Every Legend Of Zelda Game With Other Heroes Besides Link

Key Takeaways

• Princess Zelda is the main character in
  Echoes of Wisdom
  , a first in over thirty years.
• Hyrule Warriors
  features the largest character roster in
  The Legend Of Zelda
  franchise.
• Other games like Tingle’s adventures and
  Cadence Of Hyrule
  also offer unique character experiences.

As much as Link is an iconic gaming hero, featured in nearly every entry of The Legend Of Zelda franchise, people have wanted more characters. The Legend Of Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom is a showcase of that want for a different protagonist, as fans flocked to the opportunity to play as Princess Zelda.

However, Echoes Of Wisdom is not the only game to feature different playable characters, with Princess Zelda being only one of them. Nintendo has experimented with The Legend Of Zelda, dating back to the early 90s to today with the Nintendo Switch, giving gamers unique experiences within the world of Hyrule.

8 Zelda: The Wand Of Gamelon

The Failed Experimental Title For The CD-I

Thanks to memes and edits on the internet, Zelda: The Wand Of Gamelon has been cemented as part of gaming history but not in the best way. It was the first time Princess Zelda was playable in her own adventure, but it and its sister game, Link: The Faces Of Evil, have gone down as notoriously panned games for the failed Philips CD-I console, which was quickly forgotten.

Rather than a top-down view, Zelda: The Wand Of Gamelon goes back to the sidescrolling style of Zelda 2: The Adventure Of Link, but with animated cutscenes and counterintuitive controls. Besides being able to play as Zelda, most fans consider the CD-I game one of the worst of the beloved franchise.

7 Zelda’s Adventure

It Doesn’t Offer Much Outside The FMV Gimmick

Another game for the CD-I and one that stepped away from the animated cutscenes and embraced live-action FMV in the style of the original The Legend Of Zelda, making for a strange adventure. However, the live-action visuals for the sprites and environments in Zelda’s Adventure are considered only slightly better than the other CD-I games.

Princess Zelda was also the main hero in Zelda’s Adventure, trying to save Link from Ganon in the world of Tolemac. It is considered to have far more novelty with its style with bizarre characters and voice-acting, but it is a harder Legend Of Zelda game to own today, with copies fetching a high price and the CD-I consoles notorious for rarely working.

6 Freshly-Picked Tingle’s Rosy Rupeeland

The Strangeness Helps Tingle’s Spin-Off Stand Out

• Developer: Vanpool
• Release Date: September 2, 2006
• Genre: Adventure
• System: Nintendo DS

Of all the characters that have appeared in The Legend Of Zelda games, few fans expected a polarizing character like Tingle to get one, let alone two in a franchise. In the first game, Freshly-Picked Tingle’s Rosy Rupeeland, gamers who love to collect in-game currencies can rejoice as the whole object of the game is to collect as many rupees as possible as Tingle.

The story of Freshly-Picked Tingle’s Rosy Rupeeland is bizarre, as Tingle is guided by a sentient rupee to collect as much of the gem-like currency via completing missions across the land. It has very little to do with The Legend Of Zelda, which is partially why the game was only ever released in Europe and Japan.

5 Ripened Tingle’s Balloon Trip of Love

A Quasi-Dating RPG In The Zelda Universe

• Developer: Vanpool
• Release Date: August 6, 2009
• Genre: Adventure
• System: Nintendo DS

Tingle’s second game, Ripened Tingle’s Balloon Trip Of Love features Tingle going on an adventure inspired by The Wizard Of Oz, featuring a scarecrow, a robot, and a lion joining the titular hero as he searches for love in a fantasy world, while happening to fight a great evil along the way in one of the most unusual Zelda games.

The Tingle adventure was exclusive to Japan, but its weird yet appealing characters and world-building led to Ripened Tingle’s Balloon Trip Of Love getting a dedicated fan-made translation in the ROM and emulation community. Over the years, it has turned into an underrated gem among fans of Zelda, showing the benefits of emulators.

4 Cadence Of Hyrule

Saving Hyrule To The Beat Of Songs As Multiple Heroes

After Crypt Of The NecroDancer became a surprise success, the same developers were able to use their roguelike rhythm game template with The Legend Of Zelda via Cadence Of Hyrule. It was praised for its soundtrack backed by addictive and challenging gameplay that forces the player to move and attack in sync with the beat.

Link is still a main character in Cadence Of Hyrule, but Princess Zelda can be chosen as the hero. However, Cadence from Crypt Of The NecroDancer, Impa, Shadow Link, and other characters can be unlocked or purchased. The game was praised as a well-made rhythm game, a genre that is rare to find these days.

3 Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition

The Biggest Roster Of Zelda Characters In The Style Of Dynasty Warriors

Nintendo has a tendency to experiment with their spin-offs by collaborating with other studios and Hyrule Warriors is an example of that, developed by Koei Tecmo. The simplest summary of Hyrule Warriors is that it is Dynasty Warriors but set in The Legend Of Zelda universe, with a plethora of characters to choose from, both familiar and original.

Zelda, Impa, Ganon, Ruto, Darunia, Zant, Midna, Agitha, and Fi are only the tip of the Hyrule Warriors iceberg, as the roster features twenty-nine playable characters. Thanks to the game’s story bouncing across the era of the massive Zelda timeline, fans can battle hordes of enemies from many versions of Hyrule, with hundreds of hours worth of content in the story and other modes.

2 Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Calamity

The Prequel To Breath Of The Wild That Nobody Expected

So much of Breath Of The Wild is focused on Link unlocking his memories from one century before his reawakening in Hyrule, revealing so much history before Calamity Ganon came along. So, fans were thrilled to experience events during that time in Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Calamity.

The first Hyrule Warriors may feature more characters, but Age Of Calamity took the formula of the gameplay and improved upon it, adding new mechanics and abilities. The maps are also more intricate, with as much of a challenge roaming them as it is taking on legions of enemies, and the story is more character-driven, with voice acting and cutscenes fleshing out Breath Of The Wild lore.

1 The Legend Of Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom

A Classic Zelda Experience Starring The Princess Herself

In most cases, Princess Zelda is a bonus character for players to choose from, but The Legend Of Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom is the first game in thirty years in which she is the main character. Built off the Link’s Awakening remake, Echoes Of Wisdom features Zelda going on an open-world adventure in Hyrule, with traditional dungeons to traverse and a classic top-down perspective.

Echoes Of Wisdom also stands out from Link’s Awakening thanks to its unique gameplay for Zelda, who uses magic to fight her way through Hyrule. She can create echo clones of items and enemies to fight or solve puzzles, forcing players to use more strategy. Along with plenty of side quests and memorable characters, Echoes Of Wisdom quickly impressed longtime fans.