The game follows the fixed protagonist Willow Ufgood, a Nelwyn farmer, as he protects the prophesied infant Elora Danan from the evil sorceress Queen Bavmorda. Players guide Willow through a quest involving magic acorns, restoring Fin Raziel from animal forms, allying with Madmartigan, and confronting Bavmorda at Nockmaar Castle using swords, shields, and spells.

This narrative adheres strictly to 1980s fantasy tropes of prophecy, courage, and good versus evil, with no social commentary, identity politics, or critiques of norms injected into the premise or gameplay. The title features no character creation system, pronoun options, or gender customization, keeping Willow as the established male lead from the source material. It retains heterosexual romance elements from the film, such as the relationship between Madmartigan and Sorsha, while containing zero LGBTQ+ or DEI content. Developed by the Japanese studio Capcom without any activist statements or consultancy involvement, the game prioritizes straightforward entertainment over ideological messaging, resulting in a pure adaptation free from modern progressive framing.