All of the Symbols in The Legend of Zelda, Explained

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Gaming Creator Alex Norimaki talks about the most important emblems of the Zelda series

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IN THIS ARTICLE

1 Triforce

2 Royal Crest

3 Goddess Crest

4 Race Emblems

5 Symbol of Time

6 Marks of the Goddesses

7 Sage Medallions

8 Boss Symbols

9 Maku Seed Symbols

10 Season Symbols

11 Sail Symbol

12 Vaati’s Eye

13 Wind Crest

14 Twilight Emblem

15 Ocean King’s Emblem

16 Cyclone Slate Symbols

17 Door Symbols

18 Symbol of the Spirits of Good

19 Temple Emblems

20 Sky Characters

21 Hylian Script

22 The Christian Cross

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Co-authored by Alex Norimaki and Glenn Carreau

Last Updated: March 14, 2026 Fact Checked

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Even the most devoted Legend of Zelda fan would be hard-pressed to remember every symbol in the long-running series, not to mention their significance. That’s why we’ve done all the work for you! We’ve created a guide to the many important symbols, crests, and emblems found throughout the rich lore of the games, and we’ll refresh your memory or introduce you to them below. Keep reading for a comprehensive deep-dive into the symbols in The Legend of Zelda.

A Visual Guide to the Legend of Zelda’s Symbols

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Gaming Creator Alex Norimaki says the most iconic symbol in The Legend of Zelda is the Triforce. This is a religious symbol representing the Golden Goddesses’ power. Other important symbols include the Hylian Crest and the icons of the goddesses Farore, Nayru, and Din.

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1

Triforce

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1. 
   The Triforce is arguably the most important symbol in the Legend of Zelda franchise; it represents the Golden Goddesses’ power. Each of the Triforce’s three pieces represents one of the goddesses—there’s the Triforce of Power, the Triforce of Wisdom, and the Triforce of Courage. Furthermore, the Triforce appears many times throughout the Legend of Zelda games, including on Link’s shields and on the Master Sword.

   • Triforce of Power - Represents the goddess of power, Din. Ganon usually has this piece of the Triforce.
   • Triforce of Wisdom - Represents the goddess of wisdom, Nayru. Zelda usually has this piece of the Triforce.
   • Triforce of Courage - Represents the goddess of courage, Farore. Link typically has this piece of the Triforce.
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2

Royal Crest

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1. 
   Besides the Triforce, this is probably the other most recognizable LoZ symbol! The Royal Crest features a stylized Loftwing (a bird species associated with divine protection, and known as “Guardian Birds”) with the Triforce at the center of the design. It’s the crest of the royal family of Hyrule; it was introduced in Ocarina of Time and remains a constant in the series (although there are variations of the design).

3

Goddess Crest

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1. 
   The Crest of the Goddesses, or Goddess Crest, is a symbol that appears throughout Skyward Sword and Breath of the Wild. It represents the goddess Hylia—a divine entity later reborn in mortal form as the first Zelda. The symbol is a precursor to the Wingcrest and Hylian crest, featuring a Loftwing design (with some variants being more obviously birdlike than others).

   • The Goddess Crest can be found in temples, as well as on Zelda’s clothing (and around Skyloft) in Skyward Sword.
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4

Race Emblems

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1. 
   Ocarina of Time (and, later, The Wind Waker) features special symbols—or “crests”—that represent each race in Hyrule. This includes a Hylian emblem, a Kokiri emblem, a Goron emblem, a Zora emblem, a Sheikah emblem, and a Gerudo emblem. Let’s take a closer look:

   • Hylian Crest - The Hylian Crest closely resembles the Royal Crest with a Loftwing design; the only real difference is that there’s no Triforce at the center.
   • Crest of the Kokiri - This crest is designed to look like the Kokiri’s Emerald; you can find it emblazoned on the Deku Shield and in areas of The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess.
   • Crest of the Gorons - This crest is a red, stylized depiction of the Goron’s Ruby. You can see it tattooed on numerous Gorons; in The Wind Waker, it’s also on the Traveling Goron's backpack.
   • Crest of the Zora - This crest is blue, made up of three crescents facing outward. It’s meant to resemble the Zora’s Sapphire, as well as allude to the Zora peoples’ connection to water.
   • Crest of the Sheikah - The crest of the Sheikah is purple, resembling an open eye (symbolizing desire to seek truth) with a teardrop (symbolizing willingness to do anything necessary to accomplish a goal).
   • Gerudo Symbol - The Gerudos’ crest is brown, designed to look like the back of a King Cobra. It appears on numerous flags, switches, and blocks within Gerudo fortresses, as well as on Gerudo clothing.

5

Symbol of Time

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1. 
   The Symbol of Time was introduced in Ocarina of Time. It’s the symbol emblazoned across the Door of Time, and it’s also featured on Time Blocks (which can obstruct Link’s progress or allow him to progress). In the game, Link could play the Song of Time to remove obstacle blocks from his path—and, of course, open the Door of Time itself. The symbol has a bird-like design with a circle in the center.
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6

Marks of the Goddesses

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1. 
   The Marks of the Goddesses—not to be confused with the Goddess Crest above—are a series of three symbols representing each of the three Golden Goddesses: Din, Farore, and Nayru. These marks appear throughout multiple Zelda games, from Ocarina of Time to Breath of the Wild, and their design has remained the same:

   • Mark of Din - Represents Din, the goddess of Power. Its design features three curving lines laid atop one another on a red background.
   • Mark of Farore - Represents Farore, the goddess of Courage. Its design features a series of circles enclosing one another over a green background.
   • Mark of Nayru - Represents Nayru, the goddess of Wisdom. Its design features three crescents facing outward and circles within each, over a blue background.

7

Sage Medallions

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1. 
   In Ocarina of Time, Link is charged with awakening all six Sages—and gains a Sage Medallion for each one awakened. The Medallions represent their respective Sages, with the Triforce depicted on the back of them all. The six Sage Medallions are Light, Forest, Fire, Water, Shadow, and Spirit.

   • Fire Medallion - Red, bearing a pointed flame symbol.
   • Light Medallion - Golden-yellow, with a pattern of alternating triangles and circles.
   • Shadow Medallion - Purple, with a central triangle and a circle next to each side.
   • Water Medallion - Blue, with a flower-like pattern.
   • Forest Medallion - Green, with four curving lines that meet at the center.
   • Spirit Medallion - Orange, with a design similar to the yin and yang symbol, or the Cancer astrological sign.
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8

Boss Symbols

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1. 
   A few different Zelda games, most notably A Link to the Past and The Wind Waker, have used symbols to represent important boss enemies. In The Wind Waker, Ganon’s Tower contains symbols for four bosses etched on a barrier: Gohma, Kalle Demos, Jalhalla, and Molgera; each boss’s symbol glows when they’re defeated. Similarly, in A Link to the Past, boss symbols are carved onto tiles in front of doors that lead to a boss’s lair. These include:

   • Agahnim - This room has a tile with an eye insignia, but it changes to a bat symbol after the first fight.
   • Helmasaur King, Arrghus, Vitreous, and Trinexx - All of these boss enemies have tiles designed to look like them, indicating that Link is heading into their respective rooms.

9

Maku Seed Symbols

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1. 
   Maku seeds are powerful quest items from Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons; they can destroy evil magic (specifically, the magic that blocks Link from reaching each game’s final bosses). There are two distinct Maku seed symbol designs: one that appears on the Oracle of Ages seed, which is circular, and one that appears on the Oracle of Seasons seed, which is triangular.
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10

Season Symbols

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1. 
   Oracle of Seasons also has special symbols representing each season in the year: Spring, Summer, Autumn (Fall), and Winter. Whenever Link reaches a new area in the overworld (or naturally changes seasons), a symbol will appear to indicate the current season. These symbols are:

   • Spring - A green symbol with four leaf-like shapes arranged together.
   • Summer - A red sun-shaped symbol with pointed rays.
   • Autumn - A yellow symbol with a leaf design.
   • Winter - A white hexagon on a blue background.

11

Sail Symbol

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1. 
   The Wind Waker’s gameplay involves quite a bit of sailing—so, naturally, there’s a symbol artfully displayed on Link’s sail (as well as the joints of the Grappling Arm). The sail symbol is dark green, with three thick, swirling lines arranged alongside one another.
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12

Vaati’s Eye

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1. 
   Those who enjoyed Four Swords and The Minish Cap might remember Vaati, a recurring antagonist (and the main “big bad” of Four Swords). Throughout both games, places associated with Vaati have a blue-green eye-shaped symbol called Vaati’s Eye displayed in and around them.

13

Wind Crest

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1. 
   In The Minish Cap, Link can use the Ocarina of Wind to warp to any of the eight Wind Crests found throughout the game (so long as that crest’s seal has already been broken). The Wind Crests themselves are small tiles with symbols etched on them, created by the Wind Tribe specifically for whoever used the Ocarina of Wind.
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14

Twilight Emblem

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1. 
   The Twilight emblem is a red (or sometimes blue-green) symbol that appears on enemies and magical barriers inside the Twilight Realm in Twilight Princess. Its origins are unclear; it may be unique to Zant and corrupted by his magic, or a tribal symbol of the peaceful Twili people being used by Zant. Because the symbol sometimes appears in uncorrupted, blue-green form, it’s assumed that it may belong to the Twili.

15

Ocean King’s Emblem

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1. 
   In Phantom Hourglass, the Ocean King (or “Oshus,” as he’s also known) is a guardian of the World of the Ocean King. The Ocean King’s emblem, which resembles a drop of water surrounded by a larger crescent, is featured on a lot of different architecture and items in that world, including the Temple of the Ocean King, the Phantom Hourglass, and the Phantom Sword.

   • This symbol only appears in the Phantom Hourglass game.
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16

Cyclone Slate Symbols

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1. 
   Cyclone Slate symbols are the symbols that must be drawn on the Cyclone Slate in order to warp (travel from place to place quickly) in Phantom Hourglass. Each symbol is given by a Golden Frog in the World of the Ocean King, and drawing a symbol will transport Link back to the area that specific frog inhabits.

17

Door Symbols

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1. 
   Phantom Hourglass also has three specific symbols required to open certain sealed doors (including one within the Temple of the Ocean King). The three symbols are a Triforce shape (a triangle made of three smaller triangles), an hourglass, and a pentagonal concave polygon.

   • If a symbol is needed to open a door, it’s always scrawled on a stone tablet somewhere in the area around the door.
   • These symbols don’t seem to have a specific meaning; their only function is to open doors.
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18

Symbol of the Spirits of Good

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1. 
   The symbol of the Spirits of Good looks a lot like the Royal Crest; it features a loftwing design, but instead of a Triforce at the center, there’s an upside-down Force Gem. This symbol, which is mainly shown in Spirit Tracks, represents the Spirits of Good themselves—deities that live in the heavens and watch over New Hyrule.

   • The symbol of the Spirits pops up throughout Spirit Tracks. For instance, any time Link unlocks a Force Gem within a temple, a pedestal bearing the symbol (and the gem) will rise from the ground.
   • Similarly, the various Warp Gates around the overworld also have the symbol of the Spirits on them.

19

Temple Emblems

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1. 
   In Spirit Tracks, there are five different temples for Link to visit, and each temple has its own corresponding emblem. That emblem is located at the entrance to the temple and within, on the walls and various tiles. Players can see each emblem on their Collection screen after they complete the temple that emblem is connected to!

   • However, although each symbol clearly pertains to a specific temple, there’s no special meaning to them beyond that.
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20

Sky Characters

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1. 
   Sky Characters are featured in Twilight Princess; they’re six symbols that were part of the Oocca’s ancient language, and given to Link, who must decipher the book in which they’re written, called the Ancient Sky Book. These six Sky Characters are also found across Hyrule, displayed on Owl Statues (one for each symbol), and finding all of them allows Link to restore the Sky Cannon.

   • However, the six Sky Characters don’t seem to have individual names or meanings, beyond their use in Twilight Princess.

21

Hylian Script

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1. 
   Hylian—or Hyrulean—is the primary language of Hyrule, with Hylian script being its corresponding alphabet. There are actually multiple Hylian writing systems introduced in the series. The current Hylian script, which appears in A Link Between Worlds all the way through Tears of the Kingdom, is a modified version of the Sky Era alphabet from Skyward Sword, which is based on the Latin alphabet.

   • The first Hylian script was “Mudoran” from A Link to the Past (and it was totally unreadable).
   • Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask featured a version of Hylian script based on Japanese Kana, though it lacked punctuation.
   • The Wind Waker introduced yet another Hylian script, similar to the last—it was based on Japanese Kana and Hindu-Arabic numerals.
   • Twilight Princess used a form of Hylian script based on the Latin alphabet. The next Hylian script from Skyward Sword was a modified version of the former.
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22

The Christian Cross

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1. 
   Believe it or not, there’s Christian imagery in the Zelda games—but only in the older ones. Before the goddesses and their lore were created, Christianity was likely intended to be the LoZ franchise’s main religion (although this was never expressly stated in any game, only hinted at). As such, The Legend of Zelda and Adventure of Link both had the Christian Cross in them.

   • In The Legend of Zelda, there’s the Book of Magic, which has a Cross on its cover.
   • In Adventure of Link, there’s a real Cross used to make flying Moas visible.
   • Additionally, there are Crosses on tombstones in both titles.
   • Since then, references to Christianity have disappeared; the Triforce has been established as a religious symbol, with the Golden Goddesses being the main deities worshipped in Hyrule.

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