Ranking the Zelda games on Nintendo Switch from best to worst

Posted on May 23, 2026 by Ethan in Features, Switch, Switch 2

As The Legend of Zelda celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, we’ve put together a ranking of the games on Nintendo Switch from best to worst.

Fans of the Zelda series have it very, very good on the console. You’ve got two new groundbreaking games, plenty of high-quality remakes, and access to a majority of past titles via Nintendo Switch Online. If you’re looking to get into the franchise for the first time, we’ve ranked every main series game released for Nintendo Switch from best to worst. Or, in this case, best to “least best” – since it’s extremely rare that the Zelda series gets an objectively bad game.

Do note, however, that we’re only including Nintendo Switch games here. Nintendo Switch Online includes tons of fantastic Zelda games like Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask, but they’re not included on the list this time around. We did rank the top 10 Zelda games of all time back in 2024, if you’re interested in reading that first.

The Legend of Zelda spin-off games

Though we’re only officially ranking main series Zelda games, we thought it’d be important to mention the treasure trove of spin-off titles available on Nintendo Switch as well. Most of these are Hyrule Warriors games – on Nintendo Switch, you have Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. These two titles won’t appeal to every Zelda fan, but if you enjoy mindless hack-and-slash action with tons of different playable characters, they’re certainly worth considering.

Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition is generally considered the stronger title of the two thanks to its better technical performance – Age of Calamity suffers from extreme frame rate drops that haven’t been fixed even on Nintendo Switch 2. Speaking of which, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, and its performance is a step up from Age of Calamity. It doesn’t have as many playable characters, and it’s been relatively forgotten since its November 2025 release date thanks to its $70 price tag, but it’s still a decent pick. There’s also Cadence of Hyrule, which is a rhythm crossover between Zelda and Crypt of the NecroDancer. We don’t see many discuss this game in the modern age, but it’s a great option for anyone who loves Crypt of the NecroDancer. You can find links for all of these games below to purchase, if you’re interested:

5. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD

If we absolutely had to pick a Zelda game as the weakest on Nintendo Switch, it would unfortunately have to be this one. That’s not saying much, though, because Skyward Sword HD is still incredibly high quality. This is without a doubt the most polarizing entry in the Zelda series, mainly due to its focus on motion controls. In the Nintendo Switch version, you can use the right control stick to control Link’s sword instead, which is a definitive improvement, but it’s still rather awkward compared to other 3D Zelda titles. Without getting too specific, there are only three major areas in the game other than Skyloft that are each visited multiple times, and one of the most annoying boss fights in the game is reused twice, which winds up feeling like a lack in variety. A good chunk of players will greatly enjoy this game, but others will find themselves unimpressed.

Still, this is a really good remake, and one that’s eventually worth playing if you like the Zelda series. If you’re interested in giving it a try, Skyward Sword HD is currently available on Amazon. They don’t have the USA version for sale, but Nintendo Switch is region-free, which means you can play any region’s games regardless of your console’s region settings.

4. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

Echoes of Wisdom is the most recent 2D Zelda, and it’s an all-new one created by the developers of the Link’s Awakening remake. In it, you play as Zelda and not Link, and her main gimmick is the ability to create copies of enemies and objects she encounters at will. This leads to some creative puzzle-solving and the return of traditional dungeons after their absence in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. It’s a neat concept in theory and it’s just about as neat in practice – though when you’ve accumulated dozens of echoes, you have to scroll through a really long menu to find the one you want. This does create a very passive fighting style where you’re often forced to run away and spam echoes, and often times I found myself just wishing I could permanently play as Link instead so I could attack more easily. Zelda can transform into a swordfighter mode in this game, though it’s very brief and runs on a timer. Though Echoes of Wisdom’s story isn’t anything too crazy, it’s well-presented and (in my opinion) more put together than Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom’s respective stories.

If you’re looking for something new and want to give Echoes of Wisdom a shot, it’s available on Amazon. Of course, it’s also available on the Nintendo eShop.

3. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening

Ranking Zelda games is really subjective, because in my opinion this is the best one on Nintendo Switch at the moment. Its only major flaw is its frame drops, which only occur on the base Nintendo Switch and not Switch 2. Link’s Awakening is a full remake of the Game Boy original, with an amazing unique art style and excellent music across the board. You’ve got some new features like a dungeon creator and such, but the base game here is so solid that it’s an easy recommendation for any Zelda fan. It’s also one of the rare Zelda games that takes place outside of Hyrule, and it feels more unique and memorable for it.

Zelda: Link’s Awakening is available here, if you haven’t played it yet!

2. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Many would say that Tears of the Kingdom is the best Zelda game on Nintendo Switch, and it’s easy to see why. In many ways, it’s the pinnacle of player choice and creativity – its puzzles and objectives can be solved in dozens of unique ways thanks to the versatility of Link’s abilities. Ultrahand and Fuse alone are incredibly useful, allowing the player to move objects and combine them as they please. You can drop a log across a river for a shortcut, combine weapons together to boost damage, and much more. Tears of the Kingdom is an open-world sandbox sort of game just like Breath of the Wild, and the major difference between it and Breath of the Wild (other than the new abilities) is the presence of classic dungeons rather than Divine Beasts as well as sky islands and the depths. As fantastic as this game is, though, we don’t recommend playing Breath of the Wild and then immediately moving on to Tears of the Kingdom – take a break between them, because they’re both 100+ hour adventures that take place in the same world.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available here if you don’t have it yet. Also remember that there’s a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition available for better frame rate, resolution, and more.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

The reason we’ve ranked Zelda: Breath of the Wild first here and not Tears of the Kingdom is because Breath of the Wild had the surprise factor and a sense of wonder Tears of the Kingdom couldn’t quite replicate. You really had to be there – the hype building up prior to Breath of the Wild’s release was unbelievable, and it was received incredibly well on launch. It’s a contender for one of the biggest franchise evolutions of all time, and although Tears of the Kingdom is technically a more impressive title, Breath of the Wild did it all first, which is a big advantage in its favor – Tears of the Kingdom takes place in the same world, so that hype of exploring a giant open land was dulled a bit in comparison. If you’ve never played Breath of the Wild, you’re missing out on a great entry point to the Zelda series and one of the best games ever.

This one is currently available on Amazon if you’re interested in trying it. The game has its own Nintendo Switch 2 Edition as well.

How would you rank all of the Legend of Zelda games available on Switch? Leave your ranking in the comments down below.

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