The Legend of Zelda games are known for many things. This enduring gaming franchise has a storied history that represents the very best of storytelling and upgrades over time to gaming, both graphically and how other aspects of the industry have leveled up over the years since the release of the first Zelda game back in February 1986.
But tonally, the Zelda games do move around quite a bit. Some of the stories told have remained light-hearted and joyous throughout, while other games have dark moments or stray into more adult subjects to a degree unexpected by many fans. These darker stories have proven somewhat controversial to the franchise over time, but many of the themes which were daringly included have helped make fan-favorite entries.
6 The Wind Waker
Thematically, Wind Waker is much darker than the colorful, beautifully fun animation could possibly direct fans of the Legend of Zelda games to believe off the bat. Wind Waker deals with themes about poverty and greed in frightening ways on Windfall Island. There are also melancholy themes to the ending when the adult characters realize that they are no longer relevant and must vanish. Not to mention that the entire kingdom was totally wiped out.
All of this makes Wind Waker much more devastating in a thematic way than most Zelda games. It is overshadowed at times by the light-hearted nature of the visuals, but even this drifts away when players reach locations such as Greatfish Isle. Here there is a completely destroyed island that Ganondorf’s influence has seen turn to ruin completely. It is a terrifying contrast to most of the places that Link visits in Wind Waker.
5 Ocarina Of Time
There are a lot of theories about Ocarina of Time which makes one of the most legendary Zelda franchise entries into one of the darkest as well. On the surface, there are already some terrifying aspects to the game, for instance when Link jumps forward into the future and returns to Hyrule Castle, the town has been horrifically destroyed and filled with Redeads.
But besides this, playing the game back, players are left to wonder what happened in all the other timelines. Since it is suggested that splitting timelines will leave every world except the one where Link triumphed either trapped in darkness or completely destroyed. Either way, Ocarina of Time leaves a lot to the imagination which can be pretty terrifying and dark.
4 A Link Between Worlds
This is another significantly devastating moment that involves another world being (potentially?) destroyed, and it really comes down to what players think panned out. In A Link Between Worlds, the doppelgangers of Zelda and Link in Lorule, Ravio, and Hilda, have to accept when they return the Triforce to their counterparts that they will probably die.
Zelda and Link manage to cheat this possibly devastating outcome when they return to Hyrule. But there is something that remains devastating, and disturbing about this whole situation for many players when they go to replay this infamous entry in the Legend of Zelda franchise. Many fans have forgotten about this fascinating entry in the franchise, but it is worth remembering.
3 Breath Of The Wild
As an open-world game, the intricacies that make Breath of the Wild a darker story than some expect do have to be searched for. There are a surprising number of sad stories among the NPCs depicted in this entry. A notably sad story that remains truly heart-breaking for players is Koko, who still hopes for her mother’s return despite Link knowing that her mother is dead.
Breath of the Wild is another Zelda game with beautiful colors and a bright world, but the calamities of the game and the dark meaning of what the world suffered are more nightmarish than most Zelda games. All of this has left many Zelda fans hoping that Tears of the Kingdom will be less thematically dark.
2 Twilight Princess
It is difficult to know where to begin with the darkness of Twilight Princess. This game has a number of aspects that make it come off as a much less child-oriented game than others in the franchise. Unlike other games in the franchise, the dark themes aren’t hidden by brightly colored animation, colors are much more muted throughout and humans have almost been wiped out, with only a few settlements being shown as remaining as Link discovers Ganondorf behind the evil all along.
The story of Twilight Princess, a conquered kingdom, eternal darkness slipping over the world, and Zoras frozen, is almost like a horror game. Not to mention that the story throughout makes everybody, including Link, seem like they are in it for their own motives. There is a lot less black and white in this, which was a surprising turn for a Zelda game. Not to mention the Twili, whose own backstory as a race is terribly depressing.
1 Majora’s Mask
If Twilight Princess borders on being a horror game thematically, then Majora’s Mask goes all the way. This game is thematically dark, with the entire world feeling much more on the brink of the true apocalypse than regular NPCs do in most Zelda games. The themes of death and loneliness are ever-present, and then there is the Happy Mask Salesman.
A terrifying scene with this salesman is near the top of the list of scariest moments in a Zelda game. Link’s masks in the game all hold the souls of Termina residents, and the Deku mask turns out to hold the soul of the Deku Butler’s son, who is seen weeping next to his son’s lifeless corpse after the credits roll at the end of the game. This is just another example of how completely devastating Majora’s Mask truly was compared to other Zelda entries.