While the Legend of Zelda franchise has undeniably strong facets that continue to grow with each iteration of the franchise, one thing that cannot be overstated is how the music continues to encapsulate a sense of hope, wonder, and hope. audacity for the adventures of Link. . With a franchise that spans 36 years to date and Tears of the Kingdom on the horizon, the songwriters continue to generate cohesive riffs that stick in our heads long after the calamity has passed. Here’s our list of the ten best original Legend of Zelda tracks, so far.
Related: How many The Legend of Zelda games are there altogether?
10. Ballad of the Goddess (Skyward Sword)
Picture via Nintendo
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword was the first title in the franchise where the music was composed with a live orchestra instead of synthesized instruments, after Miyamoto insisted on its inclusion. The result is an emotionally charged soundtrack that creates a much higher level of depth and a new standard for the franchise. The Goddess Ballad is actually Zelda’s lullaby played backwards, with an appropriate level of flair added to the underlying melody.
9. El tema de Kass (Breath of the Wild)
Gamepur screenshot
Breath of the Wild was no exception when it came to musical composition, and Kass is one of the rare characters to have introduced a staple of Slavic music, the accordion, into a fantastic universe. There’s no denying that this Rite played a beautiful melody, marking a riddle that needed to be solved in order to find another sanctuary. Kass’ typical proximity to the stables lent itself to a very atmospheric environment that invited you to simply put the controller down and admire the scenery for a few minutes.
8. Midna’s Lament (Twilight Princess)
Picture via Nintendo
Twilight Princess has retained her “darkest” Legend of Zelda crown to date, and the track Midna’s Lament seems to underscore that exact achievement. A melodic, regretful piano piece, Midna’s Lament explores a range of emotions that manages to encapsulate mischievousness surprisingly well. It never expands beyond its opening cues, and it feels like it’s constantly searching for something more, but that perhaps suits the mood of Twilight Princess better.
7. Song of the Storms (Ocarina of Time/Majora’s Mask)
Gamepur screenshot
The Song of Storms slammed so well that Nintendo chose to place it in both Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask. Playing this song on the ocarina (or Majora’s mask-specific instrument) brings rain, useful for solving puzzles or just setting the mood. Turns out the old man was right: you never forget that song.
6. Dragon’s Nest Island (Wind Waker)
Gamepur screenshot
No matter where you stand to judge Wind Waker on its merits, there’s no denying that Dragon Roost Island is Wind Waker’s trail to success. This is also where the Wind Waker itself, the conductor’s baton, comes into its own in terms of purpose and functionality. It’s also the first time we learn about the career of Rito, who returns in Breath of the Wild.
5. Gerudo Valley (Ocarina of Time)
Gamepur screenshot
Whether you’re disguising yourself as a woman to get inside or trying to make your way across a broken bridge, Gerudo Valley tends to be a unique sight when Link reaches it. In Ocarina of Time, however, it was a different beast altogether: Gerudo Village, containing bandits and Ganon’s hometown, is hot until players need to sneak past it. The whole thing is accompanied by one of the best orchestrated tracks that still stands the test of time and has been the subject of multiple remixes and remasters since.
4. Clock Town Día 1 (Majora’s Mask)
Picture via Nintendo
It’s the tune that welcomes players to the brink of planetary destruction wrought by a child who has been neglected and abandoned too many times. Whether you find yourself lost in this cursed water temple or simply pursue a surprising number of side quests, Clock Town greets Link again and again with a thundering melody that seems to ignore the approaching moon in the sky.
3. Kakariko Village (Ocarina of Time, Link Between Worlds)
Gamepur screenshot
Kakariko Village often reinvents itself in various iterations of The Legend of Zelda, from the prestigious Ocarina of Time to the more recent Breath of the Wild, drastically changing its layout each time. What doesn’t change, however, is how often the music hits. From the woodwinds to the melancholy plucking of the strings, Kakariko Village is a constant theater of aural bliss for Link. Interestingly, Kakariko is known as an established Shiekah village in Ocarina of Time, but this isn’t immediately apparent in Breath of the Wild.
2. The Lost Forest (Ocarina of Time)
Gamepur screenshot
There’s a reason Lost Woods, or Saria’s Song, features prominently in every touring The Legend of Zelda orchestra. A whimsical melody quickly transitions to the underlying rhythm as Link explores the first dungeon of Ocarina of Time, at Saria’s instigation. The Lost Woods sets the tone for The Ocarina of Time masterpiece, both in its dungeon-crawling complexity and thematic accompaniment, and few game developers have reached the same stage of this symbiotic relationship.
1. Legend of Zelda theme
Gamepur screenshot
From 1986 to 2023, The Legend of Zelda’s theme song is instantly recognizable in all of its minor variations, altered to match the tone and theme of the franchise’s current iteration. From the sweet trumpeting of Four Swords Adventures to the growing excitement of Breath of the Wild, the original theme song is almost always noticed. He appears in the heroic moments of Hyrule Warriors, the bizarre scenes of Spirit Tracks, and even sporadically in Breath of the Wild. No matter where he appears, he always beckons with promises of fun, adventure, and a bit of excitement.
Source