In a series rarely known for doling out clothing items, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild went above and beyond when adding its own wardrobe of styles. On top of the massive number of swords, shields, and bows, there are also plenty of costumes and accessories to find across BotW's Hyrule. Every piece has a unique look and effect, and many of it can also be dyed different colors. With one new set already prominent in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom trailers, fans can expect this to continue in the sequel.
A mixture of fan favorites and new pieces should appear in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. More clothes are to be expected, considering that Breath of the Wild wasn't even content with the clothing in its base game. Using various amiibos could produce specific clothing items, and several clothing pieces on top of a couple extras were included in each DLC pack. Most of these special outfits, masks, or shirts were fun crossovers with other Zelda titles, but Tears of the Kingdom doesn't need to make them DLC again if it places them smartly.
Outfits From The Master Trials
Setting aside the season pass bonus Nintendo Switch T-shirt, many of The Master Trials' outfits should work in Tears of the Kingdom. The first of the DLC's armor sets is the Fairy Clothes, which supposedly belonged to Tingle himself. Obviously, the way to integrate this would simply be through adding Tingle, though it would be easier to let special merchants like Beedle or Kilton charge a high price for it. Comparatively, the Phantom set mirroring Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks' imposing knights could be scattered throughout caves or dungeons. Breath of the Wild lacked an equivalent knight enemy, so Tears of the Kingdom may have to introduce Darknuts to modern Zelda as justification for its appearance.
The remaining three masks from BotW's first DLC update are a little easier to place. Midna's Helmet could be hidden in the Arbiter's Grounds portion of the Gerudo Desert, more firmly linking it to the old Twilight Princess dungeon. A sidequest involving either Koroks or the Great Deku Tree could award the Korok Mask. Finally, there's Majora's Mask itself. This could be justified as a replica being sold by a merchant who specializes in clothing, but could also be found hanging up in a temple or even a particularly Malice-ridden cave. Maintaining its ominous presence, especially in the darker Tears of the Kingdom, would be ideal.
Outfits From The Champions' Ballad
Breath of the Wild's second DLC, The Champions' Ballad, contains some especially compelling armor sets. The Ancient horse armor set, consisting of an Ancient Saddle and Bridle, should definitely be in Tears of the Kingdom for the powerful benefits they confer. Horses will need such upgrades in TotK to keep up with Link's new vehicles. The Royal Guard set also has some nice upsides, though should primarily appear because it's not a crossover costume and has no reason to be left behind. Phantom Ganon's armor set makes more sense now that Ganondorf has seemingly returned, in either a forest temple or near Hyrule Castle itself.
Of the remaining accessories, Zant's Mask could also be found near the Arbiter's Grounds or Hyrule Castle, but a creative approach could be taken if it's placed in an underground dungeon or Shadow Temple equivalent. Ravio's Hood could be rewarded for a quest involving Link's house due to technically belonging to another Link, or it could just be near the Spring of Courage again. Finally, there's The Wind Waker's iconic Island Lobster Shirt. Placing it in or around the coastal Lurelin Village fits perfectly, and NPCs could even wear shirts like it. While Breath of the Wild's DLC outfits were placed somewhat haphazardly, a little bit of ingenuity should help them naturally slot into Tears of the Kingdom's shared Hyrule.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will be released on May 12, 2023, for Nintendo Switch.