The Legend of Zelda is a series of open world adventure video games. The games are typically about a boy named Link who has to rescue Princess Zelda from Ganon. The first game of the franchise was made by Shigeru Miyamoto and was first sold February 21, 1986 by Nintendo. Most of the Zelda games take place in the fictional kingdom of Hyrule. The games all have fighting, adventuring, item collecting, puzzle-solving, and sometimes racing parts. The Legend of Zelda series has sold over 125 million games, with 22 different games in the series during 2017, making it the 20th best-selling video game series ever.

Main characters
 Link - The protagonist of the game, who uses the items and skills he's collected over the game to save the day and save the princess (Zelda).
 Zelda - The princess who sometimes gets kidnapped but gets saved by Link.
 Ganon or Ganondorf - A reoccurring antagonist who tries to conquer the land.

Games
Right now, there are 26 games in the main series, including the remakes.
 The Legend of Zelda (1986/NES)
 Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (1988/NES)
 The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1992/SNES)
 The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (1993/GB)
 The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX (1998/GBC)
 The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998/N64)
 The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (2000/N64)
 The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages (2001/GBC)
 The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons (2001/GBC)
 The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past/Four Swords (2002/GBA)
 The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2003/GCN)
 The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (2004/GBA)
 The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures (2005/GCN)
 The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (2006/GCN/Wii)
 The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (2007/NDS)
 The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (2009/NDS)
 The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (2011/3DS)
 The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (2011/Wii)
 The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD (2013/WiiU)
 The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (2013/3DS)
 The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D (2015/3DS)
 The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes (2015/3DS)
 The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD (2016/WiiU)
 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017/WiiU/Switch)
 The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (2019/Switch)
 The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD (2021/Switch)

Universe

Hyrule
Hyrule is a fictional world in The Legend of Zelda series. It is inhabited by many races, including Hylians, Gorons, Zoras, and others.
 Death Mountain is a large volcano that Goron species lives on. Ganon has also had his lair in Death Mountain twice.
 Gerudo Desert is a desert that Ganondorf was born in. Only once every 100 years is a man born, so almost every Gerudo is a woman.
 Hyrule Castle is the home of the Royal Family, which includes Princess Zelda. It is often Ganon's target.
 Kakariko Village is a village that first appeared in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. It appears in many other games after.
 Lake Hylia is a lake in many of the games. It is often the way to Zora's Domain, the home of the Zora species.
 The Lost Woods is a forest in many of the games in the series that is easy to get lost in. The Master Sword rests here in A Link to the Past and Link's home, Kokiri Forest, is right next to the Lost Woods in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

Great Sea
Long after the adult version Link from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time disappeared, Ganon returned, and when Link did not come to save the people of Hyrule, they asked the Goddesses to flood Hyrule. Hyrule was flooded, and many people died because of it. Hyrule was lost under the sea, and people lived on islands that are scattered around the Great Sea. The events of The Wind Waker take place many years after.

Termina
Termina is a land only in Majora's Mask that Link finds in the Lost Woods, that he has to save before the Moon crashes into it. It is an alternate land to Hyrule, and has many places and people that look or act like people from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The people who live in Termina are sometimes referred to as Terminans, or Terminan Hylians.

Master Sword
The Master Sword is a sword found in The Legend of Zelda series. Link uses it as a weapon in most games.

Known as the Sword of Evil's Bane, the Sword of Time, the Sword of Resurrection, and the Sword That Seals the Darkness. The Master Sword is to only be held by a person destined to be the Hero chosen by the Goddesses. Link in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is the first holder of the Master Sword. The other Links are then given the right to wield the Master Sword because they carry the spirit of the Hero.

Triforce

The Triforce is a mystic object in The Legend of Zelda universe created by gods Din, Nayru, and Farore. It has three parts - the first part is the Triforce of Courage, which Link has, the second is the Triforce of Wisdom, which Princess Zelda has, and the third is the Triforce of Power, which Ganon has. When it is completed, the person who unites it can make a wish using the power of the gods.

Races

Sheikah 
The Sheikah are a group of people in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Other websites 
 Zeldapedia, a Zelda wiki hosted on Wikia
 Zelda Wiki, and independent wiki covering the Legend of Zelda series.