Highlights
- The characters in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, such as Penn and Pikango, deserved more screen time and a bigger role in the story.
- Hudson, Rhondson, and Mattison, as a proof of love between different tribes, could have been utilized more effectively in a game going through dark times.
- Ganondorf, although an intimidating antagonist, was underutilized in the present-day story, leaving fans wanting more interactions with him and Link.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has been praised endlessly since its original release last year. This was due to many factors, like its innovative mechanics, its expansive open world, and its engaging plot. But there’s another thing in this game that resonated with players: the characters.
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Hyrule is a huge place with a lot of important people that Link will meet throughout their adventure. But the thing about big games with huge casts is that not everyone gets enough screen time to show off their personality. There are a few characters in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom that deserve to appear on screen way more often.
1 Penn
A Hardworking Reporter
This Rito reporter for the Lucky Clover Gazette quickly became one of the most popular new characters in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, mainly among players who see him as a sort of replacement for Kass from Breath of the Wild. With his intent on always reporting the truth and his catchphrase, “Soar Long!”, it is impossible not to love Penn.
But despite all of that, Penn doesn’t appear in the game as much as players would have wanted. He’s just a recurring sidekick during a series of Side Adventures and, after they’re all cleared, he goes away and cannot be found anywhere else on the map. He could have played a bigger role in the story, especially since he was researching Ganondorf’s Princess Zelda illusions.
2 Pikango
A Talented Artist From The Past
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was a huge video game with tons of different side characters, and one of the most recognizable ones was certainly Pikango. So, it’s only natural that many fans were expecting this skilled Sheikah artist to have a more prominent role in its sequel.
Luckily for them, Pikango appears in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom but, sadly, his role was greatly reduced, and he’s only really relevant in a few Side Adventures. The concept of a traveling painter in Hyrule has a lot of potential, and Pikango’s role could have easily been expanded because of it.
3 Hudson, Rhondson & Mattison
Proof Of True Love
Similarly, Hudson & Rhondson are also characters from Breath of the Wild that could have had a bigger role in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. They are a Hylian and a Gerudo couple who are together because Link himself helped them out. Luckily, they both play a big part in the Side Adventure titled Mattison's Independence, which is about their young daughter.
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However, this doesn’t feel like it’s enough for these characters. Hudson & Rhondson are proof that love between different tribes in Hyrule exists and can thrive. This could have been used cleverly in a game in which the entire land is going through dark times. Especially considering that the main antagonist, Ganondorf, is a Gerudo himself.
4 Tauro
Way Too Unique Of A Character
This is quite a peculiar case. Tauro, the leader of the Zonai Survey Team, has a very captivating design, an entertaining personality, and he’s relevant during some moments of the adventure. He’s even one of the few characters who has an entire Character Profile describing him in detail.
But despite all of that, Tauro’s role in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is disappointingly brief since he doesn’t do much aside from helping Link explore a few ruins. Tauro definitely should have done more, and it feels like much of his role was scrapped behind the scenes.
5 Meeshy
A New Fashion Icon
Back in Breath of the Wild, Meeshy was a regular NPC that most players might forget even existed. Because of that, many people were surprised by her appearance in the sequel, where she got a brand-new makeover, thanks to the new fashion trends set by Cece.
Meeshy is now a fashionable adventurer who roams the paths of Hyrule, giving Link tips on where to find unique outfits. This sudden change in character was fascinating, and most fans now wish Meeshy had more screen time, so the game could've explored her development with more depth.
6 Teba
The Forgotten Warrior
A clever development in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was that all the Champions’ descendants from Breath of the Wild became the new Sages. The only exception to this dynamic was Teba, who was replaced by his son, Tulin. And while this young Rito is a charming character and a worthy warrior, the complete omission of his dad felt disappointing.
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Teba not only plays a smaller role in this game, but he barely even has lines of dialogue. And to make things even worse, when compared to the likes of Sidon, Riju, or Yunobo, he was already the least relevant character in this group. So it feels like the developers wasted their opportunity to do something interesting with this forgotten character.
7 Queen Sonia
The First Queen Of Hyrule
Most of the plot in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is experienced by the player via Zelda’s memories, which means that Link was not actually around for most of them, as they’re about events from the distant past. So, a few prominent characters from these memories felt a tad unused, and Queen Sonia is one of the most egregious examples.
Sonia is the wife of Rauru, the original Time Sage and the very first Queen of Hyrule, meaning she’s also Zelda’s ancestor. But sadly, she barely appears in a few memories, only to eventually be killed by Ganondorf himself. As great as she was, it feels like Sonia was created only to move the plot forward, instead of being a full-fledged character first and foremost.
8 Ganondorf
An Antagonist Stuck In The Past
While the Demon King, Ganondorf, obviously plays a fairly big role in the memories of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, he doesn’t do much in the actual story set during the present. He spends most of his time as a mummy, underneath Hyrule Castle, and just when he’s revitalized at the very end, he gets defeated by Link and Zelda a few minutes later.
This is arguably one of the best and most intimidating incarnations of Ganondorf, with an impeccable design to boot. So it’s a shame that he was relegated to the scenes set in the past, as it would have been amazing to see him wreaking havoc in modern Hyrule and interacting with Link a few times before their final encounter.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Platform(s)
- Switch
- Released
- May 12, 2023
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
