One of Nintendo’s most beloved consoles, the Nintendo Switch, has some of the greatest Legend of Zelda games to date. This quintessential Nintendo franchise premiered on the NES in 1986, and it has no plan of stopping with some of the IP’s best successes released for the Switch. Not only does the Legend of Zelda series rival the titan that is the Mario franchise but it also contains some of gaming’s greatest single-player experiences.
From mainline titles like Breath of the Wild, to fun spinoffs such as Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, there’s a lot to love for Zelda fans with this Nintendo console that debuted in 2017. The Switch has seen a monumental run for Zelda games (they’re some of the best games on Switch overall) with more to come from the Switch’s successor. Ranking these incredible games will be tough, but nonetheless, here is every Legend of Zelda game on the Switch, ranked from worst to best.
How many Zelda games are on the Nintendo Switch?
So far, there are eight different Zelda games on the Nintendo Switch. Beginning with Breath of the Wild, and eventually leading up to Echoes of Wisdom, Zelda fans have a ton of games to work with on this console. Not only are there a few mainline titles but unique spinoffs as well.
All Zelda games on Switch, ranked
8. Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition
80%
Unlike the usual Legend of Zelda titles, the Hyrule Warriors series takes Link, Zelda, and many other memorable characters from the franchise and places them into a hack-and-slash game. Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition originally came out in 2014 with the not-so-loved Wii U, but four years later Nintendo decided to bring this fast-paced action game to the Switch in full 1080p. It may not sound like much of an upgrade, but the graphical jump from Wii U to Switch was a decent leap. Overall, it was a decent fighting game where players could slay hordes of enemies as 29 different Zelda heroes and villains. You could even wear costumes to resemble the Breath of the Wild characters, as that mainline title had been released a year before. It’s certainly not the best on this list, but it’s still a fun time if you’re itching for more Zelda.
7. Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring the Legend of Zelda
74%
Cadence of Hyrule is unlike any other Legend of Zelda spinoff to date. Created by indie developer Brace Yourself Games, Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer is a rhythm game mixed with roguelike action-adventure gameplay. Emulating the top-down pixelated art direction of the original Zelda titles, this spinoff has you exploring, dungeon-crawling, and slaying monsters to the beat of the music. If you’re someone who isn’t musically inclined, this may not be the game for you. But if you adore rhythm games, Cadence of Hyrule is a refreshing game that is just like the developer’s Crypt of the NecroDancer, but this time it’s set in Hyrule. This spinoff is rewarding, nostalgic, and entertaining all at once, and it’s highly underrated compared to the rest of this list’s games.
6. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
80%
4/5
A big step up from the previous title in this spinoff franchise, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is yet another hack-and-slash Zelda game. But this time, players can actually experience a worthwhile narrative. Age of Calamity was released in 2020 and takes place 100 years before the events of Breath of the Wild, allowing you to see the Great Calamity unfold before your eyes. This Zelda title is a much more worthwhile game than the first Hyrule Warriors, as it acts as an intriguing prequel to Breath of the Wild. You can play again as Link, or experience heart-racing fights as Zelda, Impa, the four Champions, and many more underrated characters such as Hestu, the Great Fairy, and even King Rhoam. There’s a lot more substance to this Hyrule Warriors game, and it’s a great game to play right after finishing Breath of the Wild.
5. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD
77%
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD took the divisive 2011 Wii game and brought it back with updated graphics a decade later in 2021. Although disliked by some, many longtime Zelda fans stand by Skyward Sword and deem it one of the greatest mainline titles in the franchise. Taking place at the very start of the Zelda timeline, Skyward Sword has you delve into puzzle-ridden dungeons and slay enemies with the choice of motion controls. While feeling a little gimmicky, Skyward Sword HD allows you to abandon the motion controls and play it like normal, which can make it feel a lot more grounded. Even with all of Skyward Sword’s problems, this HD remaster allows newer players to experience a great Zelda adventure, and returning fans can revisit an old classic.
4. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
87%
3.5/5
Echoes of Wisdom was a monumental release, as it’s the first mainline Zelda game that put Zelda as the main protagonist instead of Link. Released in 2024 and created in the same style as the 2019 Link’s Awakening, Echoes of Wisdom has Link be the one to get captured, leaving Zelda to save him. It differs in many ways gameplay-wise, as Zelda has the ability to use Echoes. Using her Tri Rod, players can create copies of objects, enemies, and other items to creatively get through dungeons and take down foes. Echoes of Wisdom is one of the most inventive Zelda games and includes some clever puzzles, but it’s held back by the bad menu UI for Echoes, alongside its limited selection of them. Nevertheless, Echoes of Wisdom feels like a classic Zelda game reborn and is one of the better Zelda games to play on your Switch.
3. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
83%
4.5/5
Link’s Awakening, released in 2019, is a refreshing recreation of a timeless classic in a gorgeous and colorful art style. Resembling a claymation look, Link’s Awakening took the original title from 1993 and turned it into a modern game without removing anything that made it stellar nearly three decades prior. Any Zelda fan who misses the older dungeon designs with their intricate puzzles will adore Link’s Awakening, as it’s full of these moments and will make you scratch your head at times wondering what to do next. Instead of taking place in Hyrule, Link washes up on Koholint Island and is unable to make it home until he wakes the Wind Fish and collects eight instruments of the Sirens. Link’s Awakening is a charming and engaging adventure that is not only one of the best Zelda games on the Switch but one of the best titles in its franchise.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
93%
4.5/5
Breath of the Wild came out alongside the launch of the Nintendo Switch console in 2017 and is still revered as one of the greatest video games of all time. It’s a must-play for anyone who owns the console and was the first Zelda title to try the open-world formula. Not only did it attempt it, it succeeded by a mile. In this tale, Link has awoken from a 100-year slumber to find out that Ganon trapped Zelda inside his castle and is planning to take over Hyrule. Your first quest is to defeat Ganon, which players can immediately take on and succeed with great effort. This encapsulates the best feature of Breath of the Wild, which is unending freedom. You can go anywhere you’d like, tackle quests in nearly any order, and if you see that mountain in the distance, you can very likely climb it. The world is limitless while also being filled to the brim with opportunities. You’ll constantly run into travelers on the road, wild horses to tame, ancient ruins to explore, and Moblin camps to take down. Breath of the Wild would’ve been in the No. 1 spot if it weren’t for its astonishing sequel.
1. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
94%
4.5/5
It’s an incredible feat to craft one of the greatest games of all time, but it’s something entirely else to follow it up with an even greater sequel. Tears of the Kingdom was released in 2023 as the follow-up to the monumental Breath of the Wild. While many fans still hold the first title higher than its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom is arguably a huge improvement on what Breath of the Wild accomplished while still being its own original game. Link and Zelda get separated once again after awakening a mummified version of Ganon. With the Master Sword broken, Link suddenly awakens on floating islands above the kingdom of Hyrule. While you may think that the map would be the same, Nintendo not only made changes to the ground level of Hyrule but also added sky islands and an entirely new underground world to explore. This sequel also introduces a whole new creative aspect, which is the Zonai devices. Players can create flying or land vehicles, unique weapons, and many more wild creations. The ability to tackle puzzles in a dozen different ways, all of which can lead to success, is what makes Tears of the Kingdom incredibly special. It proudly holds the No. 1 spot as the best Zelda game on the Switch, not too far ahead of its predecessor.
More Zelda games available through Nintendo Switch Online
There’s a lot more available on the Nintendo Switch for Zelda fans than you may have thought. With a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, you can play any of these classic Legend of Zelda titles ported from consoles such as the N64, NES, and Game Boy.
- The Legend of Zelda (1986, NES)
- Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (1988, NES)
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1992, SNES)
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998, N64)
- The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask (2000, N64)
- The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX (1998, Game Boy)
- The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages (2001, Game Boy)
- The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons (2001, Game Boy)
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past & Four Swords (2002, Game Boy Advanced)
- The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (2005, Game Boy Advanced)
