Highlights

  • The sequel to Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom, may have room for an extended continuity, similar to Spirit Tracks.
  • The new game could feature advanced technology and vehicles, building upon the mecha themes introduced in Breath of the Wild's Divine Beasts and the motorcycle concept.
  • Certain characters from Tears of the Kingdom, like Purah, could potentially make a return in the spiritual successor, offering context for the story, or they might inspire new characters descended from the originals.

The long awaited Tears of the Kingdom has finally been released as of May 2023, and now fans are once again wanting more. Yet with this latest iteration of The Legend of Zelda, Link and Zelda's journey this cycle seems to have come to an end. But reincarnation will never let these two rest. In this new timeline introduced with Breath of the Wild, there could be room for an extended continuity, similar to what Spirit Tracks did for Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass.

One hundred years prior to the start of Spirit Tracks, the Link and Zelda of the past founded a new land which would later become Hyrule. By the start of the game, a new Link takes the role of a train conductor, or more precisely, a Royal Engineer personally appointed by Princess Zelda herself. However, due to her suspicions of her royal advisor, Zelda requests Link's help to escape the castle, only for the railroad to disappear mid-ride, preventing them from fleeing. With a precise backstory similar to Spirit Tracks, a spiritual successor to Tears of the Kingdom may very well be a possibility.

New Technology in a TotK Successor

link-on-motocycle

Since the story would take place so far in the future, there's more that can be worked with. Referencing Spirit Tracks, players will notice a big change from the previous game: improved vehicles, technology, and trains. In Breath of the Wild, Nintendo goes all out with the concept of technology and even mecha themes with the Divine Beasts. A motorcycle concept has already been explored in Breath of the Wild's second DLC, so there may lie the possibility of more vehicles in the future.

While Tears of the Kingdom delved into Zonai tech rather than Sheikah, this hypothetical sequel could use both. Purah dedicates herself to the development of technology; in Tears of the Kingdom, rather than the Sheikah Slate, Link had the Purah Pad instead. In a hypothetical successor, also taking place 100 years later, there lies potential for future technological advancement, including Purah Pad-like devices far more advanced than her original work.

Reusing Tears of the Kingdom's Characters

spirit-tracks-niko

Some of the smaller and finer details in The Legend of Zelda series are the characters. In Spirit Tracks, Niko made an appearance in his old age, and offered exposition for the player to fill in the blanks between the events of Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks. If a similar approach was taken, the ageless Purah may be the "Niko" of TotK's successor, providing context for the story. Like the games before it, this may be incorporated into the gameplay as well, such as upgrades. Additionally, because this is a spiritual successor, there's a wider range of opportunities for more characters due to a clean slate. Overworld NPCs like the ones in Tarrey Town could inspire new but familiar characters descended from the originals.

Returning to Hyrule

hyrule-castle-totk

In Spirit Tracks, it's revealed that the Link and Zelda of the past founded the "New Hyrule" that the game is set in. If a similar concept was applied to TotK's successor, the same setting may be reused after years of reconstruction. Hyrule Castle and other villages in the kingdom could be fully rebuilt with new technology, refreshing familiar locations.

Crafting in a Spiritual TotK Successor

totk-air-vehicle

Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks made heavy use of the DS stylus where the player had to rely on it to solve puzzles and progress through the game. The Switch Zelda titles have their own gameplay system to pass over to a spiritual sequel. One of players' most important systems in TotK is crafting. A spiritual successor could very well refine and reintroduce crafting with a modern touch, introducing new components or entirely new systems based on updated tech.