The Legend of Zelda is one of Nintendo's vastest franchises. The games usually take place in the fantasy world of Hyrule, where forces of good and evil wage war throughout generations. Since it began in 1986, players assume the role of Link, a hero destined to save the land, and the titular princess, from the mighty Ganon.
Throughout many console generations later, The Legend of Zelda still proves to be a dense and rich fantasy world. So much so, there are even aspects of the lore and world that are never truly specified in the mainline games. These facts about the world of Zelda come from spin-off games, tie-in books, and other media.
8 Important Figures In Hyrule's Royal Family
In the mainline games, only Princess Zelda and the King of Hyrule are ever seen during the main events of the games. Little is known about Zelda's mother or any other members of her family. Even her royal court varies from game to game, with Impa often being the only consistent character in Zelda's inner circle.
The manuals for The Legend of Zelda and The Adventure of Link dive into the games' backstories. The first's manual introduces fans to Impa as Zelda's personal handmaiden who discovers Link prior to the game's start. Zelda II's manual mentions that Zelda has a brother, an unnamed prince who is the cause of her slumber.
7 Link's Feelings For Zelda Are Romantic
Throughout the entire Zelda timeline, only one game focuses on the relationship between Link and Zelda: Skyward Sword. However, no game in the series has defined the two's romance more than the animated series from 1989. This show is infamous for being poorly written, over-the-top, and inaccurate to the main games.
Even the characterization of Link is confusing, as an obnoxiously lazy and selfish hero who works for Princess Zelda. However, he usually steps up to fight out of love for the princess, who always rejects his (albeit, very creepy) advances. Perhaps no other game has delved into their romance out of fear of being compared to this show.
6 The Creation Of Majora's Mask
In Majora's Mask, little is known about the origins of this mysterious mask. It was allegedly robbed from the Happy Mask Salesman by Skull Kid, who became possessed by its evil and tried to destroy the land of Termina. However, the mask's true origins are expounded on in the manga adaptation of Majora's Mask.
Though the manga is not canon in the Zelda timeline, it offers some interesting details on the legendary figure known as Majora. According to the manga, Majora was a beast sought after by warriors who wanted its mystical armor. It was eventually defeated by a figure resembling Fierce Deity Link through the power of...music?
5 Zelda Befriends A Guardian
The original Hyrule Warriors takes place outside the defined Zelda timeline, featuring characters not present in any other game. Its Switch sequel, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, is more based on the events leading up to Breath of the Wild. However, fans will notice some key revisions in Link and Zelda's history here.
In Age of Calamity, it is revealed that Zelda once kept a mini Guardian as a child known as Terrako. Unfortunately, the Guardian was confiscated by her father, who believed it to be a distraction. During the events of the game, Link and Impa re-discover Terrako, who later accompanies Zelda throughout the story.
4 Link's Defeat By Ganondorf Is Canon
In 2011, Nintendo released Hyrule Historia, a book celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Zelda franchise. It was released in North America later in 2013, detailing many never-been-heard pieces of lore in the Zelda franchise. One of these was the official Zelda series timeline, beginning with the recently released Skyward Sword.
To fans' surprise, the timeline was more complex than initially thought. Alongside the split timelines occurring at the end of Ocarina of Time, there was now a third canon path: Link's defeat at the hands of Ganondorf during the final battle. This timeline contains some of the series' earliest games, including the original NES titles.
3 Who Is The Hero's Spirit?
Twilight Princess features several moments where Link learns Hidden Skills from a mysterious skeletal warrior known as the Hero's Spirit. Though the identity of the Hero's Spirit is never revealed in the game, fans came up with several theories. One connected the Hero's Spirit to the Hero of Time from the Nintendo 64 titles.
This theory was proven correct upon the release of Hyrule Historia. The book specifically makes mention of the fact that the Hero's Spirit refers to Link as "son," given that this incarnation of Link is a descendant of the Hero of Time. It's also noteworthy to point out that the Hero's Spirit is left-handed, just like the Hero of Time.
2 The Mystery Of The Timeshift Stones
Another detail from Hyrule Historia that has sparked numerous theories involves the Timeshift Stones from Skyward Sword. In the Wii title, these stones are found in Lanayru Mining Facility, and striking them will transport Link to a different moment in time. It's quite curious that these stones also possess the Sheikah insignia on them.
In Hyrule Historia, the mystery surrounding the Timeshift Stones only thickens. The book points out that the stones are blue and used to manipulate time, possibly connecting them to the Ocarina of Time itself, which is also blue and is used to travel through time. Perhaps a future title will expand on the origins of these two objects.
1 Tingle Is Stranger Than You'd Expect
Tingle has played a very minor role in several Zelda games. However, his popularity has earned him a lot of favor outside the mainline series. The character even received his own spin-off title in Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland. This title was never released in the U.S, possibly due to its content being a bit too weird.
Rosy Rupeeland makes the startling revelation to fans that Tingle is a middle-aged man. Hyrule Historia goes even deeper, revealing what Tingle looks like underneath his leotard (it involves a lot of chest hair). His age is confirmed to be 35, and the snake on his back is apparently meant to scare off enemies, whoever they may be.