Video Games
Zelda Tier List Maker
Rank every mainline Legend of Zelda game, from the original NES classic to Tears of the Kingdom and Echoes of Wisdom.
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Meet every game (21)
These 21 games load into the maker above. Each write-up covers what the game is and what to weigh when you rank it. Facts were last checked on .
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The Legend of Zelda
The 1986 original, released on the Family Computer Disk System. Link collects the eight fragments of the Triforce of Wisdom to rescue Princess Zelda from Ganon, in a top-down world of dungeons and secrets.
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Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
A 1987 action role-playing game and the second in the series. It first came out in Japan in January 1987, and it stands apart from the others with side-scrolling combat and an experience system.
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A Link to the Past
A 1991 Super Nintendo game, third in the series, set many years before the first two. Link journeys to save Hyrule and defeat the demon king Ganon.
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Link's Awakening
A 1993 Game Boy game and the first Zelda on a handheld. Link is stranded on Koholint Island, guarded by the Wind Fish, in one of the few games without Zelda or the Triforce.
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Ocarina of Time
The 1998 Nintendo 64 game that was the first in the series with 3D graphics. It was produced by series co-creator Shigeru Miyamoto and led by five directors, including Eiji Aonuma.
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Majora's Mask
A 2000 Nintendo 64 game that reuses elements and character models from Ocarina of Time. The team led by Eiji Aonuma completed it in less than two years, with a distinctive three-day cycle.
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Oracle of Seasons
A 2001 Game Boy Color game made by Flagship. Link travels to the land of Holodrum after Onox kidnaps Din, the Oracle of Seasons, and the story centers on changing the seasons.
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Oracle of Ages
The 2001 companion to Oracle of Seasons, also on Game Boy Color. In the land of Labrynna, Veran possesses Nayru, the Oracle of Ages, and Link must put things right across time.
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Four Swords
A multiplayer-only game from 2002 that came on a Game Boy Advance cartridge together with a modified port of A Link to the Past. It marked the series' first multiplayer entry.
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The Wind Waker
A 2002 GameCube game set on islands in the Great Sea, a change for the series. Link tries to save his younger sister from the sorcerer Ganondorf and uses a cel-shaded art style.
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Four Swords Adventures
A 2004 GameCube game, the eleventh in the series, released in Japan on March 18. A Game Boy Advance, connected by a link cable, can be used as a controller in multiplayer play.
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The Minish Cap
A 2004 Game Boy Advance game developed by Capcom and Flagship. It acts as a prequel to Four Swords and Four Swords Adventures, telling the origins of the Four Sword and the villain Vaati.
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Twilight Princess
A 2006 game for the GameCube and Wii. Nintendo delayed it from a planned 2005 release to add content and a Wii version, which was a North American launch game in November 2006.
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Phantom Hourglass
A 2007 Nintendo DS game and the direct sequel to The Wind Waker. It is the fourteenth installment in the series, and it was later re-released on the Wii U Virtual Console.
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Spirit Tracks
A 2009 Nintendo DS game set a century after The Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass. Link and Zelda explore New Hyrule to stop the Demon King Malladus from awakening, and travel by train.
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Skyward Sword
A 2011 Wii game that is the first in the Zelda timeline. It details the origins of the Master Sword, as Link leaves the floating town of Skyloft to rescue his childhood friend Zelda.
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A Link Between Worlds
A 2013 Nintendo 3DS game, the 17th in the series, and a spiritual successor to A Link to the Past. It is set many years after that game and was announced in April 2013.
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Tri Force Heroes
A 2015 Nintendo 3DS game developed by Nintendo EPD and Grezzo. It is the third series entry built around a multiplayer campaign, this time for three players who must cooperate rather than compete.
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Breath of the Wild
A 2017 game for the Wii U and Nintendo Switch, set near the end of the Zelda timeline. Link explores an open Hyrule to save Zelda and stop Calamity Ganon, in a world that encourages experimentation.
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Tears of the Kingdom
A 2023 Nintendo Switch game that keeps the open world of Breath of the Wild but adds sky islands, the underground Depths, and construction tools that let players build their own contraptions.
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Echoes of Wisdom
A 2024 Nintendo Switch game from Nintendo and Grezzo. It is the first mainline Zelda game in which Princess Zelda is the main playable character, and she uses the Tri Rod to rescue Link.
Zelda tier list questions
How many Zelda games are on this list?
This list has 21 entries, from the original Legend of Zelda in 1986 to Echoes of Wisdom in 2024. Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages are listed separately, even though they were released together.
Which Zelda game should I start with?
Most Zelda games tell self-contained stories, so you can start almost anywhere. Many players begin with a recent entry such as Breath of the Wild, or a classic such as A Link to the Past or Ocarina of Time.
How should I rank Zelda games?
Common criteria include dungeon design, world, story, music, how well the game has aged, and its place in the series. Since the games differ so much, deciding your priority first helps keep a list fair.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these references on .