The Legend of Zelda is a high fantasy action-adventure franchise created by Nintendo. The first title released in 1986 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The franchise centers around various incarnations of Link as he rescues Princess Zelda and the Hyrule Kingdom from evil forces, primarily Ganon. As of March 2024, The Legend of Zelda franchise has sold over 164 million units worldwide.
Games[]
Main series[]
| Title | Platform | Market | Year | Sales | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Legend of Zelda | 7,540,636 | ||||
| The Legend of Zelda | NES | Worldwide | 1986 | 6,510,000 | [1] |
| Zelda | Game & Watch | Worldwide | 1989 | 250,000 | [2] |
| Famicom Mini: Zelda no Densetsu | GBA | Japan | 2004 | 217,636 | [3] |
| Classic NES Series: The Legend of Zelda | GBA | USA | 2004 | 373,000 | [4] |
| Other | 2004 | 190,000* | [5] | ||
| Zelda II: The Adventure of Link | 4,971,800 | ||||
| Zelda II: The Adventure of Link | NES | Worldwide | 1987 | 4,380,000 | [1] |
| Famicom Mini: Zelda 2 | GBA | Japan | 2004 | 139,800 | [3] |
| Classic NES Series: Zelda II | GBA | USA | 2004 | 302,000 | [4] |
| Other | 2005 | 150,000* | [6] | ||
| The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past | 7,430,000 | ||||
| The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past | SNES | Worldwide | 1992 | 4,610,000 | [1] |
| The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past & Four Swords | GBA | Worldwide | 2002 | 2,820,000 | |
| The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening | 12,680,000 | ||||
| The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening | GB | Worldwide | 1993 | 3,830,000 | [1] |
| The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX | GBC | Worldwide | 1998 | 2,220,000 | |
| The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening | Switch | Worldwide | 2019 | 6,630,000 | |
| The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time | 14,040,000 | ||||
| The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time | N64 | Worldwide | 1998 | 7,600,000 | [1] |
| The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D | 3DS | Worldwide | 2011 | 6,440,000 | |
| The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask | 6,820,000 | ||||
| The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask | N64 | Worldwide | 2000 | 3,360,000 | [1] |
| The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D | 3DS | Worldwide | 2015 | 3,460,000 | |
| Oracle of Seasons & Oracle of Ages | 3,990,000 | ||||
| The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and Ages | GBC | Worldwide | 2001 | 3,990,000 | [1] |
| The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker | 6,800,000 | ||||
| The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker | GCN | Worldwide | 2003 | 4,430,000 | [1] |
| The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD | Wii U | Worldwide | 2013 | 2,370,000 | [7] |
| The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures | 758,399 | ||||
| The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords+ | GCN | Japan | 2004 | 127,399 | [3] |
| The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures | GCN | USA | 2004 | 451,000 | [4] |
| Other | 2005 | 180,000* | [8] | ||
| The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap | 1,760,000 | ||||
| The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap | GBA | Worldwide | 2004 | 1,760,000 | [1] |
| The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess | 10,020,000 | ||||
| The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess | Wii / GCN | Worldwide | 2006 | 8,850,000 | [9][10] |
| The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD | Wii U | Worldwide | 2016 | 1,170,000 | [1] |
| Phantom Hourglass & Spirit Tracks | 7,720,000 | ||||
| The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass | DS | Worldwide | 2007 | 4,760,000 | [1] |
| The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks | DS | Worldwide | 2009 | 2,960,000 | |
| The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword | 7,820,000 | ||||
| The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword | Wii | Worldwide | 2011 | 3,670,000 | [1] |
| The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD | Switch | Worldwide | 2021 | 4,150,000 | |
| A Link Between Worlds & Tri Force Heroes | 5,620,000 | ||||
| The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds | 3DS | Worldwide | 2013 | 4,260,000 | [1] |
| The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes | 3DS | Worldwide | 2015 | 1,360,000 | |
| The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild | 33,550,000 | ||||
| The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild | Switch | Worldwide | 2017 | 31,850,000 | [7] |
| Wii U | Worldwide | 2017 | 1,700,000 | [1] | |
| Recent tiles | |||||
| The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom | Switch | Worldwide | 2023 | 20,610,000 | [7] |
| The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom | Switch | Worldwide | 2024 | ||
| Total | 152,130,835 |
Spin-offs[]
| Title | Platform | Market | Year | Sales | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland | DS | Japan | 2006 | 234,862 | [3] |
| Tingle's Balloon Fight DS | DS | Unknown | 2007 | Unknown | |
| Link's Crossbow Training | Wii | Worldwide | 2007 | 5,790,000 | [1] |
| Too Much Tingle Pack | DSiWare | Unknown | 2009 | Unknown | |
| Ripened Tingle's Balloon Trip of Love | DS | Japan | 2009 | 108,828 | [3] |
| Hyrule Warriors | 1,977,744 | ||||
| Hyrule Warriors | Wii U | Worldwide | 2014 | 1,000,000 | [11] |
| Zelda Musō: Hyrule All-Stars | 3DS | Japan | 2016 | 114,749 | [12] |
| Hyrule Warriors Legends | 3DS | Overseas | 2016 | 360,000* | [13] |
| Zelda Musō: Hyrule All-Stars DX | Switch | Japan | 2018 | 112,995 | [14][15] |
| Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition | Switch | Overseas | 2018 | 390,000* | [16] |
| Recent tiles | |||||
| My Nintendo Picross: Twilight Princess | 3DS eShop | Unknown | 2016 | Unknown | |
| Cadence of Hyrule | Switch | Unknown | 2019 | Unknown | |
| Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity | Switch | Worldwide | 2020 | 4,000,000 | [17] |
| Total | 12,111,434 |
Notes[]
- (*) indicates VGChartz numbers
- The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch version), and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom have all sold over a million copies in Japan alone.
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the best selling Zelda title in Japan, with over 2.28 million copies sold.
- Two games based on The Legend of Zelda were converted into Game & Watch systems: Zelda (Game & Watch) and The Legend of Zelda Game Watch.
- Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland was only released in Japan and Europe.
- Tingle's Balloon Fight DS was only released in Japan as a Club Nintendo reward.
- My Nintendo Picross: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was released as a My Nintendo reward.
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the fastest-selling title in the franchise.[18]
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 Nintendo software and hardware sales data from 1983 to present, Updated as of June 2023
- CESA Games White Papers. Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association. 2023. https://www.cesa.or.jp/survey/book/hakusho/detail001_2023.html.
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20080705111049/www.dsfanboy.com/photos/game-and-watch-a-retrospective-2/863670/
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Game Search. Game Data Library. Famitsu.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 https://www.npd.com/industry-expertise/video-games/ (As of December 2008 for GBA games, as of February 2007 for The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures)
- ↑ https://www.vgchartz.com/game/26551/classic-nes-series-the-legend-of-zelda/sales
- ↑ https://www.vgchartz.com/game/3266/classic-nes-series-zelda-ii-the-adventure-of-link/sales
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/finance/software/index.html
- ↑ https://www.vgchartz.com/game/2397/the-legend-of-zelda-four-swords-adventures/sales
- ↑ https://www.nintendo.co.jp/titles/20010000019307
- ↑ As of Dec. 2014-GC: 1.43 As of Sep 2023 - Wii: 7.50 Source
- ↑ Whitehead, Thomas (January 27, 2015). Koei Tecmo Releases Awesome Hyrule Warriors Wallpapers to Celebrate One Million Units Shipped. 'Nintendo Life'. Archived from the original on January 27, 2015. Retrieved on January 27, 2015.
- ↑ Game Search and Digital Estimates. Game Data Library. Famitsu.
- ↑ https://www.vgchartz.com/game/85766/hyrule-warriors-legends/sales
- ↑ Media Create Sales: CY 2020 (2019 Dec 30 – 2021 Jan 03). ResetEra (4 June 2021).
- ↑ Digital Estimates. Game Data Library. Famitsu.
- ↑ https://www.vgchartz.com/game/220630/hyrule-warriors-definitive-edition/sales
- ↑ https://twitter.com/zelda_musou/status/1478539711203676161
- ↑ https://www.nintendo.com/whatsnew/the-legend-of-zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom-sells-over-10-million-worldwide-in-first-three-days-becoming-the-fastest-selling-game-in-series/
| Best selling franchises | |
|---|---|
| Mario · Pokémon · FIFA · Grand Theft Auto · Call of Duty · Wii Series · Lego · The Sims · Minecraft · Final Fantasy · Assassin's Creed · Need for Speed · Sonic · Madden NFL · The Legend of Zelda · Star Wars · Resident Evil · Pro Evolution Soccer · Tetris · NBA 2K · (more) See also: Best selling games · Best selling games worldwide · Highest grossing franchises |