Daily Debate: Where Does Tears of the Kingdom Rank On Your Personal List of Favorite Zelda Games?

I’ve been playing Zelda games all year — which isn’t new for me. I always try to play my favorites at least once all the way through during each year. I knew with Tears of the Kingdom releasing this year that my personal list of favorite Zelda games might get a little muddled with this new entry that could fit anywhere. I have always been one who places Ocarina of Time at the top of my list (for obvious reasons), but I don’t know if it’s just because I’m getting older or if games keep becoming more meaningful to me, but my list of top Zelda games is in all sorts of disarray right now.

I recently played through The Wind Waker for the first time in a while, and I was entranced by the masterful storytelling in a whole new way. And Ocarina of Time still manages to tug at my heartstrings, as always. But ultimately, I’m torn with my feelings about this new game. I absolutely treasure Breath of the Wild‘s universe and the rich elements Tears of the Kingdom brought to the full story. I also adored how the new game included callbacks to many of my previous favorite entries in the series, an insanely well-crafted and cinematic final battle against Ganondorf, a beautifully depicted relationship between Link and Zelda, and quite frankly the most emotional ending of the series. I also loved that the whole experience just came full circle in the end. It was so satisfying and actually moved me to tears (literally, no pun here!).

Tears of the Kingdom might just be new and fresh, but it’s currently sitting at the top of my list, which I never thought would happen! But maybe more thought, time, and playing will help me get my top favorite games more organized again. Or perhaps another playthrough of a classic will help me get my thoughts in order!

Where is Tears of the Kingdom sitting on your personal list of favorite Zelda games? Let us know in the comments!

Chakell Herbert

Chakell (pronounced shuh-kell) is an associate editor for Zelda Dungeon! She has loved The Legend of Zelda series since she was a little girl because of its equal mix of princesses, besting bad guys, and heartfelt stories. Chakell lives in the overall tame state of Utah, but holds onto her childhood hopes to find an adventure in her backyard one day. She has a degree in English and is a full-time editor for a magazine. You can usually find her gaming (obviously), laughing with her husband, taking a long time to tell stories because she keeps getting distracted; getting sucked into books and podcasts; or snuggling her cute Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.