The player controls series protagonist Link as he attempts to save his sister from the sorcerer Ganon and becomes embroiled in a struggle for the Triforce, a sacred wish-granting relic.

Aided by allies including pirate captain Tetra – an incarnation of Princess Zelda – and a talking sailboat named the King of Red Lions, Link sails the ocean, explores islands, and traverses dungeons to acquire the power necessary to defeat Ganon.

It retains the basic 3D gameplay of its predecessors, Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, but the team chose to avoid the realistic graphics of previous games.

The Wind Waker popularized the "Toon Link" character, and received two direct sequels for the Nintendo DS, Phantom Hourglass (2007) and Spirit Tracks (2009).

[3] Like all Zelda games, The Wind Waker features several dungeons—large, enclosed areas where Link fights enemies, finds items, and solves puzzles to continue.

The Great Sea features enemies and obstacles different from those found on land; additionally, some items serve new purposes while Link is aboard the King of Red Lions.

This divergence occurs when Link, the Hero of Time, defeats Ganon and then returns to his childhood, which branches off into the "Child" timeline, while the future after his departure remains unaltered.

The main character, also canonically called Link, lives on Outset Island, where boys dress in green like the Hero of Time when they come of age.

The King of Red Lions brings the two back to the underwater realm, explaining it is the legendary kingdom of Hyrule, which the goddesses submerged long ago to contain Ganon while the people fled to the mountaintops.

They discover Ganon's forces murdered them both, so Link must awaken new sages, the Rito Medli and the Korok Makar, and guide them through the Earth and Wind Temples.

Eiji Aonuma, director of Majora's Mask, returned to helm the project, while Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka, the creators of the Zelda series, served as producers.

Design manager Satoru Takizawa drew up an enemy Moblin in a similar style, and the team seized on the new gameplay and combat possibilities afforded by the stylized cartoon aesthetic.

Aonuma's team jokingly suggested having Link shoot beams from his eyes before deciding to have him focus his gaze on significant objects nearby, giving hints to observant players about what to do next.

[11] Miyamoto was surprised at the response and decided to limit revealing further information about the game until the team finished a playable demonstration, hoping to shift focus from the graphics to the gameplay.

[19][20] Miyamoto introduced a playable demo at the next year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), alongside another upcoming Zelda title for the GameCube, Four Swords Adventures.

[29] The sound team was significantly larger than for other contemporary projects to accommodate Nintendo's desire for a high caliber of work in the rushed development schedule.

[36] Scitron Digital Content released a two-disc, 133-track soundtrack album, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker Original Sound Tracks, on March 19, 2003.

[39] To promote the release, Nintendo offered a bonus disc as a pre-order incentive which included a GameCube port of Ocarina of Time as well as its previously unreleased expansion, Ura Zelda.

[40][41] Ura Zelda, largely an adaptation of Ocarina of Time with some changes, including new dungeon challenges, had been developed for the Nintendo 64's 64DD peripheral, but was shelved when that system failed.

He faced considerable reluctance from management due to players' mixed response in 2003, but Miyamoto ultimately greenlit development as Nintendo staff had found that opinions of the game had warmed over the years.

[66] Matt Casamassina of IGN said that though some fans hold distaste for the graphics, Nintendo's execution represented the pinnacle of the GameCube's capabilities and of cel shading technology.

[73] Steve Thomason of Nintendo Power wrote that though he was initially skeptical, the visuals worked "brilliantly, framing the most enjoyable game play experience I've had since Ocarina of Time".

[27][66][67][70] Several reviews noted the similarity of its gameplay to that of Ocarina of Time, though they praised enhancements such as the ability to move the camera, perform counterattacks, and use enemy items.

[27] Some reviewers enjoyed the sailing; Electronic Gaming Monthly's Bettenhausen and Greg Sewart appreciated the combat, exploration, and side quests available at sea.

[24] According to Stephen Totilo of Kotaku, much of the backlash came from a contemporary anxiety that Nintendo was losing its edge by focusing on games for children, as opposed to the more mature, realistic fare developed by competitors.

[96] Nintendo of America attributed the game's comparatively weak North American sales in large part to the cel-shaded graphics, which turned off many players, particularly older teenagers who made up The Legend of Zelda's traditional audience.

Dan Ryckert of Game Informer noted that the upgrade was immediately apparent, and that "the vivid colors and crashing waves of the flooded Hyrule [look] fantastic".

He persuaded Miyamoto, who authorized development of a realistically styled game using The Wind Waker's engine, Twilight Princess, which proved to be a major success for the GameCube and the newly released Wii.

Wanting to continue The Wind Waker's story and art style, in 2007 Aonuma produced Phantom Hourglass, which follows Link and Tetra as they explore new reaches of the Great Sea.

[107][108] Toon Link also returned in indirectly related Legend of Zelda games such as Four Swords Adventures (2004), The Minish Cap (2005), and Tri Force Heroes (2015).