The Legend of Zelda may be one of Nintendo’s most successful and popular video game franchises, but did you also know that there is a huge library of books you can check out? From a wide range of manga to encyclopedias of lore, these books make the perfect gift for the Zelda fanatic in your life this holiday season. And if you just want to spruce up your own bookshelf, we’ve got you covered, too.
We’ve divided all of the official Legend of Zelda books into three main sections below. There are manga, encyclopedias, and guides that go far beyond the Zelda games you know and love.
The Legend of Zelda manga
Written by Akira HimekawaThe Legend of Zelda manga spans almost the entire history of gaming, with major manga series based on many major titles such as Ocarina of Time and Minish Cap. These are great for people who are up-to-date to manga and want to immerse themselves in it, or die-hard game fans looking for deeper world-building. All of these stories are available individually, but if you’re a collector, you can get some of them in various collector’s sets, such as the Legendary Edition chest.
The 11-volume Twilight Princess manga has its own box set that includes the entire story and poster. Additionally, the Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past manga by Shotaro Ishinomori it’s a great quick read that’s also accessible.
Legend of Zelda Encyclopedias
If you’re in the mood for something more educational, the Legend of Zelda Encyclopedias is the perfect place to dive deeper into the history, culture, and different races of Hyrule. The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia was originally released in 2013 and gave fans their first officially established timeline. If you’re unfamiliar, fans have been scrupulously speculating for years about the branching timeline that began in Ocarina of Time – one branch in which the adult Link defeats Ganondorf, and another in which he doesn’t. This is quite an engaging bit of history and explains some of the settings in later and previous games.
The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia and Art & Artifacts offer an even deeper look into the universe, featuring detailed descriptions of various items, characters and enemies, as well as exclusive interviews with the creators. There’s even a deluxe edition of the encyclopedia that looks like a retro NES cartridge, which I definitely recommend picking up for more information.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Creating a Champion is an over 400-page supplement to the 2017 game. Featuring countless design and concept art, a look at Hyrule’s history, and interviews with key developers.
Legend of Zelda Guides
Thanks in part to the internet, they just don’t make video game strategy guides like they used to. Currently, older publisher guides, e.g Prime Games and Brady Games have become collectors’ items with very high prices. However, there is one comprehensive, official hardcover guide for the 2023 game Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which is currently available on Nintendo Switch. This nearly 500-page guide covers everything you need to know about the game, from every Korok location and cooking recipes, to dungeon solutions and boss fighting strategies.
Of course, all of this information can also be found in IGN’s guide to the game, but this physical copy is a great addition to your shelf.
The unofficial cookbook
The Unofficial Zelda Cookbook
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Unfortunately, there is no official Legend of Zelda cookbook. And that’s a real shame, considering how delicious some of the recipes from Tears of Kingdom look. The good news is that it’s there Is the unofficial Zelda cookbook with over 50 Hyrule-inspired recipes. The book and recipes come from the website Chef Thibaud Villanova and was released in 2022.
Where is the best place to buy Legend of Zelda books?
There are many good places to buy books online, but overall the best place we’ve found for The Legend of Zelda books is Amazon. They will most likely get a discount, and Amazon will sometimes have one buy and one sale on some of them, making them even cheaper. We saw the last of these during Prime Day this year, and we expect to see something similar during Black Friday this year.
Myles Obenza is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Bluesky @mylesobenza.bsky.social.
