Ranking EVERY Legend of Zelda Opening!

[@lilkorok]

you're welcome for the great video idea ;)

[@HyruleGamer]

thank you for the suggestion! :)

[@Rhyz-1]

​@@HyruleGamer have you already done a part on Rayna highland ancient ruins?

[@ryancarley8491]

I also love how link is always waking up in the beginning. Makes me feel better about myself for sleeping so much 😴.

[@-inFinity05-]

As far as I’m concerned literally everything related to Skyward Sword gets bonus Groose points.

[@paczka695]

TotK's opening gives me chills every time I go through it! It's even better after you have already played the game...

[@DineDiamond91]

Oh yes! You see things differently... You know WHY things happen or WHY Rauru says what he says... You notice little details... The game is just one year old but whenever I play the opening, I already get nostalgic!

[@HomeSchooledWizard]

Tears of the Kingdom, that opening just does something to your brain. You know what’s going to happen, you want to turn back but you can’t. You have to continue. The music slowly getting more intense as you get closer and closer to the source of the weird fog. The suspense just building and building, then culminating to the scene with Ganondorf, the broken master sword, link’s arm being absolutely wrecked, yet he doesn’t even hesitate to try and save Zelda. Then some calm as you leave the shrine of awakening and take a sky dive with the pan around the great sky islands, the music crescendoing with the opening title, then the end as you splash into the pond and your back, utterly confused and thoroughly traumatized by what just happened to Zelda.

[@meow762]

majora's mask, twilight princess and tears of the kingdom definitely have my favorite openings! the ocarina of time title screen itself also is soo good.

[@nudgificator]

I'm impressed with the way you managed to make the word 'yoinked' sound so dramatic in your TotK summary.

[@meatsloth333]

I personally would have swapped windwaker and link to the past but it’s a solid list. TOTK is probably my favorite ending too. Loved the redemption of grabbing Zelda’s hand.

[@endless_del]

that music swell as link wakes up and realizes what's happening is so triumphant too, i honestly don't know how theyre going to top it when it comes to endings

[@benjaminbuchanan7151]

The violin intro in Wind Waker gives me chills every time, and I hadn’t even played OOT before WW.

[@Chrisletizi]

i 100% agree with your take on the twilight princess opening being a good length, especially for someone who can appreciate the game from a narrative perspective. Towards the end of the game, I love how when you look back on Link's journey , you remember that he was once living a peaceful life in Ordon village. You spend enough time in this part of the game for it to leave a memory. It reminds me of the hobbit.

[@endless_del]

oh you're absolutely right, it feels like the hobbit

[@SuleX00-ov5ip]

As someone that has problems with twilight princess the opening wasn't one of them. I wished there were more moments where the world actually shined in twilight princess.

[@sooperdude22]

Breath of the Wild takes the cake for me. Words alone cannot describe that feeling of stepping out of the Shrine of Resurrection for the first time, and being met with the sweeping shot of Hyrule's vast landscape while the opening theme played.

[@Defender1876]

like how the animated links awaking cutscene has Link with blue eyes but we go into game and all he has is black dots

[@BlazingStarfox]

I strongly feel you missed the point of Twilight Princess, it shows link already has responsibility, he didn’t just wake up and decide to save the world. He responsible for the farm, he’s set to be the next mayor, he takes care of and plays with the kids and everyone else in town. He goes out to save them and the intro lets you the character build those attachments. I personally think this is the best intro because it’s not reliant on graphics to win, it’s the story and the weight that makes it better

[@Neptuuneee]

Amazing video, but I believe that the Oracle games should have ranked a bit higher because the art was really good in my opinion, especially the shots of Din and Nayru interacting with the people.

[@isandrooo]

Nostalgia aside, I think BOTW deserves to be top 3 for just how great of a starting area/introduction the great plateau was

[@UmutKursawe]

Interesting. The color palate and music is one of the main reasons the Oracle of Seasons is my favorite video game ever!

[@-inFinity05-]

I find it hilarious how sometimes you accidentally leave two takes of the same line in the video. I do the same thing all the time, and it’s fun to see a bigger KZbinr make the same mistakes.

[@chaossin7425]

ToTK really blows the competition outta the water on this one. No other Zelda villain came remotely close to the menace of Gannondorf in those first few minutes.

[@quillion3rdoption]

I really wish Ganondorf was used more beyond his sparse appearances in that game.

[@Innerspacezombie]

day 159 of mentioning that on 5/6/2023 hyrule gamer made a video where, at 43.46, he spent 12 seconds simping about the ancient gerudo soldiers edit: why does this have so many likes ITS NOT THAT FUNNY

[@spartanq7781]

And? Can you blame her?

[@jupitersnoot4915]

Skyward sword is really special to me, so for me its way higher in the ranking. I don't know why, but the game has just always seemed perfect to me. I think the fact that they gave Link the most personality he's ever had in any Zelda game is really what makes me adore it.

[@HeatherSulu]

This video is a roller-coaster of emotion and is an absolute beauty Great job HG! The music implementation was perfect

[@HyruleGamer]

Thanks a lot, glad you enjoyed!

[@KulaMedli]

Ya gotta love the bonus Groose points

[@alexandersaksvoll5373]

Absolutely agree with TOTK. The intro is simply phenomenal. With especial emphasis on the atmosphere, visuals, sound design and music. Also, I think nostalgia plays a part here as OOT was my first Zelda game, and is my number 2 on this list behind TOTK.

[@senordivinebeast646]

I love ranking videos so glad to see you doing them! Your content is always dope

[@HyruleGamer]

Thanks!

[@yatanogarasu]

Do one for ranking endings. My favorite is also TOTK, as it connects to BOTW so smoothly. The Switch remake of Link's Awakening is a very close second, with the anime-style.

[@kylewagoner]

Ranking the 20 most dramatic times Link has woken up.

[@FireFoxie1345]

For Twilight Princess, it’s the dramatic time Link fell asleep

[@voltron77]

Link’s awakening’s intro opening was amazing too in the game boy game.

[@panterraorosuke7049]

I put Majoras mask at number 2 because I include the clock town portion for the first 3 days to be part of the intro and there are so many people to interact with, make connections with, all while learning the mechanics of the game and how missions work. It's really dark depending on how deep you look and you can get a true feeling of widespread dread if you talk to everyone in clock Town. I have to put twilight princess at number 1 because the story telling, graphics and sense of urgency and danger really pull you in. What really does it for me tho, is the music. I go to sleep to the OST for this game. TotK barely loses to end up in 3rd for me. It's cool, expansive, detailed and hearing Ganon actually speak was pretty cool.

[@benjthewhite]

Something I love about the opening of Tears of the Kingdom in relation to the rest of the game is Link failing to save Zelda foreshadowing the final actions you as a player will do to save Zelda at the end and catching her. My personal fav ending from my fav game, great video!

[@tdl487]

Totk might not be one of my favorite games in the series but that opening was next level and I loved it! While you and Zelda are descending further into the depths the atmosphere just feels so sinister and the ominous music just puts me on edge. It's like watching a horror movie before things go south, you know it's going to happen but you can't do anything but watch. That and I do love the sky diving aspect. Has that call back to SS but better.

[@Mangaka-Knight]

I like the idea.I'll have to think of my list, but I know for certain that Tears of the Kingdom and Twilight Princess openings are at the top.

[@Bad616]

Can't argue with #1! Regardless of what I felt about TOTK as whole I remember the opening leaving me in chills and so excited. TOTK opening is the all time best Zelda opening.

[@-inFinity05-]

I’m so sad you didn’t mention how Niko had the last frame of the opening as a framed picture as an opening in Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks…

[@reynedelozier3164]

But he did…?

[@-inFinity05-]

@@reynedelozier3164 Only in Spirit Tracks

[@ryancarley8491]

I think windwaker was best... something about the music just makes the story shine. You have the medieval style music as they show the hieroglyphic style art. Once they mention that the hero never showed up it transitions perfectly to a more somber style of music. Then once it gets upbeat the title screen hits with that amazingly upbeat fiddle type song. I love it.

[@kallocarina8879]

Idk, I personally LOVE Spirit Tracks's opening. First off, the title screen is really epic with the train coming out of a tunnel and the music shapikg up to be epic and playing thqt soft sweet melody which is so emboematic of our protagonists' relationships, this being the first game where it really feels like this is Link AND Zelda's quest. In addition, the opening moments are further hyped by the fact that Zelda DIES IN THE FIRST FEW MINUTES. Zelda has been petrified before, or turned into a painting, or kidnapped, but it always feels reversible. But when the villain just kills her? Ur like, "Dude what the heck?" One of the best beginnings to a Zelda game, top 5 for me

[@-inFinity05-]

31:04 This may be the best line ever said, just in general.

[@davidfitzpatrick6535]

Yeah I FEEL LIKE with Zelda multiplayer games dont work as well because its always been the perfect game for gamers who don't have friends like me.

[@ethansully]

The glaze is actually crazy on oot, twilight princess, and totk.

[@arrowwishes8766]

My favorite opening will always be majoras mask. Can't beat that feeling of excitement as a child playing Zelda with my brother.

[@SumireSakura]

Nothing in the world can make me like Ocarina. The story, the secret details and especially not the starting.

[@danieltinsleykhvsff9622]

I completely agree with your top 5 here.

[@probenfetchak8076]

I got TOTK on opening day it was done downloading by the time the game first came out but sadly I had school so I didn’t start playing until 5:15 in the morning of the day it launched

[@garvensman]

I agree with this list, but would swap TP and LttP. That intro in TotK is quite frankly the best game into I think I have seen/played in my life.

[@Velinto]

breath of the wild at #5 is criminal

[@soundpatriot5274]

I personnaly love the botw opening the most. The simplicity is perfect for me. You just get dropped in. No story, no nothing. You as the player knows just as little as link who has lost his memory. I just love it. I also like gameplay infinitely more then story. I don't care for a good story, if the gameplay is good. Even though a good story certaintly is a good thing to have. Maybe that's why botw is so perfect for me hahahha

[@xerxies8947]

Loved the video! My favorite is probably Majora's Mask but that's just because MM is my favorite game ever. TotK's opening is amazing tho.

[@erikmueller3404]

Keep up the great content brother!!!

[@HyruleGamer]

Thanks!

[@당신자신사랑-o7j]

I thought this was an intro/title screen ranking and thought oot would be number for sure haha but this is a great list for openings.

[@agentoregon7212]

your pronunciation of seres made me chuckle lol, i always read it as sare-ehs

[@CZsWorld]

I don't see why Zelda 2 and The Legend of Zelda are so far apart in the rankings. They're almost the same but Zelda 2 has better visuals. Zelda 2 is the last game to give you complete freedom at the beginning until Breath of the Wild.

[@tarnw3301]

BoTW/TOTK force you to do a really long tutorial to gather unnecessary abilities before you can find the world I pretty much could have freed the Deku Tree in the time I finished one shrine.

[@DeadeyeJedi85]

As much as I want to see other Zelda ports to Switch, I really want to see the multiplayer ones come over with online play. Four Swords in particular is one that I couldn't play with friends when it came out, because not many of my friends had a GBA at the time.

[@probenfetchak8076]

TOTKs opener was unreal easily top 5

[@errorunknown9788]

Man i love this, haven't finished the video yet but this is a fun thing to rank (also yes Phantom hourglass is super underated, i love that game so much) Also 1000th like on the video lol ^^ Edit: also yeah I'm so on board with the Twilight princess placement (it was literally my first video game, i wont deny bias)

[@danielphelps2138]

Great idea. And a great list. I agree with many of your entries. Though I’d probably rank Skyward Sword a little higher. It’s tough to choose with so many games. Would love to see a follow up to this ranking the ends of the games. Perhaps from final boss through credits. There are some really good and emotional conclusions to these games.

[@HyruleGamer]

That's a brilliant idea, thank you!

[@k_boo8232]

I’m here again! Sorry I can’t watch it now but I will be back! Love these videos ❤❤

[@andrewroberts6505]

So i realise my opinions about intros are roughly the same with the exception of the bottom 2 and some middle placements...... I also realised and remembered how great Zelda music really is!

[@suburbantimewaster9620]

The Zelda games I played always had awesome openings.

[@corrinflakes9659]

I wish Echoes of Wisdom had at least one anime cutscene like the Link’s Awakening remake.

[@aliastheabnormal]

It's honestly crazy that Nico managed to last at bare minimum 120 years and not lose a step. He's probably the oldest living Hylian in the franchise at this point.

[@gonk1012]

Botw is pure magic

[@Cosmosis-86]

Great video, I’m on the same page with number’s 2 and 1.

[@aymericvuillermoz413]

Hi, it's really great that the first is the one I don't want to see as I haven't played it yet. But intend to, and I don't want any spoilers...

[@aymericvuillermoz413]

I must say I didn't expect my first zelda experience, aLttP, to be ranked that high. But the game in itself was super discovery! And soon after finishing it, I could play OoT, and that sealed the deal: I was a zelda lover !

[@chrisdrown5866]

Have you ever thought about doing some original scenarios in the Zelda universe? I watch Riches and Liches on here and he does some really cool original scenarios where it works well with the Dungeons and Dragons/Forgotten Realms lore. While Zelda is obviously not D&D, it could be a good way to keep people engaged with Hyrule during what's probably going to be a painfully long Zelda drought. If you did release videos like that, I think a lot people would be down to watch it even if it's not canon and you're especially knowledgable with Zelda lore.

[@samuxan]

I agree with the top 2 from story perspective. but if I consider the gameplay they might be the worst. not getting the glider before getting to the surface is a miss opportunity and drags the tutorial part of totk too much. I feel something similar with TP, we get tutorials for everything before really starting(I never understood why force you to learn a secondary mechanic like fishing before the basics) and we have to go through the tutorial 2 more times, one as a wolf and another one as the proper link, not his villager persona. So the opening is the longest and quite ahead of the rest

[@MiroBouchard]

The original link awakening dx on gbc is my favorite OP personnaly.

[@WKP1996]

I watched the video with mo snack or drink, but breakfast with breakfast and water 😅

[@SaturnYoshi]

Yuga is a male. Otherwise, great video.

[@cementeatingnoodle]

Rank every version of link and Zelda

[@carolinehatcher7908]

Wind Waker will always be my number 1❤ that story, art style, and music can’t be beat

[@HyruleGamer]

Very solid choice!

[@equivalenceprinciple1982]

TotK's intro might have been exciting when first experiencing it, but in light of what followed, it turns out to be completely hollow. When you have a tantalizing set up, it falls completely flat if you don't follow through.

[@tarnw3301]

You know. You're right. The first time it was cool, the second time I was just rolling my eyes at the scene and cursing Zelda's constant commentary.

[@alexsartor63]

What an ending!

[@nicolasadams2204]

No offense but the missed out of probably the most insane part of the TOTK opening which was the master sword literally BREAKING. Blew my mind

[@TheJace20]

I was just thinking this as well and then seen your comment

[@daddy_kong]

Tri Force Heroes lets gooo

[@thedustbunny161]

The absolute madness that it takes to put WIND WAKER AT 6! I'm sorry, personally that's at least top two to me. The storybook format, the music timing, the slow morphing of the song into something sinister, it all just smacks of a story to call "A Legend". Never had to disagree with you so much but it was inevitable.

[@religion15]

Ranking Zelda 1 at 10th confirms to me that the ranking is based more on narrative than gameplay. At least Zelda 1 and 2 don't waste your time with direct dialog (SS on Wii) and put you right in the action

[@niceparker8401]

Couldn’t agree more with the top 5

[@raphaeltouron9149]

I get that you don't liké the Oracles but their intro cutscene were super cool honestly... Not liking these games doesn't mean you have to put them down everytime

[@HyruleGamer]

It's just my opinion. Me not liking their colour palette as much doesn't massively effect the intro rating, just added in the comment lol

[@darkisatari]

Oh man.. you lost me right off the bat. Oracles opening is fascinating to me because it depicts a residence for the completed Triforce in the world Link inhabits - not a separate realm, and also arguably not Hyrule Castle since later we see that this Link and Zelda haven’t met before. So is it a special fortress to house the Triforce? Or is it Hyrule Castle and Link accessed the sacred relic without meeting the princess first? We also see a function of the Triforce beyond just granting wishes, as it exerts a will to affect the world on behalf of good. Anyway, Oracles are good

[@DarkAngelBluejay]

Twilight Princess nearly dies for me in the opening. Honestly for all the reasons HG loves it. The tutorial and such takes way too long, and is just.... boring. I would also have put the OG Zelda near the bottom for how little there is to it. Great game, and I get limitations of the time and all, many NES games just drop you in. But it doesn't hold up well against newer games. And the broken English text just comes off more laughable than anything anymore.

[@nworder4life]

Why am I not surprised you put tears of the kingdom first

[@princeapoopoo5787]

I'm definitely one of those people who think the intro of Twilight Princess drags on too long. For my first playthrough, it was fantastic, but now that I know the ropes and how ... unnecessary at least a quarter of the tutorials felt. I wish the game allowed for some freedom for people who ARE familiar with the gameplay and allow them to explore Ordon at their own pace. Which is a shame because if you could skip the tutorial aspects of the dialogue, it would be my favourite intro! Ordon is a cosy happy town with one of the best songs in the franchise. I love the NPCs. I just don't like having my hand held.

[@RooMoo_DooMoo]

oot closes it for me because of the music

[@raffaelm6558]

I was hoping to see TotK at the top because honestly, that opening is just so damn good. The music, the atmosphere... I remember playing it in the middle of the night when the game released and my heart was racing. It's just so good. And I can really agree with most of this list, especially number 2. Twilight Princess deserves so much more love than it sometimes gets. And now I want to play 4 Swords Adventures again. I miss that game.

[@Innerspacezombie]

day 226 of mentioning that on 5/6/2023 hyrule gamer made a video where, at 43.46, he spent 12 seconds simping about the ancient gerudo soldiers

[@brunettexbrat]

Skyward sword at 12 is criminal

[@Innerspacezombie]

day 183 of mentioning that on 5/6/2023 hyrule gamer made a video where, at 43.46, he spent 12 seconds simping about the ancient gerudo soldiers

[@Banuune]

10:25 Lol. It is clear.

[@a.jthomas6132]

The opening of Breath of the Wild should be number one on the rank over Tears of the Kingdom’s It allows the players to be emerged to a new world with Link accompanying them to exit the Shrine of Resurrection. With the wildlife SFX and the composing of Manaka Kataoka, Yasuaki Iwata, and Hajime Wakai, it makes us transported to a new Hyrule that is new and unfamiliar to us. There is no other Zelda games can top this opening sequence.

[@jypsridic]

I wish the TotK opening was very slightly changed so that Raru's hand catching Link is the reason he fails to catch Zelda. Or at least make it clear that's what happened instead of what we got if that was what they intended.

[@Innerspacezombie]

day 215 of mentioning that on 5/6/2023 hyrule gamer made a video where, at 43.46, he spent 12 seconds simping about the ancient gerudo soldiers

[@elijahstrohmann6196]

botw is one of my least favorites bc of how it changed things, but ive gotta give it props for the best intro. its so open and inspiring

[@BubReaper-uj7no]

Twilight princess still has my favorite opening

[@Ruizon1]

Your bias against the handheld Zelda games shows so much in this video. Lots of the intros are misplaced imo, especially your very first Zelda placement... You have a text dump and dropped on the main map, the intro ends there.

[@MarshallTheArtist]

You experienced that intro sequence very differently than I did. For me it was like Indiana Jones meets Stranger Things. AWESOME.

[@Brockbuiltmore]

i hate to say it i really do but twilight princess or OOT or MM shouldve been over TOTK right now. to me, its just a frustrating weakness of recency bias. while yeah, i love TOTKs opening upon ALOT of rewatches and seeing it up to its release, but like BOTW, id give it a few more years to call TOTK the greatest thing since sliced bread. but thats just me.

[@RangerMelB]

TOTK for sure... And then probably the first one... Link to the Past.

[@ravenebony2267]

The world is too ending ... Wand of Gamelon absolutely did have the best opening. Should've been ranked higher.

[@TheOnilink1230]

At least you called out your bias! To be fair there really is no bad Zelda ga… CD what? What was I say? Ah yes there really is no bad Zelda game and by extension no truly bad Zelda opening. Twilight princess is an amazing game most aspects of the game deserve either a 8,9,or 10 / 10 with most being a 9 or a 10 I LOVE this game! However if any part of this game deserves a below average 6/10 the slow paced minimum 90 min slog fest that is its opening is it.😢

[@mikejacquard1222]

I have to disagree on your top 2. They should be switched. TP is the only zelda game in which I feel emotionally invested in the characters. It's more than "princess in trouble. Go save her" it's the story of link becoming the hero the children already see him as even though he's not yet, and becoming the man the adults see him as even though he kind of still acts like a child at times.

[@daniel8181]

Dangerous to give credit to tp's intro. Respectable.

[@redlink8840]

Yuga is male