With Nintendo fans eagerly awaiting the return to Hyrule in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2, many are anticipating a great deal to have been added to the world they remembered from the first Breath of the Wild. Already early game footage and teaser trailers have shown players just a glimpse of what to expect for Breath of the Wild 2, from increased map verticality sending Link soaring through the sky to a potential host of new abilities or magic for Link thanks to some fan speculation.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild saw Nintendo including a plethora of nods and tributes across the game in reference to previous Zelda games, from the likes of Lon Lon Ranch seen back in Ocarina of Time to the NPC Botrick resembling the late Satoru Iwata. One of these references Nintendo included was with its infamous character Tingle, albeit the studio kept him at arm's length. Though there's a far-flung location on the Breath of the Wild map named after him and his brothers and a Tingle-themed outfit set for Link, Tingle himself is absent from the game. This means Breath of the Wild 2 has the perfect opportunity to bring TIngle back, but for a better reason than just an Easter egg.
Where Has Tingle Been
Players were first introduced to Tingle all the way back in Majora's Mask where he served as a map merchant for the game. Since then, Tingle found his way across the Zelda franchise, either directly featuring to aid Link in his quest, or with references ranging from wanted posters, figurines, and plush dolls. Tingle was a grown man who believed he was a reincarnated fairy, and it's clear that Nintendo wanted to position him as an absurd comic relief character. Despite this, Tingle's popularity expanded beyond the Zelda franchise; he's featured in other games such as Super Smash Bros., but also starring in his own brief series of adventures released on the Nintendo DS.
As the Zelda games progressed, Tingle's role in them evolved too. For instance, following Majora's Mask, Tingle was seen in Oracle of Ages where he not only provided Link with an Island Chart, but he would later give Link a Seed Satchel upgrade too. After this came The Wind Waker where Tingle had an even more pronounced role in Link's adventure, starting with Tingle being the reason Link obtains the Picto Box, gifting him the Tingle Tuner, and even going so far as to help Link translate the Triforce charts to find Triforce shards. The last time players have seen Tingle in person was in The Minish Cap, meaning it is long overdue for the would-be fairy to make a reappearance.
Why Should Tingle Return
As players learn more about Breath of the Wild 2, there are still many questions being left unanswered. From what is currently understood, Breath of the Wild 2 will take place after the events of the first game, but how much later isn't fully clear. What has been seen so far shows a game that has been increased its verticality of its map and given Link new abilities to traverse this new Hyrule. More importantly however, it seems that Breath of the Wild 2 could have a darker tone than its predecessor, demonstrated by a mummified, undead Ganondorf and Link's corrupted arm; therefore a chance for some levity could help strike the right balance for the game's tone.
Fortunately, an in-game reason for TIngle's return isn't integral to the character's existence, as previous games simply included him with little explanation following Majora's Mask. This means Nintendo wouldn't overtly need to address the Tingle outfit set Link has, and the islands could be brushed away with a quick line of dialogue. The real challenge would be finding a purpose for Tingle to fulfill so that Nintendo can justify his reappearance in the Zelda series. In the original Breath of the Wild, a map merchant would have been useless thanks to the Sheikah towers Link would scale, but there's ample more Tingle could do if he was reworked just a little.
How Should Tingle Return, If He Does
Reimagining Tingle would hinge on the idea that time has passed in Hyrule since Breath of the Wild, providing an opportunity for Nintendo to flesh out its map all over again. Tingle serving as a map merchant in a new Hyrule might not be so unusual then, as not only could he sell maps to other characters, but with floating islands seen in trailers and Tingle's penchant for balloons, Tingle would be the ideal candidate to map these new areas. However, with the Sheikah Slate rumored to be making a return in Breath of the Wild 2, it's unclear whether players will have a fully completed map at the start of the game or if this will be something they will need to update as they go. Whether this is true or not, it might make Tingle selling maps redundant again.
There are other game mechanics that Tingle could fulfill, though. For example, one of the ways Link could upgrade his carrying capacity in Breath of the Wild by exchanging Korok seeds with Hestu, with these seeds obtained by solving puzzles around Hyrule. It seems unlikely that Breath of the Wild 2 would reuse these puzzles, nor would it be likely that Koroks would find themselves scattered across Hyrule a second time, meaning Link will need a new method of upgrading. Tingle has conveniently already helped upgrade Link before with the aforementioned Seed Satchel, so he could do so again in return for completing quests or puzzles.
Additionally, since Hestu moves location early in the game, players struggled to upgrade Link until they eventually reached Korok Forest. The Tingle Tuner's return, maybe as a Sheikah Slate rune, could give the player better contact with Tingle and his upgrades.
Without any additional information about what players should expect in Breath of the Wild 2, there's sadly not enough information to draw any clear pictures. Besides Tingle's return, there have been plenty of theories and rumors around what players could see in Breath of the Wild 2, from underwater exploration to time travel. As players await further news from Nintendo, players will continue to wonder just how the game will shape up for the Zelda series.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 is set to release in early 2023 for Nintendo Switch.