The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has been praised for several elements, including its interactive open world that allows for creative experimentation when solving problems. Nevertheless, it did draw a few complaints from gamers, and the most common ones had to do with weapon durability and enemy variety. While it may be a good idea for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom to introduce new enemies, it is not as important as one might expect, as there are ways to innovate on the existing monsters.
Expectations are high for Tears of the Kingdom, and gamers have several questions regarding the fate of Link, Zelda, and the kingdom of Hyrule. Trailers reveal that the sinister Malice is back and wreaking havoc all over the kingdom. Once again, Link will have to embark on a heroic journey, encountering many unknown dangers along the way.
The Enemies of Breath of the Wild
The main enemy in Breath of the Wild is Calamity Ganon, who takes control of Hyrule Castle. It is a sinister being that corrupts the four Divine Beings and the Guardians using its Malice, plunging Hyrule into chaos. Before Link can take on Calamity Ganon, he first needs to explore Hyrule and adequately equip himself. By completing quests, meeting Hyruleans, and completing Shrines, Link can finally give himself everything he needs to defeat the fearsome enemy. As Link ventures, he will come across plenty of troublesome monsters looking to thwart him. Most of them are mindless buffoons, but they can be powerful, and some are capable of killing him with a single weapon swipe. There are numerous ways to defeat them, and when they die, they drop resources that can be used to cook elixirs.
The most common enemies encountered are the Bokoblins, which are short, mischievous, goblin-like creatures that can be found in varied environments. They sometimes ride horses, and they wield an assortment of weapons. When they establish strongholds, some Bokoblins will keep a lookout and sound a horn if they detect that Link is around. Hyrule is also plagued by Moblins which are larger than Bokoblins and have singular horns on their heads. The lizard-like Lizalfos are also quite common, and they are capable of camouflaging with their environment and attacking using their tongues. Cursed versions of these monsters exist, and they rise from the earth in skeleton form.
Occasionally Link will be attacked by Chuchus, which are blobs that align with the various elements. Shooting them with arrows can lead to spectacular effects. There are also the bat-like Keese which have elemental abilities, and they can be annoying to deal with when they descend upon Link in swarms. Octoroks spit projectiles before hiding, and Wizzrobes are whimsical enemies that provide tough battles. Some of the hardest enemies that players will come across are the Lynels, which look like centaurs, and the Pebbits, which are huge boulders that can deal tons of damage with a single swipe.
Although this may initially seem like a lot of enemies, Hyrule is large, and after a while, it does get boring to discover a new environment only to learn that it is filled with more Bokoblins. The situation is certainly not helped by the fact that most of the common enemies aren't particularly smart, and they only become a challenge due to Link's fragility or the number of enemies he is facing. One of the easiest ways to remedy this is to introduce more enemies, which is something the upcoming sequel should definitely do. However, it may not be the most pressing issue, as there are other ways combat and exploration could be kept fresh.
Enemies in Tears of the Kingdom
Nintendo has teased gamers with a few Tears of the Kingdom trailers, revealing that gamers will be back in Hyrule, though things will look a little different. Link will also have a few new tools to help him, which is useful as the stakes seem higher than ever. One of the trailers briefly shows Bokoblins standing atop a Stone Talus, revealing that at least two past enemies will be making a return. This may be disappointing to fans expecting new enemies and greater variety, though one should keep in mind that Nintendo has only revealed brief snippets of the upcoming game thus far, and there are likely plenty of surprises in store. Hopefully, this includes a couple of new enemies, though it does not need to be too many, as a lot can still be done with the pre-existing ones.
As Breath of the Wild illustrates, a Bokoblin is never just a Bokoblin. They come in many varieties depending on where players find them. The changes are not merely aesthetic, as they also carry different weapons, which changes the way players interact with them. Bokoblins with spears make players keep their distance while those with bows will have players looking out for ranged attacks. The same is true for the other monsters of Hyrule, such as the Keese, which have different elemental varieties, including the Electric Keese that makes Link drop his weapons if they shock him.
By merely introducing more weapons, the existing monsters will already provide a wider range of gameplay. The same can be said with the introduction of a new element, if it will lead to more variations on the Keese, Chuchus, and other enemies. It appears that the upcoming game is already taking this approach, as the Bokoblins shown had longer horns than the ones in Breath of the Wild. With Tears of the Kingdom taking things to the skies, there will likely be a need for new aerial enemies, and there are a few options to choose from in The Legend of Zelda’s history. These monsters could complement the existing ones instead of replacing them.
At present, not much is known about the highly anticipated sequel, and Nintendo has done a good job of securing its secrets. There has been plenty of speculation surrounding what Tears of the Kingdom's title could mean and what new dangers could be awaiting Link. Fortunately, gamers have been given a release date, and it is not too far away.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is scheduled to release on May 12, 2023, on Nintendo Switch.
