With The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's official launch in sight, fans are speculating how the upcoming sequel will handle the spin-off Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, and in particular, its time-traveling breakout star Terrako. Tiding players over as they waited for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Age of Calamity rewrote Breath of the Wild's canon, surprising many fans. Consequently, many are wondering how much Age of Calamity will impact Tears of the Kingdom, especially given Zelda's longstanding questionable timelines.
From the start, Age of Calamity likely used time travel to avoid causing any disruptions in the continuity for Breath of the Wild, with Terrako serving as its linchpin. In doing so, Terrako and Age of Calamity established a new canon that many players now consider to be a part of Zelda's many nebulous timelines. As a result, Tears of the Kingdom will be in a difficult position to acknowledge or ignore Age of Calamity's canon. With rumors surrounding the Breath of the Wild sequel including time travel and new Sheikah technology, the case for Terrako to return is strong.
Tears of the Kingdom, Terrako, and Time Travel
Zelda has always had a complicated relationship with time, both through its branching timelines following Ocarina of Time and the use of time travel across other Zelda games. It isn't a huge leap in logic to assume that Tears of the Kingdom might follow the same path. Nintendo has showcased new mechanics that included rewinding time, and Daruk's Italian voice actor inadvertently revealed he would be returning for the sequel as Daruk's ancestor. Extrapolating from these small details, it's possible that Tears of the Kingdom could radically shake up the timeline.
This comes alongside confirmation that Breath of the Wild was the inevitable endpoint of the series' various timelines, leaving Tears of the Kingdom to potentially establish new timelines altogether. That seems more favorable to many fans, as it offers the greatest variety and opportunity for the series. Age of Calamity has seemingly thrown a lifeline to Tears of the Kingdom, providing it a clear path forward to reassert its branching timelines.
Much in the same way Age of Calamity utilized Terrako to preemptively address questions of continuity, Tears of the Kingdom could use Terrako to rework the Zelda timeline. Two realities currently exist, one through Breath of the Wild where Calamity Ganon won the war 100 years prior, and Age of Calamity's ending where, thanks to Terrako, Calamity Ganon was defeated. With Ganondorf's role in Tears of the Kingdom still unclear, bringing Terrako into the mainline games could be an ideal way to introduce time travel, provide Link forewarning to Ganon's motives, and help avert another calamity.
Zelda Keeps Its Spin-Offs at a Distance
However, as much as fans may have enjoyed Age of Calamity and Terrako, Zelda spin-off games typically have next-to no influence over the main series. From Link's Crossbow Training to Cadence of Hyrule, these games are relegated to just being spin-offs and kept away from the mainline series. Even with Age of Calamity closing that distance as one of the more popular spin-off games to date, it's unlikely the burgeoning series will have as significant an impact on Tears of the Kingdom as fans might be hoping for.
This hasn't stopped Nintendo from recognizing the success of Age of Calamity, as Terrako and characters like Impa and Master Kohga were included as Spirits in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. If Age of Calamity or Terrako can't influence Tears of the Kingdom's overall plot, the least Nintendo could do is acknowledge the Diminutive Guardian, even if only as a cameo. For example, since Terrako was confirmed to amplify the power of ancient technology, introducing a side-quest where Terrako helps Link upgrade his gear or new abilities could be an ideal compromise.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is set to release on May 12, 2023, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
