The Legend of Zelda (series)

The Legend of Zelda is a video game series that takes place in the fictional Kingdom of Hyrule, often led by the titular Princess Zelda. The protagonist of the series is Link, a young man who is destined, in most of the games, to save Hyrule from the clutches of the evil thief Ganondorf or his alter-ego, the dark beast Ganon. Some of the games feature additional protagonists such as Navi the fairy, Ezlo the talking cap, or Midna the Twili, who serve as sidekicks throughout the course of the game, or different antagonists, such as Vaati the Wind Mage, the General of Darkness General Onox, or the Usurper King Zant.

Series Overview
[[File:210px-TLoZ NES NA Box.png|thumb|203x203px|The Legend of Zelda
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The Legend of Zelda (1986)
The Legend of Zelda is the first installment of the Zelda series. It centers its plot around a boy named Link, who becomes the central protagonist throughout the series. Link goes on a quest to find the 12 fragments of the Triforce of Wisdom, which he will use to defeat the evil Ganon and save Princess Zelda.
 * Hero: Hero of Hyrule
 * Main Antagonist: Ganon
 * Final Boss: Ganon
 * Villainous Faction: Ganon's minions
 * Dungeons: Levels 1-13
 * Setting: Hyrule
 * Linked worlds: Overworld & dungeons
 * Timeline: Downfall
 * System: Nintendo Entertainment System
 * Remake: The Legend of Zelda BS (BS-X SNES)
 * McGuffin: Pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom
 * First Dungeon: Level I - The Eagle
 * Final Dungeon: Level 13 - Death Mountain

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (1987)
After the events of the first game, Zelda's attendant Impa shows Link that there was a first princess named Zelda who was cursed to slumber forever. She also tells him that Link is in possession of the Triforce of Courage. As Link learns all of this, the minions of Ganon begin to attack once again. Believing that they could revive their master by pouring the blood of Link over his ashes, they begin to spread across the land, seeking for him. Eventually, Link is able to gain the Triforce of Courage. Uniting the three Triforces, Link returns to the Northern Palace to wake the slumbering Zelda.
 * Hero: Hero of Hyrule
 * Main Antagonist: Ganon
 * Final Boss: Dark Link
 * Villainous Faction: Ganon's minions
 * Dungeons: Palaces
 * Setting: Hyrule
 * Linked worlds: Overworld & dungeons
 * Timeline: Downfall
 * System: Nintendo Entertainment System
 * McGuffin: Pieces of the Triforce of Courage
 * First Dungeon: Parapa Palace
 * Final Dungeon: Great Palace

A Link to the Past (1992)
Hundreds of years in the past, the evil wizard Aghanim rounds up the seven maidens, descendants of the Seven Sages, and sends them all to the Dark World. When he attempts to sacrifice Princess Zelda, she is saved by a boy named Link. Zelda sends Link on a quest to save Hyrule by encouraging him to wield the Master Sword. In order to do so, he must acquire the three Pendants of Virtue. Once he gets them, he gets the Master Sword and enters the Dark World to find Aghanim. There, he finds the Seven Maidens and saves them, then discovers that Aghanim is actually Ganon all along. He defeats Ganon and is able to touch the Triforce himself, having saved Hyrule.
 * Hero: Hero of Legend
 * Main Antagonist: Aghanim
 * Final Boss: Ganon
 * Villainous Faction: Ganon's minions
 * Dungeons: Palaces & Dark World Palaces
 * Settings: Hyrule & the Dark World
 * Linked Worlds: Light World & Dark World
 * Timeline: Downfall
 * System: Super Nintendo Entertainment System
 * McGuffins: Pendants of Virtue & Seven Maidens
 * First Dungeon: Eastern Palace
 * Final Dungeon: Ganon's Tower

Link's Awakening (1993)
Years later, the same Link takes a ship home from a faraway land after a long journey. On the way there, his ship is struck by lightning, and he loses consciousness. He soon wakes up on an island and is discovered by a young girl named Marin. She tells Link that he is on the Isle of the Windfish, and the only way to leave the island, is to awaken the fabled Windfish from its slumber in an egg on the top of Tal Tal Heights. Link goes throughout the island's dungeons uncovering the Instruments of the Sirens, which he will use to wake up the Windfish. On his journey, the creatures he encounters warn him over and over that once the Windfish is awakened, everything will disappear. Link makes it to the Windfish's Egg and enters it inside. There, he defeats Dethyl, the manifestation of the Windfish's nightmares. After it is defeated, he wakes the Windfish up and the island dissappears. Link is sent back on his journey home, as the Windfish flies above him.
 * Hero: Hero of Legend
 * Main Antagonist: The Windfish
 * Final Boss: Dethyl
 * Villainous Faction: Nightmares
 * Dungeons: Wind Fish's Nightmares
 * Setting: Isle of the Windfish
 * Linked worlds: Dreams & reality
 * Timeline: Downfall
 * System: Game Boy
 * Remakes: Links Awakening DX (Game Boy Color,) Link's Awakening (Nintendo Switch)
 * McGuffin: Instruments of the Sirens
 * First Dungeon: Tail Cave
 * Final Dungeon: Wind Fish's Egg

Ocarina of Time (1998)
Hundreds of years before A Link to the Past, a young Kokiri boy discovers the evil plot of the King of the Gerudos to become the king of Hyrule. The boy named Link goes on a quest at the request of Princess Zelda to uncover the three Spiritual Stones, which he will use to unlock the Door of Time to gain the Master Sword. Once he completes this, Link is put into a seven-year slumber, and within this time, Ganondorf enters the Sacred Realm and transforms Hyrule into a hellscape. Link awakens seven years later and is tasked with saving the Seven Sages, which have been sealed inside the temples within Hyrule. Once they are all saved, the Sages accompany Link into Ganondorf's castle where they have a final battle, and Ganon is defeated. This event splits the Zelda timeline in three. Link is sent back in time to relive his childhood that he missed, and to warn past Zelda about the future that Ganondorf will wrought.
 * Hero: Hero of Time
 * Main Antagonist: Ganondorf
 * Final Boss: Ganon
 * Villainous Faction: Ganon's minions
 * Dungeons: Spiritual Stone dungeons & Temples
 * Setting: Hyrule
 * Linked Worlds: Past & Future
 * Timeline: Unified
 * System: Nintendo 64
 * Remake: Ocarina of Time 3D (Nintendo 3DS)
 * McGuffins: Spiritual Stones & Medallions
 * Partner: Navi
 * First Dungeon: Inside the Great Deku Tree
 * Final Dungeon: Ganon's Castle

Majora's Mask (2000)
Sometime after the events of Ocarina of Time, Link has returned to his own time and gotten Ganondorf arrested. His partner, Navi, has gone missing, and he sets off into the Lost Woods to find her. Princess Zelda gives Link the Ocarina of Time for his mission. Link finds himself in the parallel world of Termina, where he encounters a strange boy named the Skull Kid. The Skull Kid is using the powers of an evil mask called Majora's Mask to cause the moon to fall to the earth. Link has three days to meet the four Giants to get them to stop the moon from falling. He does this and destroys Majora's Mask and saves all of Termina. Link returns back to Hyrule, still on a quest to find his lost friend.
 * Hero: Hero of Time
 * Main Antagonist: Skull Kid
 * Final Boss: Majora's Wrath
 * Villainous Faction: Monsters of Termina
 * Dungeons: Termina Temples
 * Setting: Termina
 * Linked worlds: Masked & unmasked
 * Timeline: Child
 * System: Nintendo 64
 * Remake: Majora's Mask 3D (Nintendo 3DS)
 * McGuffin: Boss Masks
 * Partner: Tatl
 * First Dungeon: Woodfall Temple
 * Final Dungeon: The Moon

Oracle of Ages (2001)
A direct sequel to A Link to the Past. We pick up with Link at the exact moment he is touching the Triforce at the end of that game, and the Triforce tells him that his journey isn't complete yet. There is another land that needs his help. Link is transported to Labrynna, where he meets the Goddess Nayru. He discovers the evil plot perpetrated by Veran to kidnap Nayru and use her power for evil. Link uses the Harp of Time to travel between the past and the present to uncover the Essences of Time and stop Veran and save Nayru.
 * Hero: Hero of Legend
 * Main Antagonist: Veran
 * Final Boss: Ganon
 * Villainous Faction: Monsters of Labrynna
 * Dungeons: Labrynna Dungeons
 * Setting: Labrynna
 * Linked Worlds: Past & Present
 * Timeline: Downfall
 * System: Game Boy Color
 * McGuffin: Essences of Time
 * First Dungeon: Spirit's Grave
 * Final Dungeon: Black Tower

Oracle of Seasons (2001)
After saving Labrynna and Nayru from the evil Veran, Link is sent on another quest to another region known as Holodrum. Here he is tasked with defeating the evil Onox and saving the Goddess Din. He uses the Staff of Seasons to change his environment and collect the Essences of Nature, which he uses to defeat Onox for good, saving the realm. Link soon discovers that these two events were connected because the evil witches known as Twinrova were using the essences of Onox and Veran to ressurect the evil Ganon. Ganon's resurrection goes awry, and he is brought back as a mindless primal beast. Link uses the Master Sword to defeat him and save all three realms. He returns home to Hyrule by boat.
 * Hero: Hero of Legend
 * Main Antagonist: General Onox
 * Final Boss: Ganon
 * Villainous Faction: Monsters of Holodrum
 * Dungeons: Holodrum Dungeons
 * Setting: Holodrum
 * Linked Worlds: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
 * Timeline: Downfall
 * System: Game Boy Color
 * McGuffin: Essences of Nature
 * First Dungeon: Gnarled Root Dungeon
 * Final Dungeon: Onox's Castle



Four Swords (2002)
Hundreds of years before Ocarina of Time, this time's Link and Zelda are exploring the Four Sword Sanctuary, a long-forgotten sanctuary that houses the Four Sword. Suddenly, the Four Sword twitches and the spirit encased inside, Vaati, escapes and kidnaps Princess Zelda. Link reaches for the blade, and as he pulls it, he is split into four versions of himself. The four Links travel across Hyrule collecting three keys which they will use to access the Palace of Winds. They enter and defeat Vaati and save Princess Zelda, sealing Vaati within the Four Sword once again, and placing it back in the Palace of the Four Sword.
 * Hero: Hero of the Four Sword
 * Main Antagonist: Vaati
 * Final Boss: Vaati
 * Villainous Faction: Monsters of Hyrule
 * Dungeons: Areas
 * Location: Hyrule
 * Timeline: Unified
 * System: Game Boy Advance
 * Remake: Four Swords Anniversary Edition (DSi; 3DS)
 * McGuffin: Great Fairies' Keys
 * Partners: The Four Links
 * First Dungeon: Chamber of Insight
 * Final Dungeon: Palace of Winds

The Wind Waker (2003)
Set hundreds of years after the events of Ocarina of Time in the timeline that Link left behind as an adult, Ganon returns after having been defeated, but since Link was back in the past, no one could help Hyrule. The people pray to the Gods to help them, and they result in flooding all of Hyrule. The Wind Waker finds the hero Link in a sea scattered with 49 islands, which necessitates frequent sailing and naval combat. Link lives with his grandmother and younger sister Aryll on Outset Island, one of the few inhabited islands in the Great Sea. Link must save his sister from Ganondorf who thought she was Zelda. He accompanies a gang of pirates who journey to the Forsaken Fortress, where Link's sister is being held. There, he discovers the truth about Ganon, and goes on a quest to stop him. The only way to do so is to gain the Master Sword, which lay below the waves of the Great Sea. Link gets the Master Sword and awakens the two Sages who imbue the Master Sword with power, and Link uses it to defeat Ganon and save Princess Zelda. The King of the Red Lions reveals that he was actually the King of Hyrule all along, and uses the power of the Triforce to seal Ganon underwater with the Master Sword embedded in his head forever.
 * Hero: Hero of Winds
 * Main Antagonist: Ganondorf
 * Final Boss: Ganondorf
 * Villainous Faction: Monsters of the Great Sea
 * Dungeons: Great Sea Dungeons
 * Setting: The Great Sea
 * Linked Worlds: The Great Sea & Hyrule
 * Timeline: Adult
 * System: Game Cube
 * Remake: Wind Waker HD (Wii U)
 * McGuffins: Goddess Pearls & Master Sword restoration
 * Partner: King of the Red Lions
 * First Dungeon: Dragon Roost Cavern
 * Final Dungeon: Ganon's Tower

Four Swords Adventures (2004)
Hundreds and hundreds of years after the events of Four Swords, a new Link journeys to the Four Sword Sanctuary, and similarly to the Hero of the Four Sword, discovers that something is awry. Vaati has been released by the Four Sword and steals the Dark Mirror. Link draws the Four Sword and is split in four. The four Links journey across the land to free the Seven Maidens, which Vaati also captured, and finds Vaati in his palace. The Links defeat him, but it's revealed that all along he was trying to resurrect Ganon. This Ganon is not the same as his previous incarnation, as this one was born in the Gerudo Desert a hundred years ago and sealed in the Dark Mirror. The Links defeat Ganon as well, and seal Vaati and Ganon in the Four Sword for good.
 * Hero: Hero of Light
 * Main Antagonist: Vaati
 * Final Boss: Ganon
 * Villainous Faction: Monsters of Hyrule
 * Dungeons: Areas
 * Setting: Hyrule
 * Linked Worlds: Light World & Dark World
 * Timeline: Child
 * System: Game Cube
 * McGuffin: 7 Maidens
 * Partners: The Four Links
 * First Area: Whereabouts of the Wind
 * Final Area: Realm of the Heavens

The Minish Cap (2005)
Hundreds of years before Four Swords, this game tells the origin of that titular blade. Link and Zelda go to a fighting match, and watch as the winner, named Vaati, wins a chance to touch the Bound Chest, a box that contains the supposed Light Force that was used by the Hero of Men to defeat evil with the help of the mythical tiny creatures known as the Piccori. Vaati opens the Bound Chest, expecting to find the Light Force, but accidentally releases hordes of monsters onto Hyrule. As compensation for being tricked, he turns Zelda to stone and runs away. Link tries to use the fabled Piccori Blade to stop him, but it breaks. He then goes on a journey to collect the Four Elements to turn the Piccori Blade into the Four Sword. Link uses the Four Sword to split himself in four and defeat Vaati, sealing him within the blade. Link and Zelda then seal the Four Sword in the Piccori Shrine (which will later become the Four Sword Sanctuary.)
 * Hero: Hero of the Minish
 * Main Antagonist: Vaati
 * Final Boss: Vaati's Wrath
 * Villainous Faction: Monsters of the Bound Chest
 * Dungeons: Shrines
 * Location: Hyrule
 * Linked Worlds: Miniature world & normal
 * Timeline: Unified
 * System: Game Boy Advance
 * McGuffin: Four Elements
 * Partner: Ezlo
 * First Dungeon: Deepwood Shrine
 * Final Dungeon: Dark Hyrule Castle

Twilight Princess (2006)
Set hundreds of years after Ocarina of Time in the world Link returned to after defeating Ganon, the Hero of Time's descendant lives a normal life in Ordon Village when his home is raided by monsters. He is forced to enter the rest of Hyrule, which has been consumed by another realm into eternal twilight. He then meets Midna, a Twili who helps him throughout the landscape. He is tasked by Princess Zelda with defeating the evil king Zant, and freeing Hyrule of its curse. On his journey he discovers that Ganondorf was behind it all, as his sentence years ago from the Seven Sages was eternity in the Twilight Realm. He escaped this and began taking out his rule on Hyrule. Link and Midna uncover the pieces of the Mirror of Twilight, which they use to finally defeat Ganondorf once and for all.
 * Hero: Hero of Twilight
 * Main Antagonist: Zant
 * Final Boss: Ganondorf
 * Villainous Faction: Monsters of the Twilight Realm
 * Dungeons: Temples
 * Settings: Hyrule & the Twilight Realm
 * Linked Worlds: Light world & Twilight Realm
 * Timeline: Child
 * System: Game Cube, Wii
 * Remake: Twilight Princess HD (Wii U)
 * McGuffins: Fused Shadow & Shards of the Mirror of Twilight
 * Partner: Midna
 * First Dungeon: Forest Temple
 * Final Dungeon: Hyrule Castle

Phantom Hourglass (2007)
Set sometime after the events of The Wind Waker, Link and his gang of pirates are exploring the Great Sea looking for the legendary Ghost Ship. They finally find it, and Tetra tries to climb aboard, but she goes missing. Link tries going after her but falls in the water... He later wakes up on an unknown island and it's revealed that he is now in the Ocean King's Waters. In order to find his way home, he uses the Phantom Hourglass to traverse the Temple of the Ocean King and save Tetra. He discovers that the evil demon Bellum has been syphoning off power from the Ocean King, and Link stops him for good, saving Tetra and the Ocean King's Waters. Tetra and Link go back to their crew as they try to discover new lands.
 * Hero: Hero of Winds
 * Main Antagonist: Bellum
 * Final Boss: Bellumbeck
 * Villainous Faction: Monsters of the Ocean King's Waters
 * Dungeons: Ocean King's Waters Temples
 * Setting: Ocean King's Waters
 * Linked Worlds: Ocean Kings Waters & islands
 * Timeline: Adult
 * System: Nintendo DS
 * McGuffins: Sand of Hours & Three Pure Metals
 * Partner: Ciela
 * First Dungeon: Temple of Fire
 * Final Dungeon: Mutoh's Temple

Spirit Tracks (2009)
It is set in the new-found Hyrule, 100 years after the events of Phantom Hourglass. A new Link appears wearing a conductor's outfit and hat. This New Hyrule is the same land discovered by Link and Tetra years ago. It's suddenly brought to Link's attention that the Spirit Tracks are not just train tracks that lay over the land, but chains that hold the evil Demon King underground. Link and Zelda go across the land trying to stop the evil Chancellor Cole and his Demon Train from taking apart the tracks, but then come face to face with Malladus. Link uses the Lokomo Sword to stop him for good, saving New Hyrule.
 * Hero: Hero of Trains
 * Main Antagonist: Chancellor Cole
 * Final Boss: Malladus
 * Villainous Faction: Monsters of New Hyrule
 * Dungeons: New Hyrule Temples
 * Setting: New Hyrule
 * Linked Worlds: New Hyrule & The Spirit Tracks
 * Timeline: Adult
 * System: Nintendo DS
 * McGuffin: Rail Maps
 * Partner: Phantom Zelda
 * First Dungeon: Forest Temple
 * SSHD NA Box Art.pngFinal Dungeon: Sand Temple

Skyward Sword (2011)
The very first game ever in the timeline, this game picks up with a Link and Zelda living in the floating isles of Skyloft. Link lives a normal life before Zelda is abducted by a demon named Ghirahim. Link is forced to go to the surface world to get the Master Sword, save Zelda, and stop Ghirahim from resurrecting the ancient Demon King known as Demise. Link stops Ghirahim and has a fateful battle with Demise, who enacts a curse that says that he, Link, and Zelda will be resurrected for eternity so that they may redo the battle over and over and over again forever.
 * Hero: Hero of the Skies
 * Main Antagonist: Ghirahim
 * Final Boss: Demise
 * Villainous Faction: Monsters of the Surface
 * Dungeons: Surface World Temples
 * Setting: Ancient Hyrule
 * Linked Worlds: The Surface & The Sky
 * Timeline: Unified
 * System: Wii
 * Remake: Skyward Sword HD (Nintendo Switch)
 * McGuffins: Ancient Tablets & Goddess Flames
 * Partner: Fi
 * First Dungeon: Skyview Temple
 * Final Dungeon: Sky Keep

A Link Between Worlds (2013)
It takes place hundreds of years after A Link to the Past, when forces from the parallel universe of Lorule invade Hyrule and turn its sages into paintings. Link can rent or buy key items from Ravio instead of finding them in dungeons, allowing him to complete dungeons in almost any order. Link finds the Seven Sages to stop Yuga, but yet again this was all a plot to resurrect Ganon. Ganon and Yuga fuse together and Link uses the Master Sword to defeat them, sealing them in the sword and saving Hyrule and Lorule.
 * Hero: New Hero of Hyrule
 * Main Antagonist: Yuga
 * Final Boss: Yuganon
 * Villainous Faction: Yuga's Minions
 * Dungeons: Palaces & Lorule Palaces
 * Linked Worlds: Hyrule & Lorule
 * Timeline: Downfall
 * System: Nintendo 3DS
 * McGuffins: 3 Pendants of Virtue & 7 Sages
 * First Dungeon: Eastern Palace
 * Final Dungeon: Lorule Castle

Tri Force Heroes (2015)
It stars the same Link as its predecessor, A Link Between Worlds, who has fled Hyrule and disguised himself in order to avoid recognition. He stumbles across the land of Hytopia, whose princess was cursed to wear ugly clothing by a villainous witch. Link teams up with two similar heroes to journey through the Drablands and stop Lady Maud to free Princess Styla.
 * Hero: New Hero of Hyrule
 * Main Antagonist: Lady Maud
 * Final Boss: Drabland's Witch: Lady Maud
 * Villainous Faction: Monsters of Hytopia
 * Dungeons: Areas
 * Setting: Hytopia
 * Linked Worlds: Hytopia & the Drablands
 * Timeline: Downfall
 * System: Nintendo 3DS
 * McGuffins: Lady's Ensemble
 * Partners: Two other heroes
 * First Dungeon: Forest Temple
 * Final Dungeon: Sky Temple

Breath of the Wild (2017)
Link awakens from a 100-year sleep and is tasked with destroying Calamity Ganon before the world is destroyed. The game returns to the original The Legend of Zelda concept of a more open-world adventure, where Link is free to explore the world in any direction at any given moment. Major dungeons found in previous games have been replaced with four smaller Divine Beasts and numerous small Ancient Shrine scattered throughout the land. Link travels across the vast land of Hyrule to find his memories and free the Divine Beasts from Calamity Ganon's control. Link does this and comes face to face with Ganon, who uses his last amount of power to battle. Link defeats him and saves Hyrule and Zelda.
 * Hero: Hero of the Wild
 * Main Antagonist: Calamity Ganon
 * Final Boss: Dark Beast Ganon
 * Villainous Faction: Ganon's Minions
 * Dungeons: Divine Beasts
 * Setting: Hyrule
 * Timeline: Reunited
 * System: Wii U, Nintendo Switch
 * McGuffins: Divine Beasts
 * First Dungeon: Divine Beast: Vah Medoh
 * Final Dungeon: Hyrule Castle

Breath of the Wild sequel (2023)
A sequel to Breath of the Wild revealed in E3 2019.
 * Hero: Hero of the Wild
 * Main Antagonist: TBA
 * Final Boss: TBA
 * Villainous Faction: TBA
 * Dungeons: TBA
 * Setting: Hyrule
 * Linked Worlds: TBA
 * Timeline: Reunited
 * System: Nintendo Switch
 * McGuffins: TBA
 * First Dungeon: TBA
 * Final Dungeon: TBA