Summary
- Midna, as the Twilight Princess, wields immense magical power and stands out as one of the most powerful entities in Zelda.
- Bellum drains life force in Phantom Hourglass, growing stronger, and requires the Phantom Sword to defeat, proving a formidable foe.
- Vaati, a sorcerer villain in multiple games, comes close to achieving his goals and poses a significant challenge for Link.
One aspect that makes the world-building of The Legend of Zelda stand out is the wide variety of characters the franchise has introduced over the decades. From multiple incarnations of Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf to divine entities and ancient creatures, these characters shape the identity of Hyrule and expand the myths that sustain each era’s narrative. Their presence directly influences the world’s balance and conflicts.
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Defining who are the strongest characters in The Legend of Zelda is subjective, because almost every new game in the franchise works as a standalone entry only loosely tied to previous stories, shifting the universe’s power scale. However, by looking at canonical feats, narrative impact, and context within the official mythology, it is possible to highlight the names that stand out in raw power.
10 Midna
The True Ruler Of The Twilight Realm
Midna, the Twilight Princess, stands as one of the most powerful entities in the franchise, serving as the rightful sovereign of the Twilight Realm and the Twili. Her command over shadows and the ability to open dimensional portals showcase her immense magical power. Even in her cursed imp form, she retains enough strength to support Link in battle.
Her power increases dramatically when wielding the Fused Shadow fragments, ancient artifacts that enable her to destroy Zant and directly challenge Ganondorf. In her true form, Midna displays even greater power by shattering the Mirror of Twilight, sealing the hazardous link between the two realms and solidifying her status as one of the franchise’s most formidable characters.
9 Bellum
Phantom Hourglass’s Light Tone Hides Its Menace
Bellum is one of the most dangerous creatures in The Legend of Zelda universe, acting as the main antagonist of Phantom Hourglass. Although the game’s lighter tone may make him seem less formidable than he truly is, he is an entity that drains the life force of living beings, feeding on the spiritual energy of the Ocean King and directly threatening the world’s balance.
Because he grows stronger with every soul consumed, his power can scale far beyond what the game shows within series lore, and, as with some versions of Ganondorf, a specific weapon, the Phantom Sword, is absolutely necessary to defeat him. The final confrontation against him ranks among the franchise’s most enjoyable set-pieces, drawing players into a long yet satisfying battle that tests timing and strategy.
8 Vaati
One Of The Few Villains To Appear In Multiple Games
Although other villains appear in Zelda titles to replace Ganondorf, almost none return canonically in subsequent games, except for Vaati, an antagonist who was corrupted in his pursuit of power. He is also an exceptional sorcerer, able to command the wind, cast dark spells, or even transform himself into a demonic creature to advance his plans.
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Even though Link defeats him in different games, Vaati comes closer than most villains to achieving his aim, just moments away from sacrificing Princess Zelda during his ritual. Moreover, the final battle in The Minish Cap requires players to beat him in three distinct forms, illustrating why he ranks among the strongest characters in The Legend of Zelda.
7 Link
Many Versions Of The Hero Achieved Incredible Feats
Link’s power scale is one of the most unusual in the entire franchise, because, as the protagonist, each game depicts his growth and heroic journey to save Hyrule or even other realms. Accordingly, each version features its own feats and abilities that make him unique, but, overall, his courage drives him to overcome the majority of challenges that arise along the way.
However, some versions of Link, especially the Fierce Deity form obtained through one of the transformations in Majora’s Mask, are by far the strongest the character can achieve. It is practically a divine state and takes considerable effort to obtain, because all the other twenty-three masks must be collected first, yet it makes battles against bosses, including Majora itself, relatively straightforward.
6 Zelda
Reincarnation Of The Goddess Hylia
Even as the reincarnation of the Goddess Hylia, most versions of Zelda shown across the franchise have never displayed power on the scale she achieves in Skyward Sword. Nevertheless, there are exceptions where her full, or at least partial, potential is better explored by the developers, making her one of the strongest characters in the entire mythology of The Legend of Zelda.
Specifically, her presence in both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom is carefully built, because, without her magic holding Calamity Ganon inside Hyrule Castle for more than a century, Link would lack the time needed to regain his strength. In the sequel, her abilities grow even further, becoming so great that she can manipulate time itself.
5 Majora
One Of The Strongest Antagonists Link Has Ever Faced
Although Ganondorf is one of the franchise’s most traditional villains, that does not stop other figures from opposing Link in certain games, as happens with Majora, one of the most powerful characters in The Legend of Zelda. This is because, in Majora’s Mask, players witness more of his chaotic nature, whose sole goal is to destroy the world with his powers.
For example, besides corrupting the Skull Kid and twisting his will, Majora also pulls the moon itself into a steady collision course with the planet below, set to ravage every inch of Termina through the resulting impact. Therefore, such reality-warping abilities and planet-wide destructive potential ensure that he ranks as one of the most formidable foes Link has ever confronted across his many quests.
4 Ganondorf/Ganon
The Villain Is Usually One Of The Game’s Strongest Characters
Two halves of the same being, Ganondorf and Ganon typically appear as the ultimate villain of The Legend of Zelda, widely regarded as the greatest threat to Hyrule whenever he emerges. In addition to wielding formidable combat skills, he is often portrayed as a master of dark magic, able to summon hordes of demons to amplify his army’s strength and launch his campaign of conquest.
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Thus, as part of the curse binding him, Link, and Zelda in an endless cycle of reincarnation, Ganondorf usually rises as the climactic test the hero must overcome, marking him as one of the strongest beings in The Legend of Zelda universe. His motives shift from game to game, yet they generally involve seizing control of Hyrule, an ambition he even achieves in certain entries.
3 Demise
The Incarnation Of All Evil In Hyrule
The earliest major antagonist in The Legend of Zelda, Demise emerges as the central villain of Skyward Sword, a game that lays out several foundational pillars of the franchise’s mythology. His power is so vast that it required the direct intervention of the goddess Hylia, who sealed him only after making tremendous sacrifices, including relinquishing her own divine power.
Therefore, Demise’s hatred makes him one of the most powerful characters in The Legend of Zelda, because, upon being defeated, he cursed both the spirit of the hero and that of Hylia, ensuring that in each new life, a reincarnation of his relentless malice would inevitably return once more to plunge the world into utter darkness. Although he does not appear directly in other games, the influence of his power can be seen most clearly in Ganondorf.
2 Hylia
One Of The Game’s Most Powerful Entities
Alongside Din, Nayru, and Farore, Hylia stands as one of the most significant divine figures in the Legend of Zelda franchise. Regarded as the first Zelda in the timeline, her story takes center stage in Skyward Sword, where players learn that she was entrusted by the Golden Goddesses with the protection of the Triforce. To fulfill this sacred duty, Hylia gives up her divine form, choosing to reincarnate as a mortal to ensure the world's safety.
While Hylia often remains a distant and abstract presence in most entries, her role in Skyward Sword is both direct and pivotal. Long before the events of the game, she saved the world from annihilation by defeating Demise and sealing him away using her sacred power. Like the other deities of the Legend of Zelda universe, her might is immeasurable, and the franchise’s entire mythological cycle is set in motion by her actions.
1 Din, Nayru, And Farore
The Golden Goddesses Are The Strongest Beings In The Zelda Universe
A recurring theme in nearly every The Legend of Zelda game is the Triforce and the power it grants its holder, making it one of the franchise’s most important mythical objects. Accordingly, Din, Nayru, and Farore, the deities responsible for its creation, stand among the series’ strongest characters, wielding virtually limitless divine power that utterly defies conventional measurements.
Beyond forging the Triforce, the three deities, also known as the Golden Goddesses, shaped the very fabric of Hyrule’s reality, crafting the landscape players know from an infinite void. Such virtually divine power places them effortlessly among the most powerful characters in The Legend of Zelda, treating them as near-cosmic entities whose influence spans eras, realms, and even divergent timelines.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Released
- May 12, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Rated E for Everyone 10+ for Fantasy Violence and Mild Suggestive Themes
- Genre(s)
- Adventure, Action, Open-World
