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Overview

The Legend of Zelda series is set in a fantasy world that first appeared in the original The Legend of Zelda, which was developed and published by Nintendo. The game introduced Hyrule as the series' primary setting along with the series' protagonists Link and Princess Zelda, and primary antagonist Ganon. Link has been the primary player character since the start of the series, though he is only playable in the prologue of Echoes of Wisdom. The storyline of each game varies, but follows a common overarching plot that involves Link, a Hylian boy or young man, traveling through Hyrule or another land to save the world from evil, which is typically Ganon. He is often guided in these plots by Zelda, a Hylian girl or young woman, usually from Hyrule's royal family, who appears in every game in the series except for Link's Awakening and Tri Force Heroes, and is the main player character in Echoes of Wisdom. A recurring plot element in the games is Ganon's attempts to obtain the Triforce, a mystical artifact introduced in the first Legend of Zelda that will enable him to possess ultimate power. Although Link and Zelda have similar appearances in each game, there are different characters who go by those names throughout the series who appear whenever evil threatens the world. Skyward Sword was established as the beginning of the series' history and involves the antagonist Demise cursing the first incarnations of Link and Zelda so they reincarnate in an endless cycle to protect Hyrule from evil.

Hyrule

Concept and design

Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto conceived the land of Hyrule as the setting for the original The Legend of Zelda (1986), describing it as "a miniature garden that you can put into a drawer and revisit anytime you like". He drew his inspiration from the Kyoto countryside that he had explored in his childhood and wanted to recreate the experience of adventure and discovery. Alongside writer Takashi Tezuka, Miyamoto created a fantasy world in the style of fantasy authors like Tolkien, which was viewed from a top-down perspective. It was populated with colourful characters, monsters and dungeons for the player to explore.

Miyamoto and Tezuka started working on The Legend of Zelda during the development of Super Mario Bros. (1985). Initially, the game did not feature an overworld. In Hyrule Historia, Miyamoto said that Nintendo aimed to develop a launch title for the Famicom Disk System. An early game was initially designed to make use of the Disk System's ability to rewrite data, allowing players to create dungeons and explore other players' creations. He explained: "We made a one-player game with dungeons under mountains that surrounded Death Mountain, but we couldn't shake that "I want to play above ground, too!" feeling, so we added forests and lakes, and eventually Hyrule Field".

The first specifications were drawn up on a whiteboard by Miyamoto and then copied onto a document on 1 February 1985. The document detailed early concepts for items and enemies that would later feature in the game, such as a compass, bows and arrows and a boomerang, and "Hakkai", an early name given to Ganon. This was developed into rough sketches for various items and enemies within the following two weeks. The name for the game had not yet been decided, so the title was simply labelled "Adventure". Long paper was used to create the first land map of Hyrule, which was developed by Tezuka and Miyamoto sitting side by side and drawing together. Miyamoto said that the name "Hyrule" seemed like the perfect choice during a discussion to find a name for a high-fantasy region. In Japan, The Legend of Zelda game was released as The Hyrule Fantasy, which was almost chosen as the name for the entire franchise, but was dropped after the first game. Miyamoto said this could have been due to the name being too similar to Final Fantasy, which was released in December 1987.

The original Hyrule map was designed to encourage exploration and discovery, requiring up to several hours to navigate. The map is nonlinear, so players are free to choose from several unmarked paths, with just a few areas being inaccessible at the start. Miyamoto was influenced by The Black Onyx (1984) and Ultima (1981), two games that centre around fantasy dungeon crawling. The Zelda world was defined by its mazes, hidden rooms and treasures. The game's nine dungeons were designed to be difficult to locate, forcing players to uncover the secrets of the map with little help. In addition to its underworld, the Hyrule map consists of a large overworld created out of a grid structure that is much larger than can be displayed on a single screen. It is 16 blocks wide and eight blocks high and comprises 128 areas. Miyamoto said that maps for the game were included in North America: "The maps included various hints, but to be honest, I thought it would be more enjoyable to play the game without any help. So we sealed the map, with a message reading 'You should only use the map and strategic tips as a last resort'". Players were required to begin their adventure in the centre of Hyrule and use instinct alone to find an old man inside a cave who gives Link a sword and declares, "It's dangerous to go alone!". While navigating Hyrule's overworld and its many dangerous enemies, players must eventually find the dungeons, which each feature various enemies, items and a boss.

Depiction

The Kingdom of Hyrule, a medieval-based fantasy land, is the main setting of the series, which first appeared in The Legend of Zelda. Many of its areas have appeared throughout the series, such as Hyrule Castle, the Lost Woods, Kakariko Village, Death Mountain and Lake Hylia.

Hyrule was formed by three goddesses: Din, Farore, and Nayru. It is established in Ocarina of Time that Din created the physical geography of the realm, Nayru created the physical laws to govern it, and Farore created the races to uphold the law and the flora and fauna that inhabit the world. After the goddesses completed their tasks, they departed for the heavens, leaving behind three golden triangles containing their power to govern all things; this relic became known as the Triforce. The creation myth was elaborated upon in Echoes of Wisdom, with the goddesses creating the world to be a prison for a primordial chaos entity named Null that had previously consumed anything that tried to form within the void. Skyward Sword expanded on this history by detailing the rise of Demon King Demise and his dark forces, who attempt to take the Triforce and destroy the world. The goddess Hylia stays to protect the Triforce and leads an army of free people into battle to weaken Demise and seal him away from the world. The realm was eventually named Hyrule after its dominant race, the Hylians, who established a kingdom across the land. The kingdom is ruled by the Royal Family of Hyrule, into which the various incarnations of Princess Zelda are often born.

The Hylian alphabet is a cipher of either English or Japanese that first appears in A Link to the Past, where it is identified as "the ancient language of the Hylians" and is composed of symbols that Link must translate to progress. In Japan, an explanation of the Hylian alphabet was written on the back of the instruction manual for The Wind Waker with a phonographic writing system, or syllabary, like the Japanese language. Since its first appearance, five more Hylian scripts have been developed and deciphered: the Old Hylian Syllabary used in Ocarina of Time, the Modern Hylian Syllabary used in The Wind Waker, the Hylian Alphabet used in Skyward Sword, the Hylian Alphabet used in A Link Between Worlds, and the Hylian Alphabet used in Twilight Princess. The first three are used for transcribing Japanese, while the latter three are used to transcribe English, totaling six variations of written Hylian. Additional languages have subsequently appeared in the series. The language of the Gerudo was introduced in Ocarina of Time, a written and spoken language that is similar to Hylian and is written in elongated, wispy letters. The Sheikah language was introduced in Breath of the Wild and consists of a complete alphabet of square-shaped symbols. Players have deciphered these languages to translate numerous signs and inscriptions commonly found around Hyrule.

Hyrulean geography

Although the geography of Hyrule varies from game to game, it typically features several recurring geographical landmarks, which appear in different locations relative to each other depending on the game.

Death Mountain is a large volcanic mountain. It is in the northern part of Hyrule in many games, but in The Adventure of Link it is in the south. It first appeared in the original The Legend of Zelda and has appeared through the series up to Tears of the Kingdom. Twilight Princess reveals it is part of the Eldin Mountains, a mountain range in the Eldin Province (or Region, in later games). The main inhabitants of Death Mountain are the Gorons, a race of rock people that mine the mountains in search of food; the mountains are littered with caves as a result of their mining activities.

Ganon's Castle is Ganon's fortress, which has acted as the battleground between him and Link in Ocarina of Time and The Wind Waker. In Ocarina of Time, when Link travels to the future, it has been built in place of Hyrule Castle.

Hyrule Castle is the home of Hyrule's royal family, which first appeared in A Link to the Past. It is a symbol of the power of the Hyrulean monarchy and is frequently the main target of Hyrule's enemies, particularly Ganon. It is often a central area that Link visits during his quest.

Kakariko Village is a village that first appears in A Link to the Past and has since reappeared in Ocarina of Time, Four Swords Adventures, Twilight Princess, A Link Between Worlds, Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom, and Echoes of Wisdom. Kakariko Village is often portrayed as a small, prosperous town that was originally founded by the Sheikah. In Twilight Princess, most of the villagers have turned into Shadow Beasts, making the town resemble a ghost town. In Breath of the Wild, the village has survived the Great Calamity and is inhabited by the Sheikah.

Lake Hylia is the largest freshwater lake in Hyrule. It commonly features collectible items and dungeons, and is often where Link encounters members of the Zora race, especially in their hostile "River Zora" forms.

The Lost Woods is a large enchanted forest that appears in various games, starting with The Legend of Zelda. It is home to the Kokiri, Koroks and Fairies, and its maze-like structure leads travelers in circles unless they take the correct path through the forest. Rumors state that those who become lost are turned into Stalfos. In several games, the Great Deku Tree and/or the Master Sword can be found in a shrine there.

Objects

Triforce

The Triforce, also called the "Power of the Gods" and the "Golden Triangle", is a triangular sacred relic left behind by the three Golden Goddesses after they created Hyrule. It is made up of three smaller triangles known as the Triforce of Power, the Triforce of Wisdom, and the Triforce of Courage. These embody the essences of their respective goddesses, and present a power struggle and balance of morality between the central characters, Ganon, Zelda and Link. The Triforce first appeared in the original game as a focal point of the plot, which involves Ganon stealing the Triforce of Power and Link searching for the scattered pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom to stop him and protect Hyrule from evil. The Triforce of Courage was introduced in The Adventure of Link as the third piece. When united, the Triforce allows the person who touches it to make a wish that usually lasts until they die or the wish is granted. If the person who finds it does not possess a balance of the three virtues it represents, the pieces will split into its three components, leaving the finder with the one that represents the characteristic they value most.

Master Sword

The Master Sword, also known as the "Blade of Evil's Bane", the "Sword of Resurrection", or the "Sword that seals the darkness" is a divine, magic sword and Link's signature weapon. It is one of the few weapons capable of harming Ganon and acts as a key to the Sacred Realm. It was first introduced in A Link to the Past, it has the power to "repel evil", which enables it to overcome powerful dark magic and slay evil and demonic beings that cannot be harmed by conventional weaponry. Skyward Sword reveals that it was originally known as the Goddess Sword, which is inhabited by a sentient female spirit named Fi. Near the end of the game, the Goddess Sword transforms into the Master Sword after being infused with the Three Sacred Flames, with Fi's spirit form ceasing to be after the Master Sword absorbs Demise's remains. The sword traditionally rests in a stone pedestal hidden in sacrosanct locations indigenous to Hyrule, such as the Temple of Time or the Lost Woods. Like the Sword in the Stone, the Master Sword can only be removed by someone who is worthy of wielding it.

Other lands and worlds

Hyrule is the main recurring setting of The Legend of Zelda series, but several games are set outside Hyrule in other lands, realms and parallel worlds. The geographical relationship between Hyrule and these other worlds is not clearly defined.

The Dark World is a parallel world to Hyrule that appears in A Link to the Past. It is a darker version of Hyrule, which is referred to as the Light World.

The Depths is the underworld of Tears of the Kingdom, which is scattered with ruins, and mirrors the surface of Hyrule. It is connected to the surface by the chasms across Hyrule and receives very little light, being pitch-black until Link activates the Lightroots located across it.

The Great Sea is the setting of The Wind Waker, formed after a deluge flooded Hyrule. Only a few mountaintops are still visible above the water, which form the islands and archipelagos of the Great Sea. Due to the relatively small size of these islands, the large expanses of ocean between each island require the player to use charts to navigate between them.

Holodrum is a land that Link travels to in Oracle of Seasons, where Din finds him and is subsequently captured by the General of Darkness, Onox, causing the four seasons in Holodrum to fall into chaos. Holodrum is protected by a huge tree called a Maku Tree. Link eventually dispels the darkness using a Huge Maku Seed.

Hytopia is a kingdom that is the main setting of Tri Force Heroes. It is ruled by Princess Styla, who has been cursed to wear a drab jumpsuit.

Koholint Island is the setting of Link's Awakening, which Link washes ashore on after a storm and which has a giant egg atop its highest peak. To escape the island, Link must awaken the Wind Fish, which he later discovers will cause the island to disappear, as it exists in its dreams. He ultimately achieves this goal, but the island ceases to exist.

Labrynna is a land that appears in Oracle of Ages. In a similar storyline to that of Holodrum, the land of Labrynna is thrown into chaos after Nayru is possessed by the sorceress Veran, causing the flow of time to be disrupted.

Characters

Despite most games in the series nominally taking place centuries apart, The Legend of Zelda often features many recurring characters. The silent protagonist Link and Princess Zelda are reincarnated in most Zelda games, while the antagonistic force Ganon, the final boss of most Zelda games, born from the primordial evil Demise, repeatedly returns in a new form as well. Other figures who reappear across the series include Zelda's caretaker Impa and the fairy-obsessed man Tingle. In Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, and Twilight Princess, Link obtains a horse named Epona.

Link is frequently accompanied by a companion in Zelda games, starting with Navi in Ocarina of Time. Characters like her, Midna in Twilight Princess, and Fi in Skyward Sword, serve a tutorial function in their respective games and comment on events as they transpire in the story. In Echoes of Wisdom, Zelda is followed a similar companion called Tri. The supporting cast of Breath of the Wild, featuring characters such as Purah, Prince Sidon, and Urbosa, has proven to be popular among fans of the series.

Link

Link is the silent protagonist of the series and the main playable character. He is a Hylian youth of varying age who has traditionally been depicted wearing a green cap and tunic. He has appeared as the hero of nearly every game in the series, usually as a new iteration of the character, though some iterations have made more than one appearance. While the details vary, he typically embarks on a journey across Hyrule to save Princess Zelda and defeat evil, usually in the form of Ganon. To defeat his enemies, he typically obtains and wields the legendary Master Sword. Each incarnation of Link is humble, brave, and worthy to bear the Triforce of Courage, one of the three pieces that form the Triforce. As protagonist, Link has appeared in related media, including spin-off games such as Hyrule Warriors, comics and manga, and other video game series, such as Mario Kart 8 and the Super Smash Bros. series. Although he is mainly silent in the video games, he does speak in the Legend of Zelda cartoon series and the CD-i games from The Legend of Zelda series produced by Philips. Link was recognised as the second greatest video game character of all time behind Mario in the Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2011. Nintendo Life describes Link as "one of gaming's most iconic heroes", while GamesRadar describes him as, "one of the most enduring heroic archetypes". Time named him as one of the most influential video game characters of all time.

Princess Zelda

Princess Zelda is Hyrule's princess and the guardian of the Triforce of Wisdom. While older titles portray her as a "princess in peril" who Link needed to save from Ganon, since Ocarina of Time she has been developed as a more fully realized character, particularly in Breath of the Wild. Zelda is the reincarnation of the goddess Hylia in mortal form and usually depicted as the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom. She is capable of using various magical powers to aid Link, including light magic to seal away Ganon, although several games have depicted her using the Bow of Light. Zelda occasionally has aliases and alter egos, including Sheik in Ocarina of Time and Tetra in The Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass. Despite being the titular character, Zelda has only been playable in Spirit Tracks and Echoes of Wisdom in the main series and Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon and Zelda's Adventure of the CD-i games. However, she is playable in the Hyrule Warriors spin-off games, Cadence of Hyrule, and in the Super Smash Bros. series since Melee. She was named as one of the most iconic female game characters of all time by Digital Spy. Along with Link, she was counted as one of the greatest video game characters of all time by the 2011 Guinness World Record Gamer's Edition.

Ganon

Ganon is the series' primary villain and final boss. His specific motives vary across games, but general themes include seeking the Triforce for power and destruction and to conquer Hyrule. Like Link and Zelda, he is the bearer of one third of the Triforce: the Triforce of Power. Ganon was introduced as the main antagonist of the original The Legend of Zelda in the form of a blue boar and his role and appearance has since evolved over time. Over the course of the series, he has generally appeared in two forms: Ganon, a monstrous, demonic pig-like form, and Ganondorf, a humanoid Gerudo form first introduced in Ocarina of Time. In Breath of the Wild, he appears in two forms in the final boss fight as Calamity Ganon and Dark Beast Ganon. In Tears of the Kingdom, Ganondorf is known as the Demon King. His portrayal varies across each game in the series, ranging from a mute beast to a powerful warlock with formidable sword skills, but generally he is so powerful that only Link and Zelda are capable of defeating him. In addition to the main Zelda series, Ganon/Ganondorf appears as a playable character in the Hyrule Warriors spin-off games and the Super Smash Bros. series since Melee. Ganon was recognized as one of the greatest video game villains of all time in a 2013 poll for Guinness World Records 2013 Gamer's Edition. In 2022, GamesRadar named him as one of the most iconic gaming villains of all time.

Impa

Impa was introduced in the game manual for the original The Legend of Zelda as an elderly woman and member of the Sheikah who acts as caretaker to Princess Zelda and seeks out Link to save her from Ganon. She returns in Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, where she acts as a guide to Link. In Ocarina of Time, she plays a major role as a young warrior and Zelda's guardian. Her character design is similar in Skyward Sword, where she appears in both a young and elderly form. Breath of the Wild depicts her as a Sheikah elder in Kakariko Village, where she is about 120 years old. She is a playable character in Hyrule Warriors and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity as a young warrior. In Tears of the Kingdom, she has retired and is investigating the Geoglyphs that have appeared around Hyrule, tasking Link with finding the Dragon's Tears and the memories they hold. Impa's characterisation was praised by Jenni Lada of Siliconera, who admired her for being an intelligent warrior and a respected character.

Impa's character design has evolved significantly over the course of the series, having been depicted in various forms and ages to fulfill various roles in the games. In her first appearance, Impa was created as an elderly woman for the instruction manual of The Legend of Zelda. In Ocarina of Time, she appears as a slimmer, younger character with a sturdy build and hair tied back in a ponytail. By contrast, she was designed as an overweight woman for Oracle of Seasons. In Skyward Sword, she appears as younger and older versions of the same character due to the storyline shifting in time and is dressed in Sheikah attire. The younger version of Impa was given an androgynous appearance, while her older version wears a costume designed to reflect the passage of time, including a pendulum braid and a triangular robe that becomes a sundial. In Breath of the Wild, she appears as a much older village elder with a short, shrunken stature. In Hyrule Warriors, she is depicted as an athletic warrior, which is similar to her appearance in Ocarina of Time and her younger form in Skyward Sword. In Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, which features the younger self of her Breath of the Wild incarnation, she is portrayed as a powerful fighter and strongly resembles her future granddaughter, Paya. Impa's design, abilities, and gestures in Age of Calamity drew heavy inspiration from Naruto Uzumaki.

Throughout her many incarnations, she bears the typical traits of the Sheikah tribe, having white hair and red eyes. She also typically displays the Sheikah symbol, an eye with three triangles above and a teardrop below, on her forehead or clothing. As a representative of her people, she wears the unique garments of the Sheikah, which take inspiration from historical Japanese clothing. As a member of the Sheikah, Impa is highly skilled in combat and the use of magic.

King of Hyrule

The King of Hyrule is the title given to the various ruling monarchs of Hyrule, who are generally the father of Princess Zelda in most incarnations. He appears in many entries, but his presence is often relegated to cameos, backstory, lore, or posthumous appearances as a ghost. In The Minish Cap, Link must rescue King Daltus after Vaati turns him to stone and imprisons him. In The Wind Waker, Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule is later revealed to be the true identity of The King of Red Lions, the sentient red sailboat that accompanies Link and leads him to the Triforce of Courage, also helping Tetra to uncover her true identity as Zelda, ultimately usurping the Triforce to sink Hyrule. He later appears as a playable character in Hyrule Warriors Legends. In Breath of the Wild, the Old Man guides Link throughout the Great Plateau and helps him obtain the paraglider and is eventually revealed to be the spirit of King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule. In the game's backstory, he prepared for the return of Calamity Ganon and put pressure on his daughter Zelda to awaken her sealing powers, but his efforts ended in failure and his death. King Rhoam returns as a playable character in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity.

Beedle

Beedle, also known as Terry in other localizations, is a traveling merchant who sells Link items. He first appears in The Wind Waker, where he can be found on his boat shop. He reappears in The Minish Cap, Phantom Hourglass, and Spirit Tracks. In Skyward Sword, he travels to Skyloft in a pedal-powered wooden shack with helicopter propellers, which also serves as his shop. In Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, he travels on foot with a large backpack, and is often seen at stables.

Tingle

Tingle is a eccentric middle-aged man who is obsessed with fairies and believes himself to be the reincarnation of one. He first appears in Majora's Mask where he wears a green body suit and floats around on a balloon selling maps. He reappears in Wind Waker where he acts as a map maker. He also appears in Oracle of Ages, Four Swords Adventures and The Minish Cap, and makes small cameos in other games. Tingle has gained notoriety due to being disliked by American players and has not appeared in the main series in a non-cameo capacity since The Minish Cap. He ranked first on IGN's list of the weirdest Zelda characters. Tingle has starred in his own games, including Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland and Ripened Tingle's Balloon Trip of Love. He is also a playable character via downloadable content in Hyrule Warriors.

Races

Since the release of the original game, the series has featured several races. Alongside the Hylian race, which established the land of Hyrule, there are various other prominent races, such as the Gorons, Gerudo, Rito and Zora.

Ancient Robots are a prehistoric mechanical race that appear in Skyward Sword, who Link encounters in the Lanayru Desert. They were created by the Thunder Dragon Lanayru, but their land eventually became a barren desert and they rusted away. However, they can be revived using a Timeshift Stone to change the present to the past. Although the designers expressed concern about including advanced technology in Skyward Sword, they decided that they did not look out of place with a "softer" design resembling the Dogū, which was more befitting of fantasy.

Deku Scrubs are creatures with bodies made of nuts and seeds that were introduced in Ocarina of Time. They have red glowing eyes and shoot seeds from their mouths at approaching enemies. They use the leaves that sprout from their heads to hide in a leafy nest. They are sometimes fought as enemies by Link, but some are non-hostile and may do business with and otherwise reason with Hylians. They have set up homes and businesses in many locations in Hyrule and other lands. Some Deku Scrubs provide important information to make the player progress in the games they appear in. Deku Scrubs have their own kingdom and royal family in Termina in Majora's Mask, and live in a Hyrulean village called Scrubton in Echoes of Wisdom. A variant called Mad Scrubs have flame-colored leaves on their heads and are more aggressive.

Dragons are a recurring race that usually appear as benevolent guardians or powerful enemies. In Ocarina of Time, Link must slay Volvagia, a dragon boss in the Fire Temple. In The Wind Waker, the Sky Spirit Valoo acts as the godlike dragon and the patron deity of the Rito tribe. When Link arrives on Dragon Roost Island, he defeats the boss Gohma by damaging Valoo's tail. In Twilight Princess, Link encounters the dragon Argorok, who is the boss of the City in the Sky. In Skyward Sword, Link is aided by the three dragons Faron, Eldin, and Lanayru, which guard the three regions of the Surface, also called Faron, Eldin, and Lanayru. In Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, the three dragons Dinraal, Naydra, and Farosh can be found in several locations around Hyrule. Tears of the Kingdom features two new dragons, the Light Dragon, which is later revealed to be Zelda transformed after undergoing the process of draconification to restore the shattered Master Sword through sacred power, and the Demon Dragon, which is Ganondorf after he undergoes draconification in a last-ditch effort to defeat Link and conquer the world.

Enemies

The appearance of some creatures varies across different titles of the series:

Armos are animated statues built to guard ancient ruins that come to life and attack when disturbed. They have monstrous appearances and carry a sword and shield. If Link approaches, they will chase after him. They first appeared in The Legend of Zelda.

Bokoblins are a race of goblin-like creatures, that first appeared in The Wind Waker. Bokoblins come in a variety of colors. They often appear as standard enemies and wield boko sticks, machetes and clubs in The Wind Waker. Though their appearance varies from game to game, the one thing that remains consistent is they wear loincloths with a single skull. In Twilight Princess, they are less common and their role as standard enemies is largely taken over by the Bulblins. In Skyward Sword, Bokoblins are common monsters that serve the Demon Tribe, under Demon Lord Ghirahim and the Demon King Demise. The game also introduces Technoblins and Cursed Bokoblins, undead Bokoblins that can curse Link. In Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, Bokoblins are low-level, comical enemies that commonly appear across Hyrule living in camps.

Chuchus are jelly-like creatures with squat, translucent bodies, stalk-eyes, and a smiling mouth. They mostly move by bouncing around. Chuchus appear in various colours and some possess specific abilities. Once they are defeated, they will drop jelly, which can be used by Link as an ingredient and for upgrading armour.

Darknuts are large armored knights armed with swords and shields. They first appeared in The Legend of Zelda but are recurring foes that appear in Twilight Princess and other games.

Floormasters and Wallmasters are ghostly manifestations of giant hands that drag adventurers back to the entrance of a dungeon. Floormasters split up into smaller versions when the original is attacked. Wallmasters first appeared in The Legend of Zelda while Floormasters first appeared in Ocarina of Time. Floormasters also appear in The Wind Waker and The Minish Cap.

Gibdos are undead creatures wrapped like mummies. They resemble ReDeads in regards to their slow and zombie-like movement; in some games, setting a Gibdo's bandages alight will reveal a Stalfos or a ReDead underneath. They first appeared in The Legend of Zelda.

Reception

In their January 2010 issue, Nintendo Power listed the "wonderful worlds" of Hyrule, together with the Mushroom Kingdom from the Super Mario series, Planet Zebes from the Metroid series, the player's town from the Animal Crossing series, and Metro City from the Final Fight series, as five of their 50 "reasons to love Nintendo". Steve Watts of GameSpot praised the original game world, commenting that although it is minimalist, it, "conveys the feeling of going on a grand adventure through the wilderness, and the lack of hand-holding that would come to define later Zelda games makes the world feel that much more expansive and mysterious". Yannick LeJacq for Kotaku commented in 2014 that "Hyrule is one of the most iconic settings in the history of video games. The Legend of Zelda players have been poring over it in one way or another for almost 30 years now".

Critics celebrated Ocarina of Time's game world's impact on both gamers and the subsequent depictions of 3D game worlds. The open world of Hyrule in Breath of the Wild has received praise for its design. In 2021 Noelle Warner of Destructoid praised its cozy appeal while recovering from the post-quarantine period and felt that she would be happy living in seven out of the nine towns she ranked for coziness. She praised Tarrey Town—which was surrounded by a lake, contained a circle of houses facing one another, and had a view of autumnal trees—the most, but praised the beauty and visuals of many of the other towns. Other critics praised the scale of the open world, its beauty, and its clever sense of navigation.

In 2020, senior editor Caty McCarthy of USgamer ranked the in-game map of A Link to the Past as the best video game map. IGN ranked Hyrule as the sixth greatest game world. In 2021, Evan Narcisse of Kotaku listed Hyrule as one of the richest sci-fi and fantasy worlds in video games.

Influence and legacy

Since the release of the original The Legend of Zelda game, critics have commented on the influence and legacy of The Legend of Zelda universe on the gaming industry. Critics noted the first Zelda game influenced World of Warcraft, Grand Theft Auto (1997–present), The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011), Dark Souls (2011–2016), and the entire action RPG genre. The original game was a phenomenal commercial success for Nintendo, selling over 6.5 million copies, and has been described by many critics as one of the greatest video games of all time.

Critics defined Ocarina of Time as foundational to 3D games in the adventure genre, particularly with regard to technical innovations including the "Z-targeting" mechanic, with The Guardian's Keza MacDonald noting a version of the 1998 game's mechanic being used in Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018). Its remapping controls and quick-mapping of buttons was also noted by Tom Power in GamesRadar+ as having crossed into other gaming genres such as the first-person shooter series Halo (2001–present) and Call of Duty (2003–present), as well as Gears of War (2006–present). The sense of wonder as a first-time player enters Hyrule Field has been cited as an influence on similar moments in Grand Theft Auto III (2001), Red Dead Redemption 2, Crackdown (2007), and Fallout 3 (2008).

In the months following the release of Breath of the Wild in 2017, many video game developers were influenced by its open world design. Alx Preston, creator of Hyper Light Drifter, remarked that "the sense of freedom and experimentation is incredibly inspiring". Adam Saltsman, creator of Canabalt, commented on the consistency of the game environment and the player's ability to experiment. Vlambeer's Rami Ismail said that "no game has done verticality as well as BotW". Critics and developers cited Breath of the Wild as an influence on the game worlds of Genshin Impact (2020), Immortals Fenyx Rising (2020), Horizon Forbidden West (2022), Death Stranding (2019), and Elden Ring (2022), along with the free-form storytelling of the narrative game Telling Lies (2019). Upon its release, Breath of the Wild achieved critical acclaim and was the biggest commercial success of the franchise and one of the best-selling video games, selling 29 million copies on the Nintendo Switch as of December 2022 and over 1.6 million copies on the Wii U as of July 2022.