The Legend of Zelda Plush - Official Zelda Plush Toys from Japan

The Legend of Zelda is a high fantasy action-adventure video game franchise created by Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is primarily developed and published by Nintendo, although some portable and re-released episodes have been handled by Capcom, Vanpool and Grezzo. The gameplay incorporates action-adventure and action-RPG elements.

The series centers on the various incarnations of Link, a brave, elf-eared young Hylian man, and Princess Zelda, a magical princess who is the mortal reincarnation of the goddess Hylia, as they battle to save the magical land of Hyrule from Ganon, an evil warlord-turned-demon king, who is the main antagonist in the series. Ganon wishes to use the Triforce, a sacred relic left behind by the three goddesses who created Hyrule, to remake the world in his dark image. When gathered, the power of the Triforce can grant all the wishes of its user. However, if a person whose heart does not possess a balance of the three virtues of power, courage, and wisdom attempts to touch the Triforce, it splits into three triangles and binds to three people whose hearts embody the required virtue.

Although their personalities and histories differ from game to game, the incarnations of Link and Zelda often share many traits; for example, Link is often left-handed and associated with the color green, while Princess Zelda is often a member of the royal family. While the conflict with Ganon serves as the backbone of the series, some games have featured other settings and antagonists, with Link traveling or being sent to these other lands as needed.

Since the release of the first Legend of Zelda game in 1986, the series has grown to include 19 titles on Nintendo's major systems, as well as a number of spin-offs. An American animated television series based on the games aired in 1989, and individual manga adaptations commissioned by Nintendo have been produced in Japan since 1997. The Legend of Zelda is one of Nintendo's most important and popular franchises; many of its games are considered among the greatest video games of all time.