The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is less than a month away. Nintendo confirmed that the game will not receive any more major trailers, so fans will have to wait until previews, reviews, and the game's actual release to learn more about this anticipated title. Tears of the Kingdom is a direct sequel to 2017's Breath of the Wild, and by building upon its predecessor's world, it seeks to provide a whole new experience with many familiar spaces.
Trading out old abilities will be a part of this, but there's more to Tears of the Kingdom than even its expanded crafting elements would suggest. Hyrule will feel considerably different, with civilians actively defending their land and new structures popping up everywhere. Not only are there sky islands and caves to explore around Hyrule, but the ground level itself has also been changed. Some of this comes from falling debris smashing into the landscape, but other new discoveries will be things that were always there, just out of reach. One major example of those might end up being the Thyphlo Ruins, which once played host to a popular Shrine Quest.
The Thyphlo Ruins Were Always Suspicious in Breath of the Wild
Players who took their time exploring Breath of the Wild no doubt noticed a small island north of the Great Hyrule Forest. Even in broad daylight, shadows are draped over it, with only the tallest trees peeking out. This is the Thyphlo Ruins, home to the "Shrouded Shrine" quest and the Ketoh Wawai Shrine. With torches or other fire sources, Link must light his way through this area and find both a Sheikah Shrine and an orb to open said Shrine. The whole setup is one of the most memorable Shrine Quests in the game, and it's only made more interesting by a uniquely foreboding atmosphere.
Keen-eyed players have spotted the Thyphlo Ruins in Tears of the Kingdom, but not as it once was. Along with the apparent disappearance of Sheikah Shrines, the darkness enforcing the Shrine Quest has also disappeared. It makes sense that Nintendo wants players to see what's going on here, as the Thyphlo Ruins were one of the largest Zonai ruins in Breath of the Wild. Many will have missed this because of the low visibility, but something is now going to make these ruins relevant.
Tears of the Kingdom Could Make the Thyphlo Ruins Integral
As a standing site attached to the Zonai, who also have some sort of connection to the sky islands, the Thyphlo Ruins could be a stepladder to an especially important segment of the Hyrule map. One of the rumored new dungeons could be above, below, or even within the ruins, considering that some structures have been seen to rise from the ground in different locales. Tears of the Kingdom's Memory equivalent could be located within the area, or perhaps just a powerful reward for anyone who remembers instances of Zonai architecture in Breath of the Wild and sought them out.
However Nintendo chooses to occupy players, it's hard to imagine the developer doesn't do something with the Thyphlo Ruins. With Zonai Labyrinths having already been observed to rise out of the ground and expose more area to explore, the intent to keep all existing Zonai artifacts relevant seems clear. As such great changes are possible in the visible Thyphlo Ruins, one can only imagine what will change in the stretch of West Faron land actually named Zonai Ruins. Discovering all of this and more should build motivation to re-explore Hyrule once Tears of the Kingdom comes out.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will release May 12 for the Nintendo Switch.
