The 1989 LEGEND OF ZELDA Animated Series Is Now Streaming Free and It’s Wild
If you are itching for some Hyrule action while waiting for Nintendo’s live action The Legend of Zelda movie in 2027, there is a fun little throwback ready to fill the gap.
The original 1989 The Legend of Zelda animated series has officially landed on Tubi, completely free to watch, and it is a fascinating slice of gaming cartoon history.
This short lived cartoon ran for only 13 episodes and pulled inspiration from the earliest games, the original The Legend of Zelda and The Adventure of Link.
It follows older versions of Link and Zelda as they defend Hyrule from Ganon’s constant schemes. If you have never seen it, prepare for a very different flavor of Zelda storytelling.
The show aired every Friday in the late eighties, taking over the slot normally filled by the Super Mario Bros. weekday cartoon. Even though it was the first attempt to bring the franchise to the screen, it struggled with critics and fans, gaining a reputation for corny writing and campy character moments. This is also where the now legendary meme “excuse me, princess” originated.
Over time, the series has developed a cult following. On IMDb, viewers regularly describe it as “it's so bad it's awesome,” and say that it “brings back good memories.”
No one is calling it an accurate adaptation of the beloved games, but it is a quirky time capsule worth checking out. Watching it now is a fun way to compare how far Zelda adaptations have come, especially with a massive live action movie on the way.
That movie, directed by Wes Ball, will feature young warrior Link on a desperate mission to save his kingdom from a ruthless warlord named Ganon.
Nintendo has already offered a peek at stars Benjamin Evan Ainsworth and Bo Bragason as Link and Zelda, and they look impressively close to their in game counterparts. Details on the project are still under wraps, but the early preview gives fans something exciting to anticipate.
The live action The Legend of Zelda film is scheduled to hit theaters worldwide on May 7, 2027. While the wait is long, the free streaming release of the vintage animated series on Tubi is a fun way to revisit Hyrule in all its retro glory.