Princess Zelda is the princess of Hyrule and guardian of the Triforce of Wisdom. Her name is shared by many of her female ancestors and descendants. While most titles require Link to save Zelda from Ganon, she is sometimes shown to be quite capable in battle, using magical powers and weapons such as Light Arrows to aid Link.

With the exception of the CD-i games, she was not playable in the main series until Spirit Tracks, where she becomes a spirit and can possess a Phantom Knight that can be controlled by the player. Zelda also appears under various other aliases and alter egos, including Sheik (in Ocarina of Time) and Tetra (in The Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass).