Honestly, trying to explain the Legend of Zelda all at once feels like trying to untangle a box of old wired controllers that have been sitting in a basement since 1998. It is a beautiful, sprawling, and sometimes deeply frustrating mess of lore. You’ve got a guy in a green tunic—usually named Link, though you could name him "Butt" back in the day—saving a princess who often doesn't actually need saving as much as the box art suggests.
The series started with a simple golden cartridge on the NES. Shigeru Miyamoto wanted to capture the feeling of exploring caves in his backyard in Sonobe, Japan. He succeeded. But since 1986, the franchise has morphed into a multi-generational epic that spans thousands of years, three split timelines, and more than 20 mainline games.
People always ask: "Do I need to play them all?" No. Definitely not. But if you want to understand why a 40-year-old franchise still dominates the conversation every time a new Nintendo console leaks, you have to look at how the pieces fit together—or how they don't.
The Timeline That Almost Wasn't
For years, Nintendo didn't really care about a "master story." They just made good games. Then fans started obsessing over how Ocarina of Time connected to the original Legend of Zelda. Eventually, Nintendo caved and released the Hyrule Historia in 2011. This book officially laid out the chronology, and it's wild.
It all starts with Skyward Sword. This is the origin story. We learn about the Goddess Hylia and the first Link. We also meet Demise, the literal source of all evil. When Link defeats Demise, the villain casts a curse. This curse ensures that an incarnation of his hatred—usually Ganondorf—will forever haunt the descendants of Zelda and the spirit of the hero. It's a loop. A tragedy. It's the reason why the Legend of Zelda all seems to repeat itself.
The real chaos happens during Ocarina of Time. Depending on whether Link wins or loses against Ganon, the timeline splits.
🔗 Read more: How to Create My Own Dragon: From Sketchpad to Digital Reality
- The Fallen Hero Timeline: Link dies. This leads to the older games like A Link to the Past and the original NES titles. Hyrule is usually in a state of decline here.
- The Child Timeline: Link wins, goes back in time to be a kid, and warns Zelda. This leads to Majora’s Mask and Twilight Princess.
- The Adult Timeline: Link wins and disappears (because he went back to his childhood). Without a hero, the gods flood Hyrule to stop Ganon. Enter The Wind Waker.
It’s confusing? Yeah. Is it necessary to enjoy the games? Not at all. But it adds a layer of weight to the world-building that most series can't touch.
Why Breath of the Wild Changed Everything
By 2017, the Zelda formula was getting a bit stale. Go to a dungeon. Find a compass. Get the "special item" (usually a boomerang or a hookshot). Kill the boss. Rinse and repeat.
Breath of the Wild (BotW) smashed that.
Nintendo basically said "Legend of Zelda all needs to be rethinked." They dropped the linear path. They gave you all your tools in the first hour. They told you, "Go kill Ganon whenever you want." You could literally run straight to the final boss in your underwear with a tree branch if you were skilled enough.
This game shifted the focus from "solving a puzzle the developer designed" to "playing with chemistry and physics." If you see a mountain, you can climb it. If it’s raining, you’ll slip. If you drop a metal sword during a lightning storm, you’re going to get fried. It was a revelation. It made Hyrule feel like a real place again, not just a series of corridors.
💡 You might also like: Why Titanfall 2 Pilot Helmets Are Still the Gold Standard for Sci-Fi Design
Then came Tears of the Kingdom in 2023. This took the same map and added a verticality that shouldn't have been possible on the aging Switch hardware. The "Ultrahand" ability allowed players to build tanks, airplanes, and giant wooden robots. It turned a fantasy adventure into an engineering sandbox. It’s the peak of the "Legend of Zelda all" experience in terms of sheer mechanical freedom.
The Icons: Link, Zelda, and the Great King of Evil
Link is the "blank slate." He usually doesn't talk. He’s meant to be your "link" to the world—hence the name. But across the games, his personality varies. In The Wind Waker, he’s a goofy kid with expressive eyes. In Twilight Princess, he’s a gritty farmhand who turns into a wolf.
Zelda herself has evolved the most. She started as a pixelated damsel. By Ocarina of Time, she was Sheik, a mysterious ninja-like warrior. In Breath of the Wild, she’s a scholar struggling with the weight of her own failure. She is often more interesting than Link because she has a defined character arc.
Then there’s Ganondorf. He’s not just a pig monster (Ganon). He’s a Gerudo king who craves power. His motivation is often simple—he wants the Triforce—but his presence is oppressive. The Triforce itself represents the balance of the world: Power (Ganon), Wisdom (Zelda), and Courage (Link).
Misconceptions You Should Probably Ignore
People often think every Zelda game features the same Link. They don't. With a few exceptions like Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask being the same guy, most Links are completely different people born centuries apart. They just happen to share a fashion sense and a destiny.
📖 Related: Sex Fallout New Vegas: Why Obsidian’s Writing Still Outshines Modern RPGs
Another one: "Zelda is the guy." We’ve all seen the memes. It’s 2026, let’s move past this. Zelda is the princess. Link is the hero.
Some folks also argue that the timeline doesn't matter. While it’s true that Nintendo prioritizes gameplay, the lore is what keeps the community alive. Theories about where Breath of the Wild fits (hint: it's so far in the future that the timelines basically converged or became irrelevant) are half the fun of being a fan.
Getting Started With the Legend of Zelda All-In
If you’re new, don't start at the beginning. The 1986 game is brutal. It’s unforgiving and doesn't tell you where to go.
- For the adventurer: Play Breath of the Wild. It’s the gold standard for open-world games.
- For the storyteller: Play Ocarina of Time. The 3D remake on the 3DS is the best way to experience it, but the Switch Online version works too.
- For the "vibe" seeker: The Wind Waker has an art style that will never age. It looks like a playable cartoon.
- For the weirdos: Majora’s Mask. It’s dark, stressful, and involves a three-day time loop where a moon with a creepy face is about to crush the world. It’s arguably the best written game in the series.
The Legend of Zelda all comes down to a feeling. It’s that moment when you stand on a hill, see a distant tower, and realize you can actually go there. It's the secret chime when you push a block. It’s the sense that even in a world that’s been destroyed a dozen times, there’s still something worth saving.
What to Do Next
If you want to actually "get" Zelda, stop watching lore videos for a second and just pick up a controller. Start with A Link to the Past if you like 2D, or Breath of the Wild if you want 3D.
Track your progress through the "Big Three" games: Ocarina, Wind Waker, and Twilight Princess. These form the core of the 3D identity. Once you’ve finished one, look up its placement in the Hyrule Historia. You’ll start seeing the recurring symbols—the eye of the Sheikah, the wings of the Crest of Hyrule—and suddenly, the mess starts to make sense.
Don't worry about "beating everything" in order. The series wasn't built that way. Just explore. Find a sword. Save a kingdom. That's all Link ever did.