Last week, Nintendo released the final trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Among the various story and character reveals, Tears of the Kingdom's final trailer featured the Champions' Descendants, Link's allies from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Previous trailers revealed that Tears of the Kingdom requires Link to journey throughout the land, sea, and sky, a task that sees players construct vehicles or utilize Link's Ultrahand abilities. This unique requirement raises questions as to when and where Link can interact with his companions, and how they factor into vehicle traversal.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the sequel to 2017's The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Until last week, much of the title was shrouded in mystery, with Nintendo keeping everything under wraps. With its final trailer, fans have learned that the title features the return of longtime villain Ganondorf, who is resurrected by an unknown method. Much of the game's previous trailer footage focused on Hyrule's Sky islands and Link's Ultrahand abilities, one of which allows him to construct large vehicles. With the reveal of returning allies, fans are unsure of how the title's newest features will impact Link's interactions with others.
Tears of the Kingdom's Companions May Travel With Link on Vehicles
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's vehicles have replaced other methods of traversal. As such, players will likely spend much of their time constructing various contraptions that allow Link to carry or move items throughout Hyrule. Though unconfirmed, companions could possibly be capable of tagging along as well. With traversal between Hyrule's surface and sky islands made simpler through the use of the Rewind ability or a flying vehicle, other characters may accompany Link, with the hero possibly able to direct them to do so. This mechanic would be a first for the series, and Tears of the Kingdom would need to feature a method of instructing companions to board or depart a piece of land or equipment.
On the other hand, Tears of the Kingdom's companions could simply be programmed to interact with vehicles and rewindable landmasses at certain points of the game. However, this would likely prove frustrating, as players would be left to hope a companion's programming could adapt to a multitude of unique player-created vehicles. It is possible that each region could feature a specified subset of vehicle combinations and island locations. However, Tears of the Kingdom's final trailer shows companions fighting alongside each other, so it can be assumed that they are not restricted to events within their respective regions.
Tears of the Kingdom's Companions May Have Their Own Methods of Traversal
Tears of the Kingdom features unique environments, and Link's companions may be uniquely suited to traverse them. The final trailer depicts Sidon fighting alongside Link on a Sky Island that appears in earlier footage and features an artificial waterfall. The case can be made that Sidon can reach the location on his own, as Breath of the Wild established the Zora race's unique ability to swim up waterfalls. Sky islands in each region could possibly include alternative methods for reaching their surfaces, a theory further evidenced by another portion of the trailer.
Tulin, one of Tears of the Kingdom's returning Rito, accompanies Link in various shots of the final trailer. In each shot, Link appears to soar through the sky using only wind currents. Link and Tulin can be seen launching between sky platforms and hovering through a cyclone, adding weight to the theory that regions may feature unique methods of traversal. Fans hoping for answers as to how and where Link can interact with allies will need to wait until Tears of the Kingdom launches next month.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom releases May 12, 2023, for Nintendo Switch.
