Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
The Legend of Zelda is Nintendo’s long-running action-adventure franchise set primarily in the kingdom of Hyrule. Most entries feature Link on a quest that involves exploration, puzzles, and combat—often tied to Princess Zelda and the series’ recurring mythology (like the Triforce). (Nintendo’s official Zelda site)
Quick takeaways
- Series origin: Nintendo notes that the Zelda series “began here” with the original The Legend of Zelda. (Nintendo (The Legend of Zelda – NES))
- Best-selling Zelda title on Switch (official): The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — 33.64 million units (as of Dec 31, 2025). (Nintendo IR)
- Tears of the Kingdom sales (official): The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom — 22.40 million units (as of Dec 31, 2025). (Nintendo IR)
- Wind Waker HD sales (official): The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD — 2.37 million units on Wii U (as of Mar 31, 2025). (Nintendo IR)
On this page:
- Franchise stats (confirmed unit sales)
- Zelda sales on Nintendo Switch (official)
- Zelda sales on other platforms (official where published)
- Notes on “player count” vs. sales
- FAQ
- Sources & references
The Legend of Zelda franchise stats (confirmed)
Nintendo publishes official lifetime unit sales for select top-selling titles by platform. The figures below use Nintendo’s investor relations (IR) reporting where available.
Zelda sales on Nintendo Switch (official)
Official Nintendo IR unit sales (worldwide, life-to-date): Nintendo’s “Top Selling Title Sales Units” table includes the following Zelda games (as of December 31, 2025):
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — 33.64 million units. (Nintendo IR)
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom — 22.40 million units. (Nintendo IR)
Why only these two? Nintendo’s IR table lists the top-selling titles for the platform; many Zelda releases (remakes, spin-offs, older ports) are not included in that top-10 list, so Nintendo does not provide an official number on that specific page.
Zelda sales on other platforms (official where published)
Wii U (Nintendo IR top sellers):
- The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD — 2.37 million units (as of Mar 31, 2025). (Nintendo IR)
Notes: “player count” vs. unit sales
- Unit sales (copies sold) are not the same as player count (people who played).
- Nintendo’s IR tables report worldwide consolidated sales in units life-to-date for select top sellers and include digital versions and bundled copies. (Nintendo IR methodology notes)
FAQ
Who makes The Legend of Zelda?
The Legend of Zelda is a Nintendo franchise and Nintendo maintains the official Zelda series hub. (Nintendo)
What is the best-selling Zelda game on Nintendo Switch?
According to Nintendo’s IR “Top Selling Title Sales Units” table (as of Dec 31, 2025), Breath of the Wild is listed at 33.64 million units, higher than Tears of the Kingdom at 22.40 million units. (Nintendo IR)
Are these “player counts”?
No. The numbers on this page are unit sales from Nintendo’s investor relations reporting (copies sold, including digital and bundled units). (Nintendo IR notes)
Sources & references
- Nintendo IR — Top Selling Title Sales Units (Nintendo Switch) (as of Dec 31, 2025)
- Nintendo IR — Top Selling Title Sales Units (Wii U) (as of Mar 31, 2025)
- Nintendo IR — Methodology notes for unit sales tables
- Nintendo — Official Zelda series hub
- Nintendo — The Legend of Zelda (NES) page
That’s all for now. This page focuses on sales figures that can be verified from Nintendo’s official reporting. When Nintendo publishes additional official unit sales for other Zelda titles, those figures will be added here with the same sourcing standard.
