9 Legend of Zelda Side Quests Scarier than Any Horror Game
The Legend of Zelda series has long hidden dark and disturbing content within its optional side quests, creating experiences that rival dedicated horror games. While the main narrative typically confines its creepier elements—curses, ghosts, and undead creatures—to dungeons and boss encounters, the series reserves some of its most unsettling moments for voluntary adventures. Nintendo contrasts the franchise’s bright, whimsical exploration surfaces with hidden horrors that reward curious players willing to investigate beyond the obvious story. Polygon’s feature examines nine particularly scary side quests throughout the Zelda franchise, including “House of Skulltula” from Ocarina of Time, which exemplifies how the series balances cheerful adventuring with genuinely unsettling discoveries. These optional encounters demonstrate that the darkest and most memorable frights in the Zelda universe often come not from mandatory challenges, but from the players’ own decision to explore what lurks beneath the franchise’s friendly exterior.