With the release date of Tears of Kingdom almost here, it is only normal that many people want to know more about the franchise’s story. As you may or may not know, The Legend of Zelda dates back to 1986. We’ve seen many changes in the series, from linear gameplay to an open world with zero guidance. These changes have challenged many players regardless of how, sooner or later; they play any of these games. If you want to start your journey with this franchise but are unsure how easy or challenging some games are, we have something for you. We’ve prepared our list of all Legend of Zelda games ranked by difficulty from the easiest to the most difficult.
All Legend of Zelda Games, Ranked by Difficulty
19. Four Swords Adventure (2004 – GameCube)
Starting our list, we have The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventure. Released on GameCube, this title lets you connect with other players to beat the game. This title wasn’t the first to include a multiplayer component in the series, but it was one of the easiest. The levels were easy to beat, lacked some puzzles, and the design was linear. It is not a bad game, but it is the easiest on our list due to the lack of the core Zelda game experience.
18. Four Swords (2002 – Game Boy Advance)
Moving on, we have The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords. This game came as part of the port for A Link to the Past. In Four Swords, you get to play with other players to try and beat bosses and dungeons. While one could argue the game is complex due to the multiplayer aspect, we believe this makes it one of the most accessible games on our list. Without the core experience of a Zelda game, this title focuses more on playing with others. The real challenge here is teamwork, but aside from that, the game’s relatively easy.
17. Spirt Tracks (2009 – Nintendo DS)
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks is a title many people love. This game had a great visual style and excellent world design. While it shared elements from Phantom Hourglass, and it took place a hundred years after the events of the abovementioned game, it was easy. Spirit Tracks offered more relaxing gameplay making it an easy title to beat.
16. Tri Force Heroes (2015 – Nintendo 3DS)
Moving on, we have another multiplayer-focused title. The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes had three players working as a team to face many challenges throughout the game. The difficulty here increased because all members shared the same health bar. With this feature, players had to plan better and keep each other safe to beat the game. Once more, the challenge wasn’t the game but the players next to you.
15. Wind Waker (2002 – GameCube)
Most people will say that The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker is one of the most beautiful games of the franchise but not a difficult one. The style is gorgeous, and it remains iconic today. Yet, the game doesn’t offer a lot of challenges. While there are enemies and puzzles, all of them are easy to beat.
14. The Minish Cap (2004 – Game Boy Advance)
We consider The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap a game that handles difficulty spikes perfectly. Puzzles and enemies weren’t hard, but the overworld design presented a challenge. This game had a middle ground regarding difficulty and featured a difficult final dungeon that tested players.
13. Skyward Sword (2011 – Nintendo Wii)
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword isn’t the hardest, but it isn’t the easiest either. While the game didn’t present a challenge for players, the controls did. Since it was released on Nintendo Wii, getting used to the controls was hard. It is fun to say it, but the real challenge relied on the console instead of the game.
12. Twilight Princess (2006 – Nintendo Wii)
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was a fantastic game many players eagerly awaited. After all, this game was a launch title of the Nintendo Wii back in the day. While it had some excellent gameplay features, the bosses were pretty straightforward. The real difficulty relied on certain puzzles, but in the end, the game was easy to beat.
11. A Link Between Worlds (2013 – Nintendo 3DS)
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is considered to be a challenging game not due to its enemies or puzzles but due to player freedom. Whenever a Zelda game allows players to explore the map to their heart’s content, it can become as easy or difficult as players want.
10. Breath of the Wild (2017 – Nintendo Switch)
The first fully open-world game of the series is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This title was a game-changer for the series due to all the freedom it gave players. You could do whatever you wanted as soon as you left the first area. This meant the game could get easier if you went for all the upgrades or more challenging if you went straight for Ganondorf. With Tears of the Kingdom on the horizon, many expect more of the same which would be great.
9. Link’s Awakening (1993 – Game Boy)
Now that we’ve reached half of our list for all Legend of Zelda games ranked by difficulty, it is time to start with the challenging ones. Initially released for the Game Boy, The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening had a steep difficulty curve. You could breeze through the first half, but the second part became challenging for many. It is still a beloved game of the series that got a remake for the Nintendo Switch not long ago.
8. Phantom Hourglass (2007 – Nintendo DS)
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass takes place after Wind Waker’s events and uses many features from the Nintendo DS. People loved how well the game implemented the touchscreen functionality for the game which made exploring the map more fun. The difficulty relied on some boss fights, which were quite challenging to beat.
7. Ocarina of Time (1998 – Nintendo 64)
Hailed as one of the best video games of all time, we have The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Even if you’re not a fan of the series, you might’ve heard the name of this title before. This game was the first 3D Zelda game to launch and blew many players’ minds back in the day. It is considered a challenging game due to its dungeon design, enemy encounters, and the need to play as a Young and Adult Link. If you haven’t played the game, you can try it thanks to Nintendo Online’s library of classic games.
6. Oracle of Seasons (2001 – Game Boy)
One thing that sets Zelda games apart from others is its features. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons was challenging due to its overworld exploration. With the ability to change seasons, exploring was complex and required you to think before moving to a new zone. It is one of the most original gimmicks that many loved at the time, but many found it frustrating. Still, it is a game you should try if you’re a fan.
5. Majora’s Mask (2000 – Nintendo 64)
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask is one of the series’s darkest games, which people love. The fact that you can get different transformations to complete certain things is excellent. Yet, that is what makes the game hard as well. If the title wasn’t tricky enough, we have a three-day cycle system. This is something that many fans love, but if you are playing the game for the first time, it’ll be challenging.
4. A Link to the Past (1991 – Super Nintendo Entertainment System)
This next game was one of the first to introduce a parallel world concept. It was new then, and it took a lot of work for players to get used to it. One fantastic thing, though, is that exploration was almost mandatory. If you wanted to explore a dungeon, you had to go out there and find the correct item to let you beat it.
3. Oracle of Ages (2001 – Game Boy Color)
If Oracle of Seasons featured a season-changing mechanic, this game focused on a time-changing feature. Both games are similar, but this one is one of the hardest in the series. If you remember the dungeons, they might bring you some not-so-pleasant flashbacks. While the design was great, exploring them was sometimes difficult and frustrating.
2. The Adventure of Link (1987 – Famicom Disk System)
Many people think this should be ranked as the most difficult Legend of Zelda game, but it isn’t as hard as the game that started it all. At least in our opinion. The Legend of Zelda: The Adventure of Link is the direct sequel to the first entry. This title had no guidance, which is normal for games of that time, but it was really easy to get lost in dungeons. Besides that, even the most generic enemy presented a considerable challenge that required planning and coordination. This title is only for the patient gamers out there.
1. The Legend of Zelda (1986 – Famicom Disk System)
We’ve reached the end of our list of all Legend of Zelda games ranked by difficulty, and ironically, the number one spot goes to the franchise’s first game. The game is easy to beat, per se. Yet, once you finished the game, you could begin the “Second Quest” mode. This mode changed several dungeons, added new enemies, and included some hidden locations that were challenging to find. This is a mode that’ll test your patience and your skills as a gamer.
That is all we have for our list of all Legend of Zelda games ranked by their difficulty. Remember, this is our list, and the games we found challenging could be easy for you. Ultimately, this is a fantastic franchise that everyone should try at least once. The timeline can be convoluted, which might deter some, but don’t be afraid; there’s a game for everyone here. If you plan to play Tears of the Kingdom, we recommend you try Breath of the Wild first. That’ll help you understand some of the plot and setting of the upcoming game, and you can warm up with some of the mechanics from that title.
