A pretty big debate in the Zelda fanbase, is Zelda an RPG?

Personally I don't think it is, it doesn't really fit any of qualifications of an RPG

It really falls more into the Action-Adventure genre more than anything

Do people assume it is because it has magic?

What do you think? 

An action adventure game, with well made puzzles and dungeons. Skyward sword and zelda 2 have some rpg elements like upgrades. Zelda is not a typical action adventure game tho, that's why there are "games like zelda" 

No.

/thread.

Zelda is zelda :) more like its its own thing.

I think we can say: Zelda is Zelda.

To be honest,it is its own thing!But if you want a certain answer,it is definetely an Action-Adventure game,who ever doubted that?:O

I would say yes. Dark Souls, Bloodborne and Darksiders are also RPG's imo.

There are actually tons of people who say it is, it's a pretty big discussion in the Zelda fanbase

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080215112229AAPWHLh

http://www.gamespot.com/forums/games-discussion-1000000/is-zelda-a-rpg-29357315/

http://www.ign.com/boards/threads/is-zelda-a-rpg-or-action-adventure.183439779/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njrC-pT8BOk

Lol!

So a diplomatic answer would be an Action-Adventure game with rpg elements!:P:P:P :S

No, it's an action adventure game. It's not even a little bit of an RPG. It doesn't even have RPG elements.

And Zelda is not "it's own thing." It's defined by a genre, just like everything else.

RPG stands for Role Playing game. You're playing a character. Zelda is a RPG. Unless you want to have a subcategory of Role Stat building Playing Game.