Zelda: Ocarina Of Time Remake Unveils New Looks At Major Characters' Redesigns

Published Oct 20, 2026, 5:47 PM EDT Ben Brosofsky has been writing for Screen Rant since 2022 and editing since 2024. He graduated from Vanderbilt University with a Bachelor's in Cinema & Media Arts. Writing serves as a much-needed distraction from tackling a backlog of Steam games that will never be surmounted. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake largely looks loyal to the original game, but it's filling in a lot of gaps left by the sparse art style that the Nintendo 64 permitted. One of the biggest areas of revision lies with the new character designs, with freshened-up versions sporting far more details than their previous iterations. Those changes have proven to be a bit divisive, but regardless of where you stand, they're here to stay. If you're still having trouble making up your mind about the new looks, some recently released screenshots of the game might help you come to a decision once and for all. Vice shared a series of 11 screenshots used in Japanese marketing of the Ocarina of Time remake, and the gallery contains some interesting close-ups of the game's core cast. Link makes a number of appearances, unsurprisingly, and a couple of shots offer detailed looks at the titular ocarina in his hands. More interesting, however, are the screenshots of Ganondorf and Sheik. Ganondorf looks especially menacing here, brandishing the glowing Triforce of Power on his gauntlet in one frame. Another simply shows him smirking, displaying the arrogance and sense of superiority that define his characterization in Ocarina of Time. Several of these screenshots show off rain effects in the remake, including the image of Sheik provided here. Sheik's design is similar overall to their appearance in the original game, although the wispier hair and more detailed facial features might undercut some of the intended secret of their identity. Nintendo hasn't reinvented the wheel with any of the character redesigns, but the level of detail on display could be good or bad, depending on your perspective. Proponents of the overhaul have pointed out its resemblance to puppet theatre, an art form that Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto loves. Critics, on the other hand, tend to draw comparisons to Marvel movies and Unreal Engine 5 demos, arguing that overly intricate outfits have diminishing returns. Most fans, at any rate, can agree that Ganon looks good, as his presence was always associated with a degree of showboating opulence. These screenshots are also a great credit to his facial animations, which feel dynamic and expressive in a way that wasn't possible on the Nintendo 64. The gallery also includes the child version of Malon, whose dress in the remake notably turns an abstract design in the original texture into a depiction of horses. The owl, Kaepora Gaebora, puts in his own appearance, although we've seen better views of his remake design elsewhere. Poring over Nintendo's scraps has been an entertaining way to keep up with the Ocarina of Time remake so far, but fans will soon be free to explore all the game's details for themselves. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake is set to release on November 5, 2026 for the Nintendo Switch 2, leaving only a couple of weeks remaining until its launch. Released November 5, 2026 ESRB Everyone 10+ / Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence Developer(s) Nintendo Publisher(s) Nintendo Franchise The Legend of Zelda Number of Players Single-player Nintendo Switch 2 Release Date November 5, 2026