from monsters, but the bird takes Link’s sister, Aryll. Tetra agrees to help Link find Aryll, and they sail to the Forsaken Fortress, where the bird, called the Helmaroc King, has been capturing girls with long ears. Link finds Aryll and other kidnapped girls, but the Helmaroc King captures him and takes him to a man in black, who orders Link thrown into the sea.

Link is rescued at Windfall Island by a sailboat that can think and speak, called the King of Red Lions. The King explains that the bird’s master is Ganon, who has returned. To defeat Ganon, Link must find the power of the Hero of Time, which requires collecting the three Pearls of the Goddesses. Link finds Din’s Pearl on Dragon Roost Island, home to the Rito people and the dragon Valoo. He finds Farore’s Pearl in Forest Haven, where the Great Deku Tree and Koroks live. He finds Nayru’s Pearl with the water spirit Jabun on Outset Island. The King of Red Lions then takes Link to the Tower of the Gods, where Link faces challenges before traveling underwater to a castle frozen in time. There, Link finds the Hero of Time’s weapon, the Master Sword.

Link returns to the Forsaken Fortress. Tetra’s crew arrives and rescues the girls, but Ganon defeats Link and Tetra, and the Master Sword loses its power. Ganon recognizes Tetra’s Triforce necklace and realizes she is the incarnation of Princess Zelda he is searching for. Link’s Rito allies and Valoo save Link and Tetra from Ganon. The King of Red Lions takes them to an underwater realm, explaining it is the legendary kingdom of Hyrule, which the goddesses submerged long ago to trap Ganon while the people fled to the mountains. The King of Red Lions reveals he is Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, the last king of Hyrule, and Tetra is his heir, Zelda, the keeper of the Triforce of Wisdom.

Tetra stays in the castle while Link and the King travel to find the two sages who gave the Master Sword its power. They discover Ganon’s forces killed the sages, so Link must awaken new sages: the Rito Medli and the Korok Makar. Link guides them through the Earth and Wind Temples, and the sages restore the Master Sword’s power. The King fears Ganon has left the Forsaken Fortress and plans an attack. They then search for the eight pieces of the missing Triforce of Courage, once held by the Hero of Time. The gods recognize Link as the Hero of Winds.

Link and the King return to Hyrule and find Ganon has captured Tetra. Link follows them to Ganon’s tower, defeating Ganon’s followers before Ganon overpowers him. Ganon combines his Triforce of Power with Link’s and Tetra’s Triforce pieces to form the complete Triforce, which will grant his wish to rule the world. Before Ganon can act, the King of Hyrule appears and wishes the goddesses to wash Ganon and Hyrule away, giving Link and Tetra hope for their future. Link and Tetra battle Ganon with the Master Sword and magical arrows as water surrounds them. With the final strike, the Master Sword turns Ganon to stone. Link and Tetra rise to the surface as the King and Hyrule are submerged. After reuniting with their friends, the heroes sail to find a new land.

Development

Nintendo's Zelda team began planning a new game early in the development of the GameCube system, before Majora's Mask was completed for the Nintendo 64 in 2000. Eiji Aonuma, who directed Majora's Mask, led the project. Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka, the creators of the Zelda series, worked as producers. Early ideas for the game were similar to Ocarina of Time, with improved graphics for the GameCube's technology. The team quickly made a short clip of Link fighting Ganondorf for a demonstration at the 2000 Space World event, where Nintendo introduced the GameCube. The clip was well-received by fans and critics, who thought it might show the next Zelda game.

However, the team ran out of ideas for this style. Aonuma disliked the demo, calling it too similar to past Zelda games. The team explored other ideas until a designer named Yoshiki Haruhana created a cartoonish drawing of young Link that caught their attention. A design manager, Satoru Takizawa, then drew an enemy Moblin in the same style. The team decided to use this new, cartoon-like look for the game. To achieve this, they used a technique called cel shading on 3D models, making the game look like an interactive cartoon. The developers used a 3D tool called Maya and a custom game engine. Aonuma kept the project secret at first, worried that Miyamoto might not approve of the cartoon style.

With this decision, development moved quickly. The team chose to set the game on islands in an ocean, believing it would work well with the cartoon style. This idea inspired the game's sailing feature. Some features, like the characters' large eyes, caused confusion among producers Miyamoto and Tezuka. Aonuma's team humorously suggested that Link could shoot beams from his eyes before deciding to have him focus on important objects, giving players hints about what to do next. Miyamoto remained unsure about the art style but eventually agreed to continue the project, partly because the team was excited about the cartoon look and because making a realistic Zelda might have taken too long with their resources.

Nintendo showed a demo clip of the new game at the 2001 Space World event. Reactions to the cartoon style were mixed. Some people liked the new look, but others were upset because they had hoped for a more realistic Zelda like the previous year's demo. Critics mockingly called the game "Celda." Miyamoto was surprised by the response and decided to wait until the team finished a playable version of the game before sharing more details, hoping to focus attention on the gameplay instead of the graphics.

Miyamoto introduced a playable demo at the next year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), along with another Zelda game for the GameCube, Four Swords Adventures. Miyamoto had trouble demonstrating a new ability for Link to use enemies' dropped weapons. However, the E3 demo received more positive feedback than the Space World demo. The game won the 2002 Game Critics Award for Best Console Game at E3. An IGN editor said the cartoon style "works very nicely" and felt "very much like Zelda." The whimsical look was compared to A Link to the Past and artwork from older Zelda games. The E3 demo also introduced new features, such as the ability to connect to the Game Boy Advance and get help from a character named Tingle. However, the art style still divided opinions.

Development continued through late 2002, with planned release dates of December 2002 in Japan and early 2003 in North America. During the final stages, two dungeons that were delayed were removed and replaced with a quest to collect Triforce pieces in the Great Sea. Some elements from these dungeons were later used in other Zelda games. On October 15, 2002, Nintendo announced the game's Japanese title, Kaze no Takuto (Wind Baton), to highlight the role of wind in the story. The English title, The Wind Waker, was revealed on December 2, 2002. Between the Japanese and North American releases, the team revised some parts of the game, shortening a long quest to recover Triforce pieces.

The music for The Wind Waker was composed by Kenta Nagata, Hajime Wakai, Toru Minegishi, and Koji Kondo. The sound team was larger than usual to meet Nintendo's high standards despite the rushed development schedule. Koji Kondo, the main composer for the Zelda series, contributed to the score but did not lead the sound team. However, the music included some of his older pieces, updated to reflect the time that had passed in the story.

The soundtrack changes based on the environment, time of day, and other conditions. Much of the music is inspired by traditional Irish songs and is lighter and more upbeat than previous Zelda scores. Advances in MIDI technology allowed the music to sound more like real instruments than in earlier games. The soundtrack includes strings, winds, brass, percussion, and wordless vocals. The vocals are especially noticeable in the songs Link sings with the Wind Waker, which are in the key of D major. Shigeru Miyamoto is said to have played the mandolin in the game's "Title Theme." A two-disc, 133-track soundtrack album, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker Original Sound Tracks, was released on March 19, 2003, by Scitron Digital Content.

Release and promotion

The Wind Waker was released on December 13, 2002, in Japan, on March 24, 2003, in North America, and on May 2, 2003, in Europe. To promote the game, Nintendo gave customers a bonus disc if they pre-ordered it. The disc included a GameCube version of Ocarina of Time and a previously unreleased expansion called Ura Zelda. Ura Zelda was mostly based on Ocarina of Time but had some changes, like new dungeon challenges. It was originally made for the Nintendo 64's 64DD peripheral but was put on hold when that system failed. In North America and Europe, Ura Zelda was named Ocarina of Time Master Quest. These discs became highly valued in North America, with some customers canceling pre-orders to obtain them. To prevent this in Europe, Nintendo sold the bonus disc only in two-disc packages with The Wind Waker.

In May 2003, Nintendo bundled The Wind Waker with limited edition GameCubes in North America and Europe. On November 17, 2003, Nintendo released another promotion called The Legend of Zelda Collector's Edition on a compilation disc. This disc included ports of the original Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, Ocarina of Time, and Majora's Mask, along with a Wind Waker demo and two featurettes. The Collector's Edition was never sold separately but was included in a GameCube bundle and given to existing GameCube owners who registered their systems or subscribed to Nintendo Power. Fans highly valued the compilation, and all 1,000 copies available in the United Kingdom and Ireland were claimed quickly. To help customers in these regions, Nintendo offered extra copies to those who bought select GameCube games.

In 2013, Nintendo released a high definition version of The Wind Waker, called The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, for the Wii U. The idea came from staff who tested different games to explore the Wii U's features while planning Breath of the Wild. Developers found that The Wind Waker worked especially well in high definition. When the team determined it would take less than a year to remaster the game, Aonuma asked Miyamoto for approval. Management was hesitant because of mixed reactions to the original game in 2003, but Miyamoto agreed because opinions had improved over time. Aonuma was the producer, and Daiki Iwamoto was the director. The soundtrack was updated by Kenta Nagata, Hajime Wakai, Asuka Hayazaki, and Atsuko Asahi. Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development (EAD) handled most of the development, while external companies helped create high-resolution textures. The project took six months to complete.

The Wind Waker HD includes high definition graphics and better lighting. The Wii U GamePad's touchscreen acts as a map and inventory, removing the need to switch between gameplay and menus. Players can use motion controls to play the game. Some weapons, like the bow, can be aimed using the GamePad's gyroscope, similar to Ocarina of Time 3D. The game supports Off-TV Play, allowing players to use only the Wii U GamePad. It can also be played on the Wii U Pro Controller, which is similar to the one used in the original game. Developers made gameplay changes, such as adding a new item called the "Swift Sail" for faster sailing, streamlining the Triforce quest, improving the Picto Box, and replacing the Tingle Tuner with a Tingle Bottle that connected to Miiverse before its shutdown in 2017.

A limited-edition bundle combining a digital version of the game and the Deluxe Wii U console was released on September 20, 2013, in North America. The black console had a GamePad with a golden Hylian Crest and golden symbols from The Wind Waker. A redemption code for a digital copy of The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia was also included. A Ganondorf figurine was added to a special edition of the game, available only through GameStop.

On June 5, 2025, Nintendo added the original GameCube version of The Wind Waker to Nintendo Switch Online's Nintendo Classics library. It was one of the first three GameCube titles available on the service and is exclusive to the Switch 2 through the "Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack" subscription.

Reception

The Wind Waker received a lot of praise from critics. A website called Metacritic gave it a score of 96 out of 100 based on 80 reviews, which means most critics thought it was excellent. It was the fourth game to get a perfect score from the Japanese magazine Famitsu. It also received perfect scores from other magazines like Computer and Video Games, Game Informer, Game Pro, Nintendo Power, and Planet GameCube. Many other reviewers gave it high marks, but it did not reach the same level of praise as Ocarina of Time.

Critics often mentioned that some fans were unsure about the game’s use of cel shading, but they praised its visuals. Reviewers compared the game to a cartoon and said the animation reminded them of Disney and Hayao Miyazaki’s films. They especially liked how expressive the characters looked and how the details in the game world made it feel rich and complete. Famitsu said the design brought all the game’s parts together into a unified whole. Electronic Gaming Monthly said the animation quality was unmatched in games and called the look "as effective as it is unique." Matt Casamassina of IGN said that even though some fans disliked the graphics, Nintendo used the technology well and showed the GameCube’s full potential. Jeff Gerstmann of GameSpot said doubts about the visuals were not fair and said the character design helped the story feel more emotional. Steve Thomason of Nintendo Power said that even though he was unsure at first, the visuals worked well and made the game enjoyable.

Critics also liked the gameplay, especially the controls, fighting, and puzzles. Many said the gameplay was similar to Ocarina of Time but added new features like moving the camera, attacking enemies, and using items from enemies. Casamassina said the games are very similar beyond their looks. Andrew Reiner of Game Informer said the gameplay was more complex and better than earlier games in the series. Shane Bettenhausen of Electronic Gaming Monthly said the core gameplay was the best in the series. However, Edge said the game might feel less exciting to experienced players because it is similar to older Zelda games. Famitsu said the game was easy to play, even for new players. Casamassina praised the controls and the variety of actions players could do. Gerstmann liked how many different items could be used. Bettenhausen said the variety of options kept the game fun. GamePro’s Star Dingo enjoyed the different fighting moves and puzzles, calling the game a mix of art and classic gameplay.

Other praised parts of the game included its large world and dungeon designs. The story was also well-received, with Nintendo Power’s Steven Grimm calling it a masterpiece of style and storytelling. Many critics liked the music, though some said the lack of voice acting was a problem.

The most common criticism was the focus on sailing, especially later in the game when players had to travel across the ocean to collect items. Gerstmann said the sailing became boring toward the end. Edge said the sailing felt natural but still had dull parts. Some players found using the Wind Waker to change wind direction annoying. Casamassina said using the device became tedious. However, some reviewers liked the sailing, such as Bettenhausen and Greg Sewart, who enjoyed the combat and side quests at sea. Another criticism was the game’s difficulty, which Casamassina said became too easy once players improved Link’s health.

Several publications named The Wind Waker Game of the Year, including GameSpot, Nintendo Power, GameFAQs, Planet GameCube, and Games magazine. IGN gave it the Readers’ Choice award for 2003 and called it the best adventure game for the GameCube. The game ranked 157th in Electronic Gaming Monthly’s list of top games in 2006. It won the Excellence in Visual Arts award at the 2004 Game Developers Choice Awards and was a finalist for Game of the Year. The Wind Waker also won "Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction" at the 7th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards and received eight other nominations.

Players had mixed reactions to the game’s cel-shaded look. In Japan, where anime-style designs are common, the game was more warmly received. In North America, opinions were more divided. Some players liked the design, but others thought it looked too simple or childish. Stephen Totilo of Kotaku said some criticism came from worries that Nintendo was focusing too much on games for younger players instead of more mature, realistic games.

The Wind Waker had the most successful pre-order campaign in Nintendo’s history at the time. However, sales were lower than expected. Director Aonuma said sales were disappointing in both Japan and North America. In Japan, fewer people were buying games overall, a trend called "gamer drift." In North America, the game sold slowly and reached one million copies later than expected. The Wind Waker sold 4.6 million copies, which was fewer than Ocarina of Time’s 7.6 million. Nintendo of America said the cel-shaded graphics were a major reason for lower sales in North America, as older teenagers, who usually buy Zelda games, disliked the look. Miyamoto said the game did not include enough new ideas to attract new or returning players.

The Wind Waker HD received good reviews, with Metacritic giving it a score of 90 out of 100 based on 70 reviews. Critics said the improved graphics made the game look better. Dan Ryckert of Game Informer said the upgrades were clear and that the flooded world of Hyrule looked amazing. IGN’s Jose Otero said the game looked great. Andrew Fitch of Electronic Gaming Monthly said the HD version improved the already excellent visuals.

The game sold 30,000 physical copies in Japan during its first week. Sales for the HD version were not mentioned in the text.

Legacy

Nintendo originally planned to create a direct sequel for the GameCube, developed by Aonuma’s Zelda team with the working title Wind Waker 2. However, the game’s poor reception in North America and economic challenges in Japan led Aonuma to believe that a more realistic version of Zelda would better attract the North American market. He convinced Miyamoto to approve the development of Twilight Princess, a game with realistic visuals using Wind Waker’s engine. This game became a major success for the GameCube and the newly released Wii.

The Wind Waker introduced a version of the character Link named "Toon Link," who later appeared in several Nintendo games. The game had two direct sequels on the Nintendo DS: Phantom Hourglass (2007) and Spirit Tracks (2009). Phantom Hourglass continues the story of Link and Tetra as they explore new areas of the Great Sea. Spirit Tracks takes place about a century later and follows a new Link and Zelda, with Zelda being a descendant of Tetra, as they travel through New Hyrule using a magical train. Toon Link also appeared in other Zelda games not directly connected to Wind Waker, such as Four Swords Adventures (2004), The Minish Cap (2005), and Tri Force Heroes (2015). He also appears as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. and in Hyrule Warriors Legends (2016), a game that imitates the style of Zelda.

Musicians in the concert tour The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses used special batons designed for Wind Waker. The game also influenced Breath of the Wild (2017), which shares a similar artistic style but uses more realistic proportions. Breath of the Wild includes characters and elements from Wind Waker, leading some fans to believe it follows the "Adult Timeline" theory connected to Wind Waker.

Critics have long praised Wind Waker. It has been listed among the best video games by publications like Electronic Gaming Monthly, Nintendo Power, and IGN. Nintendo Power ranked it the fourth best game ever on a Nintendo console and the second best GameCube game of all time, behind only Resident Evil 4. The game’s ending was also named one of the greatest in Nintendo history due to its dramatic final battle. UGO included Wind Waker in their list of the "Top 50 Games That Belong On the 3DS." In a review of the GameCube, IGN named Wind Waker the fourth best game ever released for the system.

Over time, Wind Waker’s initial mixed reception among fans has improved, and it is now widely regarded as a classic. Many writers note that its artistic style has aged well compared to games with more realistic graphics, which often become outdated. Nintendo officials describe this change in perception as an example of the "Zelda cycle," a pattern where fans’ opinions of Zelda games improve over time. In 2013, Keza MacDonald of IGN wrote that Wind Waker had surpassed its early reception and is now "popularly considered among the very best Zeldas."