Zelda turns 40: How the game is celebrating it's birthday
'Hey Listen!' The Legend of Zelda is turning 40!
- Published
The Legend of Zelda franchise is celebrating its 40th anniversary!
The first Zelda video game was released in Japan on 21 February 1986 - but wasn't released in the US and Europe until 1987.
The Zelda franchise has sold more than 156 million copies around the world, and has been called one of the greatest gaming series of all time.
The games have inspired many of the worlds biggest movie and video game directors over the years, and an official Legend of Zelda movie is heading to cinemas around the world in 2027.
But who invented the famous gaming series, and what's it all about? Find out more below!
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Who created the Legend of Zelda?
Zelda was created by legendary Japanese game developers Shigeru Miyamoto (left) and Takashi Tezuka (right)
The Legend of Zelda was created by famous Nintendo game designer Shigeru Miyamoto (who also created Mario, Donkey Kong and Pikmin), helped by his friend Takashi Tezuka.
The idea for the game was inspired by Shigeru Miyamoto's childhood adventures exploring forests, caves and lakes near to his home in Japan.
Takashi Tezuka worked on the story and settings for the game, and was inspired by fantasy books like J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and legends from medieval Europe.
The first game in the series - The Legend of Zelda - was released for the Nintendo Famicom console on 21 February 1986 in Japan, then later released for the NES console.
This was the title screen for the 1986 Legend of Zelda game
Since then, 20 more main games in the Zelda franchise have been released, as well as a number of spin-offs and appearances in other games too.
The best-selling game in the series is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
It has sold more than 34 million copies worldwide since it was released on the Nintendo Switch console in 2017.
One of the most popular games in the series - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - was released for the Nintendo 64 console in 1998, and is considered by some fans and video game critics to be the 'greatest video game of all time'.
Link's horse Epona made his debut in Ocarina of Time
Did you know?
Link's famous horse companion Epona first appeared in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, allowing the hero to quickly travel across the land and shoot arrows whilst riding on horseback.
What are the games about?
Link (left), Zelda (middle) and Ganon (right) - are the main characters in the games
The legend of Zelda games take place in a fictional land called Hyrule.
The main characters in the series are:
Link - a brave hero on a quest to save Hyrule.
Princess Zelda - a wise ruler who helps Link on his quests.
Ganon - a powerful dark lord who wants to rule Hyrule for himself.
Shigeru Miyamoto said that 'Link' got his name because the character is supposed to be the link/connection between the real life player and the game world.
In the games, players can solve puzzles, explore the land, and fight enemies using a bow and arrow and Link's famous weapon - The Master Sword.
The legendary Triforce is an important part of the the Zelda games
An important part of the game's story involves the Triforce.
In the games, Hyrule was created by three goddesses known as Din, Farore, and Nayru - who also created a very important magical object called the Triforce - which can grant a person a wish.
The triforce is made up of three golden triangles which represent each of the goddesses: Power, Courage, and Wisdom.
Only a person who has all three of these qualities can use the magic wishing power, if not the triforce splits into three pieces that have to be reunited again.
The games take place over many different timelines in Hyrule, but Link, Zelda, Gannon and the triforce feature in most of them in some way.
Zelda is the main playable character in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.
Did you know?
Despite her name being the title of the gaming series for the last 40 years, Princess Zelda didn't get her own mainline game until September 2024, when The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom was released.
Zelda on TV and movies screens
Link and Zelda from the 1989 American cartoon
Although Zelda started out life as a video game, it has also had a TV series, and is soon heading to the big screens too.
In 1989 a 13-episode cartoon TV show of the game aired in the US.
The animated series loosely followed the story of the first two games, and featured the characters of Link, Zelda and Ganon, but they did look a bit different.
The show was stopped after one series, and it received mixed feedback from fans and critics.
Link and Zelda in the new live action movie
A new live-action movie of The Legend of Zelda will be heading to cinemas in May 2027.
The movie is being made by Nintendo and Sony Pictures (who made Kpop Demon Hunters and the Spiderverse movies) and will be directed by Wes Ball.
Shigeru Miyamoto announced that Bo Bragason would be playing Zelda, and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth would be playing Link, in the movie.
"I am very much looking forward to seeing both of them on the big screen," he wrote.
