Which game first introduced the Master Sword in The Legend of Zelda series?

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past first introduced the Master Sword in The Legend of Zelda series.

Released for the Super Famicom in Japan in 1991 and for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System internationally in 1992, the game presents the Master Sword as a legendary blade hidden in the Lost Woods. Link must retrieve it to confront Agahnim and eventually challenge Ganon.

The original 1986 The Legend of Zelda included several important swords, but it did not feature the Master Sword by name. Later games made the weapon one of Link’s most recognizable recurring items, often describing it as a blade capable of repelling evil.

A Link to the Past also established several story and visual conventions that became central to later Zelda games, including a parallel Dark World, a more developed version of Hyrule, and a stronger emphasis on legendary artifacts. The sword’s later appearances are therefore continuations of an idea created in this 1991 adventure.