Hyrule has been at the center of The Legend of Zelda franchise since the very first installment. It wouldn’t be until the fourth entry, Link’s Awakening, where the series would finally stray away from the comfort of Hyrule Kingdom. With time, Zelda would introduce more countries to its universe, but this has since slowed down.

With Hyrule more fleshed out than ever thanks to Breath of the Wild, only time will tell if Link will be exploring any other countries soon. He should, though, as a change of setting often does a lot of good for the series. Hyrule is synonymous with The Legend of Zelda, but it’s not the only country the many Links of the franchise have explored.

10 The Surface (Skyward Sword)

One could perhaps argue that Skyloft and the Sky are “countries” as they functionally fill the same role as the series’ other overworlds, but our sky isn’t a country is it? The City in the Sky per Twilight Princess wasn’t considered a country either, but a city (perhaps a future version of Skyloft?)

Labeling the Sky as such also undermines Link’s exploration of the Surface, a land untouched by Hylian culture (to the point where “Hyrule” isn’t even said in Skyward Sword’s script.) What’s especially worth noting about the Surface is that it has its own ancient cultures all but lost by the next entry in the series’ timeline. Similarly, the typically nautical Lanayru region is a desert at this point in time– with the only traces of water linked to the timeshift stones.

9 Hyrule (The Minish Cap)

The Minish Cap marks the earliest playable adventure in an already established Kingdom of Hyrule, but chronologically it’s not the first major event to occur in Hyrule, nor is this Link the first to protect the land. That honor instead goes to the Hero of Men, who defend Hyrule during the War of the Bound Chest.

What’s interesting to note about Hyrule as depicted in The Minish Cap is how lively with it compared to later depictions. The kingdom features more ruins by Four Swords– the immediate next game in the timeline– and Ocarina of Time’s Hyrulean Civil War suggests the Hero of Time is liberating a wartorn country.

8 Koholint Island (Link’s Awakening)

The events of Ocarina of Time lead into three distinct timelines, the first of which being the Fallen Timeline. The Hero of Time is defeated in his battle with Ganondorf, leaving the Sages & Zelda to seal Ganon. Centuries later, Ganon breaks free and a new Link– the Legendary Hero– kills Ganon and repairs Hyrule with the power of the Triforce.

Following his adventures in Hyrule, the Legendary Hero travels the seas and is sucked into the Wind Fish’s dream. On Koholint Island, Link is tasked with ending the dream at the expense of wiping out the island’s life. Link succeeds in waking the Wind Fish, but the true ending suggests that Koholint Island was both real and that Marin has made it into the “real” world.

7 Holodrum & Subrosia (Oracle Of Seasons)

It’s always been a bit unclear if the Legendary Hero is meant to be the same Link in the Oracle duology. On one hand, Capcom developed the Oracle games as interquels to Link’s Awakening, but Zelda doesn’t recognize Link and Hyrule Encyclopedia has since moved the Oracle titles to take place after Link’s Awakening.

Regardless of which Link the game stars, Oracle of Seasons is the rare Zelda to feature two explorable countries– and both brand new at that. Holodrum is one of the most dynamic countries in the franchise thanks to perpetually changing seasons, while Subrosia evokes the bizarre tone of Majora’s Mask to make for a memorable set piece.

6 Labrynna (Oracle Of Ages)

One of the downsides of Oracle of Seasons featuring two major countries is that neither one ends up particularly developed. Holodrum and Subrosia are still some of the best settings in Zelda, but they lack the history seen in Oracle of Ages’ Labrynna. Which is fitting since Oracle of Ages’ main gimmick is time travel.

Link explores Labrynna in both the past and present, allowing players to examine how the politics & geography of the world change with time. Where Ocarina of Time went for intimate time travel, Oracle of Ages explores how a nation changes with the passage of time.

5 Lorule (A Link Between Worlds)

It’s kind of crazy how much lore A Link Between Worlds adds to the series. It might very well be the most important modern game– more so than either Skyward Sword or Breath of the Wild. For starters, A Link Between Worlds confirms that an alternate reality Hyrule exists, Lorule.

And although Lorule looks more or less like the Dark World, it isn’t. Instead, it’s its own nation with its own history, monarchy, and relationship with the Triforce. Where Hyrule honored the Triforce, Lorule desecrated it and brought ruin upon the land. While ALBW’s Link and Zelda are able to help Lorule in the end, the country has a long way to go in restoring its former glory.

4 The Great Sea (The Wind Waker)

It’s unclear how the Hero of Time can simultaneously fail against Ganon in one timeline while surviving in another, but perhaps the Legendary Hero’s wish on the Triforce “fixed” the Hero of Time’s loss. Regardless, upon defeating Ganon in Ocarina of Time, Zelda sends Link back home to reclaim his lost childhood.

While this is a kind gesture on Zelda’s part, it has terrible consequences. When Ganon inevitably breaks out of the Sacred Realm, no hero rises up and the Goddesses flood Hyrule. By the events of The Wind Waker, the entire world is covered in water, now known solely as the Great Sea.

3 Waters Of The Ocean King (Phantom Hourglass)

Some time after the events of The Wind Waker, the Hero of Winds and Tetra (her time’s Princess Zelda) set out from the Great Sea to find a new land they can deem “Hyrule.” During their journey, they’re briefly teleported into the Waters of the Ocean King– a Koholint Island-esque “dream” world.

Geographically, the Waters of the Ocean King are a bit more centered & focused than the Great Sea. This, of course, has to do with Phantom Hourglass being on the Nintendo DS, but where the Great Sea had water for miles, the Waters of the Ocean King are a bit more cluttered. Like with Koholint, the world may have been a “dream,” but there’s enough evidence to suggest the Waters of the Ocean King do exist.

2 New Hyrule (Spirit Tracks)

Following Phantom Hourglass, the Hero of Winds and Tetra settle & found New Hyrule. While the name of the country is the same as the sunken kingdom, New Hyrule’s culture and technology is vastly different. For starters, New Hyrule makes use of steam engines, with this era’s Link a train conductor.

New Hyrule also has a fairly detailed and storied history for a country that’s only been standing for 100 years. By the time Spirit Tracks begins, Demise has reincarnated into an entirely new being, Cole. The existence of Malladus and the Tower of Spirits also suggest that New Hyrule has ancient cultures on par with Skyward Sword’s.

1 Termina (Majora’s Mask)

Upon returning to the past, the Hero of Time wastes no time in informing Zelda and the King of Hyrule about Ganondorf’s plans. Link spends some time in Hyrule following this event, developing quite a meaningful friendship with Princess Zelda, but he ends up taking off into the Lost Woods to search for his fairy companion, Navi.

Link never does find Navi, but Majora’s Mask sees him stumbling upon Termina. Termina is almost Hyrule’s shadow, a ‘wonderland,’ so to speak, hiding beneath the surface. There’s something both comforting and unnerving about Termina, as if it isn’t real. But it must be given how much culture and history it has. In some cases even more so than Hyrule itself.

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