In one form or another, practically every gamer has some experience with the Legend of Zelda franchise. Once the industry’s longest-running and most influential series, its reach spans generations with releases on practically every major Nintendo console or handheld for over 35 years (we don’t talk about Virtual Boy).
With 19 mainline games — and another one on the way — alongside countless spin-offs, remasters, and ports, the breadth of its legacy is vast. Like Star Wars, everyone has their first, their favorite, their hot take. Frankly, it would be easy for the series to feel a bit long in the tooth, but the secret to Zelda’s longevity is Nintendo’s knack for reinvention. No two games in the series feel exactly alike; there’s always some innovation or twist to make what’s old new again. More often than not, The Legend of Zelda makes what’s new new again, delivering outside-the-box concepts that fans never knew they needed and rival developers instantly begin to ape.
That spirit of reinvention also applies to the series’ narrative. The beauty of Zelda is, well, the legend. There is no wrong place to start, no dense lore to study. Each game functions as a complete reimagining — technically a reincarnation of its hero, Link, and the titular princess. There’s generally a new world to explore and journey to take, free from hamstrung continuity and readily accessible to kids and adults alike. Sure, there’s some retroactive timeline shenanigans courtesy of the IP Police at Nintendo HQ, but it’s all just a convoluted attempt to appease the fans. The series is at its best when it’s seemingly simple, yet deceptively deep in gameplay and story alike.
But with so many entries, there’s bound to be some hit-or-miss. While some games are genre-defining, once-in-a-generation epic, others function as stopgaps that pull together the scraps of ideas from the cutting-room floor to satiate players until the next big thing. Truthfully, there’s no bad games in the series, but when your schtick is making multiple “greatest game of all time” contenders, the whiffs can hit particularly hard.
In anticipation for the latest installment, Tears of the Kingdom, we’re breaking down the series piece by piece and determining which games were the most legendary of all. This list was devised with the input of Rolling Stone staffers, gaming journalists, as well as (mostly civil) debate from our Twitch community.
With that, it’s time to answer the call with a definitive ranking of all mainline games in The Legend of Zelda. Hey, listen!
FAQs
Forget the nitpicking about weapon durability, the sparse (but omnipresent) narrative, or the optionality of almost everything. The freedom of choice and inviting design of its world is what makes Breath of the Wild not just the greatest Zelda game, but one of the greatest games ever made.
What are the ratings for all Zelda games? ›
The Legend of Zelda Ratings
Although the Zelda games have been around longer than the ESRB, every main Zelda game has an ESRB rating due to re-releases. Almost all have been rated E for Everyone.
What is the darkest Zelda game? ›
Majora's Mask and Twilight Princess are often considered the darkest Zeldas by fans due to their jarring — sometimes violent — visuals and melancholic story elements. Ocarina of Time set the stage for both MM and TP as a direct prequel to both games, making OOT's Link the most tragic version of the character.
Which Zelda game should I get first? ›
Although every game is unique and worth playing in it's own right, you'll likely want to start with the Zelda games on the Nintendo Switch as it's the most accessible console. This means your best bet would be either Link's Awakening, Skyward Sword, Breath of the Wild, or Tears of the Kingdom.
Are any Zelda games rated T? ›
The only other Zelda titles with T ratings have been the two Hyrule Warriors games and, thanks to its association with Twilight Princess, Link's Crossbow Training. Even the infamously morbid Majora's Mask originally got an E rating, which was later bumped up to E10+ alongside Ocarina of Time for their 3DS remakes.
Do you 100% Zelda games? ›
Like the Three Heart Challenge and Speedruns, 100% Completion is an optional challenge for The Legend of Zelda series. In order to have a 100% completed file, it must contain all Heart Containers, upgrades, items, and collectibles.
Is BotW or TotK better? ›
BotW is a really chilled out explore about collecting stuff type of game while TotK has a lot more "meaty" content and said meat is of a dramatically higher quality. I mean all the collectathon s*** is still in there but you can play it as a more directed activity based game and that's much more my thing.
How old is Link in Tears of the Kingdom? ›
So Link is about 123 - 127 years old in Tears of the Kingdom. Aragorn is 87 years old during the events of The Lord of the Rings, so youthful, but aged swordsmen abound in fantasy.
Which Zelda is easiest? ›
With a very button-mashing based combat style, some ridiculously easy puzzles that are much fewer than most other entries, and the near-constant appearances of Midna by Link's side to give him clues about literally everything, Twilight Princess is the perfect easy ride for any Zelda fan looking for a relaxing game.
Who is the baddie in Zelda? ›
Ganon is the main antagonist in The Legend of Zelda series. He usually appears as the final boss at the end of each game. A recurring storyline in the series centres around the protagonist Link fighting to save Princess Zelda after she is captured by Ganon.
1 Winner – Tears Of The Kingdom
Breath Of The Wild succeeded at what it set out to do, and Tears Of The Kingdom succeeded in succeeding it. To put it simply, this sequel is the better game in terms of gameplay, size, and creative mechanics.
Is Tears of the Kingdom the best Zelda ever? ›
Many (us included) considered it the best Zelda title ever made — if not the greatest game ever made.
What is the best Zelda game on Nintendo Switch? ›
Although many would argue for both games, Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are both worth considering to be the best Zelda game on Nintendo Switch.
Should I play Breath of the Wild before Tears of the Kingdom? ›
Outside of the obvious story tie-ins between games, both games being the same version of Hyrule is a huge reason to play BotW first. The Breath of the Wild map is enormous, and many of the locations are also in Tears of the Kingdom.
