When you think of The Legend of Zelda, there's a lot that might come to mind. Ironically, Link is probably the first thought, considering the series isn't even about him, really. The second thought, though, might be the dungeons, which many would class as the trademark of Zelda games.
No game in the series is completely devoid of great dungeons, but some have them a bit more consistent than others. Establishing a 'best' dungeon can be hard when each game tries its own thing with them, and everyone has a different opinion of what makes a great dungeon. All of that said, let's go ahead and try to say which Zelda has the best ones anyway.
Updated July 20, 2023 by Hilton Webster: The Zelda series is renowned for its dungeons, something Breath of the Wild sadly reduced focus on. With Tears of the Kingdom, dungeons are back in the limelight, so we've updated this list to reflect that and highlight the best dungeon in each game.
11 Breath Of The Wild
Sorry about this one, Nintendo. For all of the incredible aspects of Breath of the Wild, dungeons simply aren't one of them. It's a fair sacrifice in exchange for a dramatically changed game with a completely different focus, but that doesn't change reality: its dungeons aren't great.
At least there's Hyrule Castle, which is actually an incredible dungeon. Not just by the standards of the game; it's actually just really good. On the other hand, the remaining dungeons, the insides of the four divine beasts, are all mechanically distinct, though visually quite similar and don't offer many surprises. They're the weakest part of a game shining in excellent qualities.
Best Dungeon - Hyrule Castle
Though many of Breath of the Wild's dungeons were weaker than others, there's no denying the excellence of Hyrule Castle. Being given that 3D map and the incredible depth of the location is a feeling few other games in the series have achieved. Just knowing you can enter and leave whenever you want, making slow progress, is an incredible sensation.
10 The Wind Waker
The Legend of Zelda was first shown on the GameCube with a tech demo that looked much more reminiscent of Twilight Princess. Colour the fanbase shocked when they see Toon Link revealed with the bright and colourful style of The Wind Waker.
The Wind Waker is an incredible game, the first Zelda game to actually attempt something akin to an open world, and that art is timeless. Its dungeons, though still great, shine more through the greater qualities of the title's visuals than a stronger mechanical identity of their own.
Best Dungeon - Earth Temple
Wind Waker is packed with colourful spectacle, which makes the Earth Temple stand out all the more. It has a more washed-out, creepy atmosphere, focused on light redirecting puzzles and unsettling enemies. Sections of it also have you take control of Medli, giving it an almost co-op feel.
9 The Minish Cap
The Minish Cap lies in a funny place in the Zelda series, often forgotten amongst the big hitters it released near, never hitting the same fame as the earlier spin-offs. With its relaunch on the Switch, the Capcom-developed game finally has the chance it deserves to shine.
The Minish Cap comes with six dungeons, each of them quite different from the other. Many of them are impressive for their visuals and tech for being a Game Boy Advance title, though the music is where many of its dungeons excelled. They have some of the strongest dungeons themes in the series, with the Temple of Droplets being one of the most beloved.
Best Dungeon - Palace Of Winds
Minish Cap was the last Zelda game to feature a 2D aesthetic, and the art truly made it memorable. And though Temple of Droplets may have some of the best music, the Palace of Winds, with its skyward location and unique dungeon mechanics, make it one of the standouts across the whole series.
8 A Link To The Past / A Link Between Worlds
A Link to the Past is where the Zelda series truly found its footing. The foundations laid by the previous games were given such a strong identity, both visually and musically. Add to this A Link Between Worlds, both a sequel and remake in equal measure, and you've got some of the strongest Zelda there is.
With offering much of the style for Zelda dungeons, A Link to the Past has great variety. Some dungeons are more based on traversal, others on combat, while some make extensive use of tools. A Link Between Worlds reinterprets many of these dungeons, adding 3D depth to them and even light-based puzzles. You ask someone their favourite dungeons from the game, and you'll likely get entirely different responses from each.
Best Dungeon - Desert Palace
Being a mix of both sequel and remake of A Link to the Past, ALBW had some big shoes to fill, and filled them with the literal depth of 3D. The Desert Palace is one of the best showcases of this, with the Sand Rod effectively letting you create platforms anywhere. It made the dungeon complicated, but also incredibly freeform, to explore.
7 Tears Of The Kingdom
A sore point for many people was Breath of the Wild's weaker dungeons compared to most of the other entries. They weren't bad per se, but didn't have the variety that many came to expect. Tears of the Kingdom thankfully goes all in on dungeons, offering areas with unique themes and dramatically improved bosses.
Where Tears of the Kingdom sets itself apart is how it blends the old Zelda use of tools and complex puzzles with its own brand of being able to get a solution no matter what. Some dungeons have minecarts — or you could just scale the walls. There's still freedom within the more curated design.
Best Dungeon - Wind Temple
Though Tears of the Kingdom allows you to tackle its dungeons in any order you wish, it strongly suggests you do the Wind Temple first, and for good reason. It is the strongest temple the game has to offer. The ascent into the sky to it is already an incredible experience, but navigating around the giant ship feels immense, all capping off with a true spectacle of a boss that highlights what the game does great.
6 Ocarina Of Time
The series' first foray into 3D, Ocarina of Time was a smash hit for Nintendo. Ocarina of Time has so much of what is seen as the DNA of a Zelda game, yet there's also no other Zelda game quite like it either.
Ocarina of Time has quite a large amount of dungeons, and each and every one of them has a personality. Exploring them across both Young and Adult Link lets you explore them with different tools, giving each dungeon an entirely different vibe. The emphasis on tools is also a major aspect of the game's dungeons, often time becoming more complex as your journey progresses.
Best Dungeon - Forest Temple
Ocarina of Time has a lot of standout temples, maybe the highest amount of good temples in a single game, but the Forest Temple is one of the most iconic. It's one of the first you'll complete as Adult Link, yet it also harkens back to your time as a child. Others may have more mechanical depth, but this one persists as the standard bearer.
5 Majora's Mask
A sequel in a style that Nintendo never repeated until Tears of the Kingdom, Majora's Mask was a direct sequel to Ocarina of Time, yet shared little. Yes, it reuses plenty of assets, but the themes and atmosphere of the game are entirely different, and that extends to the dungeons.
Where Ocarina of Time was very tool-focused, Majora's Mask feels a bit more experimental. It doesn't always work out but provides an experience unlike any other Zelda game. The final dungeon especially, taking advantage of all of your masks and their unique abilities, is a real treat.
Best Dungeon - Stone Tower Temple
In the same way MM builds on the mechanics of OoT yet also sets itself apart, Stone Tower Temple is the culmination of MM's dungeons, yet still stands on its own two feet. It plays with all of Link's masks, offering a multitude of puzzles across its vast length, but also plenty of space to experiment with optional masks, too.
4 Oracle Of Ages And Seasons
A duology that was meant to be a trilogy, the Oracle games are another pair developed by Capcom for the Game Boy. They're likely the least-played Zelda games, yet the fanbase surrounding them is one of the most fervent, swearing they're some of the best games.
They're unique in that both games are meant to be played to unlock the full story, with both having dramatically different dungeons. They're actually incredibly diverse, especially for the limited colour palette and tech they were made with. Many would vote Oracle of Ages as better in terms of dungeons, though both offer a feast of variety.
Best Dungeon - Ancient Tomb
Oracle of Ages is typically seen as having the stronger dungeons of the duology, and the Ancient Tomb sits atop it all. It's one of the later dungeons of the game, and combines many of your tools and weapons into one grand adventure. It also features the unique mechanic of having to gather tablets within the stage to get to lower sections of the tomb.
3 Link's Awakening
When it comes to Zelda games, Link's Awakening is by far the most unique. Getting past the surrealism of Kirby and Mario enemies existing within the game and it being inspired by Twin Peaks, it just has an incredible atmosphere that other games can't possibly match.
Amidst all of the oddities of the game's setting are its dungeons, which benefit massively from the strangeness surrounding them. None are perfect, suffering from ambition or difficulty of navigation, but they all have confidence in their design that can't be denied. They're not always the 'best' in terms of pure quality but excel in personality and passion.
Best Dungeon - Eagle Tower
Eagle Tower is a long, and somewhat complex dungeon, primarily by merit of its unique mechanic. Upper floors of the dungeon are held up by pillars, and it's your job to figure out how to knock them down so you can actually reach time. It's a wonderful dungeon, one that highlights the incredible differences that make Link's Awakening stand out.
2 Twilight Princess
Twilight Princess came out in a period when games were trying, both thematically and literally, to be darker. True enough, Twilight Princess has the darkest, most muted colour palette of any game in the series, yet its dungeons come alive in their atmosphere.
Despite the visuals feeling like they're trying too hard to be edgy, the actual dungeons much of the time feel melancholic. A place in ruins clinging to life. They don't always have the mechanical depth of Skyward Sword or Ocarina of Time, but they feel like true places in the world, not a dungeon made to be explored.
Best Dungeon - Snowpeak Ruins
For many people, it's a toss-up between City in the Sky, Arbiter's Ground, and Snowpeak Ruins as the best dungeon. For us, Snowpeak Ruins stands above them for the sheer vibes of the area. You're stepping into someone else's home and are just trying your best to navigate it.
1 Skyward Sword
Ranking Skyward Sword at the top of a Zelda list is always a fun experience because you can guarantee people will disagree. The game was clunky, went quite heavy on an unnecessary story, and had some redundant gameplay features. Yet when you see the sheer creativity of its dungeons, you can't deny their excellence.
Skyward Sword achieves what many Zelda games have attempted, yet failed: creating dungeons that feel feasible to exist, yet are also enjoyable as a place to explore. Dynamically swapping between past and present, climbing through a dungeon inspired by heaven and hell, the intense diversity of it all. There are flaws in them, but it's hard not to be left awed by the visual feast, and the fact that no matter what, they're actually fun to explore.
Best Dungeon - Ancient Cistern
Skyward Sword may have its issues, but they're all blown out of the water by the Ancient Cistern. Inspired by Buddhism, the arena has you constantly altering between upper heavenly sections and lower hell sections. The tools you get are great to traverse, and the visuals are simply unmatched.