The Legend of Zelda games are phenomenal! Link is an exceptional character with a great backstory, personality, and design. He’s literally an elf, though not like the ones from The Lord of the Rings. Instead, Link is a petite, small-sized being with mighty strength, high dexterity, and agility. In fact, regular humans don’t stand a chance in combat against him, despite being no taller than 4 feet.
However, The Legend of Zelda games have never been about Link alone, since Princess Zelda plays a huge role. Link is the hero, while she’s the hostage who needs saving. Sometimes, she’s swapped out for other characters but Link’s role as a hero is always consistent. This article ranks all of the endings in The Legend of Zelda titles. Some games’ visuals might be old-school, but don’t doubt that their endings are more visceral than the conclusion of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Also Similar: Exciting News From Nintendo: A Live-Action Zelda Movie Under Development?
Top 7 The Legend of Zelda Game Endings | Ranked!
If you’re worried about playing these old games on the Nintendo Switch, like the new Atari 2600, many old titles will be remastered. That said, are you expecting some grandiose game endings? You’ll find those and more exciting conclusions on our list of the best endings in The Legend of Zelda series. Some game endings are toned down drastically, while others are serenaded. If you’re playing The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, this is how you can shield surf.
#1: The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is a perfect game that’s highly regarded by fans and critics alike. It’s a single-player game that was developed using Unreal Engine 4 but that’s not bad, even with the release of Unreal Engine 5. This doesn’t mean that Nintendo hasn’t tweaked the game engine. Heck, the game’s cartoonish visuals are adorable and fun, though this game has always been driven by a story.
The story is set on Koholint Island, where Link is stranded following a shipwreck courtesy of a storm. Link is soon saved by a native of the island known simply as Marin and from there, she helps him locate and acquire eight instruments of the Sirens to awaken the Wind Fish.
Why We Love This Game Ending: The game’s ending is troubling because the island and all its inhabitants disappear as soon as Link awakens the Wind Fish. So, it’s theorised that Link is on the brink of death due to starvation and is hallucinating all of the events of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening.
#2: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is set in Ordon Village, where Link works on a ranch that’s attacked by Bulblins. The monsters abduct the children and Link pursues them to rescue the hostages. However, things don’t go exactly as planned since our protagonist is eventually turned into a wolf and then imprisoned. He’s eventually released by Midna, who guides him to Princess Zelda. Princess Zelda explains that Ganon has turned all the inhabitants of Hyrule Castle into spirits.
It turns out that Midna is a true ruler of the Twilight Realm and a link between her realm and Hyrule was created by Ganondorf and Zant. This eventually leads to a battle between Link, Ganondorf, and Zant. Link triumphs despite all odds, defeating Ganondorf and eventually severing the link between the two realms.
Why We Love This Game Ending: This ending is memorable because Midna started as a selfish character who only cared about her realm. Eventually, she’s impressed by Link’s selflessness, so she joins forces with him to push back the forces of evil hunting them. Besides that, there’s a major cliffhanger at the end of the game after Link’s ordeal with Zant and Ganondorf. Nobody knows what happens to Link afterwards.
#3: The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker
The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker takes place in the New World timeline, which is a parallel timeline in the games. Link’s adventures begin when a huge bird drops off Captain Tetra, who’s ambushed by monsters. During the skirmishes, Link’s sister, Aryll, along with other girls, is kidnapped by the Helmaroc King. It turns out that the Helmaroc King is being controlled by Ganon and to defeat the returned villain, Link needs the Hero of Time’s power.
This requires the three Pearls of the Goddesses which he eventually combines to unlock the Master Sword. Unfortunately, Link learns that the Master Sword has lost its power and that Captain Tetra is the reincarnation of Princess Zelda. After Ganon abducts Captain Tetra, Link has to fight through hordes of monsters to rescue her. The Kingdom of Hyrule is eventually submerged during the skirmishes and Link defeats Ganon using the Master Sword.
Why We Love This Game Ending: This ending is fascinating because of our fear of the unknown. The Kingdom of Hyrule has always been a recurring part of The Legend of Zelda games. However, this time around, it’s gone and Link, along with Zelda, must find a new land to call their own. We never know if they were successful.
#4: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is an action-adventure game that includes platform and puzzle elements. Link is awakened from a nightmare by the fairy Navi, who takes him to the Great Deku Tree, which has been poisoned by Ganon. Our protagonist eventually receives the Spiritual Stone of the Forest and then he’s sent to Hyrule Castle to speak with Princess Zelda.
She informs Link about Ganondorf’s return for the Triforce, a powerful relic that grants its wearer godlike power. To beat Ganondorf, Link must hunt down three Spiritual Stones to enter the Sacred Realm and claim the Triforce first. Link eventually enters the Sacred Realm and tries to claim the Master Sword. However, he’s knocked unconscious by Ganondorf, who snuck in after Link and eventually claims the Triforce for himself.
By the time Link awakens, it’s seven years later and he only awakens because he’s now old enough to wield the Master Sword. In the meantime, Ganondorf has subjugated the Kingdom of Hyrule in his absence. To defeat this nightmare, Link needs the help of seven sages to seal Ganondorf in the Sacred Realm. However, the problem is that they don’t know they’re sages so Link must awaken them.
Why We Love This Game Ending: We love this ending because Link missed out on enjoying his childhood because of Ganondorf. So, after the villain is sealed away, Link is transported back to the past, hinting at the parallel timelines of The Legend of Zelda games. Equipped with the knowledge and experience of the future, Link restarts the journey to prevent Ganondorf from destroying the realm.
#5: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword continues after the Zelda continuity, which revolves around the Triforce, a wish-granting holy relic. Demon King Demise lays waste to the majority of the realm in search of the Triforce. Goddess Hylia sends the survivors into the sky, which is an outcrop that’s known as Skyloft. She then fights and defeats Demon King Demise in combat but the surface is unrecognisable afterwards.
However, the Demon King is truly dead, as the legends suggest. Instead, Link is the prophesized hero who will use the Goddess Sword to finally vanquish Demon King Demise. Link is guided by the sword’s spirit, Fi, who tells him to seek out an old woman in the Sealed Temple. Unfortunately, Princess Zelda is abducted by a dark tornado, the same one that almost displaces Link after he passes his final exams to become a knight.
Moving forward, Link journeys to the Eldin Volcano, Lanayru Desert, and Faron Woods to rescue Princess Zelda. He meets a self-proclaimed Demon Lord by the name of Ghirahim and, afterwards, defeats Imprisoned, a monstrous version of Demon King Demise. Shortly after Imprisoned tries to escape again, Link learns that Princess Zelda is the reincarnation of Goddess Hylia. All goes well and Link kills Demon King Demise but Princess Zelda is kidnapped and taken to the past by Ghirahim, who is the spirit of the demon king’s sword.
Why We Love This Game Ending: We love this ending because the game concludes with a curse. Link and Princess Zelda are cursed by a reincarnated Demon King Demise that their descendants will be haunted by his rage. On the bright side, the surface is now habitable for the future survivors of Skyloft.
#6: The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
The events of this take place in the Adult Timeline of the Zelda Continuity and like the previous game, it’s about a demon king. To be specific, you battle the Demon King Malladus, who was sealed away by the Spirits, using the Spirit Tracks. It’s the continuation of The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker so things have changed. For one, settlers from the flooded Kingdom of Hyrule have created a new kingdom; One that is flourishing.
In this new age, Link is a train driver who secretly serves the royal family but his apprenticeship is cut short. Cole, a chancellor of Hyrule Castle, tricks Princess Zelda and Link into leaving the safety of the castle. He then abducts Princess Zelda and uses her as a host for Demon King Malladus. His goal is to break his master’s chains so they can ravage the land once more.
Though Link saves Princess Zelda this time around, her body later hosts Demon King Malladus, who flees to the Dark Realm. The demon king is later vanquished alongside his minion, Cole, using the Lokomo Sword and the Bow of Light. Byrne, a Spirit who turned into a traitor, was spared her life, though the game doesn’t discuss if she was punished in other ways.
Why We Love This Game Ending: The game has multiple endings. Link can remain an engineer, a royal guard, or, interestingly enough, leave his future undecided.
#7: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Four Swords
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords are mouthfuls, but they’re still great games. Link battles the dark wizard Agahnim and Demon King Ganon, who seek the Triforce to subjugate the entire Kingdom of Hyrule. The battle is tough but ultimately, Link saves Princess Zelda and the seven descendants of the Seven Sages. In The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords, Link has to rescue Princess Zelda from a forced marriage. On the journey, he wields the Four Swords, which is a weapon that creates three Link clones to fight alongside the original.
Why We Love This Game Ending: The ending to The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is excellent because Link manages to rescue his loved ones despite facing two villains. As for The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords, you wreck a wedding between Vaati and Princess Zelda; Cute.
Our Final Say: The Legend of Zelda Games’ Endings Are Never Mediocre
Though the iPhone 15 Pro is capable of playing AAA games like Resident Evil 4 Remake, Nintendo games are exclusive. So, it makes us sore that The Legend of Zelda games are only available on Nintendo devices. Although there are emulators for PC gamers who want to play the game on their gaming rigs, we tried them, and the experience pales in comparison to the real deal.
Heck, PC emulators won’t let you play the game as soon as it’s released, so gamers who prefer that platform will have to work. To cut a long story short, there’s no weak game ending in The Legend of Zelda games and we’re disappointed that it’s only available on Nintendo consoles. Still interested in another Link article? Read about the winning formulas behind The Legend of Zelda games here.
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