Playable Zelda: All the Games Where You Play as Princess Zelda

Even if you’ve never played The Legend of Zelda, you probably know who Princess Zelda is. And no, she is not the warrior with the pointy ears that you use as the main character. I mean, I get it. It is a common misconception. After all, the game series is called The Legend of Zelda.

Since the first game’s release in 1987, we have been able to control Link, a young warrior who eventually becomes a hero by overcoming many challenges across many dungeons and defeating evil forces, until Echoes of Wisdom.

Click here to learn more about Echoes of Wisdom.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is the first mainline game where Princess Zelda is our playable protagonist; however, there have been times we’ve been able to use her powers in a mainline game and in other non-canon games where she even debuted as the protagonist.

So join me as we look at all the games or all the other games where you can play as Princess Zelda.

The Legend of Zelda CD-i Games

Let’s start with the infamous Legend of Zelda CD-i games. Nintendo granted Philips the license to use five of their franchise characters for their console system. The Philips CD-i, short for Compact Disc-Interactive, was a multimedia console released by Philips in 1991. Although originally designed as a general-purpose multimedia device, it also supported CD-i video games. As part of the agreement, several licensed games were released, including three Zelda games, Hotel Mario, and Tetris. However, it’s important to note that although Nintendo granted the license for these games, the company was not involved in their development, and these games are not considered canon of The Legend of Zelda.

Zelda: The Wand Of Gamelon

Surprisingly enough, two of the three CD-i games featured playable versions of Princess Zelda. What’s interesting is that both games “Link: The Faces of Evil” and “Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon” were released on the same day, and developed simultaneously. The reason they look and play similarly is that they use the same graphic engine, developed by Animation Magic and published by Philips Interactive Media for the CD-i on October 10, 1993, in North America.

‘Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon’ changes the roles compared to ‘Link: The Faces of Evil’, here you get to play as Princess Zelda who sets out to save Link and King Harkinian and defend her kingdom from Ganon.

The animated cutscenes and acting have some unintentional humor, and as long as you don’t take it too seriously, you can have a decent time playing through this short adventure.

Zelda’s Adventure

An action-adventure fantasy video developed by Viridis Corporation and released on the CD-i format, based on The Legend of Zelda franchise. Set in the land of Tolemac (“Camelot” spelled backward). Link has been captured by the evil lord Ganon, and Zelda must collect the seven celestial signs to rescue him.

Unlike the first two CD-i games, Zelda’s Adventure took the top-down gameplay approach and this game features live-action cutscenes, yes you heard me right. If you want to see terrible FMV (Full-motion Video) cutscenes that make you cringe and experience some of the worst-level designs then you must give this game a try.

Reception of the game was negative and even regarded as one of the worst video games ever made, but both The Wand of Gamelon and Zelda’s Adventure are great meme material.

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

In “Echoes of Wisdom,” Princess Zelda is the protagonist for the first time in any of the mainline games. However, there is another mainline game where we briefly play as Princess Zelda, but she is not in her true form during that time.

In The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, Zelda’s spirit is separated from her physical body. Throughout most of the game, she accompanies Link in spirit form but she can possess large Phantom guards. This allows her to help Link solve puzzles in the Tower of Spirits.

While it is true that this is a small role, it’s the closest Zelda has ever been to being a playable character in the main series. And let’s not forget that this ability can be used in one of Zelda’s attacks in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

And yes, for those of you saying that we can play as Princess Zelda in Spirit Tracks, she still isn’t the protagonist in the game, not until Echoes of Wisdom.

Hyrule Warriors

In 2014, Nintendo partnered with Koei Tecmo to add another game to their Warriors series, Hyrule Warriors. This game incorporates locations, characters, items, and enemies from the Zelda series and combines them with the hack-and-slash gameplay of Dynasty Warriors. It was first released on the Wii U, followed by an updated version for the 3DS in 2016, and the Definitive Edition on the Switch in 2018.

Princess Zelda is a playable character in the game. She wields a Rapier as her basic weapon, and she can also use her Bow and Light Arrows. When her Focus Spirit is enabled, she can perform a rapid combination of Spells from Ocarina of Time, including Nayru’s Love, Farore’s Wind, and Din’s Fire, as her Special Technique.

Additionally, she has a unique mechanic that allows her to summon orbs of light to enhance her attacks. You can also choose to play as Toon Zelda from The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, and as Tetra, who is revealed to be Princess Zelda in The Wind Waker, as well as acquiring Breath of the Wild Princess Zelda’s Outfit if you have the DLC.

Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Calamity

The good news is that Hyrule Warriors wouldn’t be the only game in the series. Omega Force worked on another Warriors game inspired by The Legend of Zelda, focusing on the characters and events of Breath of the Wild: “Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity”, is a game that features fewer play modes compared to its predecessor; however, it offers a large replay value, and even larger when you add the DLC.

Technically we have two versions of Princess Zelda, Scholar Zelda and Awakened Zelda which offer very different skills and moves, Scholar Zelda wields the Sheikah Slate to use moves like Magnesis and Stasis, while Awakened Zelda can use more traditional weapons like the Bow.

“Age of Calamity is the perfect answer to all the questions we had about how the story unfolded in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Sadly, this is not a mainline game since it is considered to be a spin-off, but it could easily be a “what if” temporary timeline.

Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer

Following the success of Zelda-inspired spin-offs, Nintendo partnered with Brace Yourself Games to create a fantastic and underrated game. Cadence of Hyrule is a rhythm game that combines the gameplay of Crypt of the Necrodancer with the characters, locations, enemies, and music of The Legend of Zelda series and of course, Princess Zelda is a playable character.

Crypt of the NecroDancer is an amazing game with a unique playstyle. You have to move, attack, and navigate the world to the beat of the music. Its top-down style and art direction are reminiscent of early Zelda titles. The game features low-fi, electronic renditions of familiar songs from the series, reigniting your love for the music. An exciting feature is the ability to play as either Link or Zelda, switching between the two characters as you wish.

Super Smash Bros.

The most obvious and straightforward way to play as Princess Zelda is by playing any copy of Super Smash Bros. at least from Meele and onward, and I’m adding this to the list as a whole series rather than each game. Zelda became a playable fighter in Super Smash Bros. Melee, and Sheik has been included in every new entry since. In Smash 4, Zelda and Sheik were separated into two distinct characters with separate moves. Zelda gained her Phantom Armor ability from Spirit Tracks to replace her prior ability, which transformed her into Sheik.

Zelda’s design has undergone significant changes throughout the Smash Bros. series. In her original debut in Melee, she appeared in her adult form from Ocarina of Time. Then, in Brawl, her design was based on her Twilight Princess model. Her latest update in Ultimate features her design from her Link Between Worlds attire.

Even though it was a bit odd to see Princess Zelda as a fighting character in Smash, her presence in these games has only improved with each iteration. It’s also worth noting how satisfying it is to take out not only Ganondorf while playing as the princess of Hyrule but also some of the video game’s most infamous villains along the way.

And there you have it. Did I miss any games? Which game surprised you the most? Let me know in the comments below.