Hyrule has changed a lot since The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The skies and depths of the kingdom have opened up to Link in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, with a whole host of new and returning characters to aid him in clearing the land of evil. While the map of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom remains the same as in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, there have been some significant changes to towns, villages, and landmarks.
Aside from more dangerous locations throughout Hyrule, Tears of the Kingdom sets itself apart from its predecessor by molding each region of the kingdom to fit the new story, intertwining new side adventures to fit the ever-changing landscape.
9 Zora's Domain
At the end of the “Sidon of the Zora” main quest, Sidon and his fiance Yona become the new King and Queen of Zora’s Domain, with Sidon taking over from his father, Dorephan. The stone tablets from Breath of the Wild have been refurbished, and Sidon has written over his father’s musings with his own thoughts on how much Zora’s Domain has changed over the years.
This includes building Mipha’s Court, named after Sidon’s late sister. The stunning park sits upon Ploymous Mountain, previously inhabited by a Lynel that Link was tasked with getting rid of in Breath of the Wild.
8 Goron City
Lava is no longer spewing from Death Mountain, which previously prevented Hylians and other tourists from entering the area without flameproof elixirs or armor. Now they can walk the area with ease, including Goron City. The erupting lava previously caused by Divine Beast Vah Rudania has also created new roads leading to Goron City, making it easier to traverse.
The only place where flameproofing is needed is in the mines of Death Mountain, as they are directly connected to the complex magma system of the volcano. Outside the mines, YunoboCo has created an amusement park of sorts with a variety of minecart tracks. However, the development of this has been put on hold on account of the Marbled Rock that the adult Gorons can’t get enough of.
7 Gerudo Town
Gerudo Town is no longer the bustling place it once was in Breath of the Wild. Instead, the Gerudo are riding out a relentless sandstorm in a shelter under the town, which wasn’t seen in Breath of the Wild. The shelter is quite big and full of merchants, in addition to side quests and the “Riju of Gerudo Town” main quest. There’s also a jail for wandering Voe, but Link doesn’t need to worry about that problem, thanks to Riju vouching for him.
However, that’s not the case when Link first arrives. He first has to enter the shelter unconventionally by going through a well from the ceiling to the shock of many Vai. But as soon as one of the guards recognizes him, Link is free to go in and out of the shelter without a disguise.
6 Hateno Village
Hateno Village has seen a surge in tourism courtesy of the fashion designer Cece, who has turned the once slow-paced farming town into a hub for mushroom-based fashion. However, the vibrant mushroom sculptures decorating the town have caused a rift between Cece and the town’s mayor, Rede. Both have a different vision for the village and its success, resulting in “The Mayoral Election” side quest in which Link finds common ground between the two.
Then there’s Link’s old house (which Zelda has most certainly redecorated) and a new school for the children. The school was built by Hudson Construction at the request of Zelda, and Purah’s assistant Symin is its teacher.
5 Akkala Ancient Tech Lab
After receiving the Camera from Robbie at Lookout Landing and doing some work for Josha in the Depths, Link can help Robbie return to Hateno Ancient Tech Lab with his new Autobuild ability. At the lab, Robbie will offer to further update the Purah Pad with features like the Travel Medallion introduced in the Master Trials DLC for Breath of the Wild.
This quest involves Link returning to the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab, where Robbie initially worked before working more extensively with Purah. Robbie warns that the lab has been taken over by a nefarious group, which Link discovers is the Yiga Clan. After defeating a couple of Yiga enemies out front, Link can enter the lab and retrieve the prototype data Robbie is after. That is after Konba gives Link the Yiga Armor chest piece for saving his life.
4 Eventide Island
The last time Link explored Eventide Island, he was stripped of his armor, weapons, and inventory and faced with a barrage of monsters. Now, players can explore Eventide Island without Link fighting for his life. However, there’s still somewhat of a trial involved to access the Shrine hidden away on the island.
Link will come across a man called Sesami, who believes the monsters attacking Lurelin Village have a hideout on the island. Sesami tasks Link with getting rid of three monster strongholds before taking on a boat docked in a hidden cave around the back of Konolit Rock. Once these monsters are defeated, Link can access the Shrine. Aside from this quest, players can also access the Eventide Island Chasm to find Midna’s Helmet inside the Lone Island Coliseum.
3 Mount Lanaryu
In Breath of the Wild, Mount Lanaryu was home to the Jitam Sa’Mi Shrine, which could only be accessed by completing “The Spring of Wisdom” Shrine Quest. This involved a fight with Naydra, the blue spirit of Lanaryu, who had been corrupted by Malice. Once cleansed, Link must source a scale from the dragon to give to the Goddess Hylia statue to open the door to the Shrine.
Now, in Tears of the Kingdom, Nadrya is long gone. Instead, the dragon can be seen flowing in and out of the Chasm near Kakariko Village. A Skyview Tower now sits at the summit of Mount Lanayru, and Link can pick up a couple of quests here. One from the Goddess Hylia statue regarding the Mother Goddess Statue in the Forgotten Temple, and another from the treasure hunter Nazbi regarding the “High Spring and Light Rings” Shrine Quest.
2 Great Plateau
The Great Plateau was once a tutorial area for players in Breath of the Wild; now it’s home to four chasms and a Barginer Statue looking to find its way home. First, Link must destroy a bunch of rocks at the entrance near the Forest of Time (-0563, -1498, 0019), which results in water being drained from a lake. A Barginer Statue is uncovered in the process, leading to the start of the “A Call From The Depths” side quest.
Speaking through the Goddess Hylia statue in the Temple of Time Ruins, this Barginer Statue entrusts Link to return its four eyes by dropping them in the corresponding Chasms, which just so happen to be where the Sheikah Shrines once were in Breath of the Wild. Aside from this quest, players will find that the Yiga Clan has taken over the cabin where the Old Man once lived. By defeating the Yiga Clan members there, players will be rewarded the Yiga Clan mask armor from Pitar.
1 Shrine Of Resurrection
Players returning from Breath of the Wild will likely backtrack to familiar places in Tears of the Kingdom, including the Shrine of Resurrection. It’s still tucked away within the Great Plateau, but the Sheikah technology used to keep Link in stasis for 100 years has disappeared. Instead, there’s a small hot spring where Link once woke up.
Behind that pool, players can find a small hole leading to a Yiga Clan hideout. It just so happens to be their secret storehouse from the treasures they’ve discovered hidden within the Depths. After clearing out the Yiga members there, a Construct will awaken and give Link a Schema Stone for a Beam Cycle.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was released on May 12, 2023, and is available exclusively on the Nintendo Switch.
