Zelda Ranking

Now that we have gotten the general rundown of this franchise’s very detailed lore, let’s get into the actual rankings. (These are just my own personal rankings and I’m only doing my top three, and this article is purely just a self-indulgent piece because I didn’t know what else to write.) These rankings will be based on soundtrack composition, plot, and art direction.

Released in 2011 for the Wii system, with a remake being made for the Nintendo Switch in 2021, Skyward Sword is the Zelda title that serves as the very first story in the entire timeline. Despite this, the game receives many mixed reviews due to the original releases having very buggy motion controls. This game is mostly recognized for the ability to travel throughout the sky and explore different islands in the sky in one of the game’s world areas. Zelda Dungeon is a great source of information on this game, and the author also gave a quick rundown of the backstory, as well, which was cool to read, so I would recommend checking them out if you're interested.

Plot: This entry in the series acts as the very first game in the timeline, as it explains the events that lead to the entire timeline after it. Gamers play as the very first Link, and save the very first Zelda. The pair live on an island in the sky called Skyloft, where Link is in training to be a knight. A little bit into the beginning of the game, Zelda and Link are attacked, and Zelda is knocked out of the sky, falling towards the ground, which is called the Surface. Link sets out on a journey to save his childhood friend, encountering an enemy called Ghirahim. By the end of the game, the pair are safe, and the series timeline has been kicked off.

Soundtrack: Skyward Sword was the first Zelda game to have a live orchestra-recorded soundtrack, which definitely sets it apart from any Zelda game that came before it. Most of the music in the soundtrack feels loud and hopeful, with some quieter and darker pieces, but not very often. The music also sounds more immersive than the previous games before it because of the fact that it is live recorded as well.

Art Direction: Skyward Sword’s art direction is probably one of my favorites out of the whole series. The key art is all in watercolor painting, which matches the feel of the game and its storyline. With the early-age feel of the game, the watercolor painting fits perfectly into the whole scheme of the game. The game itself is not entirely watercolor, but the colors are still light and bright, so even without the game itself being watercolor, the feeling the watercolors give off is still portrayed wonderfully inside the game.

Released in 2017, Breath of the Wild was the leading release title for the Nintendo Switch, and even won Game of the Year at the Game Awards in 2017. I normally rank this game as my number one favorite Zelda game and tie it with Twilight Princess but, for the sake of a traditional ranking for this article, I am just going to put it at number two. This game is most famous for its vast open world, with nearly no limits as to how you experience the story. Gamers can play the game in any order they want. Once they finish the tutorial part of the game, they can go directly to the final boss in the castle (though it is very difficult to pull off; I am speaking from experience here). Players can do the story in any order they want to, as well. These aspects give the game an impressive replay incentive, as you will have a different experience every time. You can find a more in-depth synopsis of this game on the svg website. They do a really good job at giving a good rundown of the entire game.

Plot: Despite the wonderful gameplay aspects of this game, the plot is prioritized a little less, unfortunately. It still has a great story, but players have to go a little out of their way to understand it, as a lot of the story is in the memories that are scattered throughout the expansive kingdom. People can actually play this game without knowing most of the story, which is interesting and is also a huge topic of debate throughout the fandom. I will give a quick rundown, though. The story of the game takes place over the course of roughly 100 years. 100 years ago, Ganon attacked the kingdom of Hyrule, which left Link almost at death's door, but Zelda was able to awaken her powers in time to save him. Other characters, called The Champions, were trapped during their attempts to help protect the kingdom in giant mechanical Divine Beasts. Zelda had Link taken to the Shrine of Resurrection, where he would essentially be in a 100-year-long coma while she would trap Ganon and herself and wait for Link to wake back up. 100 years later, Link does finally wake up, but with total amnesia. And all of The Champions are dead. What a way to find out that you had friends at one point. (But he doesn’t remember them upon waking up and has to talk to other characters to even learn about them so it is not as sad as it could be, but still).

By the end of the game, Link frees Zelda and they defeat Ganon, and the kingdom is safe and happy again-- happy ending! And now there is a sequel coming out this year, so we will get to experience playing in the kingdom again.

Soundtrack: Breath of the Wild has a breathtaking soundtrack. It is so diverse, ranging from a quiet, barely noticeable piano in the background while running around the kingdom, to loud and immersive pieces during more intense parts of the game. It truly encapsulates the feeling of running through a kingdom that is in ruins aside from some towns here and there. Another thing that I love about the soundtrack is that a lot of pieces from older games were reused and implemented into newer pieces. This is noticed a lot in towns that existed in other games, and when exploring the castle. It has so much diversity and new pieces while also staying relevant to older games, and this is why it is my second favorite Zelda soundtrack.

Art Direction: The key art for this game makes very good use of paints, especially when implementing perfect paint strokes behind the main characters in key art. When it comes to the game itself, a lot of it is very calm and bright. There is a lot of diversity in it, similar to the soundtrack, too. Some areas of the game, mainly the castle, are much darker, making more use of reds and purples than in other areas where the most prevalent colors are greens and blues. This makes each town and region feel like its own area, while still feeling connected to the rest of the kingdom. It is so immersive and beautiful.

Having been released for the Nintendo Wii in 2006 as the system’s leading release title with a remake being released for the Wii U in 2016, this game is highly renowned among the Zelda fandom. It is most recognized for its dark art style and story, along with the character sidekick known as Midna. Like I said when discussing Breath of the Wild, this game usually ties for first place, but there are a couple of factors that give it a small boost in this ranking. Zelda Dungeon does a wonderful job at giving a lot of information on the game, and is where I got some information from, as well, so feel free to check them out if you want more information on this game.

Plot: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, follows the story of Link, a teenage boy living in the small village of Ordon. After an attack on Ordon, he sets out to save his childhood friend Ilia but, upon being pulled into the newly present Twilight covering parts of the kingdom of Hyrule, he is transformed into a wolf. He meets a companion named Midna and sets out to rid the kingdom of the Twilight. Midna also leads Link to collect pieces of the Mirror of Twilight, which connects Hyrule to its opposite Twilight Realm, the kingdom over which Midna rules as a princess. On a somewhat related note, Midna is the pushing factor that made me choose to rank this game as my number one favorite here, as she has such great character development throughout the story. It is hard to like her at the beginning, but by the end, the player can end up growing attached to her as she is no longer as rude as she was at the start, and she ends up genuinely wanting to save Hyrule as well and not just herself and her own kingdom.

Soundtrack: The soundtrack to this game is easily my favorite Zelda soundtrack ever. There’s so much variation in it, from highly energetic and happy-sounding pieces to slower, sadder, and much quieter pieces. There is also a handful of really creepy pieces but as creepy as they are, they really make the game come together due to the unsettling nature of the game itself. Songs like the Hyrule Field theme encapsulate the feeling of actually running through a giant field, while other pieces such as the Twilight Realm theme match the extremely unsettling vibe of the realm itself. Each piece really ties each part of the game together.

Art Direction: The art style in this game matches the tone and general mood of the story, and perfectly encapsulates its dreary plot. The colors are very desaturated, especially in key art and advertisements for the game, with only select parts of the animations being brightly colored. All in all, the way the designers chose to style the animation throughout the game pulls the game together and make it what it is.

Sources: https://www.zeldadungeon.net/wiki/The_Legend_of_Zelda:_Twilight_Princess

https://www.svg.com/166844/the-entire-breath-of-the-wild-story-explained/