Nintendo continues to holdThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomclose to its chest, revealing little of its storyin the few trailers that have been released. But that hasn’t stopped fans from speculating what may happen to Link and Zelda and the potential return of certain characters, weapons, and skills fromThe Legend Of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
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As a direct sequel,Tears of the Kingdomtakes place on the same map players have become familiar with. While it has expanded upward (and maybe downward), familiar sights still grace the Kingdom of Hyrule, meaning that many of the side quests and overall lore ofBreath of the Wildwill likely exist withinTears of the Kingdom. And hopefully, a select few of those will be revisited in the next installment of the franchise.
6The Towns Of Hyrule
In the secondTears of the Kingdomtrailer, Hatenko Village can briefly be seen. It looks slightly different, with a swirling green light where the Myahm Agana shrine used to be, and there seems to be something sparkly floating in the air. The town was already a bustling place, but it could have changed significantly since the events of Calamity Ganon. And thanks to the new malevolent force that Link and Zelda are up against, it could be in danger.
All of the othertowns and settlements of Hyrulehave yet to be shown in the trailers. Still, it will be fascinating to see how Goron City is doing, as Death Mountain is now spewing malice. This could link back toThe Legend of Zelda, as the final boss battle occurs between Link and Ganon within the volcano. InA Link To The Past, Death Mountain is the location of Ganon’s Castle in the Dark World.
5Allies From The Hyrulean Tribes
As Link makes his way across the vast land of Hyrule to free the Divine Beasts, he meetsthe descendants/relations of the Championsthat piloted them. These include Yunobo of the Goron, Riju of the Gerudo, Teba of the Riot, and Sidon of the Zora. They made a clear impression on the player on each quest relating to the Divine Beasts, and it would be a shame not to see them again in some capacity.
Seeing as they’ll probably be wondering how the Divine Beasts were used and who Zelda is, they would probably jump at the chance to help Link in his quest to rid Hyrule of Ganon’s influence. Particularly now, seeing as the Champion’s spirits are finally at rest followingthe defeat of Calamity GanoninBreath of the Wild.
4Korok Forest Spirits
Collecting the 900 Korok seedsinBreath of the Wildhas become a rite of passage. But, as arduous as that task may be – especially if players have left it as the last thing to do – there’s no denying how cute it is to see those little woodland creatures get excited by Link solving their puzzles.
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There have been no hints in the trailers so far that the Korok forest spirits will return, but it’s more than likely they will return in some way seeing asTears of the Kingdomtakes place not long after the events ofBreath of the Wild.
3The Divine Beasts
InBreath of the Wild, saving Zelda and defeating Calamity Ganon is the aim of the game. This can be done whenever in the playthrough, with some even succeeding in beating the final boss right after leaving the Shrine of Resurrection. But by playing the game as intended,the four Divine Beasts(Vah Ruta, Vah Naboris, Vah Medoh, and Vah Rudania) spread among the four tribes play a vital role in the lore ofBreath of the Wild, including the Champions who were chosen to pilot them.
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The Divine Beasts aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, having been made over 100,000 years before the Great Calamity with ancient Sheikah technology. But what happened to these massive machines inTears of the Kingdomand other old technologies like the shrines and towers is unclear.
2Impa, Purah & Robbie’s Potential Return
Impa, Purah, and Robbie are all from the Sheikah tribe and are of great importance to Link and Zelda. Players were treated to seeing younger versions of the trio inHyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, which takes place 100 years beforeBreath of the Wildand during the build-up to the Great Calamity.
Assuming they are still alive following the time sinceBreath of the Wild, Impa, Purah, and Robbie could once again aid Link and Zelda in harnessing Sheikah technology. Nintendo has seeminglyhinted at this in artwork forTears of the Kingdom, tweeting an image of Zelda holding a slimmer-looking Sheikah slate. Whether that has anything to do with them remains to be seen. Still, there’s a chance the trio could utilize Purah’s anti-aging and age-boosting runes to transport them back in time to their ages inHyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity.
1The Yiga Clan
While not a major enemy to Link (rather one of many),the Yiga Clan has an interesting backstory. As exiled members of the Sheikah Clan, they swore allegiance to Calamity Ganon and did their bidding – which included going after Link. Its leader, Master Kohga, is defeated by Link during a quest to retrieve the Gerudo’s Thunder Helm, so players will not likely see him again.
However, there are still members of the Yiga out in Hyrule, and it would be interesting to see if they return inTears of the Kingdom. They’ll likely be helping the evil force that plagues Hyrule this time, but they could have become more robust with a new leader.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomwill be released on June 26, 2025 on Nintendo Switch.
