Best Zelda Games Ranked in 2024

What are the best Zelda games ranked? There are 29 titles in The Legend of Zelda not including the upcoming Echoes of Wisdom or any of the spin-offs (like Hyrule Warriors) or remakes. While it doesn't exactly compete with the sheer size of the Mario franchise, for example, it is one of the biggest series in gaming. Naturally, everyone has their favorites out of all of them. Any singular game is likely someone's favorite, but without further ado, here are the best Zelda games ranked in order.

Link's AwakeningPhoto byZachary Roberts

Best Zelda games ranked

3) Link's Awakening

Of all the 2D games, Link's Awakening is the one that doesn't quite fit. It's not set in Hyrule and the conflict is surprisingly low-stakes. There's no existential threat to the land, nor is there an unfathomable evil plaguing everyone Link loves. It's whimsical (which is why the art style of the 2019 remake makes so much sense), fun, and light. It gives players a chance to breathe and enjoy a game that doesn't have so much riding on it.

That's necessary in a franchise full of darkness. It allows Link and the player to try saving the world on a much smaller (and as it turns out, completely fictional) scale. It allows for a much more intimate experience, and that only adds to the drama when the final plot twist plays out. It's 2D Zelda at its best, and it's one of the best Zelda games out there. It was the perfect choice for the 2019 remake.

2) Ocarina of Time

Any best Zelda games ranked in order list has to include Ocarina of Time. It is the first 3D game in the franchise, which means if it had failed, there would be no Tears of the Kingdom or Twilight Princess. Aside from its importance and its iconic nature, it's a great game. It does suffer from 1998 graphics and game design, but there's more than enough to overcome that even if you play it two decades later. It features one of the best narratives in gaming with great gameplay that truly redefined the industry. It was immediately considered one of the best games of all time, a pedestal placement it somehow still holds for many in 2024.

1) Tears of the Kingdom

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are very similar, and both are exceptional all-time games. However, for this list, two entries didn't need to be devoted to them, so we picked the best one: Tears of the Kingdom. It expounds on everything that made Breath of the Wild so good. It is an almost perfect example of the open-world formula. The combat is fantastic and the boss fights, notably the final battle with Ganondorf, are challenging and fun.

There's an almost endless level of content in TOTK and it pushes the underpowered Nintendo Switch to new heights. This sort of game shouldn't have existed on a seven-year-old console, but it does and it is easily the best The Legend of Zelda game of all time. It remains a height that Nintendo may have trouble reaching again. It was the pinnacle of what they'd tried to do with the open world, leaving them with perhaps nowhere to go but down in the future.

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This article was written by Zachary Roberts.