The 10 HARDEST Zelda Games To Complete

“Ocarina of Time” seems like the entry most diehard “Zelda” fans will have replayed the most, given its iconic and beloved status. While we may have most of its secrets memorized, it can definitely be tough on the average player. Dungeons are intricately designed, which can lead to places like the Shadow Temple and Water Temple being pretty challenging. Of course, earning 100% means a lot of sidequesting too. You’ll have to search all corners of the world to collect 100 Golden Skulltula tokens as well as find the NPCs linked to both trading quests. Some elements of “Ocarina of Time” are naturally difficult, but it’s all the extra bits, including 36 Pieces of Heart, that make it more so.

“Twilight Princess” is sort of like “Ocarina of Time” 2.0 with a similar but bigger world layout. With more collectibles and side quests, you can bet it’ll make you work for that 100%. If you don’t know where to look, the side quests for Agitha and Jovani, which require tracking down 24 Gold Bugs and 60 Poes respectively, can be fairly tedious. Dungeons are naturally grander than previous entries. The layouts of the Lakebed Temple and the City in the Sky are bound to cause confusion while the overwhelming enemies of Arbiter’s Grounds will try to smother you. Luckily, other than a few outliers, the boss fights of “Twilight Princess” aren’t too difficult. Best of luck when you reach the Cave of Ordeals, though. That place is no joke.

“The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker” (2003)

Also in:

The 10 HARDEST Final Fantasy Games To Complete

With 49 islands spread across the vast Great Sea, “Wind Waker” will certainly be a rough one to earn 100%. With 7 main dungeons, it’s a little bit lighter in that regard than other 3D entries. But they all bring their own challenges, specifically the Sage dungeons. Plus what it lacks there, it more than makes up for in side-quests. Every island must be combed over to get all of its goodies, which include a multitude of Treasure Charts. Some Pieces of Heart only come at the ends of exceptionally long or annoying quests, like decorating Windfall Island or completing Salvatore’s obnoxiously hard Sinking Ships minigame. At least we get nice scenery while sailing around, trying to complete all this junk.

Normally, we’d keep these games separate. But as we’re talking about the hardest games to 100%, we can’t actually do that here. Earning everything in Capcom’s duology requires beating both games as you’ll only get the true final boss by doing so. On top of that, 2D “Zelda” games are usually a bit more obtuse than 3D ones. While the “Oracle” games aren’t anywhere near as difficult as the oldest entries, they’ll still make reaching your goal a pain. There are some stand-out tough dungeons, like the endlessly annoying Jabu-Jabu’s Belly from “Ages” and the one-two hit combo of fire & ice that is the Sword & Shield Maze from “Seasons.” Also, each has their own trading quest and collection of Magic Rings to hunt down.

“Majora’s Mask” has fewer dungeons than most games in the series. And yet, those dungeons are some of the hardest in the franchise. The verticality of the Snowhead Temple, the confusing layout of the Great Bay Temple, and the nature of flipping the Stone Tower Temple upside down will all cause you frustration. Then you have the side quests that make up half the game, all of which require completing specific events on specific days at specific times and locations. If you miss something, too bad and better luck next time. “Majora’s Mask” has gained a strong cult following over the years and is a favorite here at MojoPlays. But if someone isn’t into it, we can’t say we blame them.

“The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past” (1991)

Also in:

The 10 HARDEST Zelda Side Quests

To many, “A Link to the Past” is at a perfect balance, blending the difficult nature of the NES games with quality of life changes that make it more manageable. Still, compared to 3D installments, it can kick the crap out of players unfamiliar with it. While older games naturally don’t have as many sidequests, meaning less time to 100%, they are significantly harder, especially when it comes to dungeons. Skull Woods confuses with multiple entrances, the Ice Palace enrages through slippery floors, and Ganon’s Tower is a massive gauntlet of enemies and obstacles. It’s a good thing the story is straightforward and simple because almost nothing else is.

“The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening” (1993)

Also in:

The Legend of Zelda: Every Version of Link Ranked

No matter if it’s the original, the Game Boy Color version, or the 2019 remake, “Link’s Awakening” is a hard game. It brings all the trappings of other classic (i.e. super hard) “Zelda” games, but with the added confines of a portable, and we say this with love, outdated design. If you don’t know where to go, you’ll find yourself frequently wandering and backtracking. Although parts of its main trading sequence are tied to the story, that just means you’ll get stuck during both while you try to figure out what to do. Other side quests and mini-games won’t stress you out much more than those in other games, but getting everything in this one is still taxing.

“The Legend of Zelda” (1986)

Also in:

The 10 HARDEST Zelda Mini Games

Surprise! An NES game is hard. But seriously, going into the original game without the know-how or a guide will take some serious dedication. For obvious reasons, earning 100% barely takes more time than completing the base game; side quests weren’t really a thing in the 80s. However, as it gives you almost no information on where to go or what to do, you’ll be doing a lot of searching. How could you possibly know which wall to bomb or which bush to burn? If you really wanted to 100% it, you’d need to complete the Second Quest which changes some overworld locations, makes enemies harder, and jumbles dungeon layouts. Yeah…no thanks.

“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” (2017)

Also in:

How Zelda: Breath of The Wild Changed Open World Games

As the entry that far and away takes the longest amount of time to 100%, you can bet “Breath of the Wild” will be a significant challenge. It doesn’t bring the same level of frustration as older games, save for when your weapons break at inopportune moments. But there are still several of the 120 Shrines that we’d love to never have to complete again. Some will test your reaction time, others will bombard you with strong enemies, and some will simply make reaching them a challenge. On top of the Shrines, there’s still a mountain load of content like NPC side quests, 900 Korok Seeds, and upgradeable armor sets. Better strap in.

“Zelda II: The Adventure of Link” (1988)

Also in:

The 10 Weirdest Items In Zelda Games

There’s no shame in using Save States to beat this one. “Zelda II: The Adventure of Link” is one of the most difficult games on the NES, let alone in the “Zelda” series. Often seen as the black sheep entry, it seems most fans tend not to like it. Although, with a difficulty level this high, we can understand why. Just like the original, there isn’t much to earning 100% outside of the main story. However, enemies will legitimately gun for your demise, especially those you come across in any of its incredibly tough and labyrinthine dungeons. Dying, which you will do a lot of, will drop your current experience to zero and place you all the way back at the North Castle unless you’re inside the final dungeon. It’s enough to drive you mad.