How the LEGO® The Legend of Zelda™ set was designed

First launched in 1986 from Nintendo, who also developed Super Mario™, The Legend of Zelda™ games have captured the hearts of millions of players from all over the world.

And for a long time now, lovers of LEGO® sets have wondered when Link, Princess Zelda and the world of Hyrule would appear in LEGO brick form.

The wait is now over!

The first-ever LEGO The Legend of Zelda set is here.

To get the inside story on how the set was created, we spoke to designers (and The Legend of Zelda superfans) Wes Talbott and Austin William Carlson.

A research process decades in the making

“I was introduced to Zelda through The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and fell in love immediately!” says Wes. “Now, I’ve played and completed every main game.”

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was launched on the Nintendo 64 and has gone on to become one of the most beloved games of all time.

Austin also played it and has stayed with the series ever since.

“It’s a timeless story,” Austin says, giving his opinion on the appeal of the games. “It’s a world that felt so familiar, yet could be retold in so many ways. This makes each story and game experience unique, yet familiar and warming. And it is why I keep returning to the land of Hyrule.”

Choosing our main character

So, when the LEGO Group began to work on a set based on The Legend of Zelda, it was clear that Wes and Austin were ready to take on the quest.

But selecting exactly what element of Hyrule this set should feature was difficult. After all, to date, there have been over 20 games, each one offering many tantalizing possibilities.

In collaboration with Nintendo, it was decided that a 2-in-1 Great Deku Tree set would be the perfect subject.

“The Great Deku Tree is big and beautiful, and it’s also a recurring character, which was important to me,” says Wes.

The Great Deku Tree has appeared in many The Legend of Zelda games, including first in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and again in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

There’s a whole host of details lovingly hidden within the set, from mushrooms and radishes all the way up to a Hylian Shield and legendary Master Sword.

And while Wes attempted to squeeze every single detail he could into the set, Austin handled the design of the minifigures.

A legendary hero and a wise princess

“My driving question was: how can we provide something unique and special that no one else can? And the simple and obvious answer was, well, building!” says Austin.

But with so many outfits and armor to choose from, how do you choose which ones to include?

Well, it turns out, you collaborate with the original experts.

“We worked with the Nintendo team,” continues Wes. “Concepting with them truly felt like we were creating the perfect blend of The Legend of Zelda and LEGO bricks!”

Speaking about the launch of the set, Eiji Aonuma, Producer of The Legend of Zelda series at Nintendo Co., Ltd, said: “I’m really thrilled that The Legend of Zelda is joining the world of LEGO bricks, which has spurred the creative impulses of so many people of all ages. The Great Deku Tree was the first element from The Legend of Zelda we wanted to represent using LEGO bricks. This set allows you to build two different versions of the Deku Tree from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild with unique features that are a great fit for the nature of the series. I can’t wait for everyone to get the chance to build this part of The Legend of Zelda world with their own hands.”

A legendary set for fans old and new

Whether the series reminds you of early gaming experiences or you came via the rich open-air games, this set has been lovingly crafted by passionate fans and is filled with details you’ll love.

It might have been a long time coming, but we’re certain you’ll agree that the LEGO The Legend of Zelda Great Deku Tree 2-in-1 set was worth the wait.

© Nintendo