For over thirty years, The Legend of Zelda series has been one of the most enduring video game franchises that Nintendo has ever produced. Originally debuting in 1986, they feature a lone hero called Link who fights monsters and explores dungeons with the eponymous Zelda often playing a significant role.
While the story for each game is usually different, they have themes and elements that have appeared in other fantasy works. This includes movies, with some of them arguably influencing the Legend of Zelda games in some way. So listed below are films that are perfect for Legend of Zelda fans.
Princess Mononoke (1997)
Though Pom Poko is arguably one of Studio Ghibli’s most pro-environmentalist films, it’s not as well-known in the West compared to Princess Mononoke. Set in Ancient Japan, the film follows an exiled prince who gets caught in a conflict between forest spirits and a mining town.
By contrast, the Legend of Zelda games aren’t as pro-environmentalist. However, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s aesthetic strongly resembles Princess Mononoke’s. As a result, it stands out from the other games which were more European style-wise. Plus, Link is an expert archer like Ashitaka and they were both cursed at one point.
Castle In The Sky (1986)
One of Hayao Miyazaki’s earliest animated movies, Castle in the Sky emphasized many themes that appeared in his previous film Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. In particular, the wonder of flight and the potential misuse of technology.
Now these themes may not seem relevant to the Legend of Zelda games, but they’ve actually appeared in some of the more recent titles. Namely, Skyward Sword where a floating city serves as a main location, and Breath of the Wild which has ancient robots. Even Castle in the Sky’s plot resembles the Legend of Zelda games, being about an ordinary boy thrust into an adventure by a mysterious girl.
The Golden Voyage Of Sinbad (1973)
For those not familiar with Ray Harryhausen, he was a famous stop-motion animator who worked on a number of 1950s and 60s fantasy adventure movies. One of the later films in his career was The Golden Voyage of Sinbad from 1973.
As the title implies, it’s about the titular Sinbad who goes on a quest to find golden tablets that will reveal the location of a special fountain when the tablets join together. So how does this movie correlate with Legend of Zelda? Well, it does share common elements with The Wind Waker since both involve sailing to different locations and collecting pieces of a golden artifact.
Peter Pan (1953)
Despite its questionable depiction of Native Americans, the Peter Pan play is still considered a classic and has multiple film adaptations. The one most people remember, though, is Disney’s animated 1953 version which may have influenced the Legend of Zelda games.
According to an interview with Shigeru Miyamoto, who created The Legend of Zelda among other Nintendo games, the sprite designer had Disney in mind when creating Link. So it’s assumed that Peter Pan himself was the main inspiration since he and Link have fairy companions and wear green. Also, the theme of growing up that’s in Peter Pan is also in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
The NeverEnding Story (1984)
Before The Lord of the Rings film trilogy proved that high-budget fantasy movies could be successful, there were films in the 1980s that made a similar point. One example was The NeverEnding Story, which involves a boy getting absorbed into the world of a fictional book.
Though it doesn’t resemble the Legend of Zelda games in style, the main character of The NeverEnding Story’s book Atreyu is similar to Link in that they both have a horse companion. Also, the way the real world character Bastion interacts with the world of The NeverEnding Story is like a player’s interactions with a video game.
Jack The Giant Killer (1962)
Prior to the release of the 2013 fantasy movie bomb Jack the Giant Slayer, it was originally titled Jack the Giant Killer. Ironically, this happened to be the title of a 1962 movie based on the fairytale of the same name.
However, Jack the Giant Slayer was not a remake of Jack the Giant Killer though both feature a character who is named Jack. Another difference is Jack the Giant Killer doesn’t involve beanstalks and instead has Jack saving a princess from an evil wizard that wants to take over her kingdom. Sounds like the plot for some of the Legend of Zelda games, doesn’t it?
Clash Of The Titans (1981)
While the 2010 remake may have gotten a sequel despite its negative reviews, the original 1981 Clash of the Titans film is still liked for its campy fun and amazing special effects. After all, this was the last movie Harryhausen worked on before retiring.
Like the remake, though, the original film takes significant creative liberties in retelling the story of Perseus and his quest to stop the Kraken with the princess Andromeda’s life at stake. Now what makes Perseus similar to Link is that they both wield magic swords and shields. They even have winged companions, namely Bubo the mechanical owl and Navi the fairy.
The Black Cauldron (1985)
Often considered the (no pun intended) black sheep in Disney’s animated film lineup, The Black Cauldron didn’t do well upon release but has since gained a cult following. This is largely due to its dark imagery and story elements, which makes it stand out from other Disney movies.
In relation to the Legend of Zelda games, there are some similarities with The Black Cauldron such as the main characters wielding magic swords while going on a quest to save a kingdom. There’s also the concept of musical instruments with magical properties and a proactive princess in both, with the latter being debatable regarding Legend of Zelda’s title character.
Conan The Barbarian (1982)
Made at the height of pulp-fiction, the Conan the Barbarian books have had an enduring legacy in comics and movies including the 1982 film of the same name. Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, it’s considered by many to be better than the Jason Momoa reboot in 2011.
Known for its brutal violence and scantily clad women, Conan seems like a far cry from the Legend of Zelda games. But upon closer inspection, there are connections such as Conan being sent on a quest to rescue a princess from a evil antagonist. Plus, the famous Conan theme song has been used for multiple Legend of Zelda game trailers.
Legend (1985)
Compared to other cult films like The Black Cauldron, the 1985 fantasy film Legend isn’t as well-known. But it does star Tim Curry as a red-skinned black-horned demon, a young Tom Cruise, and was directed by Ridley Scott.
Some have even compared this film to the Legend of Zelda games, though Ocarina of Time in particular. After all, the protagonists of Legend and Ocarina of Time wear green clothes live in the forest and have a fairy companion. They also have a princess to save from a great evil, who has plunged the world into darkness after stealing a magic item of great power.