How Many Games Are in The Legend of Zelda Series?
21 mainline Zelda games — plus 7 major remakes, 6 spinoffs, and 3 unofficial CD-i titles. The newest is Echoes of Wisdom, released September 26, 2024.
mainline titles
What Is The Newest Zelda Game?
Top-down adventure in the style of Link's Awakening (2019). The first mainline Zelda title to make Princess Zelda the playable protagonist — Link goes missing in the opening minutes.
Koei Tecmo's third Zelda musou title, set in the Imprisoning War era teased in Tears of the Kingdom. Direct sequel to Age of Calamity (2020).
An Ocarina of Time remake for Switch 2 is widely rumoured for late 2026 but has not been officially announced. We'll update this page the moment Nintendo confirms it.
The Zelda Series By The Numbers
The Real Answer: It Depends What You Count
Mainline (21): Original Nintendo-developed entries, from the 1986 original to Echoes of Wisdom (2024). This is the number Nintendo's own official site uses. Four Swords (2002) and Four Swords Adventures (2004) count even though they're multiplayer-focused — both shipped as core titles.
Remakes (7): Major rebuilds, not just emulated re-releases. Ocarina of Time 3D, Majora's Mask 3D, Wind Waker HD, Twilight Princess HD, Skyward Sword HD, the 2019 Link's Awakening, and Link's Awakening DX. Pure Virtual Console / NSO emulator drops don't count.
Spinoffs (6): Hyrule Warriors and its sequels (Koei Tecmo), Cadence of Hyrule (Brace Yourself Games), Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland, and Link's Crossbow Training. All licensed by Nintendo; none developed by Nintendo EPD.
CD-i (3): The Faces of Evil, The Wand of Gamelon, and Zelda's Adventure — all from Philips during the failed SNES-CD deal. Technically licensed Zelda games. Nintendo refuses to acknowledge them at all.
Add it up: 21 mainline + 7 remakes + 6 spinoffs + 3 CD-i = 37 official-or-licensed releases. Not counted: educational PC cameos, the Game & Watch Zelda keychain (2021), and the dozens of mobile/eShop puzzle apps that briefly carried Zelda branding.
The CD-i Games (And Why Nintendo Pretends They Don't Exist)
In 1991 Nintendo agreed to develop a CD-ROM add-on for the Super Nintendo with Sony, then changed its mind, infuriating Sony and sending it off to build the PlayStation. As compensation, Nintendo licensed five characters — including Link and Zelda — to Philips, the partner Sony was replaced by.
Philips made three Zelda games on the doomed CD-i platform: Link: The Faces of Evil and Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon (both October 1993), and Zelda's Adventure (1994). The first two used cheap animated cutscenes by Russian studio Animation Magic that became infamous internet meme material. The third used live-action FMV.
Nintendo never developed, published, or approved them creatively, and has spent three decades refusing to re-release, reference, or remaster them. They exist. Nintendo just won't admit it.
Quiz: How Well Do You Know The Zelda Catalogue?
10 questions on 38 years of Hyrule. Share your score.
What is the newest mainline Zelda game?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the newest Zelda game?
The newest mainline title is The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, released September 26, 2024 on Nintendo Switch. The newest spinoff is Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment (2025).
How many Legend of Zelda games are there in total?
21 mainline games, plus 7 major remakes, 6 official spinoffs, and 3 unofficial CD-i games — 37 total releases under the Zelda banner. The headline answer most people want is 21.
Is there a new Zelda game in 2026 or 2027?
Nothing officially announced yet. A Switch 2 remake of Ocarina of Time is heavily rumoured for holiday 2026 — the same leaker who correctly predicted Star Fox claimed it. The next true mainline game is unannounced; the BotW-to-TotK gap was 6 years, suggesting late 2028 or later. The live-action Zelda movie is locked for May 7, 2027.
Which Zelda game should I play first?
Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom if you want the modern open-world experience. Link's Awakening (Switch, 2019) if you want a shorter classical Zelda. Ocarina of Time 3D if you want the most influential 3D action-adventure ever made. The series is mostly self-contained — no game requires another.
What is the best-selling Zelda game?
Breath of the Wild has passed 35 million copies including its Switch 2 re-release — by some distance the best-selling Zelda game ever. Tears of the Kingdom is second at roughly 22 million.
Are the CD-i Zelda games canon?
No. Nintendo licensed Link and Zelda to Philips in the early 1990s but never developed or approved the CD-i games creatively. They've never appeared on a Nintendo platform and aren't on the official timeline. Technically licensed; not technically canon.
Sources
- Nintendo of America's official Zelda franchise page — current mainline game list.
- Nintendo financial briefings, fiscal years 2017–2025 — Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom sales figures.
- Hyrule Historia (Dark Horse Books, 2013) — series chronology and developer commentary.
- The Legend of Zelda: Encyclopedia (Dark Horse Books, 2018) — definitive game-by-game catalogue.
- Eiji Aonuma interview, Kotaku, March 2017 — BotW placement comments.
- Comicbook.com & Gamerant — May 2026 Switch 2 rumour reporting (Ocarina of Time remake).
- The Independent, June 2024 — Echoes of Wisdom announcement and release date.
More From The Zelda Cluster
How Many Zelda Films?
Zero released; the first drops May 7, 2027. Live countdown.
How Many Zelda Timelines?
Three official branches + the Convergence theory. Interactive explorer.
How Many Pokemon?
1,028 species — the real answer depends what you count.
How Many Mario Games?
Over 200 — the franchise that defined platformers.
Games & Gaming Hub
Pokemon, Mario, FF, Halo, GTA — the full catalogue.
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A random page from across howmany.pro.
Thirty-eight years. Twenty-one mainline games. One Princess Zelda who finally got to be the hero.