When compared to other action-adventure franchises, The Legend of Zelda doesn't exactly have the easiest story to understand. Taking place across three different timelines, The Legend of Zelda universe is a fairly convoluted one that involves a lot of time travel, and multiple incarnations of the same character. Throughout the Zelda franchise, the same names will crop up time and time again, but while some fans might think that these are the same characters, it's often the case that they're actually just another incarnation of the same type of character, given the same role in the universe. It's a little confusing, but The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom does its best job to keep things contained and accessible.

Following on from Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom takes place in its self-contained timeline. That being said, it still holds ties to the wider Zelda universe, with locations, characters, and events connecting it to previous games in the series. One of the central plot lines in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom sees Link try to reunite the power of the Sages to defeat an ominous new threat, and for long-time fans of the Zelda series, that name is going to seem all too familiar.

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Every Incarnation of the Sages in the Zelda Franchise

The Seven Sages gathered in Ocarina of Time

First introduced properly in Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link, the Sages are essentially the protectors of the Sacred Realm, and all magical artifacts connected to it. Though their identities change between each incarnation, the Seven Sages can be seen throughout the Legend of Zelda franchise, often joining forces with Link to put a stop to some kind of evil. In The Adventure of Link, a Sage watches over the Triforce of Courage, only giving it to Link when he has defeated his shadow self.

All Seven Sages make their first on-screen appearance in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. The general premise for Link to the Past sees Link rescuing seven maidens scattered across Hyrule. These seven maidens are direct descendants of the Seven Sages, a group that had sealed Ganon away in the Sacred Realm many years before. A very similar premise is used in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Each of the Seven Sages in Ocarina of Time has their own unique elemental powers and temples, and to unite all seven against Ganondorf, Link must complete each of their trials to awaken them.

Zelda: Ocarina of Time also establishes that most Sages come from different races. Ocarina's Seven Sages include the Hylian Rauru, the Kokiri Saria, the Goron Darunia, the Zora Ruto, the Sheikah Impa, the Gerudo Nabooru, and finally a member of the Hylian royal family, in this case, Zelda herself. At the end of Ocarina of Time, the Seven Sages unite and join forces with Link to defeat Ganondorf and seal him away inside the Sacred Realm. These same incarnations of the Seven Sages appear in stained glass murals in The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, along with the reveal that another group of Sages exists, tasked with protecting the Master Sword. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess features a story similar to Link to the Past and Ocarina, with its own incarnation of Ganondorf being locked away in the Twilight Realm by its own version of the Sages.

The Sages also appear throughout The Legend of Zelda's handheld adventures, often taking fairly different forms. In Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, the Shrine Maidens take on the role of the Sages, protecting the Royal Jewels. Zelda: Spirit Tracks doesn't directly reference the Sages either, but its Lokomo tribe fills that role. In a more somber version of the timeline, Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass only features the graves of the Sages, which show Link the way to escape Brant's Tomb. Zelda: A Link Between Worlds has a more traditional incarnation of the Sages, with the seven having sealed Ganon away long ago only to be trapped in paintings by Yuga and scattered across Lorule.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available now on Switch.

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