TheHyrule Warriorsspin-off game has always been an interesting proposition forZeldafans, one that was met with largely positive reception. Like the otherDynasty Warriorsgames, the first game was a simple beat ‘em up that also felt like a greatest hits condensation ofThe Legend of Zeldafranchise into a Musou framework.Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamityis doing something drastically different this time around, instead following inBreath of the Wild’s footsteps with a canon spin-off in the storiedZeldafranchise.Age of Calamityaims to answer many of the questions about what happened 100 years beforeBreath of the Wild, and also apparently ask some new questions as well.
One of the most recent trailers forHyrule Warriors: Age of Calamityshowcased a whole bunch of new features coming to the game this November, but also hinted at a mysterious new villain in the game. Alongside the Moblins and the Yiga Clan challenging Hyrule, there seems to be another hooded Gerudo-looking figure working behind the scenes. The trailer never makes it abundantly clear who this figure is, as their clothing and appearance is just vague enough that it’s hard to tell what part ofZelda’s universe they’re from. It’s clear they’re some kind of important villain forAge of Calamity, perhaps an envoy to Ganon, or something far more sinister.
Potentially An Original Character for Age of Calamity
Much like some of the new Yiga Clan assassins and the younger Impa, it seemsAge of Calamityis introducing a new original character. Except this time, it’s a completely new character to theZeldacanon, not a character who was present inBreath of the Wild’s story at all. Koei Tecmo introduced original characters in the firstHyrule Warriorsgame, but due to the nature of the game’s story, they were by no means officially considered “canon” to the originalLegend of Zeldagames they drew from. However, it was officially confirmed by series producer Eiji Aonuma thatAge of Calamityis a canon prequel toThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
There’s a very real possibility that this mysterious figure is an entirely original character designed for theAge of Calamitystoryline, unrelated to any previousZeldagames or characters. Obviously that’s a huge deal, especially for a canon spin-off in theZeldauniverse, but it’s not unrealistic considering the previousHyrule Warriorsalso had completely new characters. With this game being an official spin-off, it’s clear Koei Tecmo worked very closely with consulting Nintendo producers like Aonuma when designing the character, as this mysterious figurefits in well with theBreath of the Wildworld. The original characters in the firstHyrule Warriorsdidn’t exactly fit well into the officialZeldauniverse in any capacity, but this new character design could be more on par with officialZelda/Breath of the Wildcharacters.
An Existing Character From the Zelda Universe
Alternatively, this mysterious hooded figure inAge of Calamitycould be shrouded for the express purpose of hiding their character reveal. If that’s the case, then it’s very possible this villain could be an existing character in theZeldacanon. Theories vary as towhereBreath of the Wildlands on the overarchingZeldatimeline, so that makes this particular option a bit nebulous compared to just being a wholly original character forAge of Calamity. SinceThe Legend of Zelda’s overarching timeline diverges between games, andBreath of the Wildis an ambiguous endpoint, it’s hard to tell which existing character it could be. Some believeBreath of the Wildfollows the same timeline whereTwilight Princesstakes place, others believe it takes place in the timeline whereWind Wakertakes place.
So if this villain is indeed an existing character in theZeldatimeline, there’s two major paths and six canonZeldatitles where a villain could be sourced from. Vaati could certainly be a viable option if the hooded figure inAge of Calamity’s trailer truly is some kind of mage. Vaati, the main villain fromFour SwordsandThe Minish Cap, is a mage and was the main antagonist of those games, and his character aesthetic (cape/shroud with a jeweled headdress) matches up with the character in the trailer. There’s alsothe very small possibility that this character is indeed Ganon/Ganondorfin a humanoid form. There’s not really much evidence to back this up other than the character looks vaguely like a Gerudo character, but there is the faintest possibility.
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A Clear Relationship with Calamity Ganon, Somehow
Other than determining who the character’s potential identity could be, it’s clear they have to be related to Calamity Ganon in some way. Whether that makes this new character an envoy to Ganon, or potentially even Ganon himself, it’s impossible to say at the moment. However, the “calamity” that occurs100 years before the events ofBreath of the Wildculminates in the summoning of Ganon and his onslaught on the Hyrule Kingdom. That leaves two options: this character has to be some kind of character pivotal to the true summoning of Ganon (someone like a mage), or perhaps this person becomes Calamity Ganon themselves, either through some kind of transmogrification or shapeshifting process.
Speculating from the character’s appearance in the trailer alone, the possibility of this new character being Vaati does seem like a likely outcome. They do appear to be some kind of mage/summoner, with a mysterious magical device imbued with the dark “malice” seen inBreath of the Wild. As mentioned previously, their aesthetic design does resemble a sort-of modernizedBreath of the Wilditeration of the humanoid Vaati fromThe Minish Cap. Comparing Vaati’s official character artwork alongside the character in the trailer does show some uncanny similarities. Fans will likely learn soon enough when the game launches, but it is interesting to see a potentially new character enter as anofficial addition toThe Legend of ZeldacanonandBreath of the Wilduniverse.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamityreleases on June 09, 2025, for Nintendo Switch.
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