Overview
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of
the Wild. During the prior game's conclusion, an evil known as Calamity Ganon is
thought to be destroyed as the protagonists set off to rebuild the land of Hyrule. Tears of
the Kingdom takes place shortly after these events.
As for its narrative structure, this game uses an open world format that places freedom
and discovery above all else. The result of this was an unorthodox narrative structure that
tells half of its story during the games present events and the other half during flashbacks
which are referred to as Memories. These story moments take place during two
questlines. Regional Phenomena and The Dragon Tears Quest, which has Link seeking
out memories across Hyrule. At the beginning, you take control of Link as he begins a
new adventure through the same world of Hyrule as before but with a completely new
story to unravel. The story has an overarching theme of connection by showing the
importance people play in all our lives and the impact they have long after they are gone.
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Characters
● Link - The player avatar and the silent protagonist who has the sworn duty of
protecting Princess Zelda. The story of Link is a continuation of his experiences
from the previous game, Breath of the Wild. Link is now a much more
experienced knight, demonstrated by his possession of the Master sword and two
full rows of hearts. Link is still quiet and reserved but more glimpses of his
personality are shown through text logs and intense cutscenes. It’s heavily implied
that Princess Zelda moved into the house he bought previously in Breath of the
Wild. Returning to this building in Tears of the Kingdom will give the player a
redecorated interior and text logs that suggest they share this home. During the
main questline, Link also grows much closer with the four champions whom he
met in Breath of the Wild. This all shows how his silent and independent stature
has begun to fade, which further emphasizes the overarching theme of connection
throughout the story.
● Zelda - Princess of Hyrule. She sacrificed herself to seal away Calamity Ganon in
Breath of the Wild and was freed after Link defeated it. Since then, she has
worked to restore Hyrule to its former beauty. Since Zelda has known Link for
hundreds of years, she has grown attached to him as they now travel everywhere
together. She also has a great passion for learning about Hyrule's deep history and
is eventually sent back in time to its earliest years. During this time, she shows
her devotion to Link and the kingdom of Hyrule as she does everything in her
power to save the past era while still trying to return to her own. This culminates
in her once again making the ultimate sacrifice to return the Master Sword to Link
so he can banish the evil from Hyrule.
● Ganondorf / The Demon King - The only male member of the Gerudo tribe
during the era of Hyrule's founding. He has an undying ambition to become an
all-powerful god and conquer the kingdom of Hyrule. Ganondorf is defined by his
determination and strength alongside a calm and calculated demeanor. The vessel
that fueled Calamity Gannon during Breath of the Wild is discovered to be the
corpse of the Demon King locked in stasis deep below the surface. Ganondorf
manages to stay one step ahead of Zelda and her allies and becomes a truly
formidable foe for Link to defeat.
● Rauru - The first king of Hyrule and the source of Link's magical arm. He helps
Link master his new powers during the opening arc and seems to already be
familiar with both Link and Zelda. During the Dragon Tears quest, we learn about
the type of person Rauru is. During his time with Princess Zelda, he serves as the
father Zelda wishes she had by being more observant and receptive than her
actual father. Rauru proves to be a natural leader who sacrifices himself during
the Imprisoning war.
● Sonya - The Queen of Hyrule, armed with the ability of time manipulation. Sonya
is a soft-spoken and kindhearted mother figure for Zelda whose mother died when
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she was young. She also takes Zelda under her wing as they work to harness her
newfound time and light powers. Behind her soft exterior, Sonya is a powerful
warrior who fights alongside Rauru and Zelda until her sudden assassination by
Ganondorf.
● Mineru (sage) - The Sage of Spirit and Rauru’s sister. Mineru helped found
Hyrule alongside her brother Rauru and his wife Sonya. She fought alongside
Rauru and the Sages during the Imprisoning War. Mineru is very tech-savvy, so
after their defeat, Mineru places her spirit inside Zelda’s Purah Pad device so she
can be awakened by Link in the future and help him defeat Ganondorf.
● Tulin (sage) - The Sage of Wind. He is the son of a Rito Elder named Teba who
once worked with Link. Tulin has a childlike innocence that prevents him from
understanding the dangerous situations he gets himself into. Although he is young
and inexperienced, Tulin is eager to prove himself to both Link and his father so
he can help save Rito Village once again. After saving Rito Village, Tulin inherits
a Secret Stone from an Ancient Sage and becomes the Sage of Wind.
● Sidon (sage) - The Sage of Water. He is the fearless and passionate Prince of the
Zora who became good friends with Link when they previously saved Zora's
Domain. After saving his home once again, Sidon is crowned king of the Zora. He
also inherits a Secret Stone from an Ancient Sage and becomes the Sage of Water.
● Riju (sage) - The Sage of Lightning and chief of Gerudo Village. This village is
solely composed of women with men barred from entering. However, Riju has
made Link the sole exception to this rule since they previously worked together to
liberate the town. Riju is a confident leader who bears the entire weight of Gerudo
Town on her shoulders but manages to always stay calm and focused during yet
another treacherous time. After saving Gerudo Town, Riju inherits a Secret Stone
from an Ancient Sage and becomes the Sage of Lightning.
● Yunobo (sage) - The Sage of Fire. Since he and Link last met, Yunobo has
changed from a cowardly but kind Goron to one who is boastful and bossy. Some
of his friends suspect this odd behavior has something to do with the mysterious
mask he has been wearing. He eventually removes the evil mask and returns to his
original jolly self. Yunobo inherits a Secret Stone from an Ancient Sage and
becomes the Sage of Fire.
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Breakdown
[Part 1 - PROLOGUE]
The game's opening hooks the player by putting Link directly underneath Hyrule castle
with none other than Princess Zelda. She and Link are both exploring the depths of
Hyrule to investigate a harmful substance known as gloom that has begun infecting the
citizens of Hyrule. At this point of the story, the princess herself had never been out in
the world with the player, so getting to explore the depths of Hyrule castle with Zelda by
your side is an incredibly novel experience and makes for a captivating opening.
Link and Zelda discover a hidden room with ancient murals which catch Zelda's interest.
This moment sets up a lot of critical plot points, but it also sets up an ongoing theme that
will be present for the rest of the game in both the story and gameplay. That theme is
‘connection’. Hands become a major symbol of connection throughout Tears of the
Kingdom, and it all begins with Link holding Zelda's torch during her investigation of the
murals.
As for the murals themselves, they depict a great battle Zelda explains to be called the
Imprisoning War. During the founding of Hyrule, a great war was fought between its
king and a monster known as the Demon King. The battle ended in a stalemate as they
each froze in time to be sealed away forever. This is also the first proper mention of the
Zonai people who were previously teased but have never appeared or had any
prominence in the story until this game. They were a tribe that came down to Hyrule
from the clouds and brought with them all kinds of innovative technologies. As Zelda
begins to document these findings, she notices two more murals, but they are covered by
rock. She is disappointed they can’t see the full story but decides to keep moving. As they
climb deeper into Hyrule's depths the foreboding composition of the environment and the
timing of the music all work together to make this opening invigorating to play through
and it's all tied together by the amount of mystery that has been set up.
Who are the Zonai people?
What secrets do the blocked murals hold?
Where is the source of the gloom?
The story wastes no time filling the player's head with all sorts of questions which gets
them engaged with the story and encourages them to push onward. The opening moments
conclude with the player briefly regaining control of Link as he and Zelda descend deeper
into a massive chasm with a point of swirling light at its center. As the heroes get closer
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to the light, the ominous piano and chanting grows so loud and violent that it's
overwhelming. The slow tension of the entire opening sequence peaks at this point, as
Link and Zelda march down the last set of steps the music cuts with the only audio being
the warm hiss of Zelda's torch. Finally, they meet who we later discover to be the corpse
of the Demon King also known as Ganondorf. The light was emitting from a green
glowing arm holding onto Ganondorf’s corpse until Link and Zelda noticed, causing the
arm to release its grip and drop to the ground. A glowing stone is sent rolling to Zelda's
feet. She picks it up. The magical arm is the spirit of Rauru who is later revealed to be the
first king of Hyrule, and his arm letting go of Ganondorf after holding him in stasis for
thousands of years acts as a metaphorical passing of the torch since he has now fulfilled
his responsibilities and it is up to Link and Zelda to continue what he started.
“Link, Rauru placed his faith in you”
The corpse of Ganondorf has come alive and unleashes a powerful blast of gloom which
shatters the Master Sword and burns Link's arm. This begins a catastrophic event later
known as the Upheaval. A brief view of the surface of Hyrule shows that the castle is
being lifted high up into the sky while other land masses seem to begin raining down
from the clouds. Back underneath the castle, A sinkhole opens underneath Zelda who
begins to fall even deeper into the castle's depths. Without hesitation, Link leaps after her
but no more than their fingers touch as Zelda narrowly falls out of reach. But instead of
falling to her doom, the stone she picked up from the mysterious arm begins to glow, and
a bright light surrounds Zelda as she disappears. As for Link, this magical arm manages
to grab his hand. Surprised, Link gets pulled into a magical portal and the opening
concludes.
As the connection begins to grow between Link and Zelda, it is suddenly severed by
Ganondorf. But at this moment, a new connection is made as Link is saved by the
magical arm. This act of kindness is what enables him to begin his journey to rebuild
Hyrule, destroy Ganondorf, and save Princess Zelda. Tears of the Kingdom's opening is
incredible because it establishes the story's core themes and mysteries early on, which
immediately excites players to seek out the mysteries in a strange new Hyrule.
[Part 2 - THE GREAT SKY ISLAND]
Link wakes up in a dank cave without any clothes as a mysterious voice talks to him and
parallels the introduction of Breath of the Wild. This is the first of many examples of how
Tears of the Kingdom gameplay and narrative beats come from the same mold as the
game that came before it but are made up of completely different ingredients. After Link
finds himself a shirt, he stumbles upon the decayed Master Sword, the broken blade acts
as a symbol of the severed connection between Link and Zelda.
Approaching the end of the cave reveals a stone cliffside reminiscent of the one on the
Great Plateau; it is revealed that Link is now miles up in the sky along with many sky
islands that paint the horizon. A majestic dragon can even be spotted far off in the
distance. Leaping off the cliff triggers the beginning of the Breath of the Wild's iconic
opening theme, but before the piano melody can reach its resolution, the song gets taken
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over by a bombastic orchestra which resolves in a triumphant appearance of the games
title card as Link completes his first fall onto the Great Sky Island. This opening mirrors
Breath of the Wild but with an unexpected twist that perfectly captures the intended
atmosphere the players are meant to recognize. Tears of the Kingdom takes everything
you have come to expect from Breath of the Wild and flips it on its head.
One major change about Link this time around is his missing right arm. It was severely
damaged during his encounter with Ganondorf but the glowing arm from earlier has now
taken its place. This arm belongs to the spirit of Rauru, the first King of Hyrule who acts
as a guide for Link during his exploration of the Great Sky Island. All four of Link's new
powers are collected here, and they are all great fun but the most significant is called
Ultra Hand. This is another of the countless examples of connection featured throughout
the game, and what's clever about his mechanic is how it reinforces this theme through
hand imagery. With Ultra Hand, Link can pick up any objects in the environment and
stick them together like Lego. This is a literal example of connection that has the player
physically glueing pieces of the broken world back together. Before Link finally leaves
the Great Sky Island, he brings the decayed Master Sword to a pedestal where it is
transported back to Zelda. This small hint of Zelda's whereabouts encourages the player
to search for clues once Link finally returns to the surface of Hyrule. This is what
motivates them to engage with the world as they search for her.
[Part 3 - REGIONAL PHENOMENA]
The main questline of the game follows Link returning to each of the four regions he
saved during the events of Breath of the Wild; Rito Village, Zora's Domain, Gerudo
Valley and Goron City. Each region has a new problem like snowstorms, pollution,
Gibdo monsters, and crazed citizens respectively. These Regional Phenomena began
shortly after the Upheaval. Link must once again defeat the evil that plagues these lands
with the help of a representative from each region. These representatives are Tulin of the
Rito, Sidon of the Zora, Riju of the Gerudo, and Yunobo of the Gorons.
Returning to meet familiar faces and seeing how townsfolk have changed since Breath of
the Wild is delightful. Reconnecting with each region's champion is especially satisfying.
Teba (Links Rito companion during Breath of the Wild) has a child named Tulin who is
no longer a baby, Riju has been mastering her lightning powers, Sidon is engaged, and
Yunobo is CEO of his own food company. Seeing how Link affected these characters'
lives and helped them grow is a nice reward for players who became invested in these
characters prior to Tears of the Kingdom. It makes the world feel alive and active
knowing that everyone's lives continued past the events of Breath of the Wild.
After a brief reunion with each champion, they tell Link about the mysterious sightings
people have been reporting. Apparently, a woman with blond hair was spotted shortly
after the Upheaval happened. Neither champion is ever sure how, but they are certain this
phantom must be linked to all the recent problems they are having. As Link progresses
through each region, he discovers the phantom resembles Princess Zelda. It becomes an
ongoing plotline throughout the Regional Phenomena questline because Zelda seems to
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be acting very out of character; she doesn’t speak to anyone, she doesn’t help any of the
townsfolk, and that layer of intrigue is what helps the story remain so engaging. Each
ghostly Zelda chase eventually leads Link and one of the champions to a dungeon. The
boss battle of each dungeon doesn’t feature some random enemy. Each creature has
significance to the story because they are the source of the problems in their respective
region. Giving context to each boss leads to a satisfying resolution to each region as the
evil is banished and Link moves onto slay the next.
Before Link takes off, he and one of the champions meet somebody known as an Ancient
Sage who fought against Ganondorf during the Imprisoning War. We get a brief glimpse
into the events that happened, seeing each Sages perspective of the event. However, the
events are not shown to completion, leaving the player wanting more.
“Secret Stones? Demon King?”
Next, an Ancient Sage explains to each champion that they are descendants of the Sage
they are speaking with, and they too are a Sage, but of the modern era. The Ancient Sage
also explains the importance of Secret Stones and how they amplify the power one
already has. A stone is bestowed upon each newly crowned Sage as the Ancient Sage
vanishes. This scene is very heavy with the exposition, but it does a wonderful job at
getting the player interested about the Imprisoning War while giving each champion a
new purpose as a sage who will fight by Links side.
Saving all four regions will culminate in a climactic pursuit of Princess Zelda who has
been spotted at Hyrule Castle. Reaching the throne room reveals that this was an ambush,
and the Zelda Link has been following was just one of Ganondorf’s phantom puppets.
Luckily, the four sages show up and help Link, repaying him for all his help. Now having
bested the Demon King's power Tulin, Riju, Sidon, and Yunobo are ready to seek out
Ganondorf and finish him for the last time. But first, there is one more thing Link must
do. After solving the mysterious Princess Zelda sightings, Link is sent to find the fifth
Sage below the surface of Hyrule. This leads to Link discovering the spirit of Mineru; an
ancient Zonai. She finally shares with him the events of the Imprisoning war. Finally
getting to see the full events is an excellent payoff for concluding this large chapter of the
main quest.
[Part 4 - THE MEMORIES]
Tears of the Kingdom uses a similar story structure to Breath of the Wild where a
substantial chunk of the narrative takes place before the game's present events. These
moments are called memories, and there are eighteen in total. Six memories are split
across various main story quests and the remaining twelve are experienced during the
Dragon Tears quest. This questline follows Princess Zelda after falling into the hole. Her
fall resulted in her being transported back millennia to Hyrule’s founding where she
experiences the events that led to the historic Imprisoning War. The twelve memories that
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tell this story all share the game's overarching theme of connection during Zelda's quest
to reunite with Link. Zelda connects with herself as she masters her newfound time
powers thanks to the Secret Stone, she discovered which amplifies the powers one
already has within. She also connects with the land of Hyrule as she experiences what
Hyrule was like before the Imprisoning War and the events that occurred leading up to
and during it. But the strongest connection Zelda forms is with the first King and Queen
of Hyrule; Rauru and Sonia.
Zelda’s father was a fierce king who cared for her but was strict and cold, often forgetting
she was still a kid. Zelda’s mother died when she was incredibly young before, they
could form any lasting memories together. Zelda never had a strong connection to her
family, but Rauru and Sonia begin to fill that void as parental figures. The second Dragon
Tear Memory shows Zelda in distress as she tries to tell Rauru and Sonya about the dire
state of both of their eras and how there must be a way to save them both. For so long
Zelda felt alone to deal with her struggles because her father would often push her far
past her capabilities with little empathy for the turmoil it caused her. Rauru and Sonya
simply listen during this moment and later comfort her. Sonya acknowledges Zelda's
worries and says they will work together to come up with a plan. There is a touching
moment while Zelda, Rauru, and Sonya are all having tea together like a happy family,
this is when Zelda begins to open up and tells them all about Link and how she admires
him deeply. Rauru and Sonya take interest in her words and Zelda assures them that he is
a true hero. Moments like these help Zelda recognize them as the parents she wishes she
had.
“His heart is good and true”
After getting to know each other, Rauru takes Zelda to see his sister Mineru so they can
learn more about the secret stone Zelda discovered. Rauru is said to have Light powers,
and Sonya possesses time power, but Mineru claims Zelda has both. Since Rauru and
Sonya are Zelda's ancestors that might be why she has both powers. Mineru also tells
Zelda about the forbidden act one can perform by swallowing a Secret Stone. It will
cause the user to experience ‘Dragonification’ which turns them into a dragon with
eternal life. This is very heavy-handed foreshadowing and while necessary, the execution
was done poorly. This gives away the twist immediately since Zelda has already
explained that she has no other way to make it back to her own era. Nonetheless, this
scene does a fantastic job at word building since it adds more context to why there are all
sorts of dragons that can be spotted flying across the skies of Hyrule during the present.
While Zelda creates new connections with so many new people, Ganondorf is the one
who severs the connections between everyone. Later Dragon Tears shows his mission to
conquer Hyrule by destroying anyone who stands in his way. He is a treacherous brute
but cunning as well. He carefully plans each attack like a game of chess which is what
leads to Sonya's death. During the Memory of the ninth Dragon Tear, it is revealed that
Ganondorf had created an evil Zelda imposter with his dark magic, and he uses her as a
diversion to impale Sonia in front of the real Zelda's Eyes. Losing her mother for a
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second time devastates Zelda but Sonya will live on because she taught Zelda everything
she could about her time powers. This moment also sets up Ganon as a dangerous threat
through the complete brutality of this kill and the ease with which he carries out. Ganon
also steals Sonya's secret stone which elevates his power to the strongest point it has ever
been. What Zelda just saw wasn’t even Ganondorf at his full power and this is what
makes looking forward to the final battle so exciting.
From the moment she entered this world, Zelda was born with a purpose. She was a
princess, which meant she was to grow into a strong leader who would become queen one
day. Once he entered her late teens, Zelda gained a new purpose. It was to spend every
waking moment trying to awaken her powers to seal away Calamity Ganon. At the
beginning of Tears of the Kingdom, Zelda is on a quest to restore Hyrule, but those plans
get put on hold after getting transported to the past. Now she is in unknown territory,
surrounded by unfamiliar people during a terrible war. Through all this, Zelda has tried to
figure out how she can help her new friends while finding a way to get back to her own
era. She has tried to offer help in any way she can but couldn’t even save Queen Sonya.
She still can't figure out the reason she was sent here. For the first time in her life, Zelda
doesn’t know her purpose.
As the Sages prepare for the ultimate battle with Ganondorf, Rauru stands alone at
Sonyas grave, but Princess Zelda soon joins him. At this point Zelda has finally made the
connection between the murals she discovered to the mummy they found. It was the
corpse of Ganondorf which lived thousands of years until her time. She even gives a
subtle glance to his right arm which confirms her belief that he was the source of the
magical arm and Secret Stone they found. This is proof that they will be charging into a
losing battle and Zelda insists they call the whole thing off. Rauru refuses.
“The reason why you are here, it has to mean something”
He too believes Zelda was sent here for a purpose. Zelda feels reassured in this moment,
ready to fight alongside Rauru and the Sages. She continues to ponder his words as the
scene ends.
“The reason I... am here”
Completing the fifth Sage quest is when Mineru finally shares the full story of the
Imprisoning War with Link. First, she explains everything that is depicted on the murals
found at the beginning of the game, which turns out to be a recount of the events Zelda
experienced throughout the Dragon Tears quest. It’s a clever narrative device to make
everything feel it has come full circle while not leaving out players who might have
skipped the Dragon Tears quest entirely. Now it's time to hear the last missing piece of
the story; The Imprisoning War.
In the depths beneath Hyrule Castle, Princess Zelda, Rauru, Mineru, and the four Sages
are nearly defeated by Ganondorf, but Rauru has one last trick up his sleeve. As he
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approaches Ganondorf for the final blow, Zelda uses her time powers to distract him and
create an opening for Rauru. Perhaps this was her purpose, to change the events of the
Imprisoning War. Rauru grabs hold of Ganondorf and uses every ounce of his light
powers. The clashing of darkness and light doesn’t expel Ganondorf but instead begins to
freeze them both in time. As Zelda watches her second parental figure begin to perish,
she calls out to Rauru in agony. It seems that the Imprisoning War is following the exact
same events as depicted on the murals with Zelda unable to alter the outcome. As all
hope seems lost, Rauru reveals that this is all part of his plan. He recalls what Zelda told
him about Link and tells Ganondorf they will remain in stalemate for thousands of years
until Link finds them; wielding the sword that seals the darkness.
“Link, I look forward to meeting him”
As the corpses of Rauru and Ganondorf freeze in time beneath Hyrule Castle. All
questions from the opening have finally been answered. Telling the story of the
Imprisoning War out of sequence was a clever way to fill the players' head with all sorts
of questions at the beginning and slowly reveal each piece of the puzzle until the full
picture is clear. This narrative direction is also great for encouraging replayability
because the player will experience the story with a completely new perspective.
After the battle, Zelda is out of ideas for what her purpose could be. Rauru said there
must be a reason she was sent here but nothing he did seemed to change anything. As she
longingly overlooks Hyrule from the Temple of Time, a glowing orb suddenly appears
and as she reaches inside, Zelda pulls out the Master Sword. This is the first time she has
ever held the legendary sword in her hands, which shows how far her character has come.
Zelda has spent her life following the orders of somebody else but now she is on her own.
Her destiny was always handed to her but this time she had to reach out and grab it. With
the Master Sword held close, her purpose is finally clear. No longer can Zelda let others
control her destiny, she must take matters into her own hands if she wants any hope of
getting home.
Zelda says goodbye to Mineru and the Sages, entrusting her Purah Pad to Mineru’s robot
known as a Construct. This is the same Construct gives Link the Purah pad on the Great
Sky Island. Its small connections like these that add up and make the story so satisfying.
Zelda tells Mineru that the Master Sword has restorative properties when played to rest
for a lengthy period of time and she plans to become a dragon to watch over the Master
Sword until Link finds her. As She walks outside to take one last look at her new friends.
Zelda swallows her Secret Stone while gripping the Master Sword tightly.
“I know why I am here, it's something only I can do”
A Dragonified Zelda flies high up into the sky, bound to look down upon Hyrule for the
next century. It turns out the dragon that can be spotted from atop the Great Sky Island is
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Princess Zelda. It's an incredible moment of discovery when Zelda turns out to have been
watching over Link this whole time.
[Part 5 - PURSUING THE DEMON KING]
After wrapping up the Dragon Tears and Regional Phenomena quests, it's time to plunge
back into the depths of Hyrule Castle and face the Demon King himself. Soon, Link finds
himself at the same location as when he explored the underground with Zelda during the
game's opening. Most players will realize that it's time to discover what was on the mural
covered by rock. There are three images which show the events that Princess Zelda
experienced when traveling back to the past. She is shown alongside Rauru and the Sages
when facing the Ganondorf. The next two murals illustrate Zelda retrieving the Master
Sword and becoming a dragon. The implication of this discovery creates a paradox,
because how could Zelda have been present with Link at the beginning of the game if she
had been a dragon for thousands of years? These questions are never answered but it’s
fun to theorize about with friends even if the rules of this game’s time travel are a little
bit nonsensical.
After diving to the bottom of the same hole Zelda fell through, Link isn't transported back
in time, instead he continues to fall through the deepest chasm in Hyrule. A single torch
can be found at the bottom and keen-eyed players will notice this is the same torch Zelda
was holding before she was transported back in time. It’s this clever attention to detail
players that were paying close attention while serving as a representation of Link
carrying the torch to finish the plans Zelda, Rauru, and the Sages set into motion so many
years ago.
Pressing forward will trigger a huge brawl with Ganondorf’s army. Hoards of the game's
most powerful enemies meet Link as he blazes a path to Ganondorf complimented by a
bombastic symphony that signifies that the story is nearing its climax. The music and
gameplay greatly elevate this moment and is a reminder of the incredible stories only
made possible because of the interactivity of video games. Also, the Sages return once
again, reminding Link that thanks to the connections he has made, he will never be alone.
After the army is defeated, they all march toward the lair of the Demon King. Ganondorf
and Link never truly meet until this final encounter, but both characters are aware of the
threat each of them pose. This makes for a thrilling last battle because of everything that
has built up to this moment.
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[Part 6 - A MENACE UNLEASHED]
“I will rule, that is what a king must do”
The Demon King says these moments before battle, and it shows the dichotomy between
him and Rauru. He was a kind and generous king, his motivation was not to rule, it was
to lead a prosperous kingdom. In contrast, The Demon King will not rest until Hyrule is
conquered and Link is the last thing standing in his way. As the clash of the titans comes
to a close, the Demon King pulls one last trick by swallowing his Secret Stone and
becoming a Demon Dragon.
Link is lifted out of the depths, high up in the clouds and as all seems hopeless, a glimmer
of light appears across the horizon. Dragonified Zelda catches Link on her back and flies
him up above the Demon Dragon so Link can slay the evil that plagues Hyrule for the last
time. He has saved so many lives on his heroic quest but Zelda being the one to save Link
shows how far they have both come. Zelda has learned to seize her moment; she forgoes
overthinking her actions and her purpose to protect Hyrule is now clear. Link learns to
grow out of his shell and connect with others because everyone needs people they can
rely on. As Link makes the final blow, the Demon King is vanquished and Hyrule has
finally been set free. Shortly after, Zelda is returned to her human form as Link dives
through the clouds to catch her. It’s a perfect moment where the plot comes full circle
and Link is given a second chance to fix his mistake and restore his last broken
connection. As Zelda comes to her feet, she is grateful that they are together at last, ready
to lead Hyrule into its next era.
“Oh Link... I’m home!”
Strongest Element
The theme of connection is at the very core of this game's identity and that commitment
to a singular identity is what makes Tears of the Kingdoms message so effective. Imagery
is the primary way this theme is communicated. Zelda and Link hold hands when they are
reunited, the Sages will hold Links hand when lending him their power and it becomes
harnessed within a ring. Links entire arm is replaced by king Rauru who is literally
lending him a hand for his journey. Breath of the Wild was a very lonely game where
Link had nobody to rely on, but Tear of the Kingdom has Link making so many more
friends that teach him that those who are loved will never truly be alone. Finally, hand
symbols are also featured throughout the game with each shrine showing a hand symbol
which only unlocks with Links touch and the same lock appears on chests. Links Ultra
Hand ability is a hand symbol, and there are sets of large doors which require Link to
open them with both hands.
The theme of connection was planned from the very beginning of development since it
bleeds into every aspect of the game from its narrative to its gameplay. It is at the core of
Tears of the Kingdoms identity and this cohesion is what makes the story so special.
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Unsuccessful Element
The most disappointing element of this game's narrative is how it feels like a linear story
was spread thin to fit inside an open world gameplay structure unfit to support it. This is
most prominent during the Regional Phenomena questline. It is full of endearing
character moments and mystery, but its narrative structure isn’t perfect. Link is free to
visit each region in any order, which for the most part, is a good formula that allows for
plenty of player choice. But they didn’t take this concept as far as they could have. On
my personal playthrough, I went to Rito village first. Getting the smallest peak into the
events of the Imprisoning War had me on the edge of my seat with a sense of mystery
and wonder not dissimilar with Tulin’s. I understood that this game's consistent formula
would have me experiencing this cutscene with each other Sage throughout the main
quest, but I was excited to see how the story would expand with every new region
conquered. It doesn't not. Each region Link explores results in the same story beats
getting repeated, and after the fourth time spotting evil Zelda and learning about the...
“Secret Stones? Demon King?”
This formula gets stale. The same cutscene of the Imprisoning War gets repeated at the
end of each Regions quest and I struggled to find any interest during my fourth viewing
when the only difference is another character's closeup.
Highlight
The pinnacle of Tears of the Kingdoms narrative is during the final movements when
Link begins his final fall through the sky to save Zelda. It’s the final act of closure to the
overarching theme of connection that has appeared throughout the story. During his
quest, Link grows closer to the Sages through the Regional Phenomena questline, the
citizens of Hyrule during side quests, and the land itself as he rebuilds his home with
Ultra Hand. Now, there is one last connection to be mended.
Before Link can return to the surface after defeating the Demon Dragon, he is transported
high in the clouds where the spirit of Rauru and Sonya channel their powers through Link
to return Zelda back into her human form. Zelda begins to fall towards the surface and
Link dives after her. The focus of his gaze communicates that he let Zelda slip away
once, and this is his chance to make it right. This will be the moment their connection is
restored. A triumphant orchestra plays as he reaches out his hand, which reprises the
same song that was played during the Imprisoning War when Rauru mentioned Link. An
exact mirror of the shot where Zelda previously slipped through Link's fingertips is
replicated as he successfully makes the catch and finally reunites with Princess Zelda.
The theme of connection culminates in Zeldas final words...
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“I had been sleeping all this time. But when I felt something... like a warm, loving
embrace... I woke up.”
This quote from Zelda brings Tears of the Kingdom’s dominant theme to a satisfying
conclusion by expressing that she was finally able to return home once her connection to
Link was restored.
Critical Reception
Tears of the Kingdom released to universal acclaim. Its gameplay was praised by all, but
the story was an aspect where opinions began to split.
[IGN]
https://www.ign.com/games/the-legend-of-zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom
Tom Marks from IGN gave it a perfect 10 but said Dragon Tears were not the best
storytelling structure because there is no direct interaction between the player and the
events of the past where the memories take place. He was also dissatisfied with the
concept that looked like it was heading in a different direction but ended up still boiling
down to stop Ganon and save Zelda. Although he wasn’t exactly pleased with how Tears
of the Kingdom presents its story the actual content of the narrative was said to be “a
genuinely exciting story” and “a legitimate high point instead of simply the entertaining
background it was mostly relegated to in BotW”.
[Kotaku]
https://kotaku.com/the-legend-of-zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom-the-kotaku-r-1850570840
Carolyn Petit from Kotaku was not as impressed with the story, they loved the mystery of
piecing together Zeldas disappearance but still had problems with how Zelda was
portrayed. They felt Links journey “largely sidelines the princess even while giving her
something crucial to do” and “[Zelda] does incredibly heroic things…. making her
“heroic” but marginalizing her at the same time”. The game's marketing and opening
moments place a heavy emphasis on Princess Zelda but is lost as the game goes on.
When focusing on the story itself it seems she plays a larger role than she does because in
normal gameplay her story moments are often many hours apart and are relegated to
memories of the past instead of what happens during the events of the game.
[The Verge]
https://www.theverge.com/23718926/zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom-review-nintendo-switch
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Finally, Ash Parrish from the Verge expressed her distaste for the narrative as well. She
said the story doesn’t do “anything truly new” and referenced how the structure of going
to four regions and beating Gannon at the end is the exact same as Breath of the Wilds.
She also gets annoyed by the repeated cutscenes, “The story cutscene that plays at the
end of each dungeon infuriatingly repeats the same moment over and over, only
swapping out which Sage gets the closeup”.
Although Tears of the Kingdom received glowing reviews from most critics, many of
them still had notes on how the story could be improved. Overall, the narrative was
received to have pretty good substance but flawed in its execution, clear by the gripes
reviewers had with story structure and its characters.
Lessons
1. Powerful messages can be communicated without dialogue: The absence of
information can leave the audience to derive their own meaning from the story
and this is an exceptionally good thing. A piece of media that leaves so much up
to interpretation walks a thin line between being deep and provoking or just
messy and meaningless. Tears of the Kingdom does the former. Its overarching
theme of connection is never acknowledged but shown through countless
instances of hand imagery. This fules an ongoing discussion among players as
friends share their unique interpretations and discoveries with each other.
2. You can't fit a square peg into a circle hole: Tears of the Kingdom is an open
world game that tries to tell a linear story, this results in moments where a Dragon
Tear memory is viewed out of its intended sequence or a cutscene is repeated at
nauseum. The gameplay wants to encourage freedom while the story demands
linearity. Instead of trying to get these opposing structures to work with each
other maybe Nintendo could have experimented with a story that can be viewed in
any order and dynamically changes as the player completes quests in a unique
order.
Summation
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a triumph in its ability to tell a coherent
story on such a large scale but is by no means perfect. Its commitment to valuing freedom
more than anything else proves that storytelling in games could be so much more than
just a linear set of events even if the game itself doesn’t exactly deliver on that vision.
The story is messy, with repetitive cutscenes and time travel plot holes but it still
manages to create an identity for its narrative through its endearing characters, thoughtful
plot, and its overarching message of creating connections