Summary
The Legend of Zeldaseries has seen great success with itsHyrule Warriorsspin-off series, expertly weaving together the franchise’s iconic characters and locations with Musou-style gameplay. The originalHyrule Warriorswas released on the Wii U in 2014, and was followed by a port to 3DS in 2016, a definitive edition release on the Switch in 2018, and a new entry inHyrule Warriors: Age of Calamityin 2020. Even between all the content present in these releases, there is still more thatHyrule Warriorscould do with theZeldafranchise, especially if the next game follows the formula of the original release.
AfterTears of the Kingdom, some fans are expecting a newHyrule Warriorsgame similar toAge of Calamitythat acts as a prequel toTears of the Kingdomset during the Imprisoning War. While this game is possible, it seems like the franchise is ready to move on from the version of Hyrule present inBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom, meaning anotherHyrule Warriorsgame set in the world is unlikely. If a newHyrule Warriorsgame were to happen, it should return to the original’s concept of being a franchise-wide crossover, drawing in characters from across the series and introducing new original characters as well.
The Next Hyrule Warriors Should Be Another Full-Series Crossover
Aside from its Musou gameplay, the main draw of the original Hyrule Warriors was its crossover between the entireZeldafranchise, allowing players to play as a diverse cast of the series' most iconic characters besides Link.Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Editionincludes a deep roster ranging from iconic characters like Link, Zelda, Tingle, andGanondorf, to more obscure characters like Agatha, Ravio, and Marin. The game even includes some original characters, such as Lana, Cia, and Linkle, giving players a truly unique experience.
While it might be nice for anAge of Calamity-style prequel toTears of the Kingdomto allow players to play as the originalSages alongside King Rauru during the Imprisoning War, a newHyrule Warriorsgame would be better off exploring another crossover storyline like the original. There is still a lot of untapped potential left in the greaterZeldafranchise that aHyrule Warriorsgame of this style could take advantage of in its character and world design. Going the route of a direct sequel to the originalHyrule Warriorswould cast a wider net for the series to include elements that were never touched upon in the previous games.
The Legend of Zelda Series Still Has a Lot of Potential for Hyrule Warriors Explore
Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Editionfeatures characters from across some of the series' most popular games, including deep cuts like Agatha fromTwilight Princessand Marin fromLink’s Awakening, but there are still severalZeldagames not represented that a new game could include. Some of the more obscure characters from the series deserve representation, such as thegraveyard keeper Dampe, or Din and Nayru fromOracle of AgesandOracle of Seasons. A newHyrule Warriorsgame could even go all-out and include a bizarre character like Error fromZelda 2, who could represent the entirety ofZelda 2’s strange gameplay.
This type ofHyrule Warriorsgame also wouldn’t discount the possibility of characters and environments fromBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdombeing added to the game as well. Although aHyrule Warriorsgoing in this direction likely wouldn’t have the version of Hyrule from these games as its main setting likeAge of Calamity, including characters like Kass, King Rauru, Mineru, and Tulin would make a lot of sense and could bridge the gap between these recent mainline games and the franchise’s spin-offs. With how much left there is to feature from theZeldaseries, a crossoverHyrule Warriorslike the original seems like an inevitability.
