There are so many Legend of Zelda games that it can be difficult to search back through the various games in the franchise to look at which of the endings to the many games have been the best of the lot.
While The Legend of Zelda games aren’t consistent in many aspects, they always try to go for a big finish. The final mission is the one which sticks in the minds of many players after they finish a game, like their thoughts about the art style and their favorite versions of legendary Zelda lore items. So which of the many Zelda games has had the best final missions?
7 Ocarina of Time
There may be problems with Ocarina of Time as a Zelda game, but the majority of players will agree that the storytelling aspect of this wonderful game holds up today. It does so in a way that few games from twenty years ago can achieve. The split in the middle of Ocarina of Time gives the story and the game a unique style.
This results in an awful lot of build-up throughout the second half of the game before the player can bring Link back to Hyrule Castle. Now, of course, it is Ganon’s Castle, and when the player gets there it is hugely satisfying after everything which has occurred. Even with the gameplay suffering by being quite as old as it is now, this is still a game hugely worth playing again for this excellent ending in whatever new way players can think of.
6 Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link
Many fans still malign the sequel to the very first Zelda game today. While there may be a number of things about it that don’t hold up graphically or which weren’t as satisfying as the first Zelda game in story terms, the final quest is an intriguing experience that differed from many games of the time.
Instead of having a true final boss, The Adventure of Link has an incredibly challenging final dungeon filled with a large variety of enemies. Beating this is a real challenge and makes the player feel hugely rewarded for their victory, although when it seems the battle is finally over, extra enemies like Link’s Shadow will appear as final challenges.
5 Oracle Of Seasons
It is debatable between Zelda players whether Oracle of Seasons or Oracle of Ages is the better game, while both are fun and different adventures within a larger world. Intended to be cross-played in the style of the Pokémon games, they are similar but have differences. Oracle of Seasons arguably has the stronger ending, featuring a short final dungeon focused on beating General Onox.
Onox’s Castle is a memorable final dungeon for a number of reasons. It did what Zelda games do well in choosing to focus more on the combat while not forgetting about the puzzle aspects. While some players may not remember the Oracle games well, they are great parts of Zelda history, and there are still things about them being discovered today.
4 A Link To The Past
There are a lot of Zelda game aspects that are known to fans as regular parts of the franchise which first appeared in A Link To The Past. This game is still hugely popular among Zelda fans, particularly for speed-running and randomized runs. However, the final boss, entering Ganon’s Tower to take on the most recognizable villain of the franchise, is hugely challenging.
Seven different floors to the tower, plenty of puzzles, and a smaller set of enemies than one would think. This tower makes each enemy feel like its own challenge as opposed to using countless hordes to form the difficulty level desired. That makes it one of the most fascinating ends to a Zelda game there has ever been. Fortunately, due to the work of fans, A Link To The Past isn't going anywhere.
3 Skyward Sword
It is difficult to defend several aspects of Skyward Sword as an entry in the Legend of Zelda franchise. The game had a fair share of problems, but the art style and much about the gameplay when not being played on the Nintendo Wii were excellent. In particular, the final dungeon in the Sky Keep was a fantastic one.
The various dungeons in Skyward Sword were actually of generally high quality. But the Sky Keep in particular, with the moving puzzle piece rooms and the various other puzzles, makes for a great ending. It can be challenging for players to get through but provides a great mixture of the various mechanics used throughout the game. By the time players reach the end of the dungeon and gather all three pieces of the Triforce, they’ll feel like they really earned it. Speaking of earning it, there are plenty of Legend of Zelda games that still deserve a remake today.
2 Twilight Princess
Twilight Princess is another divisive Zelda game, as the art style and even the story took some drastic shifts from previous installments. However, whatever players think of the game in general, many agree that this version of Hyrule Castle as a final level was excellent.
Despite being a long experience for an ending, and Hyrule Castle is a massive area that the player has already seen twice previously, this ending feels epic. There is a powerful emotional aspect to the story of Twilight Princess. This design of Hyrule Castle is also amazing and worked perfectly for a strong finish. As well as that, Twilight Princess enemies are known for being particularly unusual.
1 Breath of the Wild
There has been so much praise in the past few years for Breath of the Wild that it seems almost a given it would start coming out on top of many Zelda game lists. Whether players love the open-world style or not, this version of Hyrule Castle is one of the most thrilling ones available in the franchise. In a game that has some intriguing villains and stories, this final mission was something else.
While this open-world game doesn’t designate a final dungeon, Hyrule Castle is surely meant to be one of the last ones explored. It is beautifully designed, and difficult, and is considered one of the best areas in Breath of the Wild. It also holds a large variety of enemies and much treasure, helping form one of the best areas in any Zelda game. Fans now have to hope that Tears of the Kingdom can live up to this beautiful world and final dungeon.