The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess


 * This article is about the game. For other uses, see Twilight Princess (Disambiguation).

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is the thirteenth main installment of, released for both the Nintendo GameCube and Wii. It was highly anticipated by many members of the gaming community and was regarded as finally fulfilling the dreams of those who wanted a much more realistic and mature Zelda game, as seen in the SpaceWorld 2000 GameCube Tech Demo. This is the first Zelda game to be rated T by ESRB and 12+ by PEGI. The reason is probably because of violence, blood (as seen when Link strikes Dark Beast Ganon; it drips when he runs around, and also when a Deku Baba is defeated), and signs of nudity (as shown by the Great Fairy, although only violence and blood are listed as descriptors for the rating). This game is also notable for being the first console Zelda title released in the United States before Japan, as the Wii version was released in America on November 19, 2006, whereas the Japanese versions were released on December 2. Because of this, was one of the launch titles for the Wii alongside Wii Sports in the United States.

During a Nintendo Direct on November 12, 2015, a remaster of the game for Wii U called was announced, and was later released in March 2016. On December 5, 2017, was released on the NVIDIA Shield TV exclusively in China.

The Darkened Land
Link, a young adult, is a ranch worker in Ordon Village in the Ordona Province of Hyrule. His mentor Rusl asks him to present a gift to the Royal Family of Hyrule in his stead. The following day, Link teaches the Village children TPHD:, Malo, and Talo how to use a Slingshot and a Sword. Talo spots a Monkey and proceeds to chase it into Faron Woods. Link and the rest of the children give chase. Link ventures deep into the Woods and finds Talo and the Monkey trapped in a cage surrounded by Bokoblins. He defeats the creatures and frees the pair. They head back to the Village, and Rusl tells Link that he will depart for Hyrule the following day. The next day, Link finishes his Goat-herding duties with his Horse, Epona before he prepares to leave. However, his childhood friend Ilia discovers that Epona's leg is injured, and scolds Link for hurting her. She proceeds to take Epona to the Ordon Spring to heal her leg. Link follows her, and Colin tells her how Link saved Talo the day before. Ilia tells Link not to worry about his Horse and asks him to promise her to come home safely.

At that moment, Bulblins break through the gate of the Spring and knock Link, Ilia, and Colin unconscious. The beasts kidnap Ilia and Colin and leave Link unconscious in the Spring. When Link regains consciousness, he finds Colin, Ilia, and Epona gone. He runs off into the Forest to find them, but finds a large black wall blocking the path. As he approaches it, a large and menacing black hand reaches out and pulls him through the wall into the darkness within.

Link finds himself on the other side, being strangled by a Shadow Beast, the creature who pulled him through the wall. The Triforce symbol on Link's hand glows, forcing the Beast to let go of him. A sharp pain runs through Link and he doubles over, transforming into a Wolf before passing out. As Wolf Link, he is captured and held prisoner within the dungeons of Hyrule Castle, which is covered by Twilight that has spread over Hyrule. In his prison cell he encounters Midna, an imp with mysterious powers, who aids in his escape and helps him explore the Castle in his Wolf form. In the tallest tower, he and Midna find a cloaked young woman. She immediately explains to Link how Hyrule came to be shrouded in Twilight, and reveals her true identity as Princess Zelda.

The Fused Shadows
Midna returns Link to the World of Light. She tells Link that he cannot revert to his Human form yet, and that he needs her cooperation to save his friends. In his Wolf form, Link returns to Ordon Village to find it infested with Bulblins. He acquires the Sword intended for the Royal Family, along with a Shield from the Village. Before Link returns to the wall of Twilight, he is summoned by Ordona, the Spirit of Ordon Spring and one of the four Spirits of Light who preside over Hyrule. Ordona explains to Link that its fellow Light Spirits were slain and robbed of their light by Shadow Beasts, turning Hyrule into a Twilight-covered netherworld. Ordona tells Link that he must restore the light to Hyrule to regain his original form and abolish the Twilight from the land. Link returns to the Twilight-covered Faron Woods and finds Faron, another one of the four Light Spirits. Faron tells Link that he must recover its Tears of Light from the Insects of Darkness that stole them to rid the Woods of the Twilight. Link does so, and is restored to his Human form. Link finds himself wearing the Hero's Clothes, the same tunic that belonged to the chosen hero of the gods in years past. Faron tells Link that his transformation into a Wolf was a sign that he is the chosen hero of the gods. He explains that a dark power lies in the Forest Temple deep in Faron Woods, and that Link must obtain it to match the power of the King of Shadows. Link makes his way through the Forest Temple, defeats the monstrous Diababa, and acquires the dark power Faron spoke of, the Fused Shadow. Midna tells Link that there are two other Fused Shadows in Hyrule, and urges him to find them.

Link travels east to Eldin Province, which has been smothered in Twilight. He ventures to Kakariko Village, where he finds the Light Spirit, Eldin. Once again, Link must collect the Tears of Light around the Village to restore the light to Eldin Province. He does so, and reunites with the children of Ordon Village, who had been taken to Kakariko. Link also meets the Village Shaman, Renado, who tells him that they are having trouble with the Gorons of Death Mountain. For some reason, the Gorons have become hostile towards the humans and refuse to grant them entry into their Mines. Renado mentions that Mayor Bo, the Mayor of Ordon Village and Ilia's father, should know how to best the Gorons. Suddenly, Epona rushes into the Village, but she has become wild and nearly tramples Link. Link manages to calm her, and rides her back to Ordon Village to meet with Bo. Bo reveals that he earned the Gorons' trust by defeating them in a Sumo Wrestlin' match using his Iron Boots, which he gives to Link. Link returns to Kakariko Village, only to find that Colin has been kidnapped by the Bulblins' leader, King Bulblin. Link and Epona chase the monster and his minions into Hyrule Field, and a horseback battle ensues. The chase continues onto the Bridge of Eldin, and Link knocks King Bulblin off the Bridge and rescues Colin. The hero scales Death Mountain and bests the Goron elder, Gor Coron in a Sumo match using his Iron Boots. The elder proceeds to tell him that the Goron patriarch, Darbus, has fallen victim to the dark power of another Fused Shadow. It turned him into a monster, and the elders were forced to seal him inside the mountain. He requests that Link enter the Goron Mines and aid Darbus. Link ventures deep into the Mines and finds Darbus, who has transformed into a monster engulfed in flames. Link defeats him and acquires the Fused Shadow that possessed him. After this, Midna tells Link that the King of Twilight's name is Zant, and declares that she opposes his power. The relationship between the Gorons and humans of Kakariko Village is mended, and they are on friendly terms again.

Link travels north to the Twilight-covered Lanayru Province. He heads to Hyrule Castle Town, where he finds Ilia in Telma's Bar with a sick Zora child named Ralis. Link learns that Lake Hylia is facing a severe drought because no water is flowing from its source, Zora's Domain. He heads up Zora's River with the help of the Twilit Carrier Kargarok, and finds Zora's Domain frozen. He and Midna ascend to the throne room and discover a large number of Zoras trapped beneath the ice. They warp back to Death Mountain and transport a giant volcanic rock to Zora's Domain to thaw out the Zoras and restore the water flow to Lake Hylia. Before they leave, the spirit of the Zora Queen Rutela thanks them for saving the Zoras. She reveals that Shadow Beasts attacked Zora's Domain and executed her. She sent her son, Prince Ralis, to Hyrule Castle to inform Princess Zelda of their tribe's fate, but fears that something terrible happened to him. Rutela requests Link to save Ralis and promises to grant him the power to swim and respire in very deep water in return. Link and Midna ride the flow of Zora's River down to Lake Hylia and meet the final Spirit of Light, Lanayru. Link collects the Spirit's Tears of Light to restore the light to Lanayru Province, eliminating the last of the Twilight from Hyrule. Lanayru informs Link that the final Fused Shadow rests beneath Lake Hylia and proceeds to tell Link a story about Interlopers who attempted to rule the Sacred Realm. These individuals had mastered powerful magic and tried to control the Sacred Realm with it, but the Goddesses ordered the Spirits of Light to intervene. The Spirits sealed away the Interlopers' powerful magic into the Fused Shadow and banished them to the Twilight Realm. Lanayru warns Link not to be ruled by power and reiterates that the final Fused Shadow lies in the Lakebed Temple at the bed of Lake Hylia.

Link returns to Telma's Bar in Castle Town to reunite with Ilia, but finds that she has lost her memory and is distraught over Ralis' illness. Telma, the owner of the Bar, tells Ilia that she has heard of a Shaman in Kakariko Village who treats Gorons and Zoras. Link agrees to escort the trio to Kakariko Village. King Bulblin is revealed to have survived his fall off of the Bridge of Eldin, and Link once again battles him on the way to Kakariko, knocking him off the Great Hylian Bridge. After crossing Hyrule Field and Kakariko Gorge and evading scores of monsters along the way, the group reaches Kakariko Village. Ralis is left in the care of Renado and the children, and Telma states that she will stay in Kakariko Village for the time being. After Telma leaves, Rutela's spirit appears to Link again and motions for him to follow her to Kakariko Village's Graveyard. She thanks Link for bringing her son to Kakariko Village and fulfills her promise to him by revealing the Zora Armor beneath her husband King Zora's grave. Rutela asks Link to tell Ralis that she wants him to not grieve her death and live on as king of the Zoras, and that she loves him unconditionally. After this final request, Rutela joins her husband in the afterlife. Link heads to Lake Hylia with the Zora Armor and descends to the Lakebed Temple. After solving many puzzles in the dungeon, he defeats the aquatic creature Morpheel and acquires the final Fused Shadow.

Quest for the Mirror of Twilight
With all of the Fused Shadows in their possession, Link and Midna warp back to Lanayru Spring, where Zant ambushes the duo. He takes the Fused Shadows, critically injures Midna and casts a curse on Link with a Shadow Crystal that traps him in his Wolf form. Lanayru warps the duo to Hyrule Field to save them, and tells Link to head to Hyrule Castle to meet with Princess Zelda, who should know how to break the curse that Zant placed on him. Trapped in Wolf form, Link carries a dying Midna on his back and brings her inside the Castle to Zelda. Midna weakly tells Zelda that she needs Link to save Hyrule and asks her how his curse can be broken. Zelda tries to break his curse with the power of her Triforce of Wisdom, but to no avail. She concludes that Link is bound by an evil power that prevents him from transforming back into his Human form. The Princess tells Link to head for the Sacred Grove to find the Master Sword, the only thing that can break his curse. Midna is brought back from the brink of death when Zelda transfers her spirit to Midna's body. Zelda does this at her own expense, and her body disappears as a result. As the duo leave Hyrule Castle, a giant magical barrier is erected around it, preventing access to the Castle. Link and Midna travel to the Sacred Grove to retrieve the Master Sword, breaking Zant's curse and allowing Link to transform between his Hylian and Wolf forms at will.

After acquiring the Master Sword, Link and Midna venture to Gerudo Desert in search of the Mirror of Twilight, an item required to travel to the Twilight Realm where Zant resides. Along the way, Midna tells Link that she is a member of the Twili, a tribe descended from the Dark Interlopers who were banished to the Twilight Realm. She tells him that Zant's evil power is foreign to the Twili and that he must have received it from an external source. She urges Link to find the Mirror of Twilight, as it is their only path to Zant and the Twilight Realm. After fighting through Arbiter's Grounds, Link and Midna discover the Mirror. However, they find that Zant had broken it into four Shards, with only one Shard currently in the Mirror's stand. The Ancient Sages in the Mirror Chamber reveal that Zant received his power from Ganondorf, a ruthless sorcerer who tried to establish control of the Sacred Realm during the Era of the Hero of Time. The Sages reveal that they had sentenced Ganondorf to death for his evil deeds, impaling him through the chest with the Sword of the Sages. However, he had previously received the Triforce of Power, which allowed him to survive the execution. He then used the power of the Triforce to break free from his chains, kill the Sage of Water, and pull the Sword of the Sages from his chest, leaving behind a glowing wound that he still possesses. With the last of their power, the Sages activated the Mirror of Twilight and banished Ganondorf to the Twilight Realm. The Sages task Link and Midna with the duty of repairing the Mirror of Twilight and defeating Ganondorf.

The Mirror Shards
First, Link and Midna set out for the frigid land of Snowpeak. Telma's acquaintance, Ashei, tells Link of a creature that has been spotted in Zora's Domain and gives him a Sketch she drew of it. She recommends that Link should not set out for the mountain without a plan, as the blizzards in the area are harsh. Link consults Ralis about the creature, and shows him Ashei's Sketch. Ralis recognizes the creature and remarks about the Reekfish it is holding. The Zora prince gives Link his Coral Earring and tells him that he can use it as bait to fish for Reekfish near the Mother-and-Child Rocks in Zora's Domain. Ralis decides to return to his village when the time comes. Link proceeds to Zora's Domain and catches a Reekfish. It gives off a Scent, prompting Link to transform into his Wolf form to sniff it. The Scent leads into Snowpeak and effectively serves as a path through the blizzard for Link. He ends up at the top of the mountain and finds the mysterious creature from Ashei's Sketch holding a large Reekfish, the source of the Scent. The creature's name is Yeto, and he reveals that he has found a Shard of the Mirror of Twilight. He invites Link to his house so he can obtain it. Yeto's wife, Yeta, has not been feeling well since her husband found the Mirror Shard, so they locked it in the master bedroom. Yeto reveals that he has been stealing Reekfish from Zora's Domain because it is a crucial ingredient for Soup to make his wife feel better.

Link consults Yeta, who tries to remember the location of the Key to the master bedroom. She gets the location wrong several times due to her illness, sending Link on numerous misadventures through the Ruins. Eventually, she finally gets it right and sends Link to the room where the TPHD: is located. Link collects the key, and Yeta greets him as he exits the room, having recovered from her illness by drinking Yeto’s soup. She offers to take him to the master bedroom where the Mirror Shard is located. When the two approach the Mirror Shard, Yeta stares into it, commenting on the Mirror's beauty. The Shard corrupts Yeta and transforms her into the gigantic Blizzeta, forcing Link to battle her. Eventually, Link defeats her, releasing her from the Mirror's influence. Link and Midna depart with the Mirror Shard as Yeto and Yeta share a warm embrace.

Link returns to the Sacred Grove in search of another Mirror Shard. He briefly places the Master Sword back into its Pedestal, revealing the door to the Temple of Time. While exploring the Temple, Link comes across an ancient item called the Dominion Rod. He uses this Rod to traverse the Temple and battle the corrupted guardian of the Mirror Shard, Armogohma. Link defeats Armogohma and acquires the Mirror Shard, but finds that the Dominion Rod's power has been drained upon leaving the Temple.

Renado summons Link to Kakariko Village and tells him that there is a chance of Ilia's memory being restored. A series of events leads Link to collect a Wooden Statue connected to Ilia's past, and he shows it to her. Upon seeing it, Ilia remembers that she was confined in the Hidden Village with someone else before escaping and arriving in Castle Town. Gor Coron reveals that the Village is located somewhere between the Eldin and Lanayru Provinces and sends Darbus there to clear the path for Link. Link discovers the path and finds Darbus destroying the debris of a rockslide that blocked off the Village, clearing the entrance. Link finds the Hidden Village overrun by Bulblins, and quickly disposes of them. The person Ilia was imprisoned with appears and introduces herself as Impaz, the last resident of the Village. She thanks Link for defeating the Bulblins and gives him Ilia's Charm. Link returns to Kakariko Village and shows the item to Ilia, successfully restoring her memory. Ilia reveals that her Charm was meant to be a gift for Link before he departed from Ordon Village, and gives it to him.

Ilia says that Impaz was awaiting the Heavenly Messenger who carries the Rod of the Heavens, and that she has been guarding something for this Messenger, prompting Link to return to the Hidden Village. Link shows Impaz the Dominion Rod, and she gives Link the Ancient Sky Book, realizing that he is the Messenger to the Heavens spoken of in legend. Link returns to Renado's Sanctuary and shows the Ancient Sky Book to Telma's friend Shad, who is investigating a mysterious statue in the cellar. Shad reads the word written in the Book, but it does nothing to the statue. Shad leaves in disappointment, but the Dominion Rod's power is restored, revealing the word to be a spell that imbues the Rod with magic. Link sets out to recover Sky Writing characters from the Owl Statues across Hyrule.

Link returns to Renado's Sanctuary with all of the characters, and finds Shad there. He says the newly formed word in front of the statue, and removes the seal on it. Link moves it, and finds a broken Sky Cannon behind it. Midna warps it to Lake Hylia, and Fyer agrees to fix it. Link uses it to launch to the City in the Sky, where the final Shard of the Mirror of Twilight is located.

After his arrival, Link sees a Dragon flying around the City, which terrifies the local Oocca tribe. Link traverses the airborne City and eventually reaches the pinnacle, where he battles the Dragon, Argorok, who possesses the final Mirror Shard. Link defeats it and acquires the Shard, saving the Oocca in the process.

Final confrontations
Link and Midna return to the Mirror Chamber and restore the Mirror of Twilight with the Shards they collected. The Ancient Sages reveal that Midna is the original ruler of the Twili, and that she had her power suppressed by Zant, who transformed her into her current imp form. As a result, Midna was forced to flee her people. The Twili believed that the hero would appear in the Twilight Realm in the form of a divine beast, and Midna thought that she could use Link to save the Twilight Realm from Zant, while remaining apathetic about the World of Light. However, after witnessing the immense courage and sacrifices of Link and Zelda, Midna developed a change of heart. She tells Link that they are now fighting to save both worlds, and the two use the Mirror of Twilight to enter the Twilight Realm. They make their way through the Palace of Twilight and encounter Zant. Zant tells the duo about how he was denied the Twili's monarchy, and turned to a "God," who gave him the power he needed to usurp Midna and take over as King of the Twili. After announcing his master's wish to create darkness by merging shadow and light, Zant proceeds to battle Link. Link defeats him, and Midna regains the Fused Shadows. However, the curse that Zant placed on Midna does not break, since it was Ganondorf's magic that enabled him to curse her. Zant reveals that Ganondorf has been reborn and claims that his master will resurrect him. Midna uses the Fused Shadows to destroy Zant, and realizes that Ganondorf is responsible for the magical barrier over Hyrule Castle and is there now. They return to Hyrule and Midna uses the regained Fused Shadows to break the seal surrounding the Castle.

After traversing through the Castle and battling scores of monsters, including a final confrontation with King Bulblin, Link and Midna reach the throne room, where Ganondorf is waiting for them with Zelda's lifeless body suspended above him. After a brief conversation, he possesses Zelda's body to battle Link. Link manages to defeat him, and Midna uses the Fused Shadows to free Zelda from his grasp, but he transforms into Ganon to continue battling. Link repeatedly exploits Ganondorf's wound left by the Sword of the Sages long ago to defeat him. After this, the power Zelda gave to Midna to save her life returns to her, reviving the Princess. However, Ganondorf once again transforms into his "God" form, and Midna warps Link and Zelda outside the Castle before using the Fused Shadows to fight him. The resulting battle destroys Hyrule Castle, and Ganondorf is shown to be victorious as he crushes Midna's helmet. Ganondorf and his minions charge towards Link and Zelda on horseback, but Zelda summons the four Spirits of Light, who grant her the Light Arrows. Link summons Epona, and he and Zelda ride her to battle Ganondorf. Zelda uses the Light Arrows to stun Ganondorf, and Link knocks him off his Horse. Link and Ganondorf then battle on foot with the Master Sword and the Sword of the Sages, respectively. Eventually, Link strikes Ganondorf down and plunges the Master Sword into his chest, killing him once and for all. This releases the curse on Midna, who is revived by the Spirits of Light, restoring her to her true form.

Link, Zelda and Midna return to the Mirror Chamber to say their farewells to each other. As she departs, Midna sheds a tear which shatters the Mirror of Twilight, breaking the only known gateway between Hyrule and the Twilight Realm, so that a tragedy like this doesn't happen again. Link returns the Master Sword to the Pedestal of Time in the Sacred Grove, and the children of Ordon Village return home to their families. Link rides away with Epona to places unknown, equipped with only his Shield, while Ilia witnesses him leaving Ordon. At the very end, the throne room of Hyrule Castle is seen, revealing that the Castle was rebuilt.

Gameplay
In a further departure from, Link is once again a young man, as opposed to a child, as in the latter part of and in. The game also takes on a darker tone, rivaling that of.

Transformation
Link transforms into a Wolf when entering the Twilight, a dark shroud that has ensnared Hyrule. This is not a separate place like the Dark World in, but a festering malignancy across Hyrule.

As a Wolf, Link is unable to use items. Instead, he resorts to abilities like dashing, biting, digging, and howling, among others. With the help of Midna, he can also warp through portals to reach far destinations instantly and create an energy field that can defeat multiple enemies simultaneously. In addition, Link can communicate with animals in Wolf form as if they were people. When transformed into a Wolf, Link’s sense of smell is greatly improved, allowing him to follow trails left by certain characters in the game; in the same way, Wolf Link can also see spectra and other elements that are invisible to the human eyes.

During the first half of the game, Link is a Wolf only when he enters a portion of Hyrule that has fallen under the influence of the Twilight; once there, the young hero is unable to return back to normal until he purges that cursed place by reviving the Light Spirits after collecting their Tears of Light. eventually, Link is able to shapeshift from one form to the other at will thanks to a Shadow Crystal and the Master Sword.

Wii and GameCube Differences
The Wii version of the game is a mirror image of the GameCube version, meaning that East is West (and vice-versa) in the former version; this is to accommodate for most Wii players being right-handed, while Link is often left-handed.

The Wii version uses the "point-and-click" feature of the Wii Remote as a "Fairy" cursor (an on-screen pointer modeled to look like a fairy), for accessing menus, and for using various tools such as the Hero's Bow, Clawshot, and Fishing Rod (see Weapons, items and abilities); it uses the Nunchuk attachment analog stick for movement. In order to swing the sword which Link uses as a weapon, the player makes a slashing motion with the Wii Remote. A jab with the tilt-sensitive Nunchuk will cause Link to perform one of his secret moves, the shield attack. To use Link’s “spin attack” (a powerful attack where Link swings his sword circularly around himself), the player shakes the Nunchuk side to side horizontally.

In the GameCube version of the game, the 'Y' and 'X' buttons are used for add-on weapon such as the Clawshot, Bombs, Iron Boots, and Hero's Bow. The 'B' button is used for Link's sword attacks. Tapping it once does the normal slashing motion. Pressing it two or three times allows Link to perform sword attack combos. Holding B until Link's sword charges and makes a "ching!" sound allows the hero to perform a Spin Attack. 'L' locks onto enemies or people to talk to. The C stick rotates the camera around, while the A button is for actions like talking, opening doors, and picking things up.

In order to use items in the Wii version, the game allows the player to equip the items to the left, right, and down positions of the D-pad and the 'B' button of the Wii Remote using the item screen. When an item's respective direction button is pressed, the item is switched into the 'B' button for easier use. The built-in speaker on the remote is used for sounds like the bowstring of the Hero's Bow being drawn and released, Midna's laugh, and the ever-present "Zelda chime" when discovering secrets.

Items and abilities
In, Link learns more moves than in any other The Legend of Zelda game to date. Link also shares similar moves between Hylian and Wolf. For example, when an enemy is on the ground, Link has the option to finish them off by plunging his sword into their chest or in Wolf form (on Poes, to rip out their Souls). With these abilities come some disadvantages. As mentioned before, Wolf Link cannot utilize any of his items, or open any doors with handles until he transforms back into a Hylian.

As Link progresses on his quest, he can learn various NaN Hidden Skills, which improve his repertoire of sword attacks, and even expose new weaknesses on strong enemies. In addition, he also makes use of various items that appear for the first time in the game, as well as classic tools and weapons that, in one or another way, have been revamped to have secondary uses.

Returning from and, a horse can again be ridden in. The default name for the horse is Epona (the set name of the horse from the two aforementioned games) and is used as the main form of transport whilst Link is in Hylian form and until various warp points are opened around Hyrule. For the first time, Link can use his sword in combat while riding Epona in the game. This is also the first game in which the player can decide the horse's name.

General Aspects
The game is meant to have a more mature atmosphere than the rest of the Zelda games, as well as significantly darker, and more rabid versions of monsters from older Zelda games. It is also supposed to be the longest Zelda game to date, accumulating at least sixty hours of play, twice as long as, confirmed by , although many who completed the game believed this to be inaccurate. Princess Zelda and Ganon also appear in.

The game's story takes place several years after the events of and. As featured in, Link uses special facial expressions to inform the player and give subtle clues on how to solve certain puzzles. For some gamers, the game still proves to be more challenging than other Zelda games preceding it, although all the bosses have been noted as remarkably easy, taking most gamers only one try to defeat. Another returning feature is the day and night system of Hyrule, consisting of not only the cycle of days but weather and atmospheric effects as well.

Motion capture is used to bring the characters alive in a realistic manner. This is most evident during cinema sequences.

Development
During development, was referred to as " 2". Seeing fan demand for a realistic aesthetic, the developers took that direction and started "".

Like the original The Legend of Zelda game, was also inspired by  . The  came out at the same time was being developed, and movies' popularity resulted in the developers drawing inspiration from the aesthetic as well as creating a big world to match its scale.

The game was first revealed at E3 2004 when Nintendo showed a teaser trailer of their new Zelda game to a small group, resulting in outrageous uproars from the viewers. When the Zelda community found out, many fans were extremely excited. Many were happy to see Zelda taking a mature turn, which, as opposed to the cartoony, cel-shaded art style of 2003's, received a much warmer welcome. After ten months of silence from Nintendo, a new trailer was finally revealed at the on March 10, 2005 to an eager audience.

It was learned at the Nintendo E3 conference on May 9 that would be released October 4, 2006 and would simultaneously be released on GameCube; it was later announced that, to compensate for the fact that most players would be right-handed, the Wii version would be mirrored entirely so that Link could be right handed as well.

On September 13, 2006, it was revealed that would be a launch title for the Wii and would be released on November 19, 2006; the GameCube version would be delayed until December of that year. In Japan, the Wii and GameCube versions had a simultaneous release in early December, although the latter was only available for purchase online.

Graphics
features a stylized, naturalistic art style (similar to, but more advanced than, that found in and ); These graphics are displayed by use of a heavily modified version of the  engine. This modified version of the 2003 installment's engine makes the graphics in realistic, as opposed to the cartoonish, cel-shaded design of. However, as the Wii version is a mere port of the GameCube version, the graphics supposedly fall short of the Wii's capabilities.

Audio
There is no extensive voice acting in the game. The characters laugh, scream, and make other such noises, as they have in previous installments on the Nintendo 64 and Nintendo GameCube. In conversations, Link remains silent, and his responses are implied by nods and facial expressions, much like other The Legend of Zelda games. The only character who is completely "voiced" is Midna. However, she says no clear words, instead speaking in an unintelligible language.

Music itself once again plays a role in, as in previous The Legend of Zelda games. While Link does not carry a musical instrument of any type until a late point into the game, he can pick grass from certain patches and whistle with it to call an animal, either a Hawk or Epona, Link's horse (later on, an instrument shaped similarly to the grass used to summon Epona is given to Link and has the same effect as the aforementioned grass). Also, while as a Wolf, Link can howl near the same patches, to the same effect. When Link is in his Wolf form, there are seven Howling Stones (including one with a Triforce symbol at the entrance to the Sacred Grove) located around the world where, after Link howls a certain melody shown on screen a few times, a White Wolf appears and jumps somewhere else in the world. Link must then change back to his Hylian form and find the Wolf to learn a hidden sword technique. The songs howled by Wolf Link are taken from, , and , with the exception of the final howling stone, which is the "bass" of the game's Hyrule Field Main Theme.

Like previous Zelda titles, has a synthetic soundtrack. This allows the background music to be more dynamic, but the sound quality suffers. The fact that Nintendo had decided not to use an orchestrated soundtrack has been a point of criticism for the game. Koji Kondo, the lead composer for the game's soundtrack, originally stated that he "would really like to push for" the music to be orchestrated. Part of the full soundtrack (featuring the songs "The Legend of Zelda: Orchestra Piece ", "Hyrule Field Main Theme", "Ordon Village", "Kakariko Village", "Death Mountain", "Midna's Theme", and "Ilia's Theme") is received when a Nintendo Power subscription is purchased (the subscription also comes with a game guide for ). A soundtrack also is packaged with the Twilight Princess Collector Box, an exclusive item sold at Target stores. The soundtrack also features two bonus tracks. The first bonus track, known as "D.S. Trailer Pack", was the theme that was to be used instead of the present Hyrule Field Main Theme.

A version of the game's Hyrule Field theme was recorded with a live orchestra before release. It was probably intended to be used in the final game; however it ended up being used only in pre-release demos and promotional material.

Along with the standard features of sound in a Zelda game, the Wii console offers something more to the customers buying the Wii version of Twilight Princess. Using the Wii Remote, various sound effects (sword swing, Midna's calls, etc.) come from both the television and the Wii Remote's internal speaker, improving the overall game experience.

Setting
Eight years after appearing in, Hyrule is once again fully explorable in a 3D console title. In order to provide appropriate continuity, this incarnation of the sacred kingdom features most of the regions and zones portrayed in the 1998 title; a major difference, however, is that Hyrule is much bigger than before (similar to how it was shown in ), thus it's now divided into provinces, six in total, similar to the four worlds of Termina from. The GameCube and Wii versions of the game feature mirrored (west/east) variations of Hyrule because of the control scheme. It must be noted that all indications shown below are based on the GameCube version, which is largely considered the canonical map due to that version being reflected in official artwork.

The southernmost province is Ordona, a rural zone where milk, pumpkins and cheese are exported to the other parts of Hyrule (as hinted during the exploration of Snowpeak Ruins), and where Link lives until fate calls him to fight evil; north from Ordona is Faron Province, a forest area inhabited by monkeys and very rarely by humans (or any other race), and where there used to be an ancient temple guarding the Master Sword; found northeast from Faron is Eldin Province, which houses Kakariko Village (now a wasteland due to invasion of monsters, and where a graveyard keeps the rests of deceased Zora monarchs) and Death Mountain (where the Goron tribe inhabits and has developed a mining complex over the flow of time).

North from both Faron and Eldin is the Lanayru Province, which houses the sources of water in Hyrule (namely Lake Hylia, Zora's River and Zora's Domain, the latter one inhabited by the proud Zora tribe), as well as Hyrule Castle Town (where most of the Hylians live, and where Hyrule Castle can be found); southwest from Lanayru (west from Faron) is the Desert Province, entirely uninhabited except by monsters that overran Gerudo Desert and Gerudo's Fortress, and where the long-fabled Mirror of Twilight lies a the top of an ancient dungeon; Northwest from Lanayru (north from the desert) is the Peak Province, also entirely uninhabited except by monsters and the gentle Yeti race, and seen as the coldest region in Hyrule.

Timeline Placement
occurs some centuries after and, due to a number of events which occurred in the days of the Hero of Time (/ Link), during what is known as the "Child Timeline". After defeating Ganon in ' s "adult ending", Link was sent back through time by Princess Zelda to relive his sacrificed childhood and divert the past Hyrule away from its terrible future. In the past, Link's knowledge of Ganon's plans led to his capture, following an unsuccessful invasion of Hyrule. Ganon was taken then by the Sages to the Arbiter's Grounds to be executed. This event took place several years after ' s "child ending" and the events of.

's placement in the series was confirmed in December 2006 by Eiji Aonuma. With the release of, it is officially established that the events of this game took place before.

Sales
The game was commercially successful and became a best-seller, with 5.82 million copies (Wii) as of 2011, plus 1.32 million copies (GCN) as of March 31, 2007, sold worldwide. Considering only sales of the Wii version, it is the third best-selling Zelda game to date, after and the original. When the sales of both the Gamecube and Wii versions are combined, was the best-selling The Legend of Zelda game as of September 30, 2015 with cumulative sales of 8.85 million. It was later surpassed by with sales of the Switch version reaching 8.48 million copies sold as of March 31, 2018 and the Wii U version reaching 1.08 million copies sold as of March 31, 2017,  giving a cumulative total of 9.56 million copies sold.

Reviews
has received universal acclaim from reviewers and journalists, who cited it as the greatest Zelda game of all time. Clocking with a 94-95% approval on Metacritic and a similar compilation score on GameRankings, the game was praised in nearly every aspect. IGN editor Matt Cassamassina stated that was dethroned by this game, citing the length of the adventure, the storyline and the gameplay, and concluding that it "...is must-see, must-play and must-own entry into the series that proves over and over again why Nintendo is the best developer in the world". However, Matt also lamented that the game used MIDI-based soundtrack, instead of an orchestrated score, and that the characters lacked yet again fully-voiced speech.

Kristan Reed from Eurogamer initially warned that games created to be overly long usually may end up being tiring and in need of replay value, in contrast to shorter games that sometimes offer richer experiences; however, he also said that succeeds in being consistent and keeping the player interested in it despite its pronounced length. Kristan also considers the game a true successor to thanks to the elements borrowed from the 1998 game, and that the Wii controls work well despite the game being originally developed for the GameCube only; as for complaints, he said that most bosses are easier to defeat than expected, and that the overworld's huge size makes the game's pacing more difficult when it comes to completing the main objectives.

1UP.com journalist Jeremy Parish commended the game for living up to the series' legacy and "appealing" for gamers that expressed complaints on some aspects of, mainly the graphical style; he also praised the implementation of Wii controls, as well as the size of the adventure. He said that the only shortcoming of the game (and therefore in disagreement with Kristan from Eurogamer) was the fact that the game was too similar to, and that it felt "predictable" in some aspects, mainly in gameplay and storyline.

GameSpot critic Jeff Gerstmann was more critical, and stated that the Wii controls feel "tacked-on" because of the fact that the game started as a project exclusive for the GameCube; for the same reason, he considered that the graphics felt outdated, therefore lacking the visual impact of other Wii games, and thus concluded that Twilight Princess "...could have been so much more with a few presentational updates and more effective and interesting uses of the Wii's unique control scheme". However, he ultimately recommended the game, citing the legacy it took from the other games in the series.

Despite the positive reviews, there are mixed opinions in regards of whether the game has surpassed or not, as well as whether the game itself is a current-generation game or an old-generation title delayed multiple times since its 2004 announcement. Likewise, some journalists have criticized the fact that the game undid the ambition factor seen in games like, , , as well as the fact that the long wait for the game's release wasn't completely paid off in the end.

In late 2009, Nintendo Power ranked it "fourth" in their list of best The Legend of Zelda games, citing its presentation and its return to 's roots.

Legacy

 * Many properties of appeared in, including the models of Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf, the Bridge of Eldin stage, music, trophies, and stickers. This happens similarly with , counting again the models of Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf and having Midna as an Assist Trophy so far.
 * Link's Crossbow Training takes the setting, models and graphical style all from.
 * The true Wii Zelda game, SS undefined, noticeably borrows several elements from, including Link's general design, many of his animations, and the sounds and movements of certain enemies, such as Deku Babas.
 * Several elements of this game were also borrowed by, including the collection of Tears of Light, the letters from the Postman being retained, Princess Zelda being susceptible to villain possession, and the presence of Bulblins and Bullbos within the overworld.

Trivia

 * In the English translation of the game, Princess Zelda mentions that light and darkness co-exist in a world of balance, giving the impression that darkness is a fundamental element of the Zelda universe. In the original Japanese text, the princess speaks only about the ability of light to drive away darkness, literally and metaphorically.
 * is one of the only Zelda games to date where Japan uses the same literal subtitle as the rest of the world, the other being SS -. The Legend of Zelda,, , , and all use the same title in English and Japanese, only not directly romanized.
 * This is the first game where the Octorok enemies are absent.
 * This is the first game in which Link appears in Hylian form shirtless. This happens only when Link learns how to Sumo wrestle. He appears shirtless in, but in Deku Scrub, Goron, and Zora forms.
 * This is the first game that, when released, was available on two Nintendo consoles, with the second one being.
 * Like in, but not , the Iron Boots are treated as an item rather than an upgrade, and thus can be applied quickly rather than by pausing the game. However, the remake of arranged this, also turning the boots into an item.
 * Also, unlike in, Epona is acquired very early in the game.
 * In his Wolf form, Link can talk to animals. Some of them even manage to recognize Link from his Hylian form.
 * This is the first The Legend of Zelda game in which Link obtains a musical instrument that is not necessary to complete the game.
 * The title theme incorporates elements from the classic Zelda series theme.
 * If one has a save from the Wii version of, an emblem of Hyrule is unlocked as a bumper sticker for Samus' ship in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.
 * The Wii version of the game has more glitches than the GameCube version, likely due to its earlier release. One infamous glitch is the Cannon Room glitch that results in an incompletable save file. Another is a debug function left in the game: skipping through the Cave of Ordeals by putting out the torches on each floor. Other unused elements, like Green Chus, were left in the Wii version.
 * One major feature left out of the final game was the Magic Meter, which was present in the 3D games before . Unused text left in the game hints that Link would have needed magic power in order to transform into his Wolf form. A magic meter can still be seen on a screenshot on the back of the game's box.
 * features the second-highest number of Pieces of Heart with a total of 45. This is due to the fact that it is the only game in the series to require 5 Pieces of Heart to complete a Heart Container.
 * As part of the first batch of Nintendo games released on the NVIDIA Shield TV, is among the first Nintendo developed console games to be released on a non-Nintendo console.