List of The Legend of Zelda manga

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Comic and manga adaptations of The Legend of Zelda series of video games, especially in Japan, have been published under license from Nintendo.

Contents

Wanpaku Comics

In September 1986, Wanpaku Comics published a manga book in Japan titled The Hyrule Fantasy. It was released as a companion to the first The Legend of Zelda video game. The story follows the game's plot but adds additional features including new characters, such as a companion parrot for Link. [1]

Valiant Comics series

Valiant Comics published a comic series simply titled The Legend of Zelda in 1990, which lasted only five issues, with a sixth issue published as part of the Nintendo Comics System imprint. The series was more closely patterned after The Legend of Zelda TV series airing at the time, which in turn was loosely based on the first two NES games. The series depicted Link as he appears in the first game, with red hair and brown eyes. It also introduced new characters, including Captain Krin, Captain of the Guard of North Castle and Link's parents, Arn and Medilia. [2]

Titles by Ataru Cagiva

Dreaming Island

Triforce of the Gods

Titles by Yuu Mishouzaki

Titles by Akira Himekawa

The manga team of Akira Himekawa has been producing manga adaptations of The Legend of Zelda video games in Japan beginning with their manga adaptation of Ocarina of Time , which was first published in 1999 by Shogakukan.

Currently, Himekawa has produced manga adaptations of more than eight Zelda games (including both Oracle games), with the latest being Twilight Princess manga.[ citation needed ][ needs update ] Viz Media is currently publishing English translations of Himekawa's Zelda manga in North America, [3] beginning with their adaptation of Ocarina of Time, which was published in October 2008. [4] [ needs update? ]

Since July 2009, a French translation is being published by Soleil Manga. The first manga available was A Link to the Past followed by Ocarina of Time 1 & 2. Himekawa's other Zelda manga was later translated into French in 2010.[ citation needed ][ needs update? ]

Himekawa's manga, which was released in Japan in and between 1998 and 2009, was also localised in the Federal Republic of Germany by Tokyopop in and between 2009 and 2011. [5] The first ten tankōbon volumes sold more than 3 million copies worldwide. [6]

After a seven-year hiatus, Akira Himekawa began the work on a new Zelda manga. [7] Later revealed to be an adaptation of Twilight Princess , the manga series ran from February 2016 to January 2022. [8]

Ocarina of Time

Released in 1998, and the English version in 2008, it is an adaptation of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time . There are two story arcs in this manga: Child arc (こども編 Kodomo-hen) and Adult arc (おとな編 Otona-hen). The protagonist is Link (リンク Rinku/Link) and during the course of the book he is on a quest to stop Ganondorf (ガノンドロフ Ganondorofu) from taking over Hyrule (ハイラル Hairaru). Princess Zelda (ゼルダ姫 Zeruda/Zelda-hime) helps him in his quest. The book more-or-less follows the same plot as the game, but there are a few differences in plot from the game. There are six chapters in the first book, and nine in the second. Some of the added information in the manga is added to explain certain points; for example, in the manga pierced ears is a traditional rite of Sheikah passage, although this is not included in the game. The series was published in English by Viz Media in North America as Volumes 1 and 2, respectively. [9] [10]

Majora's Mask

Released in 2000, and the English version in 2009, it is an adaptation of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask , continuing from where the previous adaptation ended. It is one volume, and the last chapter includes the artist's speculation of where Majora's mask originated. The volume was published in English by Viz Media in North America as Volume 3. [11]

Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages

Based on Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages , it spans 2 volumes. Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages were published by Viz Media in English in North America as Volumes 4 and 5, respectively. [12] [13]

Four Swords

Based on The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures , it spans 2 volumes and 12 chapters. Included in volume two is an omake. The series is published in English by Viz Media in North America as Volumes 6 and 7, respectively. [14] [15]

The Minish Cap

Written by Akira Himekawa and published in early 2006 in Japan, this manga chronicles the adventures of Link in the game of the same name, including a short omake featuring Ezlo and Vaati. Viz released an English adaptation of this manga as Volume 8 of their Zelda series on December 1, 2009. [16]

A manga adaptation of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (named Triforce of the Gods in Japan) following the release of the Game Boy Advance port. In its telling, Agahnim is revealed as a friend of Link's father. Agahnim took to magic and learned how to break the Seal of the Sages, being recruited to Ganon's services. When confronted by his friend, Agahnim sent him and his wife into the Dark World.

Viz released an English adaptation of this manga (renamed A Link to the Past to fit the game's North American counterpart) as Volume 9 of their Zelda series on February 2, 2010. [17]

Phantom Hourglass

Originally released in Japan in early 2009, it is based on the DS adventure, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass , the sequel to Wind Waker . Though the manga retains the game's characters and overall plot, many of the character's personalities and some events in the game were changed, sparking negative reactions from several fans of the original game. Despite this, however, it continues to receive positive reviews. Viz released an English adaptation of this manga as Volume 10 of their Zelda series on September 7, 2010. [18]

Skyward Sword

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is a manga loosely based on the game of the same name drawn by Akira Himekawa. The 32 pages of the manga were included in the artbook Hyrule Historia. The manga serves as a prequel to the story of Skyward Sword.

Twilight Princess

A manga series based on The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess , penned and illustrated by Akira Himekawa, was first released on February 8, 2016. The adaptation began almost ten years after the release of the game on which it is based, but only a month before the release of the high-definition remake for the Wii U, Twilight Princess HD . [8] The series concluded in January 2022 with 70 chapters spread across 11 volumes, all of which have since been translated and released into English. [19] [20]

Other works

It was created as a serial comic for Nintendo Power magazine by the acclaimed manga author Shotaro Ishinomori, and later collected in graphic novel form, this told an alternate version of the events from A Link to the Past. Though Link starts out a hapless, bumbling kid, caught up in something bigger than he ever imagined, he displays great courage and ultimately proves himself a determined and competent adventurer. This telling portrays Link's parents as Knights of Hyrule, lost to the Dark World.

Novels and Yonkoma manga

Five novels (published by Futabasha) and several Yonkoma manga (published by Shiseisha) based on aspects of The Legend of Zelda series have also been published. [21] [22]

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker – Link's Logbook

This manga is an adaptation of The Wind Waker, but parodies scenarios in the game. Although it adapts most of The Wind Waker, it skips most dungeons and scenes to the very peak of the stories. It was released almost directly after The Wind Waker was released.

Penny Arcade Presents The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

A short comic published weekly in five parts on Nintendo's official The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword website, written and illustrated by Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik under their Penny Arcade Presents series. [23] The story is narrated by Gaepora, Zelda's father. [24]

Saitaro Komatsu manga

Saitaro Komatsu wrote a Japanese manga for CoroCoro Comic. Nintendo published a translated version as a web comic on its Play Nintendo website titled Link's Hijinks to promote Majora's Mask 3D. [25]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Legend of Zelda</i> Video game series

The Legend of Zelda is an action-adventure game franchise created by the Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is primarily developed and published by Nintendo, although some portable installments and re-releases have been outsourced to Flagship, Vanpool, and Grezzo. The gameplay incorporates action-adventure and elements of action RPG games.

Universe of <i>The Legend of Zelda</i> Fictional universe

The Legend of Zelda is a video game franchise created by Japanese video game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka and mainly developed and published by Nintendo. The universe of the Legend of Zelda series consists of various lands, the most predominant being Hyrule. The franchise is set within a fantasy world reminiscent of medieval Europe which consists of several recurring locations, races and creatures. The most prominent race in the series are the Hylians, a humanoid race with elfin features identifiable by their long, pointed ears. The series' lore contains a creation myth, several fictional alphabets, the most prominent being Hylian, and a fictional universal currency, the rupee. Most games in The Legend of Zelda series follow a similar storyline, which involves the protagonist Link battling monsters to save Princess Zelda and defeat a villain, which is often the series' main antagonist, Ganon. Nintendo developed the series' lore into a timeline that spans thousands of years across its history.

<i>The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past</i> 1991 video game

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the third game in The Legend of Zelda series and was released in 1991 in Japan and 1992 in North America and Europe.

<i>The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker</i> 2002 video game

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. An installment in The Legend of Zelda series, it was released in Japan on December 13, 2002, in North America on March 24, 2003, and in Europe on May 2, 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Triforce</span> Fictional artifact in The Legend of Zelda series

The Triforce is a fictional artifact and icon of Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda video game franchise. It first appeared in the original The Legend of Zelda video game (1986) and has appeared in every subsequent game in the series. It consists of three equilateral triangles that are joined to form a large equilateral triangle. In the fictional history of the series, it represents the essence of the Golden Goddesses named Din, Nayru and Farore who create Hyrule. Imbued with divine power, it is capable of granting any wish to anyone who possesses it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Zelda</span> Video game character

Princess Zelda is a character in Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda video game series. She was created by Shigeru Miyamoto for the original 1986 game The Legend of Zelda. As one of the central characters in the series, she has appeared in the majority of the games in various incarnations. Zelda is the elf-like Hylian princess of the kingdom of Hyrule, an associate of the series protagonist Link, and bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom.

Link (<i>The Legend of Zelda</i>) Protagonist in The Legend of Zelda

Link is a character and the protagonist of Nintendo's video game franchise The Legend of Zelda. He was created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Link was introduced as the hero of the original The Legend of Zelda video game in 1986 and has appeared in a total of 20 entries in the series, as well as a number of spin-offs. Common elements in the series include Link travelling through Hyrule whilst exploring dungeons, battling creatures, and solving puzzles until he eventually defeats the series' primary antagonist, Ganon, and saves Princess Zelda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ganon</span> Video game character

Ganon is a character and the main antagonist of Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda video game series and franchise, as well as the final boss in many Zelda titles. In his humanoid Gerudo form, he is known as Ganondorf. A massive and malevolent pig-like creature, Ganon first appeared in the original The Legend of Zelda game in 1986, while his alter ego, Ganondorf, was introduced in Ocarina of Time. He has since appeared in the majority of the games in the series in various forms. He is the archenemy of the protagonist Link and Princess Zelda of Hyrule and originally the leader of the Gerudo, a race of humanoid desert nomads before becoming the ruler of his demon army.

<i>The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures</i> 2004 video game

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. It is the eleventh installment in The Legend of Zelda series. It was released in 2004 in Japan on March 18, and in North America on June 7. In 2005, the game was released in Europe on January 7, and in Australia on April 7. The Game Boy Advance handheld game console can be used as a controller when using the GameCube – Game Boy Advance link cable bundled with the game in North America and Europe.

<i>The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap</i> 2004 video game

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap is an action-adventure game and the twelfth entry in The Legend of Zelda series. Developed by Capcom and Flagship, with Nintendo overseeing the development process, The Minish Cap was released for the Game Boy Advance in Japan and Europe in 2004 and in North America and Australia the following year.

<i>The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess</i> 2006 video game

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is a 2006 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the GameCube and Wii. Originally planned for release exclusively on the GameCube in November 2005, Twilight Princess was delayed by Nintendo to allow its developers to refine the game, add more content, and port it to the Wii. The Wii version was a launch game in North America in November 2006, and in Japan, Europe, and Australia the following month. The GameCube version was released in December 2006 as the final first-party game for the console.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tingle (character)</span> Fictional character

Tingle is a recurring character in The Legend of Zelda series, designed by Takaya Imamura. He first appeared in Majora's Mask, where he is a 35-year-old map salesman who wants to become a fairy. He has since appeared in several installments, including The Wind Waker, where he provides maps to help Link find pieces of the Triforce. He has gone on to be the star of Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland, where his origin as Tingle is shown as him tasked with collecting as many Rupees as possible. He also appears in its sequel Irozuki Tingle no Koi no Balloon Trip, where he is transported into a storybook and has to enter into relationships with women in order to escape.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midna</span> Fictional character

Midna is a fictional character in Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series, introduced as one of the main protagonists in Twilight Princess. She is a member of the magic-wielding Twili who joins forces with Link to prevent the kingdom of Hyrule from being enveloped by a corrupted parallel dimension known as the Twilight Realm. While Midna appears as an imp-like creature in the majority of Twilight Princess, her actual form is humanoid. She was designed by Yusuke Nakano and voiced by Akiko Kōmoto. Midna also appears as a playable character in Hyrule Warriors, and makes minor appearances in the Super Smash Bros. series.

<i>The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia</i> Book by Nintendo

The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia is a collector's book about Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series, published in English by Dark Horse Comics. The 276-page book reveals the official timeline of the fictional events in the series, following years of speculation by fans. The book also includes artwork for the games, a short manga, and a foreword and afterword written by the series' producers. It is the first in an official trilogy of art books known as the "Goddess Collection" that was published by Dark Horse in partnership with Nintendo and was completed by the publication of The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts and The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia. Hyrule Historia topped Amazon.com's list of bestselling books in February 2013 and was Amazon's sixth best-selling print book of 2013.

Akira Himekawa is the pen name of a duo of female Japanese comic book artists. When writing original works, the pen name is spelled as Akira Himekawa

<i>The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds</i> 2013 video game

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is a 2013 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. The game is the 17th in The Legend of Zelda series and is a sequel to the 1991 title The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Announced in April 2013, A Link Between Worlds was released in Australia, Europe, and North America in November, and in Japan a month later.

<i>The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess</i> (manga) Japanese manga series

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Himekawa, and is based on the video game of the same name. It was serialized through Shogakukan's MangaONE app from February 2016–January 2022, and spans 70 chapters across 11 volumes.

<i>The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia</i> Book by Nintendo

The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia is a book about Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda video game series. It is published in English by Dark Horse Comics and is the third book in the "Goddess Collection" trilogy, following the publication of Hyrule Historia and Art & Artifacts. The encyclopedia was released to celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda series. It provides a detailed compendium of the numerous fictional characters, creatures and items found within the first 30 years of the Zelda game series. It was published as a standard edition with a blue cover and a deluxe edition with a gold NES cartridge design in June 2018.

References

  1. ↑ McClain, K.J. (2017-08-21). "Video: Take a Detailed Look at the Original "Legend of Zelda" Manga". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 2023-09-10.
  2. ↑ Ganguly, Srijani (2020-12-05). "Zelda: Everything You Didn't Know About The Valiant Comics Series". CBR. Retrieved 2023-09-11.
  3. ↑ "Legend of Zelda Manga Coming to US". The Video Game Librarian. 2008-04-04.
  4. ↑ Nintendo Power, volume 229, page 18. June 2008
  5. ↑ "The Legend of Zelda". tokyopop.de.
  6. ↑ "New Legend of Zelda Manga Serialized on Mobile App - Tokyo Otaku Mode Gets Exclusive Comments from Manga Artist Akira Himekawa". Tokyo Otaku Mode News. February 10, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Zelda Manga Returns After 7-Year Hiatus". IGN. July 6, 2015.
  8. 1 2 Frank, Allegra (February 3, 2016). "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is getting a manga, starting next week". Polygon . Vox Media. Archived from the original on February 16, 2016. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Legend of Zelda Volume 1 Archived 2009-07-26 at the Wayback Machine ". Viz Media. Retrieved on August 28, 2009.
  10. ↑ "Legend of Zelda Volume 2 Archived 2009-07-26 at the Wayback Machine ". Viz Media. Retrieved on August 28, 2009.
  11. ↑ "Legend of Zelda Volume 3: Majora's Mask Archived 2009-07-26 at the Wayback Machine ". Viz Media. Retrieved on August 28, 2009.
  12. ↑ "Legend of Zelda Volume 4: Oracle of Seasons Archived 2009-07-27 at the Wayback Machine ". Oracle of Seasons is set before Oracle of Ages, according to the 1st chapter of Oracle of Ages". Viz Media. Retrieved on August 28, 2009.
  13. ↑ "Legend of Zelda Volume 5: Oracle of Ages Archived 2009-09-27 at the Wayback Machine ". Viz Media. Retrieved on August 28, 2009.
  14. ↑ "Legend of Zelda Volume 6: Four Swords Part 1 Archived 2009-08-26 at the Wayback Machine ". Viz Media. Retrieved on August 28, 2009.
  15. ↑ "Legend of Zelda Volume 7: Four Swords Part 2 Archived 2010-11-25 at the Wayback Machine ". Viz Media. Retrieved on December 8, 2009.
  16. ↑ "Legend of Zelda Volume 8: The Minish Cap Archived 2009-12-24 at the Wayback Machine ". Viz Media. Retrieved on December 8, 2009.
  17. ↑ "Legend of Zelda Volume 9: A Link to the Past Archived 2010-01-12 at the Wayback Machine ". Viz Media. Retrieved on December 8, 2009.
  18. ↑ "Legend of Zelda Volume 10: Phantom Hourglass Archived 2010-09-10 at the Wayback Machine ". Viz Media. Retrieved on October 28, 2010.
  19. ↑ "Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Manga Will be Releasing Its Final Chapter". 31 December 2021.
  20. ↑ Himekawa, Akira (2021-08-10). The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Vol. 9. VIZ Media LLC. ISBN   978-1-9747-2338-6.
  21. ↑ "Le Palais de Zelda - Mangas". Palaiszelda.com. 2006-01-27. Retrieved 2012-11-14.
  22. ↑ "Buy directly from Japan! Manga, Anime, DVD, CD, OST". Nippon Export. Retrieved 2012-11-14.
  23. ↑ Narcisse, Evan (2011-11-15). "Nintendo's Skyward Sword Push Includes Penny Arcade Zelda Comic, Early Sales This Saturday". Kotaku.
  24. ↑ Krahulik, Mike (2011-11-22). "Zelda page 2". Penny-Arcade.com.
  25. ↑ Whitehead, Thomas (2015-08-08). "Nintendo Localises Saitaro Komatsu's "Link's Hijinks" Zelda Comic". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 2023-09-11.
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