How to Play The Legend of Zelda Games in Chronological Order

The Legend of Zelda is among the most beloved franchises in online game historical past, proper subsequent to Super Mario Bros., Pokemon, and Sonic the Hedgehog. For practically 40 years, followers have loved taking part in by the huge world and lore of Hyrule with numerous incarnations of Link, the mute green-clad knight sworn to guard the dominion and Princess Zelda from the evil of Ganon.

With a brand new Princess Zelda-led recreation releasing later this yr, you could be seeking to play all of the video games within the sequence in launch order or chronologically. While it is price noting that one of many producers of the video games did say he does not care concerning the Zelda timeline, if you happen to’re happening the latter route and don’t know which Zelda recreation to begin with, you’ve come to the correct place.

Read on for the total Legend of Zelda timeline under.

How to Play The Legend of Zelda Games In Chronological Order

If you’ve been a hardcore Legend of Zelda fan since 1986, you might have observed that Link seems as a younger grownup in a single recreation, a baby in one other, and vice versa. The inconsistency in Link’s age is as a result of Nintendo made the timeline open to interpretation. However, Nintendo launched the grasp timeline in Hyrule Historia in 2011, which begins with Skyward Sword and branches into three totally different timelines after Ocarina of Time: the Child Timeline, the Adult Timeline, and the Fallen Hero Timeline. The Calamity Timeline, which aptly begins with Age of Calamity, is separate from these timelines as a result of it rendered them a fantasy.

That being stated, right here is the record of The Legend of Zelda video games in chronological order in response to the fictional continuity. Hyrule Warriors is its personal separate factor as a result of it was developed by Koei Tecmo, Omega Force, and Team Ninja — the creators of Dynasty Warriors — so we’re excluding the sport from the record for that motive.

Jump to a time within the Zelda timeline:

Which Legend of Zelda Game Should You Play First?

With so many various video games within the sequence, it may be laborious to determine the place to dive in particularly. Although each recreation is exclusive and value taking part in in it is personal proper, you may seemingly wish to begin with the Zelda video games on the Nintendo Switch because it’s essentially the most accessible console. This means your finest wager could be both Link’s Awakening, Skyward Sword, Breath of the Wild, or Tears of the Kingdom. We’d recommend the Link’s Awakening remaster in order for you extra of an unique really feel. We additionally recommend you play Breath of the Wild earlier than Tears of the Kingdom if you happen to begin with the most recent titles within the sequence.

Early History Timeline

1. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Skyward Sword takes place 1000’s of years after the Ancient Battle within the Era of the Goddess Hylia, set on the floating island of Skyloft the place information of the floor world under is nonexistent. This recreation stars the primary Link, who forges the Master Sword from the Goddess Sword with the assistance of Fi as he rescues Zelda from the demon lord Ghirahim with a purpose to revive his grasp, Demise.

Nearly 10 years after its launch as a Wii recreation, Skyward Sword obtained an HD remaster for the Nintendo Switch. The remaster has two management schematics: one the place the Joy-Cons replicate the movement management maps of the Wiimote and the Nunchuck, and one other the place the sword can be utilized with the correct analog stick in handheld mode.

Read our assessment of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD

2. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

The Minish Cap is the one canon Zelda title developed by an organization aside from Nintendo, which is Capcom. Link accompanies Zelda to the Picori Festival to have fun tiny individuals who name themselves Minish. It’s right here that sorcerer Vaati, the primary reincarnation of Demise, seeks the Light Force as he believes it hides the Picori Blade. After Vaati unleashes a horde of monsters from breaking the sword’s seal and turns Zelda to stone within the course of, Link units off to reforge the Picori Blade with the assistance of Ezlo, the eponymous Minish Cap who has the ability to shrink the wearer all the way down to the dimensions of the Minish..

The Minish Cap is a prequel to Four Swords as a result of as soon as the Picori Blade is reforged, it turns into the Four Sword, which seals Vaati inside it. You can at the moment play the sport on Switch with a Nintendo Switch Online subscription due to the GBA recreation replace.

Read our assessment of The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap.

3. The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords

Vaati breaks from the seal of the Four Sword and kidnaps Zelda with the intent of constructing her his bride. After drawing the Four Sword, Link splits into 4 copies himself — inexperienced, purple, blue, and purple — they usually all need to work collectively to defeat numerous foes to get to Vaati, reseal him within the Four Sword, and rescue Zelda.

Fours Swords is the primary multiplayer recreation within the sequence that was bundled with the 2002 Game Boy Advance model of A Link to the Past. It was later launched as a standalone recreation for DSiWare.

Read our assessment of The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords.

4. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

After having premonitions of Ganondorf seizing the Triforce, a younger Link is presented the fairy Navi by the Great Deku Tree, who’s cursed and dying, and units them on a quest to cease him. He meets Princess Zelda, who had the identical prophetic desires as Link they usually plot collectively to open the Door of Time to get to the Triforce earlier than Ganondorf does. Unfortunately, when Link makes an attempt to attract the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time, he will get sealed away for seven years and wakes as much as a Hyrule ravaged by Ganondorf. Finally sufficiently old to wield the Master Sword, he accepts his future because the Hero of Time, and travels all through the damaged kingdom — and time — to re-assemble the Triforce and defeat Ganondorf.

Here’s the place the time break up is available in. After Ganondorf is sealed away within the Evil Realm, Zelda makes use of the Ocarina of Time to ship Link again to his personal time, however it splits into three branches — the Fallen Hero Timeline, the place Ganon defeats Link; the Child Timeline, which follows Link again to his personal time; and the Adult Timeline, the place Link disappears from Hyrule. The Master Sword exists within the final two timelines; nonetheless Link locations the sword again within the Pedestal of Time within the former, whereas Zelda does so within the latter.

Read our assessment of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time or take a look at extra prime N64 video games.

Child Timeline

1. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask

During his months-long seek for Navi on this direct sequel to Ocarina of Time, Link runs into the Skull Kid, who wears the titular masks and steals Link’s horse, prompting the hero to chase him into the parallel world of Termina. The masks itself is inhabited by a demon named Majora, and corrupts the Skull Kid to the purpose the place he plots to destroy Termina by bringing down the moon. With solely three days to cease the apocalypse, Link makes use of transformative masks to free the Four Giants from 4 totally different areas to assist preserve the moon from colliding with the earth and defeat Majora.

After saving Termina from getting pummelled by the moon, Link resumes his seek for Navi, by no means to be seen once more. He turns into the Hero’s Spirit after his loss of life.

Read our assessment of The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask.

2. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

In Twilight Princess, Link is a ranch hand and a descendant of the Hero’s Spirit. His peaceable life in Ordon Village is shattered by the shadow monsters referred to as Bulbins, who he pursues after they kidnap the youngsters and plunge most of Hyrule into Twilight. When Link enters the Twilight, he transforms right into a wolf and groups up with an imp named Midna to go up in opposition to Zant, King of the Twilight, who seeks to rule over the realms of sunshine and shadow.

After Link kills Zant with the Fused Shadow, he rescues Princess Zelda from a resurrected Ganondorf at Hyrule Castle and kills him with the Master Sword, which broke Link’s wolf curse after he drew it from the Sacred Grove, the place the Temple of Time as soon as stood.

Twilight Princess was the launch title for the Wii and the final first-party launch for the Nintendo GameDice in 2006. It was remastered for the Wii U a decade later.

Read our assessment of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

3. The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures

Centuries after Ganondorf’s loss of life, Princess Zelda summons Link to the fort to guard her and her shrine maidens after determining that the unusual occurrences plaguing Hyrule have been attributable to the weakening of Vaati’s seal. As Zelda works with the maidens to restrengthen the seal, Shadow Link seems and kidnaps them. This forces Link to drag the Four Sword and work his multi-colored clones as soon as extra to defeat his evil doppelganger, who seems to be the minion of Ganon, who needs to plunge most of Hyrule into darkness.

Read our assessment of The Legend of Zelda: Four Sword Adventures.

Adult Timeline

1. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

In the primary GameDice recreation of the sequence, Link is a resident of Outset Island who is just not associated to the Hero of Time in any respect. He units out to rescue his youthful sister Aryll, who will get kidnapped by the Helmaroc King per Ganondorf’s command to kidnap younger ladies with pointed ears within the hopes of capturing Zelda. He will get assist from the pirate captain Tetra — an incarnation of Zelda. With the assistance of her pirate crew and a speaking boat referred to as the King of Red Lions to sail the ocean, they discover the islands to collect the powers essential to defeat Ganondorf.

Nintendo remastered The Wind Waker in HD for the Wii U in 2013 to carry followers over whereas they await a brand new entry to be developed the identical console — which turned out to be Breath of the Wild for the Nintendo Switch — and to present builders room to check what they will do with the brand new {hardware}.

Read our assessment of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.

2. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

After the occasions of The Wind Waker, Link sails with Tetra and her crew after they occur upon the Ghost Ship, one of many ships rumored to vanish within the World of the Ocean King. When Tetra boards the ship in sight, she disappears with it, prompting Link to rescue her solely to get thrown overboard and wash up on Mercay Island. There he meets a fairy named Ciela and her grandfather Oshus, who offers Link the Phantom Hourglass to fend off the curse positioned on the Temple of the Ocean King by Bellum.

Read our assessment of The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass.

3. The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

A century after the occasions of Phantom Hourglass, Link is a Royal Engineer who goes to the Tower of Spirits with Princess Zelda to research the disappearance of the Spirit Tracks. Their prepare will get derailed by Chancellor Cole, an advisor to Zelda who reveals himself to be a demon on a mission to revive Malladus, the Demon King sealed underground way back by the Lokomo individuals. Cole casts a spell that separates Zelda’s soul from her physique with a purpose to use her physique as a vessel for Malladus, fragmenting the Tower of Spirits, whereas her soul stays with Link as they work to place it again in its rightful place.

Read our assessment of The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks.

Fallen Hero Timeline

1. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Link heeds a telepathic name from Princess Zelda to return to Hyrule Castle to avoid wasting her from her imprisonment by the darkish wizard Agahnim that used his powers to brainwash Hyrule’s troopers, depose the king, and banished six maidens to the Dark World with a purpose to break the seal on Ganon and rule each the Light and Dark Worlds. Link’s uncle additionally heeds the decision, however dies within the dungeon — however not earlier than telling Link he’s the inheritor to the Knights of Hyrule. Link learns that with a purpose to defeat Agahnim, he’ll have to gather the three Pendants of Virtue from dungeons throughout Hyrule after which get the Master Sword from the Lost Woods.

During Link’s travels to the Dark World by way of the Magic Mirror to rescue the maidens he discovers Agahnim to be Ganon’s alter ego and fights Ganon within the Pyramid of Power.

Read our assessment of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

2. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening

On his means again to Hyrule following his coaching to prep for brand new disasters that may threaten the dominion, Link will get caught in a storm in the midst of the ocean and finally ends up shipwrecked on the island of Koholint, the place an enormous egg sits on the height of Mt. Tamaranch. He is rescued by Marin, a younger girl who strongly resembles Princess Zelda regardless of the sport not that includes her in any capability, and learns that with a purpose to depart the island, he’ll have to gather eight Instruments of the Sirens and wake the Wind Fish who sleeps within the egg.

Link’s Awakening obtained a 3D remake for the Nintendo Switch in 2019, which noticed Link upgraded to a chibi design.

Read our assessment of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening.

3. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons

The Triforce calls Link to Holodrum, the place he witnesses a dancer named Din, the titular Oracle of Seasons, get kidnapped by Onox, the General of Darkness. This occasion throws the seasons of the land into disarray. To restore the steadiness of the seasons, Link has to gather the eight Essences of Nature and use the Rod of Seasons to govern the seasons in every single place he goes. After rescuing Din, he will get transported to Labrynna, the place Oracle of Ages takes place.

Read our assessment of The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons.

4. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages

As in Oracle of Seasons, the Triforce beckons Link to Labrynna, the place the singer Nayru is possessed by Veran the Sorceress of Shadows, disrupting the move of time. Link makes use of the Harp of Ages to journey between previous and current to gather the eight Essences of Time and battle Veran atop the Black Tower.

Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons have an ending that’s linked with a password, so if one recreation is performed as a sequel to the opposite, Twinrova captures Princess Zelda and lights the Flame of Despair. Link defeats Twinrova and a poorly revived Ganon and frees Zelda, leaving Labrynna by boat.

Read our assessment of The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages.

5. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

In this recreation, Link, an apprentice to a blacksmith, encounters Yuga, who has been turning individuals all through Hyrule into work, together with the Seven Sages and Princess Zelda. Using a magic bracelet given to him by a mysterious peddler, Link travels to Lorule to cease Yuga’s ambitions to devour Hyrule and Lorule with Ganon at his facet.

A Link Between Worlds is known for its twin gameplay, as Link turns into a two-dimensional portray himself whereas touring by the partitions of Lorule and turns again into his three-dimensional self when he returns to Hyrule.

Read our assessment of The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds.

6. The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes

Tri Force Heroes is ready within the kingdom of Hytopia, the place Princess Styla is understood for her magnificence and impeccable style in vogue. Unfortunately, the witch Lady Maud cursed Styla with a brown jumpsuit that she can not take off in any respect, so Link joins two doppelgangers to collect the items of the Lady’s Ensemble and treatment Styla of her vogue catastrophe.

Tri Force Heroes is the primary recreation within the sequence to help on-line multiplayer. The controls are the identical as Four Swords, although there’s one much less Link within the group.

Read our assessment of The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes.

7. The Legend of Zelda

Ganon is revived to steer his military to assault Hyrule, steal the Triforce of Power, and kidnap Princess Zelda. But earlier than she was taken and subsequently imprisoned, Zelda splits the Triforce of Wisdom into eight items and scatters them all through the dominion to maintain it from falling into Ganon’s arms, main her nursemaid Impa to search out Link. After studying of Ganon’s invasion, the hero finds the eight items of the Triforce of Wisdom, defeats him, and rescues Zelda.

Read our assessment of The Legend of Zelda.

8. Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link

Six years later after Ganon’s loss of life, whereas serving to to revive Hyrule, Link receives a glowing Triforce mark on his left hand on his sixteenth birthday. The mark opens the door to the altar the place Princess Zelda I is underneath a sleeping curse, and Link learns the she’ll solely be woke up with the Triforce of Courage, which is saved within the Great Palace. So Link units out to deposit six crystals within the palaces round Hyrule, defeat six guardians, and beat any of Ganon’s minions attempting to get his blood to revive him.

Read our assessment of Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link.

The Calamity Timeline

1. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity

Set 100 years earlier than the occasions of Breath of the Wild, Link and Princess Zelda spherical up their allies to defend Hyrule in opposition to Calamity Ganon, who’s making an attempt to revive himself and destroy the dominion together with his Malice. When a mysterious Guardian comes from the long run bearing proof of their failure, they expedite their efforts to workforce up with 4 champions of Hyrule’s different races to strengthen their forces and discover the Master Sword within the Korok Forest to vary the end result of their battle.

Unable to defeat Calamity Ganon, even after the Divine Beasts have weakened him, Zelda seals herself and him away in Hyrule Castle, and sends Link to sleep on the Shrine of Resurrection for 100 years to heal his deadly wounds.

Read our assessment of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity.

2. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

A century has handed, and Link awakens from his restorative slumber with out his reminiscences. Meanwhile, Zelda’s awakening powers have weakened, Calamity Ganon has grown stronger, and Hyrule has been utterly destroyed by the Great Calamity. Link travels throughout Hyrule to regain his reminiscences, free the Divine Beasts of the Blight Ganons, and confront Ganon as soon as extra.

Breath of the Wild continues to be broadly praised as the most effective open-world video games, with a method that has impressed video games outdoors the sequence like Immortals Fenyx Rising, Genshin Impact, and Sonic Frontiers. It additionally has an enlargement cross with two DLC packs – The Master Trials DLC and The Champions’ Ballad DLC.

Read our assessment of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

3. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

As the direct sequel to Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom takes place after the autumn of Calamity Ganon. Link, Zelda, and lots of the characters are again in Hyrule as Ganondorf rises. There are many added gameplay components within the new sequel, however it’s all overlaid of the identical map and takes place years after Breath of the Wild. Although you needn’t play Breath of the Wild earlier than Tears of the Kingdom, there are various totally different story factors you may miss if you happen to do.

There’s not any probability of getting a Tears of the Kingdom to get DLC down the highway, although Breath of the Wild received two DLC packs. Nintendo has already moved on to a brand new Zelda recreation.

Read our assessment of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

How To Play The Legend of Zelda Games By Release Date

If you wish to play The Legend of Zelda video games within the order wherein they have been launched as a substitute of switching between the fashionable video games and the traditional ones, listed here are all of the mainline video games by U.S. launch date.

1. The Legend of Zelda – August 22, 1987 – NES
2. Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link – December 1, 1988 – NES
3. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past – April 13, 1992 – SNES
4. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening – August 6, 1993 – Game Boy
5. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time – November 21, 1998 – N64
6. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask – October 26, 2000 – N64
7. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages – May 13, 2001 – Game Boy Color
8. The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords – December 2, 2002 – Game Boy Advance
9. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker – March 24, 2003 – GameDice
10. The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures – June 7, 2004 – GameDice
11. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap – January 10, 2005 – Game Boy Advance
12. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess – November 19, 2006 (Wii) / December 11, 2006 (GameDice)
13. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass – October 1, 2007 – Nintendo DS
14. The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks – December 7, 2009 – Nintendo DS
15. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D – June 19, 2011 – Nintendo 3DS
16. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword – November 20, 2011 – Wii
17. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD – September 20, 2013 – Wii U
18. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D – February 13, 2015 – Nintendo 3DS
19. The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes – October 23, 2015 – Nintendo 3DS
20. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD – March 4, 2016 – Wii U
21. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – March 3, 2017 – Nintendo Switch
22. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (2019) – September 20, 2019 – Nintendo Switch
23. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD – July 16, 2021 – Nintendo Switch
24. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – May 12, 2023 – Nintendo Switch
25. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom – September 26, 2024 – Nintendo Switch

The Future of The Legend of Zelda

After over 30 years, the titular character of The Legend of Zelda sequence will likely be main her personal mainline recreation. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom was introduced throughout June’s Nintendo Direct and is ready to launch on the Switch on September 26, 2024. Featuring an artwork model just like Link’s Awakening, gamers assume the function of Princess Zelda in a brand new quest to avoid wasting the dominion of Hyrule.

A live-action Legend of Zelda film can be within the works, however a launch date has not been specified. This movie will likely be first time the sequence has made it to the massive display screen. Fans have been initially involved about whether or not director Wes Ball performed sufficient of the video games to make the film a devoted adaptation on grounds he did not reveal his favourite Zelda title, commenting, “I’d higher not say.” Ball later quelled followers’ anxieties on-line, responding, “Relax guys. I’m one in all you. I’ve simply discovered from a sensible man, in the case of Zelda, finest to say nothing as issues simply get misinterpreted.”