Summary

TheLegend of Zeldahas certainly earned its reputation as one of the best and most beloved fantasy video game series on the market. One of the biggest reasons for its success is the incredible amount of charm and personality in Hyrule and the other realms Link visits on his adventures. EachZeldagame isrich with distinct cultures, helpful allies, and charming shops to aid the hero on his adventure.

This is especially true in the franchise’s towns and cities. Even the smallest village in aLegend of Zeldagame has plenty of interesting characters to meet and secrets to uncover. Here are ten of thebest towns and villages in theLegend of Zeldaseries.

Link’s Awakeningis a strange game. Its cute design and charming island landscape hides a surreal edge simmering just under the surface. Mabe Village epitomizes that contradiction well. The city is quaint but full of oddities, like the pet chain chomps and the undead rooster slumbering beneath the weathervane at the center of town.

Amongst the peculiarities, Mabe Village has plenty of things to keep Link occupied. The iconic Trendy Game gives the hero a chance to win a variety of exciting prizes, andthe fishing mini-gameis another way for Link to unwind between quests. Mabe Village also houses an infamous shopkeeper, who will kill Link with a powerful magical attack if the hero tries to shoplift from his store.

Gorons are some of the most beloved creatures inThe Legend of Zelda. These rolling, rock-eating beings got their start inOcarina of Time, where they live onthe slopes of Death Mountainin a subterranean community known as Goron City.

Goron City is infamous amongOcarina of Timeplayers for the gorons constantly rolling at high speeds down its streets. Despite these dangers, Link aids the Gorons multiple times, slaying King Dodongo and later freeing them from the menace of Volvagia. He can also meet the titanic Medigoron and his larger brother Biggoron here, the latter of which will grant him the most powerful sword in the game.

The fish-like Zora often combine majesty and grace with fearsome savagery.Breath of the Wildcertainly leans toward the former, presenting one ofthe most beautiful locationsin the whole game in the form of Zora’s Domain. This elegant, multi-tiered structure hosts all the amenities fans would expect from a major settlement, all wrapped in gorgeous aquatic architecture and graceful, flowing water features.

InBreath of the Wild, the Zora are also some of the most long-lived creatures in the game, meaning that several of their elders remember the events of the great Calamity 100 years before the beginning of the story. This gives the interactions that Link has within the city an added weight, as the Zora remember more than most what happened when Link failed to defeat Ganon.

The Castle Town inTwilight Princessis one of the largest cities in theZeldafranchise. It’s split into four main locations for ease of access, and each one has its own stores and amenities to offer. Like most of the world, it’s also shrouded in unnatural twilight at the start of the game, turning all of its inhabitants into helpless spirits.

While Link does eventually save Castle Town and restore it to its former glory, the gloom that haunts the entire game never fully leaves the city, which is still full of dark alleys and hidden secrets. The cursed Jovani, a petrified golden man locked in a house full of treasure, is just one of the many strange secrets that players can find here.

Clock Town is a vibrant and bustling community at the heart of the strange realm of Termina. The upcoming Carnival of Time lends a festive air to the city, which is severely undercut bythe encroaching doom of the falling moonabove.

This town is especially striking due to the behavior of its NPC inhabitants. Each character in Clock Town has a schedule that they stick to throughout the three repeating days ofMajora’s Mask. As Link lives and relives the town’s destruction, he’ll have to familiarize himself with the characters' routines if he wants any hope of saving them.

The infamous no-men policy of the desert Gerudo inBreath of the Wildleads to one of the most memorable quests inBreath of the Wild, where Link must acquire feminine clothing in order to enter Gerudo Town in disguise. Aside from the main quest that requires it, entering Gerudo Town proves to be well worth the effort. The desert oasis is full of unique shops and interesting side quests for Link to get caught up in.

InTears of the Kingdom, Gerudo Town is besieged by an endless sandstorm, and undead monsters prowl the wastes. This gives Link the opportunity to explore the secret tunnels beneath the city and eventuallymount a defense against the Gibdo armies. In both towns, Gerudo is a striking and memorable place to visit.

Wind Wakeris infamous for the wide variety of islands dotting its expansive ocean landscape. Windfall Island is one of the most significant spots in this vast sea, as it hosts one of the most populous settlements left after the flooding of Hyrule. Link visits this city early in his adventure in order to procure a sail for the King of Red Lions, his talking vessel.

The hero will find himself returning frequently to Windfall Island over the course of his adventure.The city houses several useful shops, like any goodZeldatown, and it offers countless side quests. If the hero sticks around after dark, they can even take part in the city’s nightly auction, competing with locals for some truly valuable prizes.

Few towns inZeldahistory can match Skyloft for its unique setting. This expansive city floats through the sky on a series of interconnected flying islands, hovering eternally over the cloud cover blocking access to the mysterious surface below. Between journeys to the lost surface realm, Link will visit Skyloft often to resupply and catch up with friends and neighbors, many of whom have developing storylines that life and vivacity to the flying city.

Like any goodZeldatown, Skyloft also has a dark side. There are plenty of mysterious secrets to uncover throughout the city, including the mysterious Moonlight Merchant and the misunderstood demon Batreaux. The fact that the city’s adorable feline, Remlits, turn into feral monsters when night falls makes the city just a bit more treacherous.

2Kakariko Village (Ocarina Of Time)

A Timeless Town

Kakariko Village is an iconic locationthat appears in one form or another in numerousLegend of Zeldagames. Arguably, its most famous iteration is inOcarina of Time, where it serves as one of the earliest stops on Link’s quest to defeat Ganondorf. The town is defined by its towering windmill, where Link learns the Song of Storms.

Countless other landmarks dot this iconic city, though. Dampe’s graveyard is one particularly noteworthy locale, as is the House of Skulltula, where Link can trade the Skulltula tokens he’s been collecting to end the monstrous curse afflicting the residents of this overrun abode. Kakariko Village is also home to the Bottom of the Well, a sinister mini-dungeon exposing Hyrule’s dark, bloodstained history.

1Tarrey Town

There are plenty of unique and vibrant towns inthe post-apocalyptic landscapeofBreath of the Wild, but Tarrey Town is arguably the most memorable. This city is the focus of one of the longest quests in the game, as Link helps Hudson the carpenter build up the city from scratch. During the process of bringing Tarrey Town to life, Link meets new friends and gets involved in some truly touching personal moments, forming memories that are just as real and foundational as the town itself.

By the time ofTears of the Kingdom, Tarrey Town is bustling and strong, even in the face of the mysterious new crisis afflicting Hyrule. This sort of enduring legacy, which can only come about with the player’s help, makes Tarrey Town a truly special place inThe Legend of Zelda.