The series of Legend of Zelda games has garnered a significant amount of love and admiration from gamers worldwide, placing it among the top favorites along with Super Mario Bros., Pokemon, and Sonic the Hedgehog.
For nearly four decades, fans have indulged in the immersive world and intricate mythology of Hyrule, assuming the role of Link, a heroic knight dressed in green, who has taken an oath to safeguard both the kingdom and Princess Zelda from the malevolence of Ganon.
If you’re interested in playing all the games in The Legend of Zelda series in the order they were released or in chronological order, this guide is for you. Whether you’re unsure of where to begin or simply curious about the Zelda game timeline, we’ve got you covered.
Keep reading to discover the complete Legend of Zelda timeline, despite one of the game’s producers expressing indifference towards it.
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The Legend of Zelda Timeline
The Legend of Zelda games have a timeline that can be quite confusing because it divides into three different paths. Following the events of Ocarina of Time, three significant occurrences take place.
The Fallen Hero Timeline
In the Legend of Zelda games, there is a timeline known as the Fallen Hero Timeline. In this timeline, the protagonist, Link, unfortunately loses a battle and falls. The story then progresses to explore the consequences of the hero’s defeat and what happens next.
The Child Timeline
In the Child Timeline of the Legend of Zelda games, the protagonist successfully defeats Ganon and is then transported back in time to seven years earlier. This allows him to prevent Ganondorf’s evil scheme from progressing. The storyline then follows the adventures of the younger Link and Zelda as they continue to thwart Ganondorf’s plans.
The Adult Timeline
In the Adult Timeline, the protagonist successfully defeats Ganon. From this point, another timeline branches out, narrating the adventures of an older Link and Zelda after Ganon’s imprisonment.
The Calamity
The Calamity: The game Breath of the Wild appears to occur at the conclusion of the three different timelines in the Legend of Zelda series. However, Nintendo has not provided clear details on how exactly these timelines are united.
The Legend of Zelda Games in Release Order
- The Legend of Zelda (1986)
- Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (1987)
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1991)
- The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (1993)
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)
- The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask (2000)
- The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages (2001)
- The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2002)
- The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures (2004)
- The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (2004)
- The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (2006)
- The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (2007)
- The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (2009)
- The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (2011)
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (2013)
- The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes (2015)
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (2023)
Legend of Zelda games in chronological order
- Skyward Sword
- The Minish Cap
- Ocarina of Time
Child timeline
- Majora’s Mask
- Twilight Princess
- Four Swords Adventures
Adult timeline
- Wind Waker
- Phantom Hourglass
- Spirit Tracks
Fallen Hero timeline
- A Link To The Past
- Link’s Awakening
- Oracle of Seasons
- Oracle of Ages
- A Link Between Worlds
- Tri Force Heroes
- The Legend of Zelda
- Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link
Calamity timeline
- Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
- Breath of the Wild
- Tears
Early History Timeline
The series of Legend of Zelda games starts before the establishment of the Kingdom of Hyrule and the creation of the Master Sword. Prior to the first game in the chronological order, Skyward Sword, the adventures of Link and Zelda had already commenced.
In the beginning, three goddesses come together to create the world and leave behind the Triforce, which is then entrusted to the goddess Hylia. When evil demons start to appear in the world, Hylia takes action by separating a portion of the world and raising it into the sky as a means of safeguarding her people.
The goddess is not able to utilize the Triforce’s power due to her divine status, so she makes the decision to give up her godly nature in order to harness its abilities. Together with her chosen hero, they utilize this power to seal away the malevolent Demon Lord named Demise.
Nonetheless, the hero, the once-immortal Hylia, and Demise are all fated to continually be reborn. Throughout the ages, their spirits will reincarnate as Link, Zelda, and Ganon.
1. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
The game Skyward Sword is set in a time period long after the Ancient Battle in the Era of the Goddess Hylia. It takes place on a floating island called Skyloft, where the inhabitants have no knowledge of the world below.
The protagonist of the game is the first Link, who creates the Master Sword by transforming the Goddess Sword, and is assisted by Fi. Link’s mission is to rescue Zelda from the evil Ghirahim, and ultimately revive his master, Demise.
After being released as a Wii game almost a decade ago, Skyward Sword has now received a high-definition remaster for the Nintendo Switch.
2. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
The Minish Cap is a unique game in the Legend of Zelda series because it was developed by Capcom instead of Nintendo. In this game, Link joins Zelda at the Picori Festival, a celebration of the Minish, a group of tiny people.
The sorcerer Vaati, who is the first incarnation of Demise, wants to find the Light Force because he believes it is hidden within the Picori Blade. After Vaati unleashes a horde of monsters by breaking the seal on the sword, he turns Zelda into stone.
Link then embarks on a quest to reforge the Picori Blade with the assistance of Ezlo, the Minish Cap who can shrink the wearer to the size of the Minish. The events of The Minish Cap take place before Four Swords, as the Picori Blade eventually transforms into the Four Sword, which traps Vaati inside.
3. The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords
In the game, Vaati manages to break free from the seal of the Four Sword and takes Zelda captive, hoping to marry her. Link, upon obtaining the Four Sword, splits into four different versions of himself – green, red, blue, and purple.
These four versions of Link must work together in order to defeat various enemies, reach Vaati, seal him back in the Four Sword, and ultimately rescue Zelda. Fours Swords is unique in the series as it is the first multiplayer game, originally included with the 2002 Game Boy Advance version of A Link to the Past. It was later released as a standalone game for DSiWare.
4. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
In the story, a young character named Link has visions of Ganondorf taking control of the Triforce. To assist him on his journey, the dying Great Deku Tree gives Link a fairy named Navi. Together, they embark on a mission to prevent Ganondorf’s plan.
Along the way, Link encounters Princess Zelda, who also experienced the same prophetic dreams. They join forces and devise a plan to access the Triforce by opening the Door of Time. However, when Link tries to remove the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time, he becomes trapped for seven years.
When he awakens, he finds that Ganondorf has caused devastation throughout Hyrule. Now of age to wield the Master Sword, Link embraces his role as the Hero of Time and journeys through the shattered kingdom and across different time periods. His goal is to gather the fragments of the Triforce and ultimately defeat Ganondorf.
The timeline of the Legend of Zelda games is divided into three branches after Ganondorf is sealed away in the Evil Realm. Zelda uses the Ocarina of Time to send Link back to his original time, resulting in the Fallen Hero Timeline, where Ganon triumphs over Link; the Child Timeline, where Link returns to his own time; and the Adult Timeline, where Link vanishes from Hyrule.
In both the Child and Adult Timelines, the Master Sword plays a role, but in the Fallen Hero Timeline, Link places the sword back in the Pedestal of Time, while Zelda does so in the Adult Timeline.
Child Timeline
In the chronological order of the Legend of Zelda games, the first significant event is when Link triumphs over Ganon in Ocarina of Time. Afterward, Zelda uses her powers to send Link back in time to a point seven years prior.
This allows him to meet Zelda in her younger form and inform her about the future events she needs to be aware of. Together, they thwart Ganondorf’s schemes, preventing the catastrophic conclusion of Ocarina of Time.
Following these events, Link’s fairy companion, Navi, bids him farewell. The subsequent events in the timeline are set in motion by child Link’s pursuit to reunite with Navi.
1. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
In this sequel to Ocarina of Time, Link embarks on a lengthy search for his fairy companion Navi. Along the way, he encounters the mischievous Skull Kid, who dons a powerful mask and steals Link’s horse.
Determined to retrieve his steed, Link pursues the Skull Kid into the parallel world of Termina. However, the mask possesses a malevolent demon called Majora, corrupting the Skull Kid and driving him to plan the destruction of Termina by bringing down the moon.
With only three days to avert the apocalypse, Link utilizes transformative masks to enlist the help of the Four Giants from different regions. Together, they strive to prevent the moon from colliding with the earth and ultimately defeat Majora.
Following his successful mission to rescue Termina from the impending crash of the moon, Link embarks on a new quest to locate his missing companion, Navi. However, Navi remains elusive, never to be encountered again. Eventually, Link meets his demise and transforms into the legendary Hero’s Spirit.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The Legenda of Zelda game called Twilight Princess follows the story of Link, who lives in Ordon Village as a ranch hand and is also a descendant of the Hero’s Spirit. However, his peaceful life is disrupted when shadow creatures known as Bulbins attack the village and kidnap the children.
To rescue them and restore peace, Link ventures into the Twilight, where he undergoes a transformation and becomes a wolf. In this form, he teams up with an imp named Midna to confront Zant, the King of the Twilight, who aims to dominate both the realms of light and shadow.
In the Legend of Zelda game called Twilight Princess, the protagonist Link defeats Zant using the powerful Fused Shadow. He then saves Princess Zelda from the resurrected Ganondorf, who he ultimately defeats with the Master Sword.
This legendary sword also breaks Link’s curse of turning into a wolf when he wields it, which he retrieves from the Sacred Grove, a location that used to house the Temple of Time. Twilight Princess was originally released in 2006 as a launch title for the Wii and the final first-party game for the Nintendo GameCube. It received a remastered version for the Wii U ten years later.
3. The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures
After many centuries have passed since the demise of Ganondorf, Princess Zelda calls upon Link to come to the castle and protect her along with her shrine maidens. They have discovered that the strange and troubling events occurring in Hyrule are a result of the weakening of Vaati’s seal.
As Zelda and the maidens strive to reinforce the seal, a sinister figure known as Shadow Link emerges and abducts them. This compels Link to wield the Four Sword once again and utilize his clones of different colors to vanquish his malevolent double, who is revealed to be Ganon’s minion. Ganon aims to cast a veil of darkness over a significant part of Hyrule.
Adult Timeline
In the game “Ocarina of Time,” Link successfully defeats Ganon and saves Hyrule. However, Zelda makes a decision to send Link back in time to seven years earlier. This action causes the Triforce of Courage, which represents the hero, to split into eight pieces and scatter across Hyrule.
Meanwhile, Princess Zelda remains in the present. Unfortunately, Zelda’s well-intentioned move leads to unexpected consequences. When Ganon is revived again, there is no Spirit of the Hero to oppose him. As a result, the people of Hyrule turn to the Gods for help.
The Gods decide to protect the kingdom by flooding all of Hyrule instead of allowing Ganon to conquer it.
1. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
In the initial installment of the GameCube game, the protagonist, Link, resides on Outset Island and has no connection to the Hero of Time. His primary mission is to rescue his younger sister, Aryll, who has been kidnapped by the Helmaroc King under Ganondorf’s orders.
Ganondorf aims to capture young girls with pointed ears in hopes of finding Zelda. Throughout his journey, Link receives assistance from Tetra, the pirate captain who is actually an incarnation of Zelda.
Together with Tetra’s pirate crew and a talking boat named the King of Red Lions, they navigate the ocean and explore various islands to acquire the necessary powers to defeat Ganondorf. In 2013, Nintendo released a high-definition remastered version of The Wind Waker for the Wii U.
This was done to keep fans satisfied while they eagerly anticipated a new game for the same console. Eventually, this new game turned out to be Breath of the Wild for the Nintendo Switch. The remastered version also provided an opportunity for developers to explore the capabilities of the new hardware.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Following the events of The Wind Waker, Link embarks on a journey with Tetra and her crew. While sailing, they come across the Ghost Ship, a legendary vessel known to vanish in the World of the Ocean King.
Tetra decides to investigate and boards the ship, but she mysteriously disappears along with it. In an attempt to rescue her, Link ends up being thrown overboard and ends up on Mercay Island. It is there that he encounters a fairy named Ciela and her grandfather Oshus.
Oshus presents Link with the Phantom Hourglass, a powerful tool to combat the curse that has befallen the Temple of the Ocean King, courtesy of the malevolent Bellum.
3. The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
In the world of Legenda of Zelda, a century has passed since the events of Phantom Hourglass. Our protagonist, Link, now holds the title of Royal Engineer. Alongside Princess Zelda, he embarks on a mission to the Tower of Spirits to uncover the mystery behind the disappearance of the Spirit Tracks.
However, their journey takes an unexpected turn when Chancellor Cole, an advisor to Zelda, betrays them. It is revealed that Cole is actually a demon with the intention of resurrecting Malladus, the long-sealed Demon King.
To achieve this, Cole uses a spell to separate Zelda’s soul from her body. Meanwhile, Link and Zelda must work together to restore the Tower of Spirits and reunite Zelda’s soul with her body, ultimately thwarting Cole’s sinister plans.
Fallen Hero Timeline
In the Legend of Zelda games, when the hero faces defeat in battle, Zelda is forced to take drastic action. Ganon, the antagonist, manages to steal the Triforces of Wisdom and Courage. To protect these powerful artifacts and ensure Ganon’s defeat, Zelda and the Seven Sages come together to banish Ganon and the Triforces into the Sacred Realm.
This act leads to a war known as the Imprisoning War. In order to prevent Ganon from escaping, the Sages must seal off access to the Sacred Realm. However, inside the Sacred Realm, Ganon corrupts it and transforms it into the Dark World.
1. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Link receives a psychic message from Princess Zelda, urging him to come to Hyrule Castle and rescue her. She has been captured and imprisoned by Agahnim, a malevolent wizard who has used his magic to control Hyrule’s soldiers, overthrow the king, and banish six maidens to the Dark World.
Agahnim’s ultimate goal is to break the seal on Ganon and gain dominion over both the Light and Dark Worlds. Link’s uncle responds to the call for help, but unfortunately, he meets his demise in the dungeon.
However, before his passing, he reveals to Link that he is the rightful heir to the Knights of Hyrule. Link is then informed that in order to defeat Agahnim, he must acquire the three Pendants of Virtue from various dungeons scattered throughout Hyrule.
Additionally, he must obtain the Master Sword from the Lost Woods. During his journey, Link uses the Magic Mirror to venture into the Dark World and save the captive maidens. It is here that he discovers Agahnim is actually Ganon’s alter ego. Eventually, Link confronts and battles Ganon within the Pyramid of Power.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
While returning to Hyrule after completing his training to prepare for potential dangers that may arise in the kingdom, Link finds himself trapped in a fierce storm out in the vast ocean.
As a result, his ship is wrecked, and he finds himself stranded on the mysterious island of Koholint. This island is home to a massive egg situated atop Mt. Tamaranch.
In this game, the main character is saved by a girl named Marin who bears a strong resemblance to Princess Zelda, even though the game does not actually include her. T
he main character discovers that in order to escape the island, they must gather eight Instruments of the Sirens and awaken the Wind Fish, who is currently slumbering inside an egg.
Link’s Awakening was remade in 3D for the Nintendo Switch in 2019, with an updated chibi-style design for the main character, Link.
3. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
In the game series called The Legend of Zelda, the Triforce summons the main character, Link, to the land of Holodrum. There, he witnesses the abduction of Din, a dancer who is known as the Oracle of Seasons, by Onox, the General of Darkness.
This unfortunate event causes the seasons in the land to become chaotic. In order to restore balance, Link embarks on a quest to collect the eight Essences of Nature and utilize the Rod of Seasons to control the seasons wherever he goes.
Once he successfully rescues Din, he is then transported to Labrynna, where the events of the game Oracle of Ages take place.
4. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages
Similar to the events in Oracle of Seasons, the Triforce calls upon Link to venture into Labrynna. In this land, Nayru, a talented singer, becomes possessed by Veran, a powerful sorceress who controls shadows.
Veran’s actions cause a disturbance in the timeline, prompting Link to utilize the Harp of Ages. This magical instrument allows him to journey between the past and present, enabling him to gather the eight Essences of Time. Link’s ultimate goal is to confront Veran
The games Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons have a connected ending that involves a password. If one game is played as a sequel to the other, the villainous Twinrova captures Princess Zelda and ignites the Flame of Despair.
However, the heroic Link manages to defeat Twinrova and a weakly resurrected Ganon, ultimately freeing Zelda. Afterward, Link departs from Labrynna by boat.
5. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
In the game, the protagonist named Link is an apprentice to a blacksmith. Throughout his journey, he comes across a character named Yuga who has the ability to transform people into paintings, including the Seven Sages and Princess Zelda, within the land of Hyrule.
To combat Yuga’s plan to consume both Hyrule and Lorule with the assistance of Ganon, Link utilizes a magical bracelet bestowed upon him by a mysterious peddler.
This game, known as A Link Between Worlds, stands out for its unique gameplay mechanic where Link can transform into a two-dimensional painting, allowing him to navigate through the walls of Lorule. Once he returns to Hyrule, Link reverts back to his three-dimensional form.
6. The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes
The game Tri Force Heroes takes place in the kingdom of Hytopia, where Princess Styla is famous for her beauty and sense of fashion. However, she has been cursed by the witch Lady Maud and is stuck wearing a brown jumpsuit that she cannot remove.
To help Styla, Link teams up with two identical copies of himself to gather the pieces of the Lady’s Ensemble and undo the curse. This game, Tri Force Heroes, is the first in the series to allow online multiplayer. The gameplay controls are similar to Four Swords, but there is one less Link character in the group.
7. The Legend of Zelda
In the world of Hyrule, a powerful villain named Ganon is resurrected and plans to wage war on the kingdom. His main objectives are to seize the Triforce of Power and abduct Princess Zelda. However, before being captured, Zelda takes a daring action by dividing the Triforce of Wisdom into eight fragments and scattering them across Hyrule.
This strategic move is to prevent Ganon from gaining complete control over the kingdom. In order to counter Ganon’s invasion, Zelda’s loyal nursemaid Impa seeks out the courageous hero, Link. Upon learning of Ganon’s evil plans, Link embarks on a quest to locate and collect the eight pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom.
With great determination and bravery, he successfully defeats Ganon and saves Princess Zelda from her captivity.
8. Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link
After the demise of Ganon, six years pass and Link is assisting in the restoration of Hyrule. On his 16th birthday, a glowing Triforce mark appears on Link’s left hand. This mark grants him access to the altar where Princess Zelda I is cursed and in a deep sleep.
Link discovers that only the Triforce of Courage, located in the Great Palace, can awaken her. Determined, Link embarks on a mission to place six crystals in various palaces scattered throughout Hyrule.
Along the way, he must defeat six guardians and thwart Ganon’s minions who seek to use his blood to revive their fallen leader.
The Calamity Timeline
The release of Breath of the Wild created confusion regarding its placement in the established timeline of the Legend of Zelda games. The game includes references to major characters and locations from all three timelines, making it difficult to categorize within a specific timeline.
Some speculate that the intention was to bring together the three timelines and merge them into a single reality where Breath of the Wild occurs. According to Nintendo, it appears that the game is intended to fit into one of three storylines.
Nintendo has stated that The Legend of Zelda: Age of Calamity is set in a distant future where the events of the past have become obscure myths. It is evident that the games in the Legend of Zelda franchise form a cohesive narrative within their own mini-story arc.
While the extent to which Nintendo will expand upon this specific timeline remains uncertain, their continued success in terms of sales suggests that they will likely continue creating games within this chronology for the foreseeable future.
1. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
The Legend of Zelda games are a popular series that follows the adventures of Link and Princess Zelda. In this particular installment, the events take place 100 years before Breath of the Wild. Link and Zelda join forces with their allies to protect Hyrule from Calamity Ganon, who is trying to resurrect himself and destroy the kingdom using his Malice.
A Guardian from the future arrives, bringing evidence of their failure, which pushes them to quickly gather the four champions from Hyrule’s other races. Together, they aim to strengthen their forces and locate the Master Sword in the Korok Forest.
Their goal is to change the outcome of the battle against Calamity Ganon. Despite their efforts, they are unable to defeat him, and Zelda makes the decision to seal herself and Calamity Ganon inside Hyrule Castle. Link is then put into a deep sleep at the Shrine of Resurrection for 100 years to heal his severe injuries.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
In the world of Hyrule, a hundred years have gone by and Link finally wakes up from his deep sleep, but unfortunately, he has lost all of his memories. At the same time, Zelda, who possesses special powers, finds that her abilities are diminishing.
To make matters worse, the notorious Calamity Ganon has become more powerful and has left Hyrule in ruins. Determined to recover his memories, Link embarks on a journey across Hyrule, aiming to release the Divine Beasts from the control of the Blight Ganons and ultimately face Ganon in a final showdown.
3. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Tears of the Kingdom is the next installment in the popular Legend of Zelda series, following the events of Breath of the Wild. In this game, players will revisit the land of Hyrule after the defeat of Calamity Ganon.
Link, Zelda, and other familiar characters will make a return as Ganondorf begins to rise again. While the new sequel introduces various gameplay elements, it is still set in the same map and takes place years after the events of Breath of the Wild.
While it is not necessary to have played Breath of the Wild before diving into Tears of the Kingdom, doing so will allow players to fully appreciate and understand the different story points that unfold.
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