One of Nintendo’s biggest franchises is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, andThe Legend of Zeldacontinues to inspire and entertain fans. Over the course of its history,The Legend of Zeldahas spawned numerous official video games, various spin-off games, an animated television series, several manga adaptations, tons of merchandise, and more. Often regarded as one of the best video game series of all time,The Legend of Zeldahas clearly made an impact on many players and gaming fans.
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While the plot ofeachZeldagamemay be unique, they generally follow similar core elements. A young courageous boy named Link gets roped into an adventure to save the magical Princess Zelda from the clutches of whatever villain the game focuses on. Except forBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom, games inThe Legend of Zeldaseries also have a fairly succinct story that doesn’t leave a lot of room for exploration in the game once it’s complete. From the chronologically-firstSkyward Swordto the engaging dream ofLink’s Awakeningto thetimeline-dividingOcarina of Time, here is how long it takes to beat every game inThe Legend of Zeldaseries.
Howlongtobeat.comwas used as a reference.
Updated June 25, 2025 by Mark Sammut:The Legend of Zelda is synonymous with epic adventures, and the franchise has generally succeeded in maintaining a high standard of quality. Although hardly a stranger to lengthy campaigns, Link’s journeys have been getting progressively more expansive in recent years, particularly since the arrival of the Nintendo Switch. 2023’s Tears of the Kingdom is no exception, but is it thelongest Zelda game?
How Long To Beat Every 2D And Top-Down Legend Of Zelda Game
ManyZeldaconventions were established in Nintendo’s kickstart of the series back in 1986, and these have influenced the majority of the games in the series in some way. The game has remained popular enough that asealed copy ofThe Legend of Zeldasold for a record-breaking amountrecently at an auction. Early games in the series, mainlyThe Legend of ZeldaandThe Adventure of Link, have been ported to multiple Nintendo consoles and are currently available through Nintendo Switch Online. 1993’sLink’s Awakeningis the only 2D game to receive an actual remake, althoughA Link Between Worldsis a spiritual successor toA Link to the Past.
While games such asPhantom Hourglassand themultiplayer-focusedTri Force Heroesaren’t true 2DZeldagames, they are presented mainly in the top-down format that is standard with other 2DZeldagames. However, similar to the other 2DZeldagames, these can be completed in 20 hours or less. 2009’sSpirit Trackscurrently takes about 20 hours to get through the main story, making it the longest game in this group. Interestingly enough,Oracle of SeasonsandOracle of Agestake slightly different amounts of time to beat.
Since the 2019Link’s Awakeningremake was developed by outside company Grezzo, some of its gameplay was slightly changed. Many wound up wondering whetherhow long it takes to beatLink’s Awakeningon the Nintendo Switch is different from its predecessors. Ultimately, the game is about the same length. Some players reported that it took about an hour less to complete the main story, but this could also just be a reflection of the player base.
Nintendo 3DS
14–15 Hours
59–60 Hours
Going by the above figures, if someone were to try completing the campaigns of every mainline 2DZeldagame, it would take them roughly 180 hours. Completionist playthroughs would combine for 285 hours, although that figure is inflated byTri Force HeroesandFour Swords.
These averages only take into account the first version of each game, so no remasters or remakes.
How Long To Beat Every 3D Legend Of Zelda Game
Even though the 2DLegend of Zeldagames are unique and entertaining in their own right, many fans will point to3D titles for the quintessentialZeldaexperience. Aside fromBreath of the Wild, every 3DZeldagame has now received an HD remaster to bring the game to new audiences. Additionally, unlike most 2DZeldagames, the 3D projects tend to take more than 20 hours to complete.
In what is surprising to almost no one,Breath of the Wildis currently the longestLegend of Zeldagame to complete. Even though players can technically run straight to Calamity Ganon after the tutorial to fight him, a standard playthrough will take around 50 hours. Those that want to collect every heart piece, collect every Korok Seed, and complete every Shrine can expect to take upwards of 200 hours to do so.Breath of the Wildalso received two DLCs, The Master Trials andThe Champion’s Ballad, to add several more hours' worth of content.
Tears of the Kingdom,Breath of the Wild’s sequel, follows closely in its predecessor’s footsteps, and that extends to its runtime. The campaign roughly takes the same amount of hours to complete, although the sequel does arguably emphasize its mainline quests more thanBOTW. Even though Link can still make a beeline for the final antagonist, the story does attempt to push him to explore Hyrule thoroughly before making that journey. For instance, one of the main quests revolves around finding and investigating 12 geoglyphs spread across the map. In terms of size,TOTKtakes place in largely the same version of Hyrule, albeit one that has changed quite a bit; along with the central map, Link can also explore Sky Islands and underground caverns.
ForOcarina of TimeandMajora’s Mask, the time it took to get through the main game in their 3D remakes didn’t change too much for players. Curiously, it is only with the HD remasters forThe Wind Waker,Twilight Princess, andSkyward Swordthat the playtimes are significantly different. The HD remasters are likely streamlining some aspects of the game, shaving off unnecessary time spent completing quests.
Breath of the Wild(2017)
Tears of the Kingdom(2019)
54–55 Hours
188–189 Hours
Completing the stories of all 3DZeldagames is quite an undertaking as it requires approximately 265 hours. However, this investment would barely scratch the surface of a completionist run, which would span around 640 hours.
These figures do not include remasters, but they do take DLC into account.
How Long To Beat Select Spin-off Legend Of Zelda Games
The Legend of Zeldahas spawned multiple spin-off titles that have ranged in quality from great to not-so-great. Some of these selected spin-offs will be familiar to players, including infamous titles likeThe Wand of Gamelon.Freshly-Picked Tingle’s Rosy Rupeelandstars Tingle, a recurring character inThe Legend of Zelda, in a standalone RPG adventure.Link’s Crossbow Trainingis set in theTwilight Princessuniverse and could be bought paired with a Wii Zapper.Cadence of Hyruleis an officially licensed crossoverwith Nintendo’s iconic property and also received a couple of DLC stories.
The most well-known spin-offs forThe Legend of Zeldaare likely Koei Tecmo’sHyrule Warriorsgames.Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamityis also considered something of a prequel toBreath of the Wild, and it was pretty well-received when it was released in 2020. TheHyrule Warriorsgames might not take too long to get through their respective main stories, but they are immensely replayable and have a lot of additional content. In the case of the firstHyrule Warriors, some players spent over 200 hours completing all the game had to offer.
Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer featuring The Legend of Zelda(2019)
To finish these chosen spin-off games' main campaigns, a player would need to dedicate roughly 100 hours of their time. If someone tried to complete everything, they are looking at more than 420 hours of gameplay. Most of this time would be taken up by theHyrule Warriorsgames, and this number would become much higher ifHyrule Warriors: Definitive Editionwas used as the base for the first entry in the series.
How Long Does It Take To Beat Every Zelda Game
All in all, any player who wants to experience the stories of every game inThe Legend of Zeldaseries can expect to spend hundreds of hours trying. Even on the lower end, it could take over 450 hours to get through every mainlineZeldagame, which does not even take the spin-offs into account. On the bright side, players looking for aZeldafix can enjoy the plethora of entries that are available on the Nintendo Switch, be itLink’s Awakening,Skyward Sword HD,Hyrule Warriors,Breath of the Wild, orTears of the Kingdom.
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