The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the KingdomThe latest trailer didn’t reveal many concrete details, but the title alone gives rise to speculation about the plot, including possible connections to the past Zelda games like Skyward Sword and Twilight Princess. Until now, the Breath of the Wild sequel has already presented itself in the same way as previous games like Skyward Sword by the emphasis on sky islands and aerial adventures, but The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom might have more connections on hand than that. The title strongly refers back to the past Zelda games with tear-filled graphics, especially Twilight Princess and Skyward sword.
Shared images between Zelda games is nothing new. Emblems of the Triforce permeate the franchise, even if the Triforce itself is not central to the story, and many Zelda dungeons put their own spin on dungeon ideas passed down through generations of the franchise. Still, Tears of the Kingdom‘s emphasis on tears is a bit more niche. Tears have surfaced as important artifacts in the past Zelda games before, but now it sounds like they’re coming to the fore in a new way. Link will likely have to collect mysterious tears scattered across Hyrule, and these tears may relate to similar collectibles from Link’s past lives.
Skyward Sword and Twilight Princess’ Tears
Skyward Sword‘s use of tears had a decidedly divine quality. In the course of Skyward Sword, Link had to complete several sacred realms created by the goddess Hylia to acquire artifacts that helped him navigate the world. To complete the Sacred Realms, Link collected Sacred Tears, each associated with one of Hyrule’s Golden Goddesses. Gathering the Holy Tears represented Link’s own spiritual growth, but the connection with ZeldaThe divine powers also remain important. This may not be the last time Link has to find the Goddesses’ tears.
For the holy realms, Twilight Princess had his own take on divine tears. Whenever this incarnation of Link entered a Twilight-shrouded area, he had to help the local Spirit of Light by collecting Tears of Light stolen by Zant’s henchmen. When Wolf Link and Midna had wiped away all these tears, the light could be restored to the land. Twilight Princess‘ approach to magic tears was certainly less metaphysical than… Skyward Swords, but similarities remain, especially since both games feature the tears in similar plant-like vessels.
Tears as sacred symbols in Zelda don’t stop there, if the more obscure Spirit tracks has its own Tears of Light that perform a number of different services. Between all these titles, there’s a clear pattern of tearing up symbolism in the series, as well as strong new evidence that Tears of the Kingdom has something to do with Skyward Sword, Twilight Princess, or both. However, it does not provide an obvious direction in which: Tears of the Kingdom could go with the teardrop concept. Either physical objects or more mystical “tears” can show up in the next one Zelda title, although an entirely new interpretation is also possible.
What could be the tears of the Kingdom
Perhaps the most obvious use for Tears of the Kingdom‘s implied titular artifacts would be something close to… Twilight Princess‘ idea. In the botW sequel, Calamity Ganon’s Malice seems as powerful as ever, meaning Link and Zelda may need to find new divine relics to banish the threat for good. Just like how collecting Tears of Light dispels Zant’s influence in dusk princess, collect special tears in Tears of the Kingdom could drive back the Malice again and clear Hyrule bit by bit.
A more spiritual take like Skyward Sword can also be interesting. Zelda’s struggle to use her divine powers is an important subplot in Breath of the wilderness, So Tears of the Kingdom could be that Zelda redoubles her efforts to draw on the goddess Hylia. In the process, she and Link may have to complete divine challenges akin to the Sacred Realms, this time to prove Zelda is worthy of her divine task as Hyrule’s leader, rather than focusing on Link’s growth. The role of Princess Zelda in Tears of the Kingdom remains mysterious, but at least the murals in the new trailer suggest she may have another grand fate ahead of her.
While both options are plausible, Tears of the Kingdom would certainly have surprises in store. The titular tears may not be so mystical after all. Breath of the Wild put a huge emphasis on Sheikah relics and technology so Tears of the KingdomThe title could refer to some important Sheikah artifacts Link and Zelda need to find. Alternatively, Link and Zelda may need to craft tear-like relics of their own to protect Hyrule, possibly repeating a historical event depicted in Tears of the Kingdom‘s murals.
Tears of the Kingdom inherits tradition
Whatever Nintendo has in mind this time, Tears of the Kingdom inherits a distinct tradition of tear symbolism in the franchise. Its longstanding association with divine powers makes it unlikely that divinity has anything to do with the game’s title, but the game has many routes to choose from. Drawing on Skyward Sword may end up being the most likely possibility, as Nintendo has hinted at the return of Fi and borrowed other ideas from Skyward Sword al. The New Look at Hyrule in the Breath of the Wild family of Zelda games promise that fans won’t likely run through the familiar Sacred Realms a second time; Tears of the Kingdom will probably have his own sense of spirituality.
While the game’s title probably refers to physical artifacts the way titles do: Skyward Sword, Wind Waker, Ocarina of Time, and so on, it also sets the tone for the journey to claim these artifacts. Tears of the Kingdom is a remarkably sad title for a Zelda game, even if it’s meant literally. Whatever form the tears take, Link and Zelda may have a grim task ahead of them relying on tones previously Majora’s mask, which fans have already compared Tears of the Kingdom for years. if ZeldaThe protagonists have to find divine tears as in Twilight Princess or skyward sword, this could spell an unprecedented new tragedy for the kingdom of Hyrule.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will be released on May 12, 2023 for Nintendo Switch.
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