140 Fun Facts About Zelda

In what year was the first game in The Legend of Zelda series released?

The original 'The Legend of Zelda' debuted on the Famicom Disk System in Japan, laying the groundwork for one of Nintendo's most celebrated franchises.

What is the name of Link's iconic horse, often accompanying him on his adventures?

Epona was introduced in the 1998 Nintendo 64 game and became Link's standard mode of transport, summoned with a song.

Which of the three virtues does Princess Zelda typically embody?

Her virtue reflects her role as the guiding, strategic figure while Link does the swinging.

Which aquatic race with fish-like features frequently appears throughout the series?

The Zoras are a recurring race in The Legend of Zelda series, often acting as protectors of water sources and having distinct aquatic forms.

Who is the recurring primary antagonist in many games within The Legend of Zelda series?

Known as Ganon in his beast form, he is the embodiment of power and the constant opponent of Link and Zelda.

Most Zelda games take place in which medieval kingdom, protected by its royal family and a chosen hero?

Hyrule is the kingdom; Termina, Lorule and Koholint are the other worlds of Majora's Mask, A Link Between Worlds and Link's Awakening.

Which game introduced the mechanic of 'Z-targeting,' allowing Link to lock onto enemies?

Z-targeting revolutionized 3D combat in video games, allowing players to focus on a single enemy while moving and attacking, a feature first seen in Ocarina of Time.

What item allows Link to traverse large gaps by grappling onto distant targets?

The Hookshot is a classic Zelda item that fires a chain with a hook, enabling Link to reach otherwise inaccessible areas and solve puzzles.

Which rock-bodied, rock-eating race lives on Death Mountain and greets friends as 'Brother' in the Zelda series?

Gorons eat rocks, roll like boulders and mine Death Mountain; Darunia in Ocarina of Time is their chief.

Who composed most of the iconic music for The Legend of Zelda series?

Koji Kondo is a legendary Nintendo composer responsible for many of the most recognizable themes in video game history, including those from The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario.

Which fairy does the Great Deku Tree instruct to act as Link's guide?

She is remembered mostly for shouting 'Hey!' and 'Listen!' whenever a hint is available.

How many days does Link have to stop the moon from crashing into Termina?

The three-day cycle is the game's defining mechanic: Link must rewind time again and again, keeping only what he has learned.

Into which parallel kingdom is Princess Zelda taken through a rift, forcing Link to follow?

It has its own royal family and its own dark counterpart to the golden relic.

Which game features a talking boat named the King of Red Lions?

The King of Red Lions is a sentient, talking boat in The Wind Waker that serves as Link's primary mode of transportation across the Great Sea and offers guidance.

Which desert-dwelling race of female warriors produces a single male member who becomes their king?

One male is born to them roughly every hundred years, and he takes the throne by tradition.

What magical artifact, split into three pieces, is said to grant wishes to whoever touches it?

The Triforce is a golden, triangular artifact left behind by the Golden Goddesses, embodying Power, Wisdom, and Courage, and capable of granting any wish.

Which Sheikah elder, once a servant of the royal family, guides Link after he awakens?

Impa is a recurring member of the Sheikah tribe and a loyal confidante to Princess Zelda across many entries in the series.

What are the childlike forest dwellers who never grow up, each paired with a fairy?

The Kokiri live in a forest guarded by the Great Deku Tree and are said to die if they ever leave it.

Which game allows Link to transform into a wolf?

In Twilight Princess, Link gains the ability to transform into a wolf, allowing him to navigate the Twilight Realm and utilize enhanced senses.

Link smashes pots and cuts grass to collect which colour-coded currency of Hyrule throughout the Zelda series?

Rupees share a name with India's currency; they come in colours that signal value and turn up in grass, pots and chests.

Who is one of the co-creators and producers of The Legend of Zelda series?

Shigeru Miyamoto is a legendary game designer and producer at Nintendo, widely recognized as one of the creators of both The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario franchises.

Which handheld stone tablet lets Link mark waypoints and photograph creatures?

Its runes, including magnesis and stasis, double as the puzzle tools for the game's shrines.

Which of the three Golden Goddesses is said to embody courage?

Din, Nayru and Farore shaped the land before departing and leaving the golden relic behind.

Which game introduced switching between the Light World and Dark World?

Its two overworlds are separate but similar, so most spots in the Light World have a corrupted twin in the Dark.

Which of the four Champions was a princess of the water-dwelling race?

Her gift, Mipha's Grace, revives Link once when he falls, then recharges over time.

Which mischievous imp gives Link cryptic advice while he travels as both a Hylian and a wolf?

Midna is a sarcastic Twili who rides on Link's back in his beast form and turns out to be central to the plot.

Whose orchestral work was planned as the first game's title theme until a copyright problem?

Boléro had not entered the public domain, so a replacement overworld theme was written in a single day.

Where can Link have his health restored completely by a magical being?

Hearts dropped by defeated enemies top Link up too, but only a sliver at a time.

Which of Link's abilities in Tears of the Kingdom rewinds an object's movement?

It pairs neatly with falling rocks: send one back up the way it came and ride it.

What is the name of the avian race that lives on Dragon Roost Island?

The Rito serve as postal carriers across the great sea, and each member earns their wings from the dragon above their island.

What is the name of the whale-like deity that guards Koholint Island?

Several musical instruments must be gathered to wake the sleeping deity so Link can leave the island.

Which tiny leaf-masked forest spirits hide all over Breath of the Wild's Hyrule, rewarding Link with seeds to trade to Hestu?

Koroks number 900 in Breath of the Wild, and handing every seed to Hestu earns a golden reward shaped like poo.

Which game introduced the open-world exploration and weapon durability that defined it?

It reimagined the series with a vast open map, non-linear progression and a divisive weapon durability system.

Which legendary blade, the 'sword that seals the darkness', does Link pull from its pedestal to fight evil across the Zelda series?

The Master Sword repels evil and waits in a pedestal for a worthy hero; in Tears of the Kingdom Ganondorf shatters it in the opening minutes.

What are the four enormous animalistic machines piloted by the Champions called?

Each one is built around a different animal, and each doubles as a puzzle that can be rotated or tilted from inside.

Which sorcerer can merge into walls and turn people into paintings?

He traps Princess Zelda in a painting early on, which is what sets the whole chase in motion.

Which game features a hero who can flatten into a two-dimensional painting to slip along walls?

A magic bracelet unlocks the trick, and it doubles as the way between the two parallel kingdoms.

What alias does Princess Zelda use while disguised as a Sheikah warrior teaching Link songs?

The disguise holds for most of the adult half of the adventure before it is finally dropped.

The ocarina, a recurring item in the series, is what kind of musical device?

An Ocarina is a type of ancient wind musical instrument, typically made from ceramic or clay, with a range of holes for producing different notes.

Which game is known for its 'four giants' who help prevent the moon from falling?

In Majora's Mask, the Four Giants are colossal protectors of Termina, whom Link must awaken to stop the moon's descent and save the world.

What is the name of the floating town where Link and Zelda grow up?

It sits above the clouds, and its people had no idea there was a surface world below them.

Which pirate captain turns out to be an incarnation of Princess Zelda?

She commands her own crew and treats Link as hired help long before her heritage comes up.

Which game features a blade-dwelling companion named Fi?

Fi speaks in percentages and probabilities, and her farewell is one of the series' most-quoted moments.

Who is the demon king whose hatred is said to be the origin of the series' recurring evil?

His dying curse on Link and Zelda sets up the cycle of reincarnation that the whole series runs on.

In the timeline Nintendo of America published in the early 2000s, what title is given to Link?

Later games gave their own Links separate titles, among them Hero of Winds and Hero of the Wild.

Which unsettling character promises to break Link's curse if he recovers what Skull Kid stole?

He also teaches Link the Song of Healing, which turns cursed transformations into masks that can be worn at will.

Which dragon presides over Dragon Roost Island?

Link must climb the island's volcano and calm the dragon before its people will part with a sacred pearl.

What was the ancient Sheikah's army of autonomous weapons called?

Guardians were dug up to fight the calamity and promptly turned against their makers, which is why they roam the ruins hunting Link.

Which staple item both works as a weapon and opens blocked or hidden doorways?

Blowing open a cracked wall to find a hidden room has been part of the series since the very first game.

Which game was the first in the series to be released on a handheld console?

It began as an after-hours experiment by Nintendo staff trying to port a Super Nintendo game to the Game Boy.

What was distinctive about the original game's North American cartridge?

The box had a window cut into it so the metallic cartridge showed through on the shelf.

The original Zelda was developed at the same time as which other Nintendo game?

The same team worked on both and deliberately kept the ideas apart, giving Zelda the non-linear structure and Mario the linear one.

Which pig-like demon king, the series' main villain, was the final boss of the original 1986 Zelda?

Ganon first appeared as a porcine monster in 1986; his humanoid form, Ganondorf, was not seen in the flesh until Ocarina of Time.

What are Skyward Sword's bird-like creatures that carry residents between islands called?

Link's own is a rare crimson one, and it is stolen early in the game to stop him competing in a ceremonial race.

How many fragments of the Triforce of Wisdom must Link gather in the original NES game?

Collecting them all opens a ninth and final dungeon where the last battle takes place.

Which loyal horse, first met in Ocarina of Time and summoned by her own song, carries Link across Hyrule?

Epona is named after the Celtic goddess of horses and is called with 'Epona's Song'; she returns in Majora's Mask, Twilight Princess and Breath of the Wild.

The very first 'Legend of Zelda' game was initially released on which console add-on in Japan?

The disk format is why the Japanese original had a save feature; the later cartridge version needed a battery to match it.

Link's pointed ears mark him as one of which elf-like race, named for a goddess?

Hylians take their name from the goddess Hylia, and Hyrule's royal family are Hylians too.

Which company's Flagship studio developed the two linked 2001 Zelda games for the Game Boy Color?

Flagship originally planned three interconnected games playable in any order before the project was cut down to two.

In A Link Between Worlds, the sorcerer Yuga escapes with Princess Zelda into which parallel world?

Lorule is a decayed mirror of Hyrule whose own Triforce was destroyed, and its princess Hilda is Zelda's counterpart.

"The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask" primarily takes place in which parallel world?

Unlike most games in the series, "Majora's Mask" is set in Termina, a parallel world facing destruction from a falling moon.

In Twilight Princess, entering the shadowy Twilight Realm transforms Link into which animal?

Wolf Link gains enhanced senses in the Twilight, with the imp Midna riding on his back.

Which weapon, the strongest in Ocarina of Time, is the reward at the end of a ten-item trading sequence?

It is two-handed, so Link cannot raise a shield while wielding it.

Zelda: Skyward Sword was originally designed around what primary control mechanic on the Wii?

"Skyward Sword" was built entirely around motion controls on the Wii, with the HD remaster offering alternative button controls.

Of the three Golden Goddesses, which one embodies wisdom?

Din is power and Farore is courage; the trio created Hyrule and left the Triforce behind when they departed.

How many in-game days does Link get before the moon falls in Majora's Mask?

The 72-hour cycle resets every time Link plays the Song of Time, so he holds the moon off by rewinding rather than winning.

In Twilight Princess, what does Link use to summon his horse instead of an instrument?

Wolf Link howls the tune from a patch of 'horse grass'; in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask the same song is played on the ocarina.

Which recurring octopus-like enemy, dating back to the first game, spits rocks at Link?

They come in land and water varieties, and the tentacled Bokoblin-scale ones in Breath of the Wild will happily swallow bombs.

In "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time," what is the name of the region inhabited by the Goron tribe?

The Gorons, a rock-eating race, primarily reside on and around Death Mountain in "Ocarina of Time" and other games.

Which fish-like race lives underwater and counts Princess Ruto and Mipha among its royals in the Zelda series?

The Zora are aquatic humanoids who guard Zora's Domain and Lake Hylia; Mipha pilots the elephant-shaped Divine Beast Vah Ruta.

The series' recurring villain, in humanoid form, first led which race of desert nomads?

Series lore has one male born to the tribe every hundred years, which is how he came to lead them.

In Majora's Mask, what curse does Skull Kid put on Link at the very start of the game?

He is stuck in that form until he recovers his ocarina and gets back through the Clock Tower doors, three days later.

In Breath of the Wild, what limits how long Link can climb, swim or glide?

Cooking the right meals temporarily extends it, and the paraglider was almost cut for giving the player too much mobility.

In which Nintendo DS game does Link travel between towns by driving a steam train?

Link can control speed and direction, switch at junctions and blow the whistle to clear animals off the line.

The original Zelda's design of making players think about what to do next exemplifies what philosophy?

Its success helped lay the groundwork for open-ended fantasy games such as Crystalis and Soul Blazer.

In Ocarina of Time, which item lets Link bounce Twinrova's fire and ice attacks back at them?

Twinrova are the two Gerudo witches who raised Ganondorf, and the fight is the climax of the Spirit Temple.

In Majora's Mask, what does Link use to track the daily schedules of Clock Town's residents?

It lists 20 characters who need help across the repeating cycle, from a soldier who needs medicine to an engaged couple split up by Skull Kid.

In Skyward Sword, what is the name of the humanoid spirit that inhabits Link's sword?

She speaks in probabilities and percentages, and her farewell when the sword is sealed away is one of the series' quieter moments.

In A Link Between Worlds, what item gives Link the ability to merge into walls as a painting?

Merging also lets him slip through cracks between Hyrule and its parallel world, and the camera swings to a side view while he is flat.

Which mysterious travelling collector pressures Link into recovering the item Skull Kid stole from him?

He also runs a shop in Ocarina of Time's Hyrule Castle Town, where his side-quest wares include the Bunny Hood.

How many directors led the development of Ocarina of Time?

Eiji Aonuma, who went on to run the whole series, was one of them; Shigeru Miyamoto produced.

Which game features a talking hat named Ezlo, who transforms into Link's headwear?

In "The Minish Cap," Link is accompanied by Ezlo, a sentient, talking cap who grants Link the ability to shrink in size.

Which game features Link sailing across a vast ocean known as the Great Sea?

"The Wind Waker" is set on the Great Sea, a flooded Hyrule, where Link sails between islands on his boat, the King of Red Lions.

In Breath of the Wild, what ancient technology created the Guardians and Shrines?

The Sheikah Slate and other advanced devices in "Breath of the Wild" are products of the ancient Sheikah civilization.

On what date was The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom released?

It arrived six years after Breath of the Wild, having been finished by March 2022 and then held for a year of polish.

In Tears of the Kingdom, what is the name of the vast underground area beneath Hyrule?

It is pitch dark and full of gloom, so Link needs Brightbloom seeds and Lightroots just to see where he is going.

Which Tears of the Kingdom ability lets Link move upward through solid ceilings?

It began life as a debug shortcut the director and producer used to get out of caves while testing, and they liked it enough to keep it.

What is the harmful substance in Tears of the Kingdom that temporarily reduces Link's maximum hearts?

Returning to the surface of Hyrule clears the effect, which is why long trips into the Depths call for sundelions.

Hyrule's first king Rauru belonged to which ancient race, whose devices Link builds with?

Rauru's spirit also supplies the arm that replaces Link's damaged right one after the Upheaval.

How does Zelda repair the Master Sword and deliver it to Link across the ages in Tears of the Kingdom?

The transformation is called draconification and it costs her her sense of self until Rauru and Sonia's spirits restore her at the end.

How many copies did Tears of the Kingdom sell in its first three days, making it the fastest-selling Zelda game?

Over four million of those were in the US alone, and Japanese economists later credited the game with a bump in consumer spending.

Tears of the Kingdom was the first Nintendo-developed game to carry which US price tag?

The price drew grumbles before launch, then the game sold more than 10 million copies in three days anyway.

Which four characters become Link's new sage allies in Tears of the Kingdom?

They are the successors of the original sages of the Zora, Rito, Gorons and Gerudo, and Mineru the Zonai makes a fifth.

Where was Tears of the Kingdom first announced, as an untitled sequel to Breath of the Wild?

The title itself was not revealed until a September 2022 Nintendo Direct, more than three years after the first teaser.

What material does Autobuild consume to replace missing parts in Tears of the Kingdom?

Zonaite is mined in the Depths, giving players a reason to brave the dark beyond the story.

What is the ancient conflict, shown in murals beneath Hyrule Castle, in which Rauru sealed away the Demon King?

Its name is shared with the 2025 Switch 2 spin-off Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, which dramatises that war.

The princess's name honours which American Jazz Age novelist and socialite?

Miyamoto thought the name sounded 'pleasant and significant'.

According to Miyamoto, Link got his name because Triforce fragments were originally going to be what?

The hero was to travel between past and future, serving as the 'link' between them.

Which Disney character was used as inspiration to make Link instantly recognisable?

The goal was to make the character instantly recognisable.

Which game designer co-created The Legend of Zelda with Shigeru Miyamoto?

Tezuka developed the story and setting for the original game.

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link departed from its predecessor by adding what kind of gameplay?

Its experience points and limited lives never returned to canonical games, but its magic meter and Dark Link did.

Which recurring shadowy doppelganger of the hero was introduced in Zelda II?

The game also introduced Link's magic meter; a similar Shadow Link later appears in Four Swords Adventures.

Which 2024 game was the first mainline Zelda title with Princess Zelda as the main playable character?

Zelda uses the Tri Rod, given by the fairy Tri, to create 'echoes' of objects and monsters.

In the 2024 game where Zelda is playable, what item lets her create copies of objects and monsters?

The game was co-developed by Grezzo, the studio behind the 2019 Link's Awakening remake, in a similar visual style.

What sarcastic catchphrase did Link use in the 1989 animated TV series?

The line was based on a popular Steve Martin comedy routine, according to writer Bob Forward.

Who was cast as Princess Zelda in the live-action Legend of Zelda film announced for 2027?

Benjamin Evan Ainsworth was cast as Link, and the film is directed by Wes Ball.

Who was announced in 2023 as director of the live-action Legend of Zelda film?

Shigeru Miyamoto and Avi Arad produce; Sony Pictures co-finances the film and handles worldwide theatrical distribution.

Which sea captain and his ship help Link rescue Tetra in Phantom Hourglass?

The DS game is controlled almost entirely with the stylus and centers on the Temple of the Ocean King.

In Oracle of Seasons, Link is transported to which land, where Onox kidnaps Din?

Its companion game, Oracle of Ages, sends Link to Labrynna, where Veran possesses Nayru.

Which handheld could be used as a controller for the GameCube's Four Swords Adventures?

The link cable came bundled with the game in North America and Europe; the story concerns the wind mage Vaati.

The 2014 Wii U hack-and-slash Zelda spin-off borrowed the gameplay of which Koei Tecmo series?

Omega Force and Team Ninja developed the 2014 Wii U game under Eiji Aonuma's supervision.

Cadence of Hyrule crossed the Zelda series with which rhythm roguelike?

Brace Yourself Games developed it for Switch in 2019, directed by NecroDancer creator Ryan Clark.

Breath of the Wild launched on March 3, 2017 as the final Nintendo-published game for which console?

It was simultaneously a launch title for the Nintendo Switch.

Roughly how many copies had Breath of the Wild sold by March 2025, making it the best-selling Zelda?

It also won Game of the Year at the 2017 Game Awards.

What was the most common criticism of The Wind Waker's gameplay?

The trek around the ocean to collect Triforce pieces late in the game drew particular complaints, along with the low difficulty.

On which console was The Wind Waker HD released in 2013?

The remaster arrived a decade after the original GameCube release.

Why is the Wii version of Twilight Princess mirrored compared with the GameCube version?

Nintendo felt right-handed sword swings would feel more natural to most players holding the Wii Remote.

Who is the usurper king of the Twili who invades Hyrule Castle in Twilight Princess?

Link must gather the Fused Shadows to match his power, aided by the imp Midna.

Which Nintendo 64 peripheral was Ocarina of Time built for before it moved to cartridge?

Streaming 500 motion-captured animations demanded the cartridge's higher data throughput.

What Metacritic score earned Ocarina of Time a Guinness listing as the highest-rated game in history?

Link appears in nine of Metacritic's 100 highest-rated games, all from the Zelda series.

In the 1986 original, what does the old man in the cave say when he gives Link his first sword?

'It's dangerous to go alone! Take this.' became a meme; Link starts the 1986 game with only a small shield and must find the cave.

What is the harder replay of the original NES game, unlocked after finishing it, called?

Known in Japan as Ura Zelda, it rearranges secrets and uses entirely different dungeons.

Which wizard seizes control of Hyrule after the king is murdered in A Link to the Past?

Agahnim plans to free Ganon from the Dark World; the game arrived on the SNES in 1991 in Japan.

Link's Awakening features unauthorized cameos from which other Nintendo series?

The game began as an unsanctioned side project on an early Game Boy dev kit, which Tezuka blamed for its 'unrestrained' contents.

Which company published the notorious 1993 Zelda games for the CD-i console?

They resulted from a compromise after Philips and Nintendo failed to build a CD-ROM add-on for the Super NES.

Which studio developed the CD-i games Link: The Faces of Evil and Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon?

Russian animators led by Igor Razboff created the infamous full-motion video cutscenes.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, the 2020 Switch game, is set how many years before Breath of the Wild?

100 years before, in the era Breath of the Wild only shows in flashbacks; the game became the best-selling Warriors title in four days.

What formation do the three Links use to reach high places in Tri Force Heroes?

The 3DS game also has players craft outfits that grant abilities.

Which N64 add-on is required to play Majora's Mask?

Miyamoto challenged Aonuma's team to build the game in just one year using Ocarina's engine.

Link's Crossbow Training was bundled with, and was the first game to use, which Wii accessory?

Skyward Sword later relied on the separate Wii MotionPlus for its sword-and-shield combat.

Which studio co-developed the 2021 Switch remaster Skyward Sword HD?

The original Wii game's combat depended on the Wii MotionPlus peripheral.

What does Tingle, the green-clad map salesman, dream of becoming?

Designer Takaya Imamura wanted a deliberately creepy look; Aonuma compared the 35-year-old's refusal to grow up to Peter Pan.

In The Minish Cap, which apprentice of Ezlo stole the Mage's Cap and became a sorcerer?

The 2004 Game Boy Advance game is a prequel explaining the origin of the villain and the Four Sword used in the Four Swords games.

Which dungeon does Link keep returning to for sea charts in Phantom Hourglass?

The DS game used the stylus for nearly everything, from drawing boomerang paths to plotting ship routes across the sea.

Which studio developed the 2019 Switch remake of Link's Awakening?

Its toy-like diorama art style helped it sell over 6.46 million copies by the end of 2022, the developer's biggest-ever debut.

Series producer Eiji Aonuma landed his Nintendo job without ever having done what?

He asked his girlfriend for recommendations and his first two games were Dragon Quest and The Portopia Serial Murder Case.

Who directed Breath of the Wild, with Eiji Aonuma producing?

He returned to direct the sequel, Tears of the Kingdom, which grew out of ideas that were too ambitious for Breath of the Wild's DLC.

Which actress voices Princess Zelda in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom?

The Canadian-American actress also voices her in both Hyrule Warriors spin-offs, while Jun Mizusawa voiced her in Japanese for Ocarina of Time.

In Oracle of Ages, which villain possesses Nayru in the land of Labrynna?

Capcom's Flagship originally planned three interlinked Oracle games playable in any order, but the complexity forced them to cancel one.

Breath of the Wild's physics run on a modified version of which engine?

Before full development the team built a 2D prototype resembling the original Zelda to test physics-based puzzles.