The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is set to reintroduce even more iconic elements from past titles. Its predecessor included multiple names and locations from previous entries, such as the Temple of Time and the Goddess Hylia. According to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's early trailers, the next entry will include elements from Skyward Sword, including floating islands and air travel. With that in mind, Tears of the Kingdom shouldn't ignore the opportunity to reintroduce one of Skyward Sword's most important and unique character races: the Kikwi.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a direct follow-up to 2017's The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Though it releases in only a few months, Nintendo is still keeping much of the title's story and gameplay elements a secret. One thing that fans do know is that the game will feature new powers for Link, vehicle customization, and locations spanning the land, sea, and sky. Breath of the Wild saw the return of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker's Koroks. Therefore, it is possible that Tears of the Kingdom could follow suit, and reintroduce other unique races from previous titles, such as the Kikwi.
The Kikwi's Role in Skyward Sword
The Kikwi are a group unique to Skyward Sword that Link encounters while traveling through the Faron Woods in search of Zelda. While crossing through the woods, Link comes upon a small Kikwi, Machi, who is being attacked by Bokoblins. When Machi claims to have seen Zelda and Kikwi Elder Bucha being chased through the woods, Link follows the Kikwi toward their location. When Link finally catches up to Bucha, he is enlisted to find three missing Kikwi in the woods, after which Bucha will relax enough to recall where Zelda was headed. Upon Link's return, Bucha gifts him a Kikwi heirloom, the slingshot, and tells him that Zelda was headed towards Skyview Temple.
Despite being pacifists and lacking in size and physical strength, the Kikwi play a pivotal role in the events of Skyward Sword. In addition to helping locate Zelda in the Faron Woods, the Kikwi aid in opening Lake Floria, where Link meets the Water Dragon Faron. Without their help, Link would not have progressed on his quest as quickly as he did. In aiding Link, the Kikwi are among the Surface races who joined the Goddess Hylia, in some fashion, against the threat of Demise, making them pivotal in the events of The Legend of Zelda series.
How the Kikwi Could Return in Tears of the Kingdom
Some fans have theorized that the Kokiri, and therefore the Koroks, descended from the Kikwi, making it impossible for them to appear in Tears of the Kingdom. However, Nintendo debunked this theory in The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia, officially defining the Kokiri as former early Hylians who chose to live in harmony with nature instead of building civilizations. Therefore, it is possible that both the Koroks and Kikwi could feature in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Given Tears of the Kingdom's connection to both Skyward Sword and Breath of the Wild, the Kikwi could appear in any number of places. Players may even be introduced to an entirely new race, evolved from the Kikwi, since the events of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom take place at least several tens of thousands of years after Skyward Sword. It appears that players hoping to see past elements confirmed for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will need to wait, as Nintendo seems committed to keeping much of the title a secret until its release date. Luckily for fans, that date is now just over a month away.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is scheduled to release on May 12, 2023 for Nintendo Switch.