Could The Legend of Zelda Become the Next Anime Phenomenon?

Solo Leveling may be sitting comfortably near the top of the anime world right now, but there’s one hero who could potentially give Sung Jinwoo a serious run for his money.

His name is Link.

Yes, that Link.

For decades, The Legend of Zelda has been one of the biggest names in gaming. We’ve explored Hyrule, fought Ganondorf more times than we can count, searched every suspicious-looking wall for secrets, and probably spent way too much time smashing pots.

But there’s still one major piece of nerd culture Nintendo hasn’t fully explored with Zelda:

Anime.

And the crazy part is Nintendo may already have the perfect story sitting right in front of them.

Twilight Princess Is Basically Begging to Become an Anime

If Nintendo ever decides to bring The Legend of Zelda into anime, it doesn’t necessarily need to start from scratch.

Akira Himekawa’s manga adaptation of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess gives Nintendo a blueprint.

Unlike many Zelda manga adaptations that condense the games into shorter stories, Twilight Princess became an enormous 11-volume adventure.

That gives the story room to breathe.

More importantly, it gives Link something gamers rarely get to see in quite the same way:

A personality.

Video-game Link is traditionally quiet because we’re supposed to step into his boots. We become the hero.

Manga Link is different.

We get his emotions, motivations, fears and frustrations. He isn’t simply the guy holding the Master Sword anymore. He becomes a character you can follow, understand and root for.

And that could translate incredibly well to anime.

This Wouldn't Be the Cute Zelda Some People Expect

Twilight Princess was already one of the darker Zelda games.

The manga pushes that darkness even further.

Link gets thrown into a brutal adventure involving monsters, loss, revenge, strange transformations and a conspiracy connected to the history of Hyrule.

You still get everything Zelda fans expect.

Sword fights.

Puzzles.

Creatures.

Mysteries.

Companions.

And, of course, one of the franchise’s greatest characters: Midna.

But the manga can spend more time exploring what all of those events actually do to Link emotionally.

That’s where an anime could shine.

Imagine a Zelda series where the battles look spectacular but we also get to know the hero underneath the green tunic.

That could be something special.

Could Zelda Actually Compete With Solo Leveling?

Here’s where things get interesting.

Solo Leveling has become an anime monster.

Its popularity on Crunchyroll has been enormous, with the series collecting an incredible number of fan ratings and becoming one of the platform’s biggest success stories.

But Zelda isn't exactly walking into this fight as an underdog.

This is one of the biggest gaming franchises on Earth.

Tears of the Kingdom sold around 10 million copies during its first three days, while Breath of the Wild has sold tens of millions of copies worldwide.

And Zelda trailers can generate absolutely ridiculous numbers online.

The audience already exists.

Gamers know Link.

Anime fans know Link.

Parents know Link.

Kids know Link.

People who haven't touched a Nintendo controller in twenty years probably still recognize Link.

That's a massive advantage for any potential anime adaptation.

Gaming Fans and Anime Fans Already Live in the Same Neighborhood

There’s another reason this could work.

The gaming and anime communities overlap more than ever.

A huge percentage of people who grew up playing Nintendo also grew up watching anime.

Pokémon.

Dragon Ball.

Naruto.

One Piece.

Yu-Gi-Oh!

Sailor Moon.

The fandoms have been crossing paths for decades.

And Zelda itself has always carried visual influences that can easily fit into animation.

Just look at games like Skyward Sword, Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.

The exaggerated action, fantasy worlds, creatures, magic and character designs are practically screaming for animation.

Nintendo Isn't Exactly Rushing Into This

So what's stopping it?

Nintendo.

And honestly, that might not be a bad thing.

Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa has indicated that adapting Nintendo properties into anime presents challenges because the company wants anything carrying its characters to feel uniquely Nintendo.

That makes sense.

Nintendo doesn't simply want somebody to grab Link, Zelda and Ganondorf and create another generic fantasy anime.

If Zelda becomes an anime, Nintendo apparently wants it to feel like Zelda.

That means finding the right animation studio, the right creative team and probably the right moment.

And Nintendo has become extremely protective of how its characters move into movies and television.

After decades of keeping its biggest franchises close to the vest, the company has started opening the door.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie became a massive success.

A live-action Legend of Zelda movie is coming.

So an animated Zelda series suddenly doesn't sound nearly as impossible as it once did.

But Which Zelda Story Should Become an Anime?

This is where nerd arguments can get dangerous.

Do you adapt Ocarina of Time?

Do Breath of the Wild?

Maybe Wind Waker?

Or create something completely original?

There are arguments for all of them.

But Twilight Princess might be the easiest starting point because so much of the work has already been done.

The manga takes a story Zelda fans already love and expands it into something designed for serialized storytelling.

That means Nintendo wouldn't simply be turning a video game into episodes.

They'd be adapting an adaptation.

And strangely enough, that might be exactly why it works.

Your Nerd Side Take

Nintendo doesn't need to make a Zelda anime.

That's probably the strongest reason it could be great.

There's no desperation here.

Zelda doesn't need television to become popular.

It already has generations of fans.

So if Nintendo finally decides to do it, the company can wait until somebody comes along with an idea worthy of the franchise.

But the foundation is sitting there.

Eleven volumes of Twilight Princess.

A darker Link.

A deeper story.

Huge battles.

Midna.

Ganondorf.

Hyrule.

And an audience of millions already waiting.

Could a Legend of Zelda anime actually challenge something as massive as Solo Leveling?

Maybe.

But there's an even bigger question.

Why haven't we gotten one already?

Because if Nintendo ever pulls the Master Sword on this idea…

anime fans might want to prepare themselves.

Hyrule could be coming.