The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is still shrouded in plenty of mystery, though fans have been intensely scrutinizing the trailers and even the game's title. The Breath of the Wild subtitle hints at freedom, as well as lots of lonely adventures. This is what players get in Breath of the Wild's open world. The Tears of the Kingdom subtitle suggests that the upcoming game may be a sad one, perhaps involving death or a great deal of destruction.
As trailers have revealed, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will take players to the skies, and it appears Link has a new stone gliding device to help him travel between the floating sky islands. It also seems that Link loses his Master Sword, and that Calamity Ganon is back, judging by all the Malice that is around. Though Hyrule is under threat once more, Link never fails to rise to the occasion and defend the kingdom.
Breath of the Wild - A Tale of Freedom and Isolation
Released in 2017, Breath of the Wild has regularly been held up as an example of open-world design at its greatest. Hyrule is more than just a backdrop for Link's adventures - it's a sandpit that he can affect and experiment with. Boulders can be rolled down hills to smash nasty Bokoblins, bombs can be blown across meadows using broad Korok leaves, and Link can use his paraglider to ride the hot air currents of the forest fires he starts. The weather also has an impact on Link and his environment. A rainy day will make it harder for players to climb mountains while a thunderstorm makes it a bad idea to wear metal armor or equip metal weapons.
What's in a name? In the case of The Legend of Zelda, quite a lot. The Breath of the Wild subtitle gives gamers a good idea of the kind of open-world gameplay they can expect. Large swaths of Hyrule are indeed wild, and it is up to players to explore the vast swaths of land on their journey to defeat Calamity Ganon. Hyrule is made to feel wild thanks to the minimal hand-holding the game does. Players aren't walked through much, and it is mostly through experimentation that players discover the various creative ways Link's tools can be used to solve puzzles and defeat foes.
The subtitle also hints at some of the game's themes. Breath of the Wild begins with Link awakening from a ten-millennia-long slumber, and he discovers that Hyrule has changed drastically. Many of his friends have died, leaving Link as a lonely traveler as he completes his journey. Players certainly feel Link's isolation, as he seldom has any companions, and much of the game is spent traversing the sprawling fields of Hyrule without a friendly face in sight for ages.
Tears of the Kingdom - A Tale of Misery?
Gamers have known for a while that the title for Breath of the Wild's sequel is an important one, which is why Nintendo kept it under wraps for so long. When Tears of the Kingdom's title was revealed in 2022, the first thing fans wanted to know was which kind of tears were being referred to. Tears as in a torn, or tears as in crying? Nintendo cleared things up and confirmed that the title refers to the tears which are secreted from eyes.
The subtitle suggests that the upcoming game may be quite a dark and sad one, as tears are usually shed during moments of misery. Naturally, this has caused fans to question what could cause the entire kingdom to weep. A few guesses have been offered up, with the death of Zelda popping up frequently. The kingdom could also be weeping because of the great destruction caused by Calamity Ganon. Trailers support this, as it depicts chunks of Hyrule breaking off and floating into the sky.
While it certainly does seem that the upcoming game is hinting at a sad plot, there is still another way to interpret the subtitle. As some fans have pointed out, Link has been tasked with collecting items called Tears in past The Legend of Zelda games. For instance, in Twilight Princess, Link must collect the Tears of Light to revive the Spirits of Lights while in Skyward Sword, Tears are used to stun the Guardians of the Silent Realm. It wouldn't be surprising to learn that Tears have made a return in Tears of the Kingdom.
Tears of the Kingdom is Coming
Breath of the Wild set the bar high, and it will take a lot for Tears of the Kingdom to surpass it. As trailers have shown, Tears of the Kingdom is attempting to do this by giving Link some new gadgets to play with, including one that lets him ride stone debris up into the sky. Link will need everything at his disposal, as it seems the forces of evil are stronger than ever. Malice is seen in large quantities, including around Death Mountain, suggesting the location may of importance in the upcoming game. The new floating sky islands will also affect gameplay, possibly leading to new weapon varieties and enemy types to match the aerial setting.
Tears of the Kingdom is less than a year away from launch, and gamers still know very little about it, including where it fits in The Legend of Zelda timeline. Some fan theories have suggested that the game might be a prequel instead of a sequel, while others propose that the upcoming game is set in an entirely new timeline. Either way, it is evident that players are in for another great adventure filled with surprises.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is scheduled to release on May 12, 2023, on Nintendo Switch.