As The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will return to the same kingdom of Hyrule seen in Breath of the Wild, fans are anticipating some significant changes to the world, including to some of the game's picturesque towns and villages. When players were first introduced to these locations, they were the remaining havens of civilization that had survived Calamity Ganon and were few and far between as a result. But with Ganon seemingly defeated by the game's end and the sequel needing to differentiate itself from its predecessor, players anticipate that these towns will evolve for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
In fact, while players realize that the Hyrule they return to in Tears of the Kingdom will be familiar, many are expecting plenty to have changed between it and Breath of the Wild. With improvements expected from new variations of enemy design to a transition away from Breath of the Wild's approach to music, Tears of the Kingdom's towns are also high up on the list of things players want to see change. Whether it's expanding these towns as they verge upon becoming cities to capitalizing on the sequel's new floating islands, Hyrule's old towns could become brand-new again with a few changes.
Towns Have Grown Since Breath of the Wild
Though it's evident that Tears of the Kingdom will take place after the events of Breath of the Wild, players are assuming that there will be at least some time will have passed between the two games. It's hoped that Hyrule will have had a chance to recover from Calamity Ganon during this interim and push back against the lingering forces still roaming the kingdom. This means the various towns and villages scattered throughout Hyrule might have had the opportunity to not only reconnect with one another but to also expand and grow beyond a meager size of roughly one or two dozen houses.
For example, Hateno Village, with its unique establishments such as a clothing dye shop and the ancient tech lab -- not to mention Link's house -- could have grown to become a bustling town. Even Tarrey Town, after its founding in Breath of the Wild, could evolve into a city. Meanwhile, other isolated locations like Goron City, Rito Village, or Zora's Domain could venture beyond their regions and form outposts elsewhere in Hyrule to create a more integrated world. After all, it would be disappointing if players found that in Tears of the Kingdom these locations had changed very little between games.
Towns Could Take to the Skies
Given that they have become a prominent focus for much of Tears of the Kingdom's trailers and marketing, the new floating sky islands could actually influence the evolution of towns following Breath of the Wild. Currently, it's not known which regions or areas specifically will be taken to new lofty heights, but players anticipate that at least some buildings and villages will now be situated on floating islands. Not only would this make the game more distinctive and incentivize players to explore Hyrule's skies, but it could present Tears of the Kingdom with new narrative opportunities and logistical challenges through these sky islands.
One example that sprung to fans' minds is the Rito taking a bigger role in Tears of the Kingdom considering their ability to fly; Rito Village may become a sky island. However, for other towns, this could be challenging for their residents and could spark new quest lines and stories for the player. For instance, if Zora's Domain is taken skyward, they might find themselves losing water access, or if Goron City were to suffer the same fate, their rocks-as-food supply would be limited. Tears of the Kingdom's towns could turn dark as its residents struggle to survive after being cut off from the rest of the world.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is set to release on May 12, 2023, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.