"Well excuuuuuse me, Princess!"
If those four words just triggered a physical reaction in your gut—either a nostalgic chuckle or a full-blown eye roll—then you’ve definitely spent some time with The Legend of Zelda: The Animated Series. It only ran for thirteen episodes back in 1989. Honestly, it’s kind of a miracle it even exists. Most people remember it as a weird, slightly cringey footnote in Nintendo’s history, but there’s actually a lot more going on under the hood than just Link being a bratty teenager.
Let's be real: the late 80s were a wild west for video game adaptations. Nobody knew how to turn pixels into personalities. DIC Enterprises, the studio behind the show, basically had a handful of instruction manuals and some concept art from the original NES games to work with. They were flying blind. What they ended up creating was a bizarre mix of Saturday morning slapstick and genuinely creative world-building that, for better or worse, defined Link and Zelda for a generation of kids who hadn't yet played Ocarina of Time.
The Legend of Zelda: The Animated Series and the 1980s Nintendo Power Hour
The show didn't even have its own dedicated time slot. It was actually a segment on The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, airing every Friday. It was the "reward" for kids who sat through the live-action Mario segments and the Lou Albano cartoons all week. Because it only had thirteen episodes, it felt rarer than it actually was.
Link wasn't the stoic, silent hero we know today. In this version, he’s a thirsty, snarky, and slightly incompetent teenager living in the North Palace. His main motivation? Getting a kiss from Princess Zelda. It’s a huge departure from the "Courage" aspect of the Triforce. He’s basically a fantasy version of a 1980s sitcom protagonist. He’s obsessed with his "hero" status but spends half the time complaining about his chores.
Zelda, on the other hand, was surprisingly ahead of her time. She wasn't a damsel in distress. Not really. She carried a bow, she wore a practical adventure outfit, and she frequently saved Link’s skin when he got too cocky. While the writing was definitely aimed at kids, the dynamic between them was more of a bickering partnership than a traditional fairy tale romance.
The Voice Behind the "Excuuuuse Me"
Jonathan Adams provided the voice for Link, and he really leaned into that nasally, sarcastic tone. It’s iconic now, mostly because of the memes, but at the time, it was just... a lot. Cyndy Preston voiced Zelda, giving her a regal but frustrated energy that made the chemistry work. Ganon was voiced by Len Carlson, who played him as a classic, over-the-top cartoon villain who spent most of his time screaming at his incompetent minions in the Underworld.
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The show utilized a "monster of the week" format. Ganon would try to steal the Triforce of Wisdom, Link and Zelda would stop him, and Link would inevitably fail to get his kiss. It was repetitive, sure. But for a kid in 1989, seeing an Octorok or a Moblin moving on a TV screen was pure magic.
Why the World-Building Actually Mattered
Despite the cheese, the show introduced concepts that actually stuck around in the Zelda mythos, or at least echoed through later games.
- The Underworld: The way Ganon’s lair was depicted as a dark, cavernous reflection of Hyrule felt very much in line with the "Dark World" concept that would later appear in A Link to the Past.
- The Triforce as a Character: In the show, the Triforce of Wisdom and the Triforce of Power actually spoke. They were sentient artifacts that offered cryptic advice or taunted their owners. This hasn't really been used since, but it added a layer of mysticism to the lore that the early games lacked.
- Item Usage: Link’s pouch was basically a bottomless inventory. He’d pull out boomerangs, bombs, and bows exactly like a player would. It was a literal interpretation of game mechanics that felt satisfyingly accurate.
The animation quality was... mixed. DIC wasn't known for high budgets. You’ll see plenty of recycled frames, lip-syncing errors, and backgrounds that look like they were painted in a single afternoon. But the character designs were sharp. Link’s brown-and-green tunic and Zelda’s purple-and-white ensemble are still recognizable today. It was a specific aesthetic—a sort of Western-fantasy-meets-Anime hybrid that felt unique before the industry standardized everything.
The Cringe Factor and the Meme Legacy
We have to talk about the catchphrase. Link says "Well excuuuuuse me, Princess!" twenty-nine times across the thirteen episodes. It’s a lot. It became the rallying cry for people who hated the show, citing it as proof that Nintendo didn't understand its own characters.
But here’s the thing: the show was never meant to be The Lord of the Rings. It was meant to sell toys and keep kids glued to the TV during breakfast. In that context, Link’s bratty attitude makes sense. He was a relatable, flawed kid for the target audience. The internet has since reclaimed the phrase, turning it into a cornerstone of early YouTube Poop culture and Nintendo nostalgia.
Facts Over Fiction: What the Show Wasn't
There are a few myths that float around the internet regarding The Legend of Zelda: The Animated Series.
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First, it wasn't cancelled because it was "bad." It ended because the Super Mario Bros. Super Show! was retooled into The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, and the Zelda segments were simply phased out to focus on the new Mario branding.
Second, Shigeru Miyamoto wasn't secretly pulling the strings. While Nintendo had oversight, the creative direction was very much a Western production. This explains why Link acts more like a character from Saved by the Bell than a hero from Japanese folklore.
Third, the show isn't "non-canon" in the way people think. While it obviously doesn't fit into the official timeline established in the Hyrule Historia, it exists as its own separate universe. Nintendo has even acknowledged it in small ways, like including references to the show's dialogue in games like Breath of the Wild (through specific NPC interactions) or the Zelda CD-i games (which are a whole other nightmare).
How to Watch It Today
If you want to subject yourself to the nostalgia—or the pain—finding the show is surprisingly easy. It’s been released on DVD several times, most notably in a "Complete Series" set by Shout! Factory. You can also find most of the episodes floating around on various streaming platforms or YouTube.
Is it a "good" show by modern standards? Not really. The pacing is weird, the dialogue is dated, and the stakes feel incredibly low. But as a piece of gaming history, it’s fascinating. It represents a time when Nintendo was willing to take massive risks with its IP, long before they became the protective, brand-conscious giant they are today.
The Real Impact on the Zelda Franchise
Believe it or not, the show influenced the games. The idea of Zelda being a proactive leader and a warrior has its roots here. Before the cartoon, she was largely a sprite you found at the very end of the game. The cartoon gave her a voice, a personality, and a weapon. You can draw a direct line from the cartoon Zelda to the Zelda we see in Spirit Tracks or Tears of the Kingdom.
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Link’s personality, while divisive, also paved the way for more expressive versions of the character. Even though he went back to being silent, the developers began giving him more physical comedy and emotive facial expressions, starting with The Wind Waker. They realized that Link didn't have to be a blank slate; he could be a "character" with reactions and flaws.
Actionable Steps for Zelda Fans
If you're looking to dive deeper into this specific era of Nintendo history, here's how to do it right:
1. Watch "The White Knight" first. This is widely considered one of the better episodes. It introduces a rival for Link named Prince Facade, and it actually plays with the Link/Zelda dynamic in a way that feels slightly more sophisticated than the usual "Save the Triforce" plot.
2. Compare the art style to the 1989 Valiant Comics. Around the same time the show was airing, Valiant released a series of Zelda comics. They share a lot of the same DNA as the cartoon but are generally considered to be written with a bit more maturity. It’s a great way to see how Western media was trying to interpret Hyrule in the late 80s.
3. Look for the "Captain N" cameos. Link and Zelda actually appeared in a few episodes of Captain N: The Game Master. These versions of the characters are slightly different from the standalone cartoon, and seeing them interact with characters like Simon Belmont and Mega Man is a trip.
4. Check out the "Zelda Reanimated" project. There is a massive community of fan animators who have taken scenes from the original 1989 show and re-animated them in modern styles. It’s a testament to how much people still love (and love to poke fun at) this specific era of the franchise.
The show is a relic. It’s loud, it’s colorful, and it’s deeply "80s." But it’s also a reminder that even the most prestigious franchises had to start somewhere. It took a lot of weird swings before it found its footing, and Link yelling at a Princess is just a part of that journey.
Source References:
- The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! production archives.
- Hyrule Historia (for context on early franchise development).
- Interviews with DIC Enterprises staff (archived).
- Nintendo Power magazine, issues 1989-1990.