The Legend of Zelda is a video game series created by Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. Nintendo mainly develops and publishes the games, though some versions and re-releases have been made by other companies, including Flagship, Grezzo, and Tantalus Media.
The series follows Link, a brave young man from the Hylian race, who resembles elves, and Princess Zelda, a royal descendant of the goddess Hylia. Together, they fight to protect the land of Hyrule from Ganon, a powerful evil ruler who wants to use the Triforce, a sacred relic that can grant wishes, to take control of the world. Zelda often helps Link, sometimes acting as a person in need of rescue. If someone who lacks balance in Power, Courage, and Wisdom tries to touch the Triforce, it will break into three parts and connect with three individuals who each represent one of these virtues. While Ganon is a main enemy in many games, other titles in the series take place in different worlds with new challenges, and Link may travel to these places to help.
Since its first release in 1986, the Legend of Zelda series has grown to include 21 main games across Nintendo’s major consoles, as well as many side projects. An animated TV show based on the games aired in 1989, and comic book versions of the games have been made in Japan since 1997. The Legend of Zelda is one of Nintendo’s most popular franchises, and several of its games are widely regarded as some of the best video games ever made.
Gameplay
The Legend of Zelda games combine puzzles, action-adventure, and exploration. These elements have remained a key part of the series, with small changes added in each new game. Later games include stealth gameplay, where players 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.
Zelda games can be completed with little exploration, but players often earn rewards like helpful items or new abilities by solving puzzles or discovering hidden areas. Some items appear in many games, while others are unique to one game. Common items include bombs that can break doors, boomerangs that can harm 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. 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 controlled through a menu, while the sword is fixed. In Echoes of Wisdom, Zelda uses a device called the Tri Rod to create copies of objects or enemies to solve puzzles or defeat enemies. Early games often give Link a sword or have him find one in a hidden area. Stronger swords or special abilities can be found or taught to Link. Existing weapons can also be upgraded.
The 2011 game Skyward Sword uses motion controls with the Wii or Nintendo Switch to simulate sword fighting by swinging the controller. Breath of the Wild added a physics engine, allowing players to solve problems using physics, like rolling boulders onto enemies. It also included a chemistry engine, which determines how elements like fire, water, or wind interact with objects. Echoes of Wisdom changes combat by letting Zelda use the Tri Rod to copy objects or enemies. Newer games also let players use abilities to move objects onto enemies, drop them into holes, or cross 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 Zelda games should be called action RPGs. 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 rely 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 that became industry standards. The original Zelda was the first console game with a save function, letting players pause and resume later. Ocarina of Time added a targeting system that helped players aim at enemies or allies in 3D combat.
Most mainline Zelda games have three areas: an overworld that connects all other areas and allows free movement; areas where players can talk to characters, buy items, or complete side quests; and dungeons (or temples, towers), which are challenging areas with enemies, bosses, and items. Each dungeon usually has one key item that helps solve puzzles or defeat a boss. In 2013, A Link Between Worlds let players rent items to reach dungeons. Later games like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom let players access dungeons in any order. These games no longer hide items inside dungeons for progression, though Tears of the Kingdom uses companions to solve Temple challenges.
Dungeons often include maps to show their layout and magic compasses to find keys or items. After the NES, dungeons had a "big key" to unlock bosses. Breath of the Wild uses the Sheikah Slate to activate dungeon controls, while Tears of the Kingdom uses companions to unlock Temple doors. The original Zelda called its dungeons "the underworld," but later games had underground areas not labeled as dungeons, like Subrosia in Oracle of Seasons or the Still World in Echoes of Wisdom. Some games, like Four Swords or Tri Force Heroes, use random levels or hub worlds instead of a connected overworld.
Rafts first appeared in the first game but had limited use. In The Wind Waker (2002) and Phantom Hourglass (2007), sailing was the only way to travel between islands. In Breath of the Wild, rafts can use wind from the chemistry engine, and logs can be used as boats. Tears of the Kingdom lets players build rafts or flying machines using Ultrahand and Zonai parts. Gliding, first used for puzzles in earlier games, became more important in open worlds. Players can climb walls and glide to explore multiple routes, unlike in games like The Witcher or Skyrim, where climbing was often done through glitches.
Conception and production
The Legend of Zelda was mainly inspired by Shigeru Miyamoto’s experiences as a young boy in the hills and forests near his childhood home in Sonobe, Japan. Miyamoto recalled a memory of discovering a cave entrance in the woods. After some hesitation, he entered the cave and explored it with the help of a lantern. Miyamoto described creating the Zelda games as an effort to create 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, such as J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Keiji Terui, who wrote the backstory in the first game’s manual, explained that the location called Death Mountain was originally a working title for the Triforce legend, which was inspired by battles from medieval Europe. The Master Sword was named Excalibur in the French version of A Link to the Past, a name similar 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 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 games in The Legend of Zelda series include in-game musical instruments, especially in musical puzzles, which are common. These instruments often trigger events in the game. For example, the recorder in The Legend of Zelda can reveal hidden areas and teleport Link to dungeon entrances. This feature was also used in A Link to the Past and Link’s Awakening. In Ocarina of Time, playing instruments is essential to progress, as players use the game controller to play them. Ocarina of Time was one of the first modern non-dance games to include music-making as part of its gameplay, using songs to help players advance. This mechanic also appears in Majora’s Mask.
"The Legend of Zelda Theme" is a recurring piece of music from 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. As a result, Kondo created a new version of the overworld theme in one day.
Until Breath of the Wild, the Legend of Zelda series did not use voice acting for speaking characters. Instead, it relied on written dialogue. Series producer Eiji Aonuma explained that having other characters speak while Link remains silent "would be off-putting."
Plot
The Legend of Zelda takes place mainly in a fantasy world called Hyrule, which is inspired by medieval Western Europe. Over time, Hyrule has developed a rich history and many different areas. The main people living in Hyrule are Hylians, who look like elves with pointed ears. These characters include the heroes Link and Zelda.
The games in the Zelda series create a world where each adventure happens. Some games take place in different lands with their own stories. For example, Labrynna (from Oracle of Ages), Holodrum (from Oracle of Seasons), and Hytopia (from Tri Force Heroes) are separate countries from Hyrule. Other places, like Termina (from Majora's Mask), the World of the Ocean King (from Phantom Hourglass), and Lorule (from A Link Between Worlds), are parallel worlds. Koholint is an island far from Hyrule that seems to be part of a dream.
Hyrule was created by three golden goddesses named 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 special object that can grant any wish. The Triforce appears as three golden triangles, each representing one of the goddesses' qualities: Power, Courage, and Wisdom. However, the Triforce cannot choose between good or bad and will grant any wish without judgment. To protect it, the Triforce was placed in a hidden world called the "Sacred Realm" until someone with balanced qualities of Power, Courage, and Wisdom could unite all parts of it. If someone tries to use the Triforce without balance, it splits into three pieces. The piece that matches the user's belief stays with them, while the others search for new owners. To control the Triforce fully, the user must find the other pieces and bring them together. The Sacred Realm changes based on the hearts of those who enter it: a kind heart makes it a paradise, while an evil heart turns it into a dark place.
In Skyward Sword, the Triforce was sought by Demise, a powerful demon who had conquered time. After a long battle with Hylia, the guardian of the Triforce, Demise was sealed in her temple. Hylia protected the people of Hyrule by placing them on a floating island called Skyloft. She created the Goddess Sword (later called the Master Sword) for her chosen hero and gave up her divinity to live among the people of Skyloft. Later, Zelda and Link (Hylia reborn and her chosen warrior) completed Hylia's plan, destroying Demise. However, Demise promised to return and cause harm to those descended from Link and Zelda. This prophecy came true in Ocarina of Time, when Ganondorf tried to take the Triforce. He gained the Triforce of Power, while the Triforce of Wisdom went to Hylian princesses named after 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 some games, like The Wind Waker, Link must find pieces of the Triforce of Courage before returning to Hyrule. In the original The Legend of Zelda, Zelda splits 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 art book in December 2011. Before this, in a 2003 interview, the series creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, mentioned an internal document that connected all the games. Later, in 2010, producer Eiji Aonuma explained that this document was kept secret and only known to Miyamoto and each game's director.
Earlier, in-game details, marketing, and developer comments suggested a timeline. The original The Legend of Zelda was followed by Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, which happened years later. A Link to the Past was a story before these games and was followed by Link's Awakening. Ocarina of Time took place centuries before A Link to the Past and was followed by Majora's Mask. Four Swords happened before Ocarina of Time. The Wind Waker occurred 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 origin of 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 about a century later in a distant land. Skyward Sword happened before The Minish Cap and told the story of the Master Sword's creation.
In the early 2000s, Nintendo of America published a timeline on its website, showing one possible order of events. This timeline included the "Hero of Time" from Ocarina of Time, followed by Majora's Mask, A Link to the Past, Oracle of Seasons, Oracle of Ages, the original The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, and Link's Awakening. In 2011, a translator named Daniel Owsen shared that Nintendo of America had once planned another timeline but it was rejected by Japanese developers to keep the order of games open to players' imaginations.
To celebrate the series' 25th anniversary, the Hyrule Historia book was released in December 2011. It included an official timeline showing that after Ocarina of Time, the story split into three paths. One path led to Link being defeated 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 showed Link defeating Ganon, leading to separate timelines: one where young Zelda sends Link back in time to warn her younger self, and another where adult Zelda rebuilds her kingdom. The childhood timeline continued with Majora's Mask, Twilight Princess, and Four Swords Adventures. The adult timeline continued 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 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 released in Japan in February 1986 on the Famicom Disk System. A cartridge version for the Nintendo Entertainment System, which used battery-backed 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 unlock by completing the game or by entering the name "ZELDA" when starting a new game. This version has different dungeons, item placements, and stronger enemies.
The second game, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, was released for the Famicom Disk System in Japan in January 1987. It was later released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in Europe in September 1988 and in North America in December 1988. This game changed the view from top-down to side-scrolling, though the top-down perspective remained for the overworld. 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. It was released for the Super NES in November 1991. The game was later re-released for the Game Boy Advance in 2002 and for the Wii Virtual Console in 2007. It was also available on the Wii U Virtual Console and Nintendo Classics.
The next game, Link's Awakening, was the first Zelda game for a handheld system, the Game Boy. It was also the first game outside of Hyrule and did not feature 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 dungeon and a photo shop that worked with the Game Boy Printer. Link's Awakening DX was later released on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console in 2011. An HD version of the game was released for the Nintendo Switch in 2019.
The series moved to 3D with Ocarina of Time for the Nintendo 64, released in November 1998. Originally called Zelda 64, the game was developed for the Japanese-only 64DD system but switched to a cartridge format when the hardware was delayed. It kept the core gameplay from earlier 2D games and introduced a new mechanic called lock-on targeting, which helps players aim more precisely in 3D battles. The game also used context-sensitive buttons, where pressing one button could perform different actions depending on the situation. Ocarina of Time introduced Link's horse, Epona, which allowed him to move quickly and shoot arrows while riding. The game was widely praised and became one of the most popular and critically acclaimed 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 rearranged dungeons for greater difficulty, was released for the GameCube in 2002 as a bonus with The Wind Waker. It was later available on the Wii, Wii U, and Nintendo Switch in HD. A 3D version of the game was released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2011.
Ocarina of Time was followed by Majora's Mask, released in April 2000. It used the same 3D engine as Ocarina of Time but added a time-based system, letting players repeat three days to complete the game. Originally called Zelda Gaiden, the game allowed Link to use masks to transform into creatures with special abilities. Unlike Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask had a darker tone and dealt with themes of death and tragedy. A large moon slowly descended over the land of Termina, creating a sense of urgency. The game was available on the Wii and Wii U Virtual Console. A 3D version was released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2015, and 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, players received a password to unlock the other as a sequel. These games were developed by Flagship with guidance from Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto. After experimenting with porting the original Legend of Zelda to the Game Boy Color, the team decided to create an original trilogy called the "Triforce Series." However, the password system was too complicated, so the idea was changed to two games: Oracle of Ages, which focused on puzzles, and Oracle of Seasons, which focused on action. Both games were later released on the 3DS Virtual Console and Nintendo Classics.
The Game Boy Advance version of A Link to the Past in 2002 included a new game, 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 special version called Four Swords Anniversary Edition was released in 2011 as free DSiWare until February 2012.
The Wind Waker,
Spin-off games
As the video game series has become more popular, several games have been created that take place in the world of The Legend of Zelda or feature characters from the series but are not directly connected to the main games or their main timeline.
Three Zelda-themed LCD games were made between 1989 and 1992. The Game & Watch game Zelda was released first in August 1989 as a 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 the Game & Watch Zelda was developed by Nintendo, the next two LCD games were made by other companies with permission from Nintendo. In October 1989, Nelsonic created The Legend of Zelda as part of its Game Watch line. This game was a digital watch with simple gameplay inspired by 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 made for the CD-i in the early 1990s. These games resulted from an agreement between Philips and Nintendo after the companies failed to create a CD-ROM peripheral for the Super NES. These games were developed independently without input or influence from Nintendo. They include Link: The Faces of Evil, Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon, and Zelda's Adventure. Nintendo did not include these games in the main Zelda timeline, and they are considered to be in a separate, self-contained story. These games are often seen as the least successful in the series, though they have gained a small fanbase 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 Tingle's Balloon Fight, a re-release of Balloon Fight for the Nintendo DS. All of these games feature the character Tingle.
Though linked to 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 made by Omega Force and Team Ninja. It combines the setting of The Legend of Zelda series with the gameplay style of Koei Tecmo’s Dynasty Warriors series. It was released in North America in September 2014 for the Wii U. A version for the Nintendo 3DS called Hyrule Warriors Legends was released in March 2016 and included more content. The Nintendo Switch version, Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition, was released in 2018 and included content from both the Wii U and 3DS versions.
To celebrate the launch of the My Nintendo loyalty program in March 2016, Nintendo released My Nintendo Picross: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, a nonogram puzzle game in the Picross series. It was developed by Jupiter for the Nintendo 3DS.
Cadence of Hyrule, made 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 the Hyrule Warriors spin-off. It was released in November 2020.
A Zelda-themed version of Vermin was included in 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, The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages, for the Game Boy Color at the same time. The original plan was to release three games together, but one game, The Legend of Zelda: Mystical Seed of Courage, was cancelled because technical problems arose from how the games were connected to each other.
A close partner of Nintendo, Retro Studios, created early ideas for two other Zelda games. One idea was a Nintendo DS game called Heroes of Hyrule, which would have combined the usual gameplay of the Zelda series with the style of strategy games like Final Fantasy Tactics. Another idea was an action game for the Wii featuring Sheik, which would have shown how the Master Sword was created. Both ideas were stopped by Nintendo after they were not approved.
Reception
The Legend of Zelda series has received a lot of praise from critics and players. Games such as Ocarina of Time, Skyward Sword, Breath of the Wild, and Tears of the Kingdom each earned a perfect 10/10 score from Edge magazine. These four games, along with Wind Waker, received a 40/40 score (10/10 from four reviewers) from Famitsu magazine, making Zelda one of the few game series with multiple perfect scores. Ocarina of Time was listed 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 recognized as the most critically acclaimed titles on the Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance, and 3DS, as well as in the open-world genre. As of June 2025, Link appears in nine of the 100 highest-rated games on Metacritic (all Zelda games), and he is listed by Guinness World Records as the "most critically acclaimed video game character." Computer and Video Games gave The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess a 10/10 score. A Link to the Past won a Gold Award from Electronic Gaming Monthly. In Nintendo Power’s Top 200 countdown in 2004, Ocarina of Time ranked first, and seven other Zelda games placed in the top 40. Twilight Princess was named Game of the Year by X-Play, GameTrailers, 1UP, Electronic Gaming Monthly, Spacey Awards, Game Informer, GameSpy, Nintendo Power, IGN, and many other websites. GameRankings editors 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 December 2011, Spike TV’s Video Game Awards honored the Zelda series with the first-ever "Hall of Fame Award," which Shigeru Miyamoto accepted in person. Ocarina of Time used musical themes to represent different areas of the game, a technique similar to how Richard Wagner used music to represent characters and ideas. Ocarina of Time was so well received that sales of real ocarinas increased. IGN praised the music of Majora’s Mask for its creativity, even though it used MIDI technology. Majora’s Mask was ranked the seventh-greatest game by Electronic Gaming Monthly, while Ocarina of Time was ranked eighth. The series won the GameFAQs Best Series Ever competition.
As of March 2025, the Legend of Zelda franchise has sold 156.28 million copies. The original The Legend of Zelda is the fourth best-selling game on the NES. In 1996, the series was ranked 64th among the top games by Next Generation. In 1999, Next Generation listed Zelda as number 1 on their "Top 50 Games of All Time," noting that the series offered more gameplay and 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 candidate for the best game series ever.
The Legend of Zelda franchise has received the most Game of the Year nominations in the history of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences’ D.I.C.E. Awards, with eight games (Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword, A Link Between Worlds, Breath of the Wild, and Tears of the Kingdom) being nominated. Two of these games, Ocarina of Time and Breath of the Wild, won the top honor at their respective award ceremonies.
Legacy
Many people in the video game industry have shared how The Legend of Zelda series has influenced their work. Dan Houser, the founder of Rockstar Games and director of the Grand Theft Auto series, said that Zelda and Mario games on the Nintendo 64 helped shape the development of Grand Theft Auto and other 3D games. Sam Houser, also a founder of Rockstar Games and director of Grand Theft Auto, mentioned that Zelda inspired the design of Grand Theft Auto III, calling it "Zelda meets Goodfellas." Hideki Kamiya, the director of Ōkami and founder of PlatinumGames, said that The Legend of Zelda series influenced his work, and he named A Link to the Past as his favorite game of all time.
Amy Hennig, the director of Soul Reaver and Uncharted, and former employee of Crystal Dynamics and Naughty Dog, said Zelda inspired the Legacy of Kain series. She noted that A Link to the Past influenced Blood Omen, and Ocarina of Time influenced Soul Reaver. Richard Lemarchand, the creator of Soul Reaver and Uncharted, also said that A Link to the Past's way of combining gameplay with storytelling inspired Soul Reaver. Chris Roberts, the director of Wing Commander and Star Citizen, and former employee of Origin Systems and Cloud Imperium Games, said Zelda influenced his action role-playing game, Times of Lore.
Hidetaka Miyazaki, the creator of the Dark Souls series, named A Link to the Past as one of his favorite role-playing games. Fumito Ueda, the director of Ico, said Zelda influenced Shadow of the Colossus. Miyazaki also described The Legend of Zelda as a guide for making 3D action games. Peter Molyneux, the founder of Lionhead Studios, said that Twilight Princess is one of his favorite games and influenced the Fable series. David Adams, the director of Darksiders, said Zelda influenced his work.
Raphael Lacoste, the director of Prince of Persia and Assassin's Creed, said The Wind Waker influenced Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. CD Projekt Red, the company that created The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, said the Zelda series influenced their work. Alex Hall's web series, Ben Drowned, was mainly inspired by Majora's Mask. Hajime Tabata, the director of Final Fantasy and The 3rd Birthday, said Ocarina of Time inspired the open world in Final Fantasy XV.
Crossovers
The Legend of Zelda series has appeared in other Nintendo and third-party video games, especially 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 list of characters in all later games. 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 games except for "Young Link," who was replaced by "Toon Link" from The Wind Waker in later games like 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 parts of the series, such as locations and items, are included in the Smash Bros. games, such as Assist Trophies, where computer-controlled versions of characters from Zelda, like Tingle, Skull Kid, Midna, and Ghirahim from Skyward Sword, can fight as allies. Outside of the Smash Bros. series, Nintendo allowed Link to be a playable character only in the GameCube version of Namco’s fighting game Soulcalibur II.
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. It was called "The Legend of Zelda Zone" and used the main gameplay style of Sonic Lost World, including elements from the Zelda series such as a heart-based health system, collecting rupees, and exploring a small dungeon.
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. This series aired every Friday, replacing the usual Super Mario Bros. cartoon that played on other days. The show combined 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 episodes of Captain N: The Game Master during its second season.
A live-action TV show was planned around 2015, as reported by an anonymous Netflix employee to The Wall Street Journal. This project was a collaboration between Netflix and Nintendo, and it was intended to be a family-friendly version of Game of Thrones. Details about the show were limited until 2021, when Adam Conover mentioned in an interview that a College Humor team had planned a skit combining Star Fox and Fantastic Mr. Fox. They had spoken with Nintendo’s Miyamoto about the project. However, Nintendo asked them to stop work after a leak about the live-action Zelda show, as the company is protective of its intellectual property and had canceled other external projects.
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 produced under license from Nintendo. These manga were mostly written and drawn by Japanese artist Akira Himekawa. The stories in these adaptations are not exact copies of the games and may include new plot elements.
Official books, novels, and gamebooks based on The Legend of Zelda have also been released. The earliest was Moblin’s Magic Spear, published in 1989 by Western Publishing. Two gamebooks, The Crystal Trap and The Shadow Prince, were released in 1992 as part of the Nintendo Adventure Books series. A novel based on Ocarina of Time came out in 1999. Additional gamebooks were published in 2001 and 2002 as part of the You Decide on the Adventure series. In 2006, Link and the Portal of Doom, part of the Nintendo Heroes series, was released.
In 2011, to mark the 25th anniversary of The Legend 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 production, 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. A follow-up art book, The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts, was released in 2017.
In 2010, a video game music concert called Symphonic Legends took place in Cologne, Germany. The event focused on music from Nintendo games, including The Legend of Zelda. The second half of the concert featured a 35-minute symphonic piece telling the story of Link’s journey from a child to a hero.
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo commissioned a symphony called The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses. It was first performed in Los Angeles in 2011 and has since been shown in 18 locations across the U.S. and Canada. A CD with eight tracks from the symphony was included with the special edition of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for the Wii. Nintendo also released an album to mark the 30th anniversary of the series in 2017.
As of June 2025, the Nintendo Music streaming service offered soundtracks from eight Zelda games, including The Legend of Zelda, A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, and Breath of the Wild, for subscribers of Nintendo Switch Online.
Several Zelda-themed board games have been released. A Monopoly game based on Zelda came out in 2014. A Clue game inspired by Zelda was released in 2017, and a UNO-style game was available in 2018. A limited edition 3DS celebrating the 25th anniversary of Zelda was released in 2011.
In 2007, Imagi Animation Studios, known for TMNT and Astro Boy, created a pitch reel for a Zelda movie. Nintendo declined the offer due to the poor reception of the 1993 Super Mario Bros. film. In 2013, Aonuma suggested that if a Zelda movie were made, it might involve audience interaction. In 2023, Nintendo was close to making a deal with Illumination and Universal Pictures for a film, but the plan was denied.
By November 2023, Nintendo was working on a live-action Zelda movie with Sony Pictures. The film will be co-financed and distributed globally. Wes Ball will direct, and Derek Connolly will write the script. Miyamoto and Avi Arad will produce the film through their company, Oddball Entertainment. In July 2025, Bo Bragason and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth were cast as Zelda and Link, respectively. The movie is scheduled for release on May 7, 2027, after being moved from its original date. Filming began in New Zealand in November 2025 and will continue until April 2026.