Highlights
- Tears of the Kingdom expands the lore of Hyrule and introduces new elements like the Zonai and the Sages for fans to explore in future Zelda games.
- The absence of the Divine Beasts in Tears of the Kingdom leaves room for their potential return and further exploration of their significance.
- The introduction of the Yiga Clan and the mysterious Depths in Tears of the Kingdom opens up new storytelling possibilities and challenges for players in future Zelda games.
With the success of Breath of the Wild, it was only natural that a sequel would be added. Tears of the Kingdom was released worldwide on May 12, 2023 and has surpassed 18 million sales. Not only have the BotW/TotK-verse done well in the real world, but Tears of the Kingdom truly stretches its version of Hyrule to its limits.
Fans of the series have already been pondering how Nintendo are going to top BotW/TotK in terms of gameplay, story, and characters. Legend of Zelda games are no strangers to having tons of references from past titles, and this is reflected in both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. Now that both entires have added new lore to the franchise, various callbacks from BotW/TotK are to be expected in the next Zelda game.
Major spoilers for Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.
1 The Zonai
The Zonai were referenced in Breath of the Wild, but it wasn't until Tears of the Kingdom where they were given the spotlight. The first king, Rauru, was the founder of Hyrule. While an interesting fact, longtime fans were quick to point out that it contradicts the entirety of Skyword Sword.
Rauru shares the same name as Ocarina of Time's Sage of Light, and he also possesses the power of Light through the secret stone. However, the similarities end there, and there's still much that the fandom does not know about the Zonai. Despite the wrench they've thrown into the wildly-accepted Zelda Timeline, there's still plenty to explore of the Zonai for the next Zelda installment. In fact, the Ancient Hero who assisted in sealing away Calamity Ganon was said to be a Zonai. Imagine a Zelda game where the Link of that title was not Hylian but a Zonai instead.
2 The Sages
Sages have always been an important part of Legend of Zelda, so it wasn't too surprising to see them make a comeback. Like Ocarina of Time and Wind Waker, the Sages wind up being people that Link has already met on his journey. They don't restore the power of the Master Sword (Wind Waker) or help Zelda seal away Ganondorf (Ocarina of Time), but they still come to Link's aid in the final battle in Tears of the Kingdom.
Since it appears that Sages were brought back to the forefront, it would be nice if the next Legend of Zelda continued this trend or alluded to TotK's Sages. Yunobo, Sidon, and Riju were met with positive feedback following their debut, and even newcomer Tulin has stepped out of his father's shadow. Tears of the Kingdom reveals that Sidon in particular is a descendent of Ruto from Ocarina of Time. Even if the Sages aren't a recurring element in the next Zelda, the TotK Sages could be referenced similarly as Ruto.
3 Other Zora Domains
The addition of Yona in the BotW/TotK world was met with mixed reviews. There are some fans who claim to love her, and others who were less than pleased with her existence. Regardless, Yona's character profile not only states that she's Sidon's fiancee, but that she is a royal from a "different Domain."
Hyrule is vast, but surely there's more of the world that exists beyond its borders. While it's not new for a different Zora Domain to exist, it's the first time a new Domain was mentioned in the game itself. Unfortunately, this other Domain is never explored or referenced again beyond Yona's character profile, but the idea itself is interesting. Imagine a Zelda game where Link would need to visit not only one Zora Domain, but two. Sticking to Yona's design, maybe the second Domain exists at the bottom of the ocean instead of the rivers.
4 The Divine Beasts
The Divine Beasts were creations by the ancient Sheikah to combat against Ganon in the war 10,000 years ago. They are very important to the story and gameplay of Breath of the Wild. So it was quite a surprise to see little to no mention of them in Tears of the Kingdom.
While it's possible the Divine Beasts themselves vanished when the spirits of the Champions passed on, this contradicts the true ending of Breath of the Wild. Here, Zelda mentions wanting to visit Zora's Domain as "Vah Ruta has stopped moving." This would be an interesting hook for a sequel, but Tears of the Kingdom never explores this. With how much significance were placed on the Divine Beasts and the Calamity, it would be a shame if they weren't referenced in a future installment. The Sheikah themselves still have much potential in Zelda, so it gives an excuse to reference the Divine Beasts once more.
5 Gloom
Gloom, or rather Malice, existed in Breath of the Wild, but it wasn't as sinister as it is in Tears of the Kingdom. In the sequel, this red, black muck was given a name: gloom. If Link is unfortunate enough to step in the sludge, he'll lose hearts permanently. Of course, these can be restored by being on the Surface or standing under a Lightroot, but gloom can cause a lot of trouble in places like The Depths.
While the gloom itself may not appear again, something similar could exist in the next Zelda. This muck is tied to Ganondorf and Calamity Ganon, so it has a reason to make a comeback and serve as a challenge for Legend of Zelda players. Gloom Spawn were quite the nasty surprise for those just starting their Tears of the Kingdom playthrough.
6 The Yiga Clan
The Yiga Clan made no appearance piror to Breath of the Wild, and yet they seem to tie into the lore of the Sheikah and Hyrule quite well. They are a group that were once Sheikah sworn to the Royal Family of Hyrule. When the Sheikah were exiled by the king of Hyrule, some of them instead turned their backs on the Royal Family and looked to Calamity Ganon. By the time of Breath of the Wild, the Yiga are led by a man named Kohga.
Although the Yiga do return in Tears of the Kingdom, their role in the plot can easily be skipped if players discover Mineru before confronting Ganondorf at Hyrule Castle. They don't seem to hold as much of a threat to the people in TotK like they did in BotW. The Yiga Clan's existence and backstory still has some potential. Not to mention Master Kohga's fate at the end of Tears of the Kingdom implies he's likely to make a comeback.
7 The Depths
Everyone knew the Sky Islands were going to be in Tears of the Kingdom, but The Depths took some players by surprise. This is a separate world that exists below the Surface of Hyrule. As its name implies, The Depths are pitch-black and home to dangerous enemies. The only way to navigate The Depths is by planting Brightbloom Seeds, activating Lightroots, or creating a Zonai device that uses a light.
The Chasms that broke out following The Upheaval were played up to be a significant part of Tears of the Kingdom, and it's the very chasm below Hyrule Castle that leads to Ganondorf himself. Legend of Zelda has explored the sky in Skyward Sword, but there's yet to be a game that explores something like The Depths in... depth.
8 Dragons
Farosh, Dinraal, and Naydra were present in Breath of the Wild, but it wasn't until Tears of the Kingdom where the existence of dragons was shown under a whole new light. With the identity of the Light Dragon revealed to Link, many fans started speculating that the three dragons flying around Hyrule were actually Zonai. For clarification, anyone who swallows a secret stone will turn into a dragon (draconification), but they'll lose all sense of self and have no memory of their past life.
Aside from Princess Zelda, draconification isn't really explored in the main story or even side quests. This leaves a wide range of lore that the writers could work with if they choose to pursue it. Despite dragons having more significance in TotK than in BotW, the identity and history of Naydra, Farosh, and Dinraal is still up to interpretation. Revisiting the dragons and their history could be a game in itself.
9 The Triforce
In Breath of the Wild, Zelda struggled to awaken to her powers that would seal away Calamity Ganon. Before it was revealed that these were entirely separate, a lot of fans thought her power was the Triforce of Wisdom or even the Triforce itself. However, beyond the glowing triangles appearing in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it frame when Zelda seals Calamity Ganon in the final battle, the Triforce gets no mention in name. This extends into Tears of the Kingdom.
It's highly likely that Zelda is trying to abandon old features to make away for something new (i.e, secret stones). However, the Triforce is an iconic symbol to the Legend of Zelda series. Having it absent from future Zelda games will take some time to get used to for certain longtime fans of the series. Although it would be nice to see a comeback for the next installment, it's possible that the future of the Zelda games will explore artifacts like the secret stones intead.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom are available for Nintendo Switch.