Zelda Timeline Last verified: 2026-11-10
What is the first Zelda game?
Release order and story order name different games. The first one sold is the 1986 Legend of Zelda. The first one in the story is Skyward Sword.
Key art © Nintendo, used with a link to the product page. Chart art on this site is original.
| Question | Answer | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First sold | The Legend of Zelda, 21 Feb 1986 in Japan | Famicom Disk System, then NES in 1987. |
| First in the story | Skyward Sword | Nintendo's chart starts the games in the Sky era. |
| Last on the downfall path | Zelda II | After the 1986 game, still on that branch. |
| Latest mainline story on the chart | Tears of the Kingdom, 12 May 2023 | The wild-era section, after Breath of the Wild. |
The 1986 game is near the end of the downfall path, after Echoes of Wisdom. That is why a new player who starts with the NES cartridge is not starting at the beginning of the legend. Both answers are correct for their question, and this page exists so they stop colliding.
Sources
- Nintendo US — Zelda timeline · checked 2026-11-10
- Wikipedia — List of The Legend of Zelda media · checked 2026-11-10