The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom can use the Blood Moon from its predecessor to increase the drama of the game similar to Age of Calamity. Tears of the Kingdom already has a strong base to build off of, with Breath of the Wild providing one of the deepest stories of any Legend of Zelda game to date. The trailers so far have managed to paint the story as intense despite Calamity Ganon's defeat, raising the question of what threat may loom over Hyrule next. Whatever it is could be tied to Hyrule's terrifying blood moon.
The Blood Moon was a mechanic in Breath of the Wild, and a trailer for Tears of the Kingdom implies that it could play an important role again. In Breath of the Wild, the Blood Moon was a phenomenon that would take place every few nights. It was a bright red moon that would revive the enemies in the world that Link had slain since the Blood Moon's last appearance. While it played an important gameplay role in keeping the game world populated and interesting, its position in the lore was equally important. Until Ganon was dealt with, the Blood Moon would ensure that Hyrule was never safe, and Nintendo using it properly could make Tears of the Kingdom even more memorable.
Tears Of The Kingdom Needs A Big Storyline Shock
In the Breath of the Wild-based spin-off Age of Calamity (one of the increasingly established Nintendo Warriors spin-offs), near the middle of the campaign, the game takes an unexpected turn. After Link and Zelda recruit the champions of Hyrule for their fight against Ganon, with everything seemingly going smoothly, the Calamity strikes and possesses the Divine Beasts. As a result, Link and Zelda have to rush to save the Champions of Hyrule from the deaths they suffered in Breath of the Wild's timeline. This is not only shocking for players familiar with Breath of the Wild, but it threatens all the heroes' progress up to that point.
Tears of the Kingdom can recreate that same type of shocking moment, and the trailers have already shown how. Tears of the Kingdom's Blood Moon got some focus in the Nintendo Direct trailer, and disastrous consequences taking place as its red glow shone in the sky. Ganon's minions rose with renewed vigor, and Hyrule Castle was damaged by streaks of dark energy violently crashing into it. This could easily be the point in Tears of the Kingdom where the calamity returns in full force, and it could coincide with the return of the Blood Moon as a gameplay mechanic.
The Blood Moon would work as an effective omen of doom because of how eerie it is. In Breath of the Wild, it already represented the unending reign of Ganon's minions in The Legend of Zelda. Even in its sole appearance in Age of Calamity, it resurrected Ganon's elite monsters just as the heroes finished slaying them. With the way the Blood Moon's appearance in the Tears of the Kingdom trailer was paired with destruction running rampant across Hyrule, its meaning for the game seems to have already been laid out. Tears of the Kingdom's version of the Blood Moon could be even scarier than in games past.
The Blood Moon can act as an effective symbol of impending doom in Tears of the Kingdom if used properly. If it makes its debut at just the right moment in Tears of the Kingdom's still-unknown story, the effects that it brings will have the maximum impact. In The Legend of Zelda, the Blood Moon should be a legitimately scary sight, rather than a notification that the player will have more monsters to collect equipment and parts from soon. By tying its appearance to the story, Tears of the Kingdom's Blood Moon can foreshadow the rise of another calamity preparing to strike Hyrule.