I Recently Marathoned the Legend of Zelda Games, and Here’s My Official Ranking

Growing up, I played a ton of Legend of Zelda games, but honestly, I never actually finished most of them. With Tears of the Kingdom and Echoes of Wisdom looking so good, I figured I should finally play through all the main Zelda games in order before jumping into those. My editor, Dalton Cooper, made me rank them as I went, which, fair warning, really bothered him when he saw my list!

This ranking is just my personal opinion – and many people I’ve talked to disagree with me! I’ve also stayed away from the Legend of Zelda series for a while now because I’ve grown tired of puzzles in games, and they’re a major focus in Zelda. Plus, I didn’t really experience the hype around many of these games when they first came out. So, keeping all that in mind, here’s my ranking of all 20 main Zelda titles.

1. Phantom Hourglass

I absolutely adore The Phantom Hourglass, and it’s my favorite game in the Zelda series. I especially appreciated how it built upon Wind Waker, both in terms of its characters and how it played. As someone who loves pirates, this game really appealed to me! The Temple of the Ocean King was a standout – I thought it perfectly balanced challenging puzzles, exciting exploration, and fun combat. I quickly understood the game’s mechanics, and Phantom Hourglass has a really comforting and enjoyable quality that I loved. Honestly, I can’t find a single negative thing to say about it, which is high praise indeed.

2. A Link Between Worlds

I think Link Between Worlds is right up there with Phantom Hourglass as one of my favorites. I absolutely loved exploring both worlds in the game. And honestly, the music really got to me – I don’t usually pay much attention to soundtracks, but this one was fantastic! The way Link could merge into walls was such a clever idea, and it felt so natural to use throughout the whole game. With its classic Zelda feel, a really fresh story, and a beautiful art style, I just had a blast playing Link Between Worlds. I really enjoyed everything about it.

3. Tears of the Kingdom

It’s possible I’m still influenced by how recently I played the previous game, but I’ll share my thoughts on Breath of the Wild shortly. Generally, I felt Tears of the Kingdom improved upon everything that made Breath of the Wild great. While I wasn’t blown away by most of the new features – Fuse was a standout exception – they felt like a natural extension of the game’s world. I definitely don’t want to diminish its accomplishments, though I actually have some minor criticisms of Breath of the Wild itself, surprisingly enough.

4. Skyward Sword

I was already familiar with the different Zelda timelines before playing Skyward Sword, but playing it myself gave me a whole new perspective. It feels like a satisfying conclusion to the series, making it clearer where each game fits within the overall timeline since it shows you the beginning. I really enjoyed everything about it – the story, characters, and art style all resonated with me.

5. Wind Waker

My wife is a huge fan of Wind Waker, and after finally playing it, I totally get why. I’d played a lot of Zelda games by that point, so I was starting to get a little tired of the same old formula. That’s why Wind Waker really clicked with me – it took some risks and felt fresh! Plus, I’m a sucker for anything pirate-themed, and the characters and challenges were fantastic. Honestly, my only real complaint is how massive the world is. It feels a bit too big, and I think it would have been even better if they’d made it smaller and really focused on the sailing aspect.

6. Twilight Princess

I consider Twilight Princess to be just as good as Wind Waker. I really appreciated its more mature tone, and the gameplay was consistently enjoyable – even the puzzles weren’t a problem for me. Midna is a standout character, too. While the wolf transformation mechanic felt a little overused towards the end, it’s still a fantastic game overall. My wife also loves Twilight Princess, just like Wind Waker, which makes playing it even more fun because I get to share the experience with her.

I think all those Zelda games are among the best – I’d put them in a top tier. I know some popular titles are still missing from the list, but I’ll be adding them soon.

7. Breath of the Wild

I usually try to form my own opinions, but I’m honestly puzzled by all the praise for Breath of the Wild. While it’s a big step for the Zelda series, I’ve played similar open-world games before, and it feels very much like something you’d find from Ubisoft. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though! I enjoyed most of it, and I didn’t have strong feelings about things like the stamina system or weapon durability. Exploring Hyrule was fun, but it didn’t resonate with me as much as its sequel, though I still liked the game.

Look, I get it, everyone raves about this game, and it is amazing. But honestly? I do enjoy it, it’s just not in my top tier of all-time favorites. Sorry if that’s disappointing to hear!

8. Majora’s Mask

While many people prefer Ocarina of Time, I personally connected with Majora’s Mask more. It’s a true sequel to Ocarina of Time, and its unsettling atmosphere, unique gameplay, and overall design really resonated with me.

9. Ocarina of Time

Man, when I think back to my childhood, Ocarina of Time just sticks out way more than any other Zelda game. I had a blast playing it on the N64, though I never quite managed to beat the Shadow Temple. I recently replayed it on my 3DS, and it still holds up! The puzzles were about as complicated as I like, but the dungeons were really fun, the graphics still look good, and I loved the simple time travel story. It’s not my favorite game of all time, but I definitely enjoy it a lot. I get why everyone says it’s the highest-rated game ever – it’s definitely deserving of praise – but it just doesn’t quite reach that level for me personally.

I really like the above games, so these would be an “A tier” equivalency.

10. A Link to the Past

I love everything about A Link to the Past, from how it looks and plays to the way it established many features that would become common in the Legend of Zelda series. I’m a big fan of games that involve two distinct worlds, and this one definitely deserves its place among the greatest games ever made. However, I’m not sure why, but it just doesn’t resonate with me as strongly as other Zelda titles. I enjoy it a lot, but it didn’t quite capture my imagination in the same way.

2025-11-27 12:05