Summary
With the success ofBreath of the Wild, it was only natural that a sequel would be added.Tears of the Kingdomwas released worldwide on July 09, 2025 and has surpassed 18 million sales. Not only have theBotW/TotK-verse done well in the real world, butTears of the Kingdomtruly stretches its version of Hyrule to its limits.
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Fans of the series have already been pondering how Nintendo are going to topBotW/TotKin terms of gameplay, story, and characters.Legend of Zeldagames are no strangers to having tons of references from past titles, and this is reflected in bothBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom. Now that both entires have added new lore to the franchise, various callbacks fromBotW/TotKare to be expected in the nextZeldagame.
Major spoilers forBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom.
1The Zonai
The Zonai were referenced inBreath of the Wild, but it wasn’t untilTears of the Kingdomwhere they were given the spotlight. The first king, Rauru, was the founder of Hyrule. While an interesting fact, longtime fans were quick to point out that it contradicts the entirety ofSkyword Sword.
Rauru shares the same name asOcarina of Time’s Sage of Light, and he also possesses the power of Light through the secret stone. However, the similarities end there, and there’s still much that the fandom does not know about the Zonai. Despite the wrench they’ve thrown into the wildly-accepted Zelda Timeline, there’s stillplenty to explore of the Zonaifor the nextZeldainstallment. In fact, the Ancient Hero who assisted in sealing away Calamity Ganon was said to be a Zonai. Imagine aZeldagame where the Link of that title was not Hylian but a Zonai instead.
2The Sages
Sages have always been an important part ofLegend of Zelda, so it wasn’t too surprising to see them make a comeback. LikeOcarina of TimeandWind Waker, the Sages wind up being people that Link has already met on his journey. They don’t restore the power of theMaster Sword(Wind Waker) or help Zelda seal away Ganondorf (Ocarina of Time), but they still come to Link’s aid in the final battle inTears of the Kingdom.
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Since it appears that Sages were brought back to the forefront, it would be nice if the nextLegend of Zeldacontinued this trend or alluded toTotK’s Sages. Yunobo, Sidon, and Riju were met with positive feedback following their debut, and even newcomer Tulin has stepped out of his father’s shadow.Tears of the Kingdomreveals thatSidon in particular is a descendent of RutofromOcarina of Time. Even if the Sages aren’t a recurring element in the nextZelda, theTotKSages could be referenced similarly as Ruto.
3Other Zora Domains
The addition of Yona in theBotW/TotKworld was met with mixed reviews. There are some fans who claim to love her, and others who were less than pleased with her existence. Regardless, Yona’s character profile not only states that she’s Sidon’s fiancee, but that she is a royal from a “different Domain.”
Hyrule is vast, but surely there’s more of the world that exists beyond its borders. While it’s not new for a different Zora Domain to exist, it’s the first time a new Domain was mentioned in the game itself. Unfortunately, this other Domain isnever explored or referenced againbeyond Yona’s character profile, but the idea itself is interesting. Imagine aZeldagame where Link would need to visit not only one Zora Domain, but two. Sticking to Yona’s design, maybe the second Domain exists at the bottom of the ocean instead of the rivers.
4The Divine Beasts
The Divine Beasts were creations by the ancient Sheikah to combat against Ganon in the war 10,000 years ago. They are very important to the story and gameplay ofBreath of the Wild. So it was quite a surprise to see little to no mention of them inTears of the Kingdom.
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While it’s possible the Divine Beasts themselves vanished when the spirits of the Champions passed on, this contradicts the true ending ofBreath of the Wild. Here, Zelda mentions wanting to visit Zora’s Domain as “Vah Ruta has stopped moving.” This would be an interesting hook for a sequel, butTears of the Kingdomnever explores this. With how much significance were placed onthe Divine Beasts and the Calamity, it would be a shame if they weren’t referenced in a future installment. The Sheikah themselves still have much potential inZelda, so it gives an excuse to reference the Divine Beasts once more.
5Gloom
Gloom, or rather Malice, existed inBreath of the Wild, but it wasn’t as sinister as it is inTears of the Kingdom. In the sequel, this red, black muck was given a name: gloom. If Link is unfortunate enough to step in the sludge, he’ll lose hearts permanently. Of course, these can be restored by being on the Surface orstanding under a Lightroot, but gloom can cause a lot of trouble in places like The Depths.
While the gloom itself may not appear again, something similar could exist in the nextZelda. This muck is tied to Ganondorf and Calamity Ganon, so it has a reason to make a comeback and serve as a challenge forLegend of Zeldaplayers. Gloom Spawn were quite the nasty surprise for those just starting theirTears of the Kingdomplaythrough.
6The Yiga Clan
The Yiga Clan made no appearance piror toBreath of the Wild, and yet they seem to tie into the lore of the Sheikah and Hyrule quite well. They are a group that were once Sheikah sworn to the Royal Family of Hyrule. When the Sheikah were exiled by the king of Hyrule, some of them instead turned their backs on the Royal Family and looked to Calamity Ganon. By the time ofBreath of the Wild, the Yiga are led by a man named Kohga.
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Although the Yiga do return inTears of the Kingdom, their role in the plot can easily be skipped if players discover Mineru before confronting Ganondorf at Hyrule Castle. They don’t seem to hold as much of a threat to the people inTotKlike they did inBotW. The Yiga Clan’s existence and backstory still has some potential. Not to mentionMaster Kohga’s fate at the endofTears of the Kingdomimplies he’s likely to make a comeback.
7The Depths
Everyone knew the Sky Islands were going to be inTears of the Kingdom, but The Depths took some players by surprise. This is a separate world that exists below the Surface of Hyrule. As its name implies, The Depths are pitch-black and home to dangerous enemies. The only way to navigate The Depths is by plantingBrightbloom Seed, activating Lightroots, or creating a Zonai device that uses a light.
The Chasms that broke out following The Upheaval were played up to be a significant part ofTears of the Kingdom, and it’s the very chasm below Hyrule Castle that leads to Ganondorf himself.Legend of Zeldahas explored the sky inSkyward Sword, butthere’s yet to be a gamethat explores something like The Depths in… depth.
8Dragons
Farosh, Dinraal, and Naydra were present inBreath of the Wild, but it wasn’t untilTears of the Kingdomwhere the existence of dragons was shown under a whole new light. With the identity of the Light Dragon revealed to Link, many fans started speculating that the three dragons flying around Hyrule were actually Zonai. For clarification, anyone who swallows a secret stone will turn into a dragon (draconification), but they’ll lose all sense of self and have no memory of their past life.
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Aside from Princess Zelda, draconification isn’t really explored in the main story or even side quests. This leaves a wide range of lore that the writers could work with if they choose to pursue it.Despite dragons having more significanceinTotKthan inBotW, the identity and history of Naydra, Farosh, and Dinraal is still up to interpretation. Revisiting the dragons and their history could be a game in itself.
9The Triforce
InBreath of the Wild, Zelda struggled to awaken to her powers that would seal away Calamity Ganon. Before it was revealed that these were entirely separate, a lot of fans thought her power was the Triforce of Wisdom or even the Triforce itself. However, beyond the glowing triangles appearing in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it frame when Zelda seals Calamity Ganon in the final battle, the Triforce gets no mention in name. This extends intoTears of the Kingdom.
It’s highly likely thatZeldais trying toabandon old featuresto make away for something new (i.e, secret stones). However, the Triforce is an iconic symbol to theLegend of Zeldaseries. Having it absent from futureZeldagames will take some time to get used to for certain longtime fans of the series. Although it would be nice to see a comeback for the next installment, it’s possible that the future of theZeldagames will explore artifacts like the secret stones intead.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildandThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomare available for Nintendo Switch.
