While the conflict with Ganon serves as a backbone for the series, some games have featured other settings and antagonists, with Link traveling or being sent to these other lands in their time of need.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time introduced a targeting system that let the player lock the camera on to enemy or friendly non-player characters which simplified 3D combat.

[5][6][7] According to Keiji Terui, who wrote the backstory in the first game's manual, the location named Death Mountain was initially a working title for the legend of the Triforce which was written with inspirations from the battles of medieval Europe.

[8][9] The Master Sword was introduced as Excalibur in the French version of A Link to the Past,[10][11] which is regarded as reminiscent to the legend of King Arthur.

[16][17] When the series made the transition to 3D, the combat system of Ocarina of Time was based on the chanbara (samurai) style of Japanese sword fighting.

[19] Often, instruments trigger game events: for example, the recorder in The Legend of Zelda can reveal secret areas, as well as warp Link to the dungeon entrances.

[24] Up until Breath of the Wild, the Legend of Zelda series avoided using voice acting in speaking roles, relying instead on written dialogue.

[26] The Legend of Zelda takes place predominantly in a medieval Western Europe-inspired fantasy world called Hyrule,[27][28] which has developed a deep history and wide geography over the series's many releases.

Hyrule's principal inhabitants are pointy-eared, elf-like humanoids called Hylians, which include the player character, Link, and the eponymous princess, Zelda.

[47][48] In-game content, marketing material, and developer statements once partially established a timeline of the released installments: the original The Legend of Zelda was followed by Zelda II: The Adventure of Link as a direct sequel, which takes place several years later;[49][50] A Link to the Past is a prequel to the previous two games,[51][52][53] and is followed by Link's Awakening;[54][55] Ocarina of Time is a prequel to A Link to the Past and takes the story many centuries back - according to character designer Satoru Takizawa, it was meant to implicitly tell the story of the Imprisoning War,[56][57] and was followed by Majora's Mask as a direct sequel, set a few months later;[58] Four Swords, upon its release, was considered the oldest tale in the series's chronology, predating Ocarina of Time;[59] The Wind Waker takes place in one of the parallel timelines that emerged from Ocarina of Time, more than a century later, in the "adult era";[60][61] Four Swords Adventures, upon its release, was considered to be a direct sequel to Four Swords, set sometime after its events;[59] The Minish Cap is a prequel to Four Swords, telling of the origins of villain Vaati and the creation of the Four Sword;[62] Twilight Princess takes place in another of the parallel timelines that emerged from Ocarina of Time, more than a century later, in the "child era";[60][61] Phantom Hourglass is a direct sequel to The Wind Waker,[63] and is followed by Spirit Tracks, which is set about a century later on a land far away from the setting of The Wind Waker.

Aonuma and Breath of the Wild director Hidemaro Fujibayashi justified the vague placement with the previous idea of keeping it open to players' imaginations.

[44] In 2020, Nintendo released Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, a gameplay-wise sequel to the 2014 spin-off game Hyrule Warriors marketed as a prequel to Breath of the Wild, being set 100 years before the latter game,[72] but with the events of Age of Calamity diverging from the backstory established in Breath of the Wild, creating an alternate timeline separate from it.

[73] The central protagonist of The Legend of Zelda series, Link is the name of various young male Hylians who characteristically wear a green tunic and a pointed cap, and are the bearers of the Triforce of Courage.

Like many silent protagonists in video games, Link does not speak, only producing grunts, yells, etc., but he is not mute - dialogue from him is referenced second-hand by in-game characters, despite not being seen or heard by the player.

Zelda appears under various other aliases and alter egos, including Sheik (in Ocarina of Time) and Tetra (in The Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass).

In the series, Ganondorf is the leader of a race of desert brigands called the Gerudo, which consists entirely of female warriors save for one man born every one hundred years.

Unlike Link, Zelda, and most other recurring characters, he is actually the same person in every game, with the exception of Four Swords Adventures, where he is a reincarnation of the original.

This remaster features additions such as an extra color-based dungeon and a photo shop that allows interaction with the Game Boy Printer.

[89][90] Europe continued to receive this "Two-Game Bonus Disc" free in every copy of The Wind Waker, except for the discounted Player's Choice version.

The game is darker in tone,[92] dealing with death and tragedy in a manner not previously seen in the series, and has a sense of impending doom, as a large moon slowly descends upon the land of Termina to destroy all life.

The game chronicles the struggle of a young adult Link to confront the troubles of the "Twilight Realm", a mysterious force that appears around and interacts with Hyrule.

Twilight Princess diverted from the cel-shading of Wind Waker, integrating graphics featuring more detailed textures, giving the game a darker atmosphere.

It revealed traditional top-down Zelda gameplay optimised for the DS's features, with a cel-shaded 3D graphical style similar to The Wind Waker for Gamecube.

Here Tingle again stars in this spin-off arcade style platformer, released in April 2007 only in Japan and available solely to Platinum Club Nintendo members.

Released in November 2007 as a bundle with the Wii Zapper, this game allows players to assume the identity of Link as he progresses through a series of tests to perfect his crossbow marksmanship.

Ocarina of Time, Skyward Sword, Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom have each received a perfect 10/10 score by British Edge magazine.

[217] Game Informer has awarded The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword, A Link Between Worlds and Breath of the Wild with scores of 10/10.

Outside of the series, Nintendo allowed for the use of Link as a playable character exclusively in the GameCube release of Namco's fighting game Soulcalibur II.

Manga adaptations of many entries in the series, including A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages, Four Swords Adventures, The Minish Cap, Phantom Hourglass, and Twilight Princess have been produced under license from Nintendo, primarily written and drawn by Japanese artist duo Akira Himekawa.

Featuring eight tracks from live performances of the symphony, the CD is included alongside the special edition of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for the Wii.