The Legend of Zelda celebrated its 40th anniversary this week, though you’d be forgiven for not noticing. Still, in Japan, you can now buy miniature versions of some iconic weaponry — which is nice, we suppose.
Nintendo has played down Zelda and Link’s big 40th birthday, with no new game or remaster to mark the occaison and no real fanfare at all. It’s a very different situation to Mario’s 40th birthday celebrations last year, or Pokémon’s impending 30th anniversary this Friday.
Today, however, Nintendo’s official Japanese The Legend of Zelda social media account has come to life to announce the launch of “The Legend of Zelda Weapon Collection” — a highly-detailed set of miniature weapons, featuring some of the franchise’s most iconic gear.
Made by Bandai, the nine-piece set includes the Master Sword, Hylian Shield, Royal Claymore, Zora Longsword, Seven Jewels Dagger, Great Eagle Bow, Stonecrusher, Lightscale Trident, and a rarer sheathed Master Sword variant.
The items are being sold in candy boxes, and Nintendo says you can find them in Japanese stores within “candy sections in stores nationwide.” Or on eBay, were pre-sale listings for the full collection are currently circulating, priced around $100.
Why hasn’t Nintendo made more of Zelda’s 40th anniversary? Well, with no big Switch 2 game on the horizon (and likely still a few years away yet, considering the still 2023 launch of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and the typical gap between mainline games), the franchise does not have a banner release to hang a celebration on.
Fans remain hopeful for something new-ish on Switch 2 this year (another remake?) perhaps nearer the holidays. 2026 is the franchise’s 40th year for a while longer, after all.
Other than that, the franchise’s next big moment will likely be the arrival of Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda live-action movie which is set to land in theaters on May 7, 2027. Need a Zelda fix sooner? LEGO has its The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time — The Final Battle set due on March 1.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
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