Zelda Vocabulary in Japanese

Playing the Zelda games in Japanese? Knowing Link and Zelda by heart is not enough. In Japan the series is called ゼルダの伝説 (Zeruda no Densetsu), and some names you already have stuck in English sound completely different there.

That gap shows up fastest in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, where menus, shrines, and NPC names sit in kana and kanji. Turn the Japanese version on and the paraglider is パラセール (Parasēru) — not the English word written out the way you might expect.

About Zelda in Japanese

"The Legend of Zelda" is a famous video game franchise created by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka and developed by Nintendo. The first game in the series was released in 1986, and since then it has become one of the most beloved titles in video game history.

In Japanese, "The Legend of Zelda" is written ゼルダの伝説 (Zeruda no Densetsu). The word ゼルダ (Zeruda) is Princess Zelda; 伝説 (Densetsu) means "legend." The stories keep circling those names: Link goes on legendary adventures to help Zelda and stop Ganon — not the same plot every time, but the same names at the core.

In each game of the series, you are dropped into the fantasy world of Hyrule (ハイラル, Hairaru). You play as Link (リンク, Rinku), explore dungeons, solve puzzles, defeat enemies, and collect items to move the story forward.

A recurring symbol is the Triforce (トライフォース, Toraifōsu): three pieces for Power, Wisdom, and Courage. In many games, Link, Zelda, and Ganon are tied to those three pieces.

Vocabulary from Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom

These Japanese words keep turning up in the open-world games — on the map, in the menu, and in dialogue. The same kana-plus-rōmaji pattern shows up in our One Piece vocabulary in Japanese: the writing first, then the reading, then what it means in English.

1. ゼルダの伝説 (Zeruda no Densetsu) — The Legend of Zelda
2. ブレス オブ ザ ワイルド (Buresu obu za Wairudo) — Breath of the Wild
3. ティアーズ オブ ザ キングダム (Tiāzu obu za Kingudamu) — Tears of the Kingdom
4. ハイラル (Hairaru) — Hyrule
5. ハイラル王国 (Hairaru ōkoku) — Kingdom of Hyrule
6. トライフォース (Toraifōsu) — Triforce
7. リンク (Rinku) — Link
8. ゼルダ姫 (Zeruda-hime) — Princess Zelda
9. ガノンドロフ (Ganondorofu) — Ganondorf
10. 厄災ガノン (Yakusai Ganon) — Calamity Ganon
11. シーカーストーン (Shīkā Sutōn) — Sheikah Slate
12. シーカーセンサー (Shīkā Sensā) — Sheikah Sensor
13. シーカー族 (Shīkā-zoku) — Sheikah
14. カカリコ村 (Kakariko Mura) — Kakariko Village
15. ハテノ村 (Hateno Mura) — Hateno Village
16. イチカラ村 (Ichikara Mura) — Tarrey Town, literally a village built “from scratch”
17. ウオトリー村 (Uotorī Mura) — Lurelin Village
18. ハテノ古代研究所 (Hateno Kodai Kenkyūjo) — Hateno Ancient Tech Lab
19. ハイリアの盾 (Hairia no tate) — Hylian Shield
20. マスターソード (Masutā Sōdo) — Master Sword
21. ハートの器 (Hāto no utsuwa) — Heart Container
22. ハートのかけら (Hāto no kakera) — Heart Piece
23. がんばりゲージ (Ganbari Gēji) — stamina gauge
24. パラセール (Parasēru) — Paraglider
25. 祠 (Hokora) — Shrine
26. 神殿 (Shinden) — Temple
27. 神獣 (Shinjū) — Divine Beast
28. 英傑 (Eiketsu) — Champion
29. メインチャレンジ (Mein Charenji) — Main Quest
30. 料理 (Ryōri) — cooking / a cooked meal
31. 防具 (Bōgu) — armor
32. 素材 (Sozai) — materials
33. ダンジョン (Danjon) — Dungeon
34. ボス (Bosu) — Boss
35. ガーディアン (Gādian) — Guardian
36. モンスター (Monsutā) — Monster

Japanese names of Zelda characters

Some English names are just the Japanese ones said with an English accent. Others were rebuilt from scratch. Beedle is テリー (Terī) in Japanese — literally Terry. Bolson, the carpenter in Hateno, is サクラダ (Sakurada), a cherry-blossom pun that never made it into English.

Below are official Japanese names from Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom, and a few older games in the series.

1. インパ (Inpa) — Impa
2. ミファー (Mifā) — Mipha
3. リーバル (Rībaru) — Revali
4. ウルボザ (Uruboza) — Urbosa
5. ダルケル (Darukeru) — Daruk
6. シド (Shido) — Sidon
7. パーヤ (Pāya) — Paya
8. プルア (Purua) — Purah
9. ロベリー (Roberī) — Robbie
10. カッシーワ (Kasshīwa) — Kass
11. シーク (Shīku) — Sheik
12. テリー (Terī) — Beedle
13. サクラダ (Sakurada) — Bolson
14. ココ (Koko) — Koko
15. ガノン (Ganon) — Ganon

Classic series titles and items

Older games do the same thing with titles: the English name is often a rewrite, not a translation. Ocarina of Time is 時のオカリナ (Toki no Okarina). Spirit Tracks is 大地の汽笛 (Daichi no Kiteki), “steam whistle of the earth” — nothing like the English title.

Nintendo character names follow the same split. If you like comparing localizations, the Japanese names of Nintendo characters sit next to this list pretty naturally. A bit of katakana practice also helps, because most Hyrule names live in that script.

1. 時のオカリナ (Toki no Okarina) — Ocarina of Time
2. ムジュラの仮面 (Mujura no Kamen) — Majora's Mask
3. 風のタクト (Kaze no Takuto) — The Wind Waker
4. トワイライトプリンセス (Towairaito Purinsesu) — Twilight Princess
5. 神々のトライフォース (Kamigami no Toraifōsu) — A Link to the Past
6. 神々のトライフォース2 (Kamigami no Toraifōsu Tsū) — A Link Between Worlds
7. 大地の汽笛 (Daichi no Kiteki) — Spirit Tracks
8. フックショット (Fukku Shotto) — Hookshot
9. ブーメラン (Būmeran) — Boomerang
10. ハイラル城 (Hairaru Jō) — Hyrule Castle
11. デクの樹 (Deku no Ki) — Deku Tree
12. 大妖精 (Daiyōsei) — Great Fairy
13. 迷いの森 (Mayoi no Mori) — Lost Woods
14. カカリコ村の井戸 (Kakariko Mura no Ido) — Kakariko Village well

If you switch only the voices, the names you hear still follow the Japanese track. Mipha stays ミファー. English subtitles keep saying Mipha. That mismatch is the whole point of a list like this: you can read the menu and still know who is talking.