As the release date for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom approaches, Nintendo released a final trailer providing insight into the game's story. Along with previous trailers showing snippets of gameplay and the artwork released by Nintendo, fans now have material to really dig into. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom shares a particular art style that debuted in Breath of the Wild, with Hyrule's world design seeming to take inspiration from a few classic animation sources.
The pastoral, nature-centric world of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has long been compared to the works of Studio Ghibli. Between its painterly art style, the music in the soundtrack, and the fantastical creatures wandering the realm, this inspiration is clear. However, the latest trailer for Tears of the Kingdom calls back memories of a specific film: Castle in the Sky. It's possible that the team behind the upcoming Legend of Zelda game was inspired by this classic 1986 Japanese film moreso than any other as Link prepares to tackle more airborne threats.
The Overlap Between Hyrule and Laputa
In Castle in the Sky, directed by animation icon Hayao Miyazaki, a young girl named Sheeta is the descendant of people from an ancient floating city, making her the princess of this long-lost civilization. The civilization of Laputa is a massive floating structure that many characters in the film understand only as ancient myth, but malevolent forces seek to commandeer the powerful ancient magic and technology contained in Laputa, and only Sheeta holds the key to get in. The ancient technology seen throughout trailers for Tears of the Kingdom is reminiscent of the tech seen in Castle in the Sky, combining an ancient, overgrown aesthetic with blue lights and runic text.
One of the most notable parallels between the two pieces of media is the prevalence of floating, ancient platforms. Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will feature aerial environments, including an airborne Hyrule Castle that appears similar to Laputa. Characters in Castle in the Sky use various mechanical vehicles to fly up to Laputa, and Link is similarly able to build his own flying machines using Ultrahand. Sheeta also possesses a magical necklace that allows her to activate various machines inside of Laputa, which is somewhat similar to Link's ability to use a Sheikah Slate in Breath of the Wild to activate long-dormant shrines left behind by the Sheikah people.
The character of Sheeta is also similar to Zelda, existing as a princess descended from an ancient people. Just as Sheeta is confused about and somewhat reluctant to embrace her destiny in Castle in the Sky, Zelda faces a similar dilemma in Breath of the Wild - she's a young girl with a massive burden thrust upon her. It seems Zelda will be caught between two worlds in Tears of the Kingdom, and she will likely have to make difficult choices for the sake of Hyrule, just like Sheeta. Link also has a counterpart in Castle in the Sky through the character of Pazu, a young boy who is a seemingly regular child that ultimately serves as Sheeta's protector and confidant, ultimately playing a vital role in saving Laputa from malevolent forces.
While Tears of the Kingdom may not be taking direct inspiration from Ghibli's Castle in the Sky, the parallels between the two are undeniable. Between automatons found all around the world, floating civilizations, main characters, aesthetic stylings, and adorable fantastical creatures, the film and upcoming Zelda game have notable overlaps. For fans of Studio Ghibli, these similarities are certainly a good thing, as Castle in the Sky is a beloved film admired for its incredible writing, art, and world.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom launches May 12, 2023, for Nintendo Switch.