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.
The Legend of Zelda is a video game franchise created by Japanese video game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is mainly developed and published by Nintendo. The universe of the Legend of Zelda series consists of a variety of lands, the most predominant being Hyrule. The franchise is set within a fantasy world that is reminiscent of medieval Europe and consists of several recurring locations, races and creatures. The most prominent population in the series are the Hylians, a humanoid race with elfin features, that are identifiable by their long, pointed ears. The game world is accompanied by a detailed fictional lore that contains a creation myth, several constructed languages, the most prominent being Hylian, and a fictional universal currency called 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 an evil villain, which is often the series' main antagonist, Ganon. Nintendo developed the fictional lore into a complex timeline that spans across the series and chronicles thousands of years of fictional history.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a 1998 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan and North America in November 1998 and in PAL regions the following month. Ocarina of Time is the first game in The Legend of Zelda series with 3D graphics.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is a 1991 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.
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is a 2002 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. An installment in The Legend of Zelda series, it was released in Japan in December 2002, in North America in March 2003, and in Europe in May 2003.
Princess Zelda is the titular 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 is a fictional 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 1986 The Legend of Zelda video game 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.
Ganon is a character and the primary 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 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.
The Master Sword is a fictional divine magic sword in Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series. It is also known as "The Blade of Evil's Bane", the "Sword of Resurrection", the "Sword that Seals the Darkness" and the "Sacred Sword". It was introduced in the 1991 action-adventure video game The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and has since appeared in most other games in the series.
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's first appearance was in a trailer for Twilight Princess shown at the 2005 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3); at the time, her gender was unknown, leaving some journalists confused about it.
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.
Epona is a recurring fictional horse in The Legend of Zelda series of video games that debuted in Ocarina of Time. She was created by Yoshiaki Koizumi as the main form of transportation and steed of Link, the series protagonist. Her name is derived from the Celtic goddess of horses of the same name. Epona appears in several main titles in The Legend of Zelda series, including Majora's Mask, Twilight Princess, Breath of the Wild, and Tears of the Kingdom. She also appears in the spin-off title Hyrule Warriors and other game series.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a 2017 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch and Wii U. Set at the end of the Zelda timeline, the player controls an amnesiac Link as he sets out to save Princess Zelda and prevent Calamity Ganon from destroying the world. Players explore the open world of Hyrule while they collect items and complete objectives such as puzzles or side quests. Breath of the Wild's world is unstructured and encourages exploration and experimentation; the story can be completed in a nonlinear fashion.
Fi is a fictional character in The Legend of Zelda series. She appears in Skyward Sword and its 2021 HD remaster. Fi is a major character in the storyline and is the guide and companion to the protagonist, Link. She is a spirit that inhabits the sword that Link uses during gameplay, which eventually transforms into the Master Sword. Her main function is to provide hints and advice to the player. Fi received a mixed reception from both critics and gamers who considered her repeated interjections to be annoying and excessive. Her dialogue was significantly reduced as part of various improvements to the remastered Skyward Sword HD. She also appears as a playable character in the 2014 spin-off game Hyrule Warriors.
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 a spiritual successor to The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1991). Announced in April 2013, A Link Between Worlds was released in Australia, Europe, and North America in November, and in Japan a month later.
Hyrule Warriors is a hack and slash video game developed by Omega Force and Team Ninja for the Wii U video game console. The game is a collaboration between Koei Tecmo and Nintendo, mixing settings and characters from Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda with the gameplay of Koei's Dynasty Warriors series. Hyrule Warriors was released in Japan in August 2014, and worldwide the following month. It became one of the best-selling games on the Wii U. An updated port, Hyrule Warriors Legends, was released for the Nintendo 3DS in Japan in January 2016 and worldwide in March of the same year. A second enhanced port, Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition, was released for the Nintendo Switch in 2018. A successor, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, was released exclusively for the Nintendo Switch in November 2020.
The Legend of Zelda is a high-fantasy video game series created by Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is primarily developed and published by Nintendo, although some portable installments have been outsourced to Capcom, Vanpool and Grezzo. The series' gameplay incorporates elements of action, adventure and puzzle-solving games.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a 2023 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. The sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017), Tears of the Kingdom retains aspects including the open world of Hyrule, which has been expanded to allow for more vertical exploration. The player controls Link as he searches for Princess Zelda and fights to prevent the Demon King from destroying the world.
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.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Creating a Champion is a companion art book to Nintendo's 2017 video game The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. It was published in English by Dark Horse Comics on November 20, 2018, and is a localisation of a book titled Master Works that was published by Nintendo in Japan. It presents official illustrations and concept art from the game alongside development notes and also documents the fictional history of Hyrule presented in the game. The book was released as a standard edition with a white cover, a "Hero's Edition" featuring a blue cloth slip case and a "Champion's Edition" collector's box with a leather case.
