The Legend of Zelda (manga)
Comic and manga adaptations of "The Legend of Zelda" series of video games, especially in Japan, have been published under license from Nintendo. Valiant Comics series. Valiant Comics published a comic series simply titled "The Legend of Zelda" in 1990, which lasted only five issues dated from February to June, as part of their Nintendo Comics System imprint. The series was more closely patterned after "The Legend of Zelda" TV series airing at the time, which in turn was loosely based on the first two NES games. Titles by Akira Himekawa. The manga team of  Akira Himekawa has been producing manga adaptations of "The Legend of Zelda" video games in Japan beginning with their manga adaptation of "", which was first published in 1999 by Shogakukan. Currently, Himekawa has produced manga adaptations of more than eight "Zelda" games (including both "Oracle" games), with the latest being "" manga. Viz Media is currently publishing English translations of Himekawa's "Zelda" manga in North America, beginning with their adaptation of "Ocarina of Time", which was published on October 2008. , a French translation is being published by Soleil Manga. The first manga available was "A Link to the Past" followed  by "Ocarina of Time" 1 & 2. Himekawa's other "Zelda" manga will be translated into French before summer 2010. Himekawa's manga, which were released in Japan in and between 1998 and 2009, were also localised in the Federal Republic of Germany by Tokyopop in and between 2009 and 2011. The first ten tankōbon volumes sold more than 3million copies worldwide. After a seven-year hiatus, Akira Himekawa announced through their website and on Nintendo's Japanese Facebook page that a new "Zelda" manga was in the works with a planned release for Japan in August 2015. Later revealed to  be an adaptation of "", the manga series ran from February 2016 to January 2022. Released in 1998, and the English version in 2008, it is an adaptation of "". There are two story arcs in this manga: Child arc (こども編 "Kodomo-hen") and Adult arc (おとな編 "Otona-hen"). The protagonist is Link (リンク "Rinku/Link") and during the course of the book he is on a quest to stop Ganondorf (ガノンドロフ "Ganondorofu") from taking over Hyrule (ハイラル "Hairaru"). Princess Zelda (ゼルダ姫 "Zeruda/Zelda-hime") helps him in his quest. The book more-or-less follows the same plot as the game ; however there are a few differences in plot from the game. There are six chapters in the first book, and nine in the second. Some of the added information in the manga is added to explain certain points; for example, in the manga pierced ears is a traditional rite of Sheikah passage, although this is not included in the game. Section::::"Ocarina of Time". The series was published in English by Viz Media in North America as Volumes 1 and 2, respectively. Ocarina of Time. SEASON 1  Hero of Time. SEASON 2 [2012-2013] Released in 2000, and the English  version in 2009, it is an adaptation of "", continuing from where the previous adaptation ended. It is one volume, and the last chapter includes the artist's speculation of where Majora's mask originated. The volume was published in English by Viz Media in North America as Volume 3. Section::::"Majora's Mask". According to the manga, which is a different story than that of the game itself, the mask itself was an ancient and dangerous artifact made from the armor of a legendary and evil beast named Majora that was danced to dying exhaustion by a being disguised as a  human traveler. According to a legend devised "by the humans themselves", any who obtain the beast's armour gains hold of a great and terrible power. All who approached it, warriors, men and women alike, even with good intentions, were devoured without remorse. The early Terminian tribes used the mask in their cursed hexing rituals, but when the evils caused by the mask became too much to bear, they sealed it away in darkness forever... so they hoped. As the mask of the devil, Majora's Mask gained its power from the evil desires that people had in their minds  as they were devoured by the beast, or when they cast the hexes when the armor was made into the mask. As it passed from member to member in the tribe it accumulated its power until it was too much to control. The tribe died out, but the mask still rested in darkness. The Happy Mask Salesman went to great lengths to get it, but while travelling in the Lost Woods it was stolen by Skull Kid and his fairies, Tatl and Tael (a reference to the phrase, tattle tail). When the Skull Kid wore it the evil essence trapped  within possessed him, beckoning him to Termina, and making him cause harm amongst the townspeople, most notably interfering with the engagement of Anju to Kafei. The most serious problem caused by the mask was that the moon was torn out of its orbit, and was on a collision course with Termina's capital city. The moon would have exterminated all life in a cataclysm of fire had it not been for Link's intervention. With the power of the Fierce Deity's Mask, he defeated Majora's Mask and saved Termina. The moon was sent back into orbit after these  events. As stated above, while Skull Kid was possessed, he wronged many of the people in Termina. In addition, he sealed his former friends, the in the masks of evil deities and sealed them in the temples located in the four compass directions. Link had to free all of them in order to save Termina. Section::::"Oracle of Seasons" and "Oracle of Ages". Based on "" and "", it spans 2 volumes. "Oracle of Seasons" and "Oracle of Ages" were published by Viz Media in English in North America as Volumes 4 and 5, respectively. Based on "", it spans 2 volumes and 12  chapters. Included in volume two is an omake. The series is published in English by Viz Media in North America as Volumes 6 and 7, respectively. Written by Akira Himekawa and published in early 2006 in Japan, this manga chronicles the adventures of Link in the , including a short omake featuring Ezlo and Vaati. Section::::"The Minish Cap". Viz released an English adaptation of this manga as Volume 8 of their Zelda series on December 1, 2009. A manga adaptation of "" (named "Triforce of the Gods" in Japan) following the release of the Game Boy Advance port. In its telling, Agahnim  is revealed as a friend of Link's father. Agahnim took to magic and learned how to break the Seal of the Sages, being recruited to Ganon's services. When confronted by his friend, Agahnim sent him and his wife into the Dark World. Section::::"A Link to the Past". Viz released an English adaptation of this manga (renamed "A Link to the Past" to fit the game's North American counterpart) as Volume 9 of their Zelda series on February 2, 2010. Originally released in Japan in early 2009, it is based on the DS adventure, , the sequel to . Strangely , though the manga retains the game's characters and overall plot, many of the character's personalities and some events in the game were changed, sparking negative reactions from several fans of the original game. Despite this, however, it continues to receive positive reviews. Viz released an English adaptation of this manga as Volume 10 of their Zelda series on September 7, 2010. Section::::"Skyward Sword". The "Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword" is a manga loosely based on drawn by Akira Himekawa. The 32 pages of the manga were included in the artbook Hyrule Historia. The manga serves as a prequel  to the story of "Skyward Sword". Section::::"Twilight Princess". A manga series based on "", penned and illustrated by Akira Himekawa, was first released on February 8, 2016. The adaptation began almost ten years after the release of the game on which it is based, but only a month before the release of the high-definition remake for the Wii U, "". The series concluded in January 2022 with 70 chapters spread across 11 volumes, nine of which have been translated into English to date. It was created as a serial comic for "Nintendo Power" magazine by the acclaimed manga author Shotaro Ishinomori , and later collected in graphic novel form, this told an alternate version of the events from "A Link to the Past". Though Link starts out a hapless, bumbling kid, caught up in something bigger than he ever imagined, he displays great courage and ultimately proves himself a determined and competent adventurer. This telling portrays Link's parents as Knights of Hyrule, lost to the Dark World. Other works. Novels and Yonkoma manga. Five novels (published by Futabasha) and several Yonkoma manga (published by Shiseisha) based on aspects of "The Legend of Zelda" series have also been published. Section::::"The Legend of  Zelda: The Wind Waker – Link's Logbook". This manga is an adaptation of "The Wind Waker", but parodies scenarios in the game. Although it adapts most of "The Wind Waker", it skips most dungeons and scenes to the very peak of the stories. It was released almost directly after "The Wind Waker" was released. Penny Arcade Presents "The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword". A short comic published weekly in five parts on Nintendo's official "The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword" website, written and illustrated by Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik under their "Penny Arcade Presents" series. The story is  narrated by Gaepora, Zelda's father.