The Psychology of Zelda

It’s dangerous to go alone! Take this (book).

For more than 30 years, The Legend of Zelda — which immerses players in a courageous struggle against the shadowy forces of evil in a world of high fantasy — has spanned more than 30 different installments, selling over 75 million copies. Today, it is one of the most beloved video game franchises around the globe.

Video game sales as a whole have continued to grow, now raking in twice as much money per year as the entire film industry, and countless psychologists have turned their attention to the effects gaming has on us: our confidence, our identity, and our personal growth. The Psychology of Zelda applies the latest psychological findings, plus insights from classic psychology theory, to Link, Zelda, Hyrule, and the players who choose to wield the Master Sword.

About the Editor

Dr. Anthony Bean specializes in video games, children & adolescents, and the virtual worlds played in by all ages. He is considered an expert in this growing field, has been published extensively in the discipline. He works with children, adolescents, and adults who play video games and their families to better understand the immersive psychological effects video games have upon the individual and resulting family dynamics.

Dr. Bean utilizes video game character identification techniques and other archetypal experiences to understand and develop intrinsic motivations for playing, personal identity, and discovering conscious and unconscious conflicts, cognitions, and behaviors. He has worked with children, adolescents, and adults on discovering their own symbolic transformations through the playing of video games and dealing with depression, trauma, anxiety, social isolation, and other common diagnoses to great success.