133 Fun Facts About Zelda

The original Legend of Zelda grew out of its lead designer's boyhood adventures in which Japanese region's countryside?

Kyoto's countryside is where the future designer, as a boy, found a cave and later came back to go inside.

Which Zelda II villager's odd self-introduction became a famous gaming meme?

Error's line 'I am Error' became a meme, and he likely forms a two-part joke with Bagu, a character whose name translates as 'bug'.

Which village does Link call home at the start of Twilight Princess?

Ordon Village is where Link works as a ranch hand until Twilight engulfs Hyrule and drags him into the fight to lift it.

Link has been playable in every entry of which fighting game series?

Super Smash Bros. began as a prototype with original fighters, until its director swapped them for Nintendo's own famous characters.

Which 2011 book finally revealed the official timeline of the Zelda series after years of fan speculation?

Hyrule Historia arrived for the series' 25th anniversary, and preorders for its English edition pushed Fifty Shades of Grey off the top of Amazon's US chart.

Which little sister of Link does a giant bird carry off from Outset Island?

Aryll's kidnapping by the monstrous Helmaroc King sends Link out to sea, where a crew of pirates agrees to help him rescue her.

What item allows Link to traverse large gaps by grappling onto distant targets?

The Hookshot is a classic Zelda item that fires a chain with a hook, enabling Link to reach otherwise inaccessible areas and solve puzzles.

Which rock-eating race greets friends as 'Brother' in the Zelda series?

Gorons can roll at high speed like boulders, and in Ocarina of Time their leader Darunia befriends Link.

Who composed most of the iconic music for The Legend of Zelda series?

Koji Kondo is a legendary Nintendo composer responsible for many of the most recognizable themes in video game history, including those from The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario.

Which fairy does the Great Deku Tree instruct to act as Link's guide?

Navi shouts 'Hey!' and 'Listen!' whenever she has advice for Link.

Which princess rules the ruined parallel kingdom that mirrors Hyrule?

Hilda's ancestors destroyed their kingdom's own sacred relic to end a civil war, and the land decayed without it.

Which N64 button gave Ocarina of Time's lock-on targeting its name?

Z-targeting, named for the Z button, keeps the camera centred on an enemy so Link can circle it and strike precisely.

Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask were both remade for which handheld console?

The Nintendo 3DS remakes added hint videos to Ocarina of Time 3D and gave Majora's Mask 3D a far more thorough quest log.

What magical artifact, split into three pieces, is said to grant wishes to whoever touches it?

The Triforce grants any wish, but if someone with an unbalanced heart touches it, it splits into three pieces that pass to three different people.

Which elder, once a servant of the royal family, guides Link after he awakens in Breath of the Wild?

Impa has guarded Zelda's family across the series, and in the original game's story she is the nursemaid Zelda sends to find a hero.

In the Zelda series, which childlike forest people each have a guardian fairy?

The Kokiri live in a forest guarded by the Great Deku Tree and are said to die if they ever leave it.

Which travelling merchant, first seen running a floating shop boat, keeps turning up across the Zelda series to sell Link items?

Beedle kept his shop on the water at first, but in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom he travels Hyrule on foot under a huge backpack.

Link smashes pots and cuts grass to collect which colour-coded currency of Hyrule throughout the Zelda series?

Rupees share a name with India's currency; they come in colours that signal value and turn up in grass, pots and chests.

Who is one of the co-creators and producers of The Legend of Zelda series?

Shigeru Miyamoto said finding a lake while hiking as a boy taught him how an adventure feels, and he built that feeling into the first game.

Which handheld stone tablet lets Link mark waypoints and photograph creatures?

The Sheikah Slate's runes let Link move metal objects, raise ice blocks from water and briefly freeze things in time.

Which of the three Golden Goddesses is said to embody courage?

Farore created the land's races and living things, while her fellow goddesses shaped its geography and its laws.

Which game introduced switching between the Light World and Dark World?

A Link to the Past's Dark World is a dilapidated counterpart of Hyrule, and Link crosses into it through portals.

Which of the four Champions was a princess of the water-dwelling race?

Her gift, Mipha's Grace, revives Link once when he falls, then recharges over time.

Which mischievous imp rides on Link's back and gives him cryptic advice in Twilight Princess?

Midna is really the rightful ruler of the Twilight Realm, cursed into her imp form by the king who stole her throne.

Whose orchestral work was planned as the original Legend of Zelda's title theme until a copyright problem?

Maurice Ravel's Boléro was still under copyright in Japan, so it was swapped for other music shortly before release.

Where can Link have his health restored completely by a magical being?

A Great Fairy Fountain refills every heart, and in many games its Great Fairy also enchants Link's gear into more powerful versions.

Which of Link's abilities in Tears of the Kingdom rewinds an object's movement?

Recall can send an enemy's projectile back the way it came, straight into the attacker.

What is the name of the avian race that lives on Dragon Roost Island?

The Rito serve as postal carriers across the great sea, and each member earns their wings from the dragon above their island.

What is the name of the whale-like deity that guards Koholint Island?

Waking the Wind Fish makes Koholint Island and everyone on it fade away, because the whole island is the Wind Fish's dream.

In Breath of the Wild, the old man Link meets on the Great Plateau turns out to be whose spirit?

King Rhoam was Hyrule's last king, and he was Princess Zelda's father.

Which legendary blade, the 'sword that seals the darkness', does Link pull from its pedestal to fight evil across the Zelda series?

The Master Sword rests in its pedestal for a worthy hero, and in Tears of the Kingdom it is shattered in the opening minutes.

What are the four enormous animalistic machines piloted by the Champions called?

The Divine Beasts are each built around a different animal, and each doubles as a giant puzzle that Link explores from inside.

Which Zelda sorcerer can merge into walls and turn people into paintings?

Yuga turns Princess Zelda into a painting and escapes with her into a parallel kingdom, so Link has to follow.

Which Zelda game features a hero who can flatten into a two-dimensional painting to slip along walls?

A Link Between Worlds lets Link merge into walls at will, and slipping through cracks that way is how he crosses into Hyrule's counterpart kingdom.

What alias does Princess Zelda use while disguised as a mysterious stranger teaching Link songs in Ocarina of Time?

Sheik keeps Zelda hidden for most of the adult half of the adventure, until she reveals herself as the seventh Sage.

The ocarina, a recurring item in the Zelda series, is what kind of musical device?

The ocarina is a wind instrument, traditionally made of clay or ceramic, and Ocarina of Time has been credited with boosting real ocarina sales.

Which fairy, left behind when Skull Kid curses Link, becomes his companion in Majora's Mask?

Tatl had helped Skull Kid ambush Link and steal his ocarina, until Skull Kid fled and stranded her with the hero he had just cursed.

What is the name of the floating town where Link and Zelda grow up?

Skyloft sits above the clouds, and its people had no idea there was a surface world below them.

Which pirate captain turns out to be an incarnation of Princess Zelda?

Tetra commands her own pirate crew and treats Link as hired help, unaware until midway through the game that she is royalty.

Which self-proclaimed Demon Lord does Link battle in Skyward Sword?

Ghirahim is revealed as the living spirit of the Demon King's own sword, a sinister counterpart of the spirit that guides Link.

Who is the demon king whose hatred is said to be the origin of the Zelda series' recurring evil?

Demise's dying curse on Link and Zelda's bloodlines sets up the cycle of reincarnated evil that the whole series runs on.

Which title belongs to the hero whose victory or defeat splits the official Zelda chronology into three branches?

The Hero of Time is Ocarina of Time's Link, and the timeline branches after his quest depending on whether he wins or falls.

In Majora's Mask, which song does Link play to turn the souls of troubled characters into masks?

The Song of Healing is the jaunty Saria's Song from Ocarina of Time inverted, turning a familiar comfort into something unsettling.

Which dragon presides over Dragon Roost Island?

Valoo hands out his scales in a coming-of-age ceremony, and the island's young bird-people need one to grow their wings.

What was the ancient army of autonomous weapons in Breath of the Wild called?

Guardians were dug up to fight the calamity and promptly turned against their makers, which is why they roam the ruins hunting Link.

Which staple item both works as a weapon and opens blocked or hidden doorways?

Bombs have blown open cracked walls to reveal hidden rooms since the very first game.

Which game was the first Zelda title released on a handheld console?

Link's Awakening began as an after-hours experiment by Nintendo staff trying to port a Super Nintendo game to the Game Boy.

What was distinctive about the original game's North American cartridge?

It was gold-colored, and the cartridge showed through a window cut into the box so it stood out on store shelves.

The original Zelda was developed at the same time as which other Nintendo game?

Super Mario Bros. was built alongside Zelda and reached shelves first, in September 1985.

Which villain was the final boss of the original 1986 Zelda?

Ganon is Ganondorf's beast form: in Ocarina of Time, Ganondorf survives the collapse of his castle and transforms into Ganon.

What are Skyward Sword's bird-like creatures that carry residents between islands called?

Among the Loftwings, Link's own is a rare crimson one, and it is stolen early in the game to stop him competing in a ceremonial race.

In the original Zelda, which weapon finishes the final boss?

The Silver Arrow ends the final battle, but only after Link has pieced together eight hidden fragments to reach the lair.

Which loyal horse, first met in Ocarina of Time and summoned by her own song, carries Link across Hyrule?

Epona is named after the Celtic goddess of horses and is called with 'Epona's Song'; she returns in Majora's Mask, Twilight Princess and Breath of the Wild.

The very first 'Legend of Zelda' game was initially released on which console add-on in Japan?

The Famicom Disk System's disks let players save, so the later cartridge version needed a built-in battery to match.

Link's pointed ears mark him as one of which elf-like race, named for a goddess?

Hylians take their name from the goddess Hylia, and Hyrule's royal family are Hylians too.

Which company's Flagship studio developed the two linked 2001 Zelda games for the Game Boy Color?

Capcom's Flagship linked the two Oracle games with passwords, so finishing one unlocks an alternate version of the other.

Which decayed counterpart kingdom is Princess Zelda taken into by a sorcerer who turns people into paintings?

Lorule is Ravio's real home: the merchant who rents Link his items is finally revealed as Link's Lorulean counterpart.

"The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask" primarily takes place in which parallel world?

Unlike most games in the series, "Majora's Mask" is set in Termina, a parallel world facing destruction from a falling moon.

In Twilight Princess, entering the shadowy Twilight Realm transforms Link into which animal?

Wolf Link grew out of director Eiji Aonuma's dream of being a caged wolf during a business trip overseas.

Which weapon, the strongest in Ocarina of Time, is the reward at the end of a long trading sequence?

The Biggoron Sword is two-handed, so Link cannot raise a shield while wielding it.

Zelda: Skyward Sword was originally designed around what primary control mechanic on the Wii?

"Skyward Sword" was built entirely around motion controls on the Wii, with the HD remaster offering alternative button controls.

Of the three Golden Goddesses, which one embodies wisdom?

Nayru, the goddess of wisdom, created the laws that govern the world, while her fellow goddesses shaped the land and its peoples.

In Majora's Mask, which song resets the three-day cycle?

The Song of Time returns Link to the dawn of the first day, so he holds off the moon by rewinding again and again.

In Twilight Princess, what does Link use to summon his horse instead of an instrument?

A blade of grass from special 'horse grass' patches lets Link whistle his horse's song, which earlier games played on the ocarina.

Which recurring enemy, dating back to the original Legend of Zelda, spits rocks at Link?

Octoroks come in land and water varieties, and their rock-spitting attack has been a staple since the very first game.

In the original Zelda, where does Link finally storm the villain's hideout?

Death Mountain is a large volcano that recurs throughout the series, looming over Hyrule in game after game.

Which fish-like race lives underwater and counts Princess Ruto among its royals in the Zelda series?

The Zora are aquatic humanoids, and in Majora's Mask a Zora mask lets Link swim fast and walk along the bottom of lakes.

The Zelda series' recurring villain, in humanoid form, first led which race of desert nomads?

The Gerudo are almost entirely women, and the lone male born each century is crowned their king by law.

In Majora's Mask, what curse does Skull Kid put on Link at the very start?

Skull Kid's curse turns him into a Deku Scrub, and Link can't break it until he reclaims the ocarina Skull Kid stole.

In Breath of the Wild, what limits how long Link can climb, swim or glide?

His stamina drains while he climbs, swims or glides, and cooked meals and elixirs can refill it or grant temporary bonuses.

In which Nintendo DS game does Link travel between towns by driving a steam train?

Spirit Tracks lets Link set the train's speed and direction, turn at junctions and blow the whistle to scare animals off the tracks.

By leaving players to work out where to go next, the original Zelda exemplified which design approach?

Its non-linear exploration laid the groundwork for open-ended fantasy games such as Crystalis and Soul Blazer.

In Ocarina of Time, which item lets Link bounce Twinrova's fire and ice attacks back at them?

The Mirror Shield turns Twinrova's fire and ice back on the twin witches, who guard the Spirit Temple as its final boss.

In Majora's Mask, what does Link use to track the daily schedules of Clock Town's residents?

The Bombers' Notebook lists 20 characters in need of aid, such as a soldier who needs medicine and a couple estranged by Skull Kid.

In Skyward Sword, what is the name of the humanoid spirit that inhabits Link's sword?

Fi, the spirit of Link's sword, analyses enemies when summoned and reports their characteristics and weaknesses.

Which item gives Link the power to merge into walls as a 2D painting?

A magic bracelet from the merchant Ravio grants the power, and Ravio also rents or sells Link most of his tools.

Which mysterious travelling collector pressures Link into recovering the item Skull Kid stole from him?

The Happy Mask Salesman offers to undo Link's curse in exchange for the stolen mask, then flies into a rage when Link fails.

Eiji Aonuma designed which part of Ocarina of Time?

Eiji Aonuma designed the dungeons as one of Ocarina of Time's five directors, then went on to direct Majora's Mask.

In which Zelda game can Link fuse matching Kinstone halves with other characters for prizes?

The Minish Cap: matching two Kinstone halves with a character can move the story along or award prizes, and Link's talking cap Ezlo lets him shrink to Minish size.

Why did Nintendo delay the finished Tears of the Kingdom a year?

The game was finished by March 2022, and Nintendo used the extra year to refine and polish it before its May 2023 launch.

In Tears of the Kingdom, what is the name of the vast underground area beneath Hyrule?

The Depths are pitch dark, so Link relies on Brightbloom seeds and Lightroots just to see where he is going.

Which Tears of the Kingdom ability lets Link move upward through solid ceilings?

Ascend began as a debug feature the director and producer used to exit caves while testing, and they kept it in the game.

What is the harmful substance in Tears of the Kingdom that temporarily reduces Link's maximum hearts?

Hearts lost to Gloom come back once Link returns to the surface of Hyrule, which is why long expeditions call for sundelions.

Which surreal TV series inspired the suspicious small-town characters of Koholint Island?

The director wanted the island to feel like Twin Peaks, and told his team to write its inhabitants as 'suspicious types'.

In Tears of the Kingdom, how does Zelda restore Link's sword and return it across the ages?

In the ancient past Zelda swallows her secret stone and becomes the Light Dragon, gaining the immortality to return the sword to Link.

Roughly how many copies did Tears of the Kingdom sell in its first three days?

Tears of the Kingdom sold more than 10 million copies in its first three days, over four million of them in the US, a Zelda record.

Which four characters become Link's new sage allies in Tears of the Kingdom?

Sidon, Tulin, Yunobo and Riju become sages who fight beside Link, and the ancient sage Mineru later joins them as a fifth.

Where was the title Tears of the Kingdom finally revealed?

A Nintendo Direct in September 2022 revealed the title and release date, three years after an untitled teaser debuted at E3 2019.

What material does Autobuild consume to replace missing parts in Tears of the Kingdom?

When parts are missing, Autobuild creates replacements at the cost of Zonaite, so the material is worth stockpiling before big builds.

In Tears of the Kingdom, what is the ancient conflict in which Rauru sealed away the Demon King?

The Imprisoning War ended with Rauru sacrificing himself to seal the Demon King, and the 2025 Switch 2 spin-off Age of Imprisonment retells it.

Princess Zelda's name honours which American Jazz Age novelist and socialite?

Zelda Fitzgerald, wife of novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald, lent the princess her name because it sounded 'pleasant and significant'.

Link got his name because the golden relic's fragments were originally going to be what?

The relic's pieces were first meant to be electronic chips, and the hero was to travel between past and future as the 'link' between them.

Which Disney character was used as inspiration to make Link instantly recognisable?

Peter Pan was the model so Link would be instantly recognisable, and Aonuma later likened Tingle's refusal to grow up to Peter Pan too.

Which Nintendo designer co-directed the original Legend of Zelda and wrote its story?

Takashi Tezuka wrote the original's story and script while co-directing it, giving it a fairytale feel drawn from fantasy literature.

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link departed from its predecessor by adding what kind of gameplay?

Zelda II's side-scrolling with RPG elements added experience points and limited lives, which no later canonical Zelda game has used.

Which recurring shadowy doppelganger of the hero was introduced in Zelda II?

Dark Link, the shadow Link must defeat at the end of Zelda II, returns in Ocarina of Time, and a similar Shadow Link appears in Four Swords Adventures.

Which 2024 game was the first mainline Zelda title with Princess Zelda as the main playable character?

Echoes of Wisdom casts Zelda as the hero after Link falls into a mysterious rift while trying to rescue her.

In the 2024 game where Zelda is playable, what item lets her create copies of objects and monsters?

The Tri Rod, a magical artifact from Zelda's companion Tri, lets her copy monsters to fight alongside her and objects to use freely.

What sarcastic catchphrase did Link use in the 1989 animated TV series?

'Well, excuse me, Princess!' was based on a popular Steve Martin comedy routine, and writer Bob Forward put it in every episode.

Who was cast in 2025 as Princess Zelda in the live-action Legend of Zelda film?

Bo Bragason, known for Disney+'s Renegade Nell, plays Zelda opposite Benjamin Evan Ainsworth's Link.

Who was announced in 2023 as director of the live-action Legend of Zelda film?

Wes Ball, director of the Maze Runner trilogy, directs the film, which Sony Pictures co-finances and distributes worldwide.

Which miserly treasure-hunting captain's ship carries Link across the sea in Phantom Hourglass?

Linebeck, a miserly treasure hunter, sails Link across the ocean aboard his own ship, the S.S. Linebeck.

In Oracle of Seasons, Link is transported to which land, where Onox kidnaps Din?

In Holodrum, General Onox captures Din, the Oracle of Seasons, throwing the land's four seasons into chaos.

Which handheld could be used as a controller for the GameCube's Four Swords Adventures?

Game Boy Advance: when a player's Link walked off the TV's main screen, the action moved to that player's own handheld.

The 2014 hack-and-slash Zelda spin-off borrowed the gameplay of which Koei Tecmo series?

Hyrule Warriors mixed Dynasty Warriors' hack-and-slash battles against huge armies with Zelda's cast, under producer Eiji Aonuma's supervision.

Cadence of Hyrule crossed the Zelda series with which rhythm roguelike?

Crypt of the NecroDancer creator Ryan Clark directed Cadence of Hyrule, which Brace Yourself Games built around moving on the beat.

Which classic handheld got a Zelda edition for the series' 35th anniversary in 2021?

Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda bundled three classic Zelda games plus a version of Vermin with Link in the lead.

Breath of the Wild is the best-selling Zelda game; roughly how many copies had it sold by June 2026?

Breath of the Wild had sold about 35 million copies by June 2026, over 34 million of them on Switch, and won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2017.

What was the most common criticism of The Wind Waker's gameplay?

Too much sailing was reviewers' most common complaint, especially late in the game, when Link must criss-cross the ocean hunting for relic pieces.

On which console was The Wind Waker HD released in 2013?

Wii U owners got The Wind Waker HD in 2013, and a limited bundle paired it with a black console and a gold-crested GamePad.

Why is the Wii version of Twilight Princess mirrored compared with the GameCube version?

Link held his sword in his left hand on GameCube, so to make Link right-handed for the Wii Remote, the Wii version mirrored the entire world.

Who is the usurper king of the Twili who invades Hyrule Castle in Twilight Princess?

Zant seized power through a pact with the Demon King, so Link gathers the Fused Shadows to stand a chance against him.

Which console add-on was Ocarina of Time first developed for?

The 64DD disk drive could not keep up with streaming 500 motion-captured animations, so Ocarina of Time moved to cartridge.

In the original Zelda, what does the old man say when giving Link his first sword?

'It's dangerous to go alone! Take this.' comes with a wooden sword, in a scene fans now edit to hand Link all sorts of other objects.

What is the harder replay of the original NES game, unlocked after finishing it, called?

The Second Quest, known in Japan as Ura Zelda, rearranges secrets and swaps in entirely different levels, a rarity for games of its time.

In the 1991 Super Nintendo Zelda, which wizard seizes control of Hyrule after the king is murdered?

Agahnim takes over after the king's murder, but his real aim is to free an imprisoned demon king from the Dark World.

The Game Boy adventure set on Koholint Island features unauthorized cameos from which other Nintendo series?

Mario and Kirby characters slipped in because the game began as an after-hours side project, which its director blamed for its 'unrestrained' contents.

Which company published the notorious 1993 Zelda games for the CD-i console?

They resulted from a compromise after Philips and Nintendo failed to build a CD-ROM add-on for the Super NES.

Which internet horror story centers on a haunted Majora's Mask cartridge?

Ben Drowned grew from a creepypasta about a haunted cartridge into a web series that horror author Clive Barker sought to adapt.

The 2020 spin-off Age of Calamity is set how many years before Breath of the Wild?

Age of Calamity is set 100 years before Breath of the Wild, and four days after launch it had shipped over 3 million copies, a series record.

What formation do the three Links use to reach high places in Tri Force Heroes?

Stacking into a totem pole lets the top Link reach higher places and attack enemies, and the 3DS game's costumes grant special abilities.

Which N64 add-on is required to play Majora's Mask?

The Expansion Pak's extra memory allowed more detailed textures and more characters on screen, while reusing Ocarina of Time's assets let the team finish quickly.

Which Wii accessory was bundled with the Zelda spin-off Link's Crossbow Training?

Link's Crossbow Training came bundled with the Wii Zapper, while Skyward Sword later required the separate Wii MotionPlus.

In Tri Force Heroes, what curse has struck Hytopia's Princess Styla?

Fashion-loving Styla is stuck in a drab jumpsuit by an evil witch's curse, so three Links journey through the Drablands to lift it.

What does Tingle, the green-clad map salesman, dream of becoming?

Tingle, a 35-year-old map salesman who wants to become a fairy, was given a deliberately creepy design by Takaya Imamura.

Which apprentice of the sage Ezlo stole the Mage's Cap and became a powerful sorcerer?

Vaati stole the Mage's Cap and trapped Ezlo in hat form, and the story explains how he became the villain of the Four Swords games.

Which dungeon does Link keep returning to for sea charts in Phantom Hourglass?

Link keeps returning to the Temple of the Ocean King for sea charts, and players plot his ship's routes by drawing on the touchscreen.

Which studio developed the 2019 Switch remake of the Game Boy adventure set on Koholint Island?

Grezzo's remake sold 6.46 million copies by the end of 2022, and Nintendo then approached the studio about making an original Zelda game.

Series producer Eiji Aonuma landed his Nintendo job without ever having done what?

Aonuma had never played a video game when Nintendo hired him, so his girlfriend introduced him to Dragon Quest and The Portopia Serial Murder Case.

Who directed Breath of the Wild, with Eiji Aonuma producing?

Hidemaro Fujibayashi, who also directed Skyward Sword, returned for Tears of the Kingdom, which grew from too many DLC ideas for Breath of the Wild.

Which actress voices Princess Zelda in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom?

Patricia Summersett also voices Zelda in Age of Calamity and Age of Imprisonment, while Jun Mizusawa voiced her in Japanese for Ocarina of Time.

In Oracle of Ages, which villain possesses the oracle of Labrynna and disrupts the flow of time?

Veran, a sorceress, possesses the Oracle of Ages and uses her to make Queen Ambi conscript Labrynna's men to build a huge Black Tower.

Breath of the Wild's physics run on a modified version of which engine?

Breath of the Wild runs on a modified Havok engine, and the team first tested physics puzzles in a 2D prototype resembling the original Zelda.