After years of anticipation, Nintendo has finally revealed the title for Breath of the Wild‘s sequel during a September 2022 Direct. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is set for May 2023 (assuming no further delays), and the latest teaser leans into the air potential of floating islands by having Link dive on a mysterious glider. While Hyrule’s terrestrial races will need to use new methods to explore, this could be a good excuse to give the Rito more fame.
In Breath of the Wild, Link can run straight to Hyrule Castle and fight Calamity Ganon after completing the Great Plateau. But the in-universe story clearly intends Link to save each of Hyrule’s four great races (the Zora, Goron, Rito, and Gerudo) from corruption that afflicts their divine beasts. Tears of the KingdomIn previous trailers, the Master Sword has been featured, suggesting Link is also collecting his Legendary Sword, meaning the denizens of Hyrule will all need brand new challenges to tackle. The flying Rito will undoubtedly have the easiest time adjusting to their changed environment.
The Underutilized Rito in Zelda History
Zelda‘s Rito are the latest addition of those aforementioned races, which first appeared in 2002’s The Wind Waker on GameCube. They are also among the least used races in the franchise, appearing only in The Wind Waker, Breath of the Wildand now Tears of the Kingdom. The bird race even skipped The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sworddespite much of that adventure taking place in the skies above Hyrule.
The likely reason for this is because: The Wind Waker establishes the Rito as descendants of the Zora, particularly in the “adult” era of Ocarina of Time after Link’s win against Ganondorf. The Rito should only exist in one branch of the Zelda timeline, and Link’s companion Medli turns out to be a kinsman of the Zora sage Laruto. While it may seem counterintuitive to aquatic characters to evolve into birds as a result of the world’s flooding, the Rito’s capacity to fly makes them better equipped to visit individual islands in the Great Sea as mail carriers.
Zora and Rito live together in Hyrule for Breath of the Wild is explained away by the Zelda the branches of the timeline effectively merge in the distant future. It’s a messy solution for some, but one that gave Nintendo a chance to really experiment with unique character designs. Just about every Zora players encounter in Breath of the Wild is inspired by another sea creature, from Mipha with a dolphin tail to the older Muzu with a manta ray head. The Rito have a similar design philosophy, ranging from the parrot-like traveling musician Kass to the wizened owl Kaneli, head of Rito Village.
Where Breath of the Wild leaves the Rito
Calamity Ganon will be an ever-present threat to the world by then Breath of the Wild rolls around, with Link being a member of the team tasked with stopping the destruction. He and Zelda team up with the four Champions of Hyrule; Mipha, Daruk, Revali and Urbosa; who control the Divine Beasts built by the ancient Sheikah to fight the Calamity. Their failure 100 years prior to the events of the game results in Link waking up with amnesia, forced to correct the mistakes of the past and build a brighter future.
The defeat of the Rito champion Revali at the hands of Windblight Ganon results in the eagle-shaped divine beast Vah Medoh circling endlessly around Rito Village for 100 years. As a result, the Rito are effectively restricted from flying too high for fear of being shot down. After a century, Link teams up with Teba to destroy Vah Medoh’s cannons from the sky so that the hero can land safely, defeat Windblight Ganon, and free Revali’s spirit. Because the divine beasts are no longer present at landmarks like Death Mountain in Tears of the Kingdom trailers, it is safe to assume that the mechanical marvel is no longer a threat.
How Rito can expand their role in Tears of the Kingdom
Whatever threat Hyrule faces, Tears of the Kingdom is not entirely clear. The earliest teaser from E3 2019 shows a mummified figure (believed to be Ganondorf) whose magic is so powerful it can lift chunks of the continent into the air after being unsealed. Much of the footage released since then involves Link traveling across these floating islands, moving between them with his paraglider and rising from the ground with new abilities. A short clip released when the sequel was delayed in March also shows the Master Sword seemingly ripped to shreds by dark magic.
Some Hyrule residents will face specific issues arising from this power, for example the newest Tears of the Kingdom trailer seems to show Death Mountain erupt with Malice – a potentially major concern for the Gorons. Many homes and stables will be relocated, and the Gerudo may be isolated from the rest of Hyrule if the main trail out of the Gerudo Desert is replaced by a canyon. But this poses less of a problem for the Rito.
Assuming they can fly high enough without Divine Beast Vah Medoh, the Rito will most likely explore Hyrule’s floating islands. Any new settlements or shops established at high altitudes would be run by the only people who can reach such heights without having to use a paraglider or an old platform to cross between islands. This also opens up a perfect opportunity for the Rito to fulfill their role as couriers of The Wind Wakercrossing empty spaces on the ground and bringing supplies to the Goron or Zora suddenly stranded in mid-air.
In addition to the narrative potential that comes with adapting a bird race to a more vertical world, the Rito Link could also help mechanically. For example, if players need to unlock new upgrades to their Stasis rune, certain floating islands can be reached using a character like Teba. The warrior is already carrying Link on his back into the air as he storms Divine Beast Vah Medoh in Breath of the Wild, giving Nintendo the option to modify this short segment into a regular walk-through option. Hopefully Tears of the Kingdom gives the Rito their time to shine, no matter how they are shot.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is scheduled to release for Nintendo Switch on May 12, 2023.
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