First appearing in 1986, Zelda is a character that has gone through a lot. She has lived many lives in many different games. She has alternated personas from a damsel-in-distress to the leader of a band of pirates. Similar to Princess Peach from Mario, Zelda is a feminine symbol of the gaming world.
Being older than a fraction of her own fans, Zelda has been incorporated into a lot of pop culture. At any video game convention, you will find people cosplayed as her. Online, you will find fan fiction starring her. Lastly, you can buy and find a ton of fan art of her various forms and alter egos. Here are ten pieces of Zelda fan art we loved. Be sure to check out the artists' links, as they deserve credit for their talented work.
10 Twilight Princess
Twilight Princess came out back in 2006 and remains to be one of the best games in The Legend of Zelda series. It was scoring perfect ratings, won a ton of awards, and got many remakes later. It is one of the darker games of the series. Zelda came off far more mature and powerful than usual. She is also a final boss, as she gets possessed for a bit.
The artist of this piece is manreeree. They also do fan art for Overwatch, Kill la Kill, Gravity Falls, Attack on Titan, Dangan Ronpa, and more.
9 Hyrule Warriors
Hyrule Warriors is a spin off game of The Legend of Zelda series and is not canon. You can play as a lot of different characters, including Zelda. In fact, there are multiple versions of her available. However, its this design that is just called "Zelda" instead of "Tetra" and "Toon Zelda." and The game is basically Dynasty Warriors meets Hyrule.
The artist for this piece is RinRinDaishi. Her other fan art includes pieces on Final Fantasy, Mario, Sailor Moon, Nier: Automata, Supergirl, Steven Universe, Frozen, Game of Thrones, and more.
8 Yukata
This is not an outfit from any of the games. It would be quite popular if it was though. We love the Triforce that the artist incorporated into her obi belt. The flowers pattern on the Yukata also seem to be the Silent Princess flowers from the series. They were especially prominent as a symbol in the most recent Breath of the Wild game.
The artist is bellhenge. They have also done fan art of characters like Princess Peach from Mario, Samus from Metroid, Bayonetta, the Squid Sisters from Splatoon, and many more.
7 Breath Of The Wild 2
While Breath of the Wild 2 has not yet graced store shelves, fans are already making fan art with Zelda's new short haircut. Many are hoping that the haircut is proof that Zelda will have a way more active role in the game.
The artist is TheCecile. Her gallery includes fan art of Ancient Magnus Bride, Nier: Automata, Overwatch, Persona 5, and much more. You can also see a speedpaint of her making this Zelda fan art on Youtube.
6 Samurai Zelda
From the haircut, we can tell that this Zelda is from the upcoming Breath of the Wild sequel. However, the outfit is totally original and from the artist. The clothes are inspired by Feudal Japan. Since The Legend of Zelda is a Japanese-made game, maybe they would release an outfit like this in some future downloadable content? A samurai Zelda would certainly be warmly welcomed by fans.
The artist is KUMANZART, who also does fan art for Mario, Persona 5, Final Fantasy, Teen Titans, and more. They do other versions of Zelda as well, so check them out!
5 Riju Outfit Swap
If you cannot tell already, it is worth pointing out that this Zelda fan art is also made by KUMANZART, the same artist who did the samurai Zelda. Instead of a samurai, the artist decided to give Zelda the outfit of a different Breath of the Wild character. These are the clothes of the Gerudo chieftan, Riju.
The artist recreated Riju's outfit perfectly, from the crown to even the small details like the blue lipstick and hairstyle. Zelda looks awesome, but to be honest, she is the sort of character who looks awesome in anything.
4 Selfie
This Zelda is the design from both A Link Between Worlds and Smash Ultimate. She is holding a Sheikah Slate from Breath of the Wild and appears to be using it to take a selfie of herself. Smash Ultimate is one of the other few games where players get to play and fight as Zelda. Hopefully, there will be more chances to play as her in the future.
The artist is AztoDio. He does fan art for other series such as Fire Emblem, Final Fantasy, Persona, and Mario.
3 Winter Outfit
This Zelda and the outfit is from Breath of the Wild. She does not wear the outfit a lot, but it is seen in a flashback. Despite only being in a flashback, a lot of fans have cosplayed her in this outfit as well as made fan art of it. It just looks so soft and comfy! It is also super cute.
The artist is Seuyan and they do commissions! Their gallery is full of women from various video games like Overwatch and Nier: Automata.
2 Breath Of The Wild
We wouldn't be surprised if you have seen this fan art before. It is gorgeous, so it has been featured on other websites and blogs. The artist made it based on the pond scene in the Breath of the Wild trailer. If you love this art, then you can actually purchase it directly from the artist.
The artist is Viccolatte and she does a lot of stunning pieces. This is not the first time she has been featured on one our fan art lists, and it will likely not the be the last.
1 A Link Between Worlds
In A Link Between Worlds, Zelda is more young and upbeat. She takes a more hands-on approach. That is part of the reason that this version was chosen to be in Smash Ultimate.
The artist is HOAIartworks. They have a massive gallery full of characters from different fandoms. Check them out!