One of the most highly-anticipated games of 2023 isThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the follow-up to Nintendo’s critically-acclaimedBreath of the Wild. When the original game was released in 2017 alongside the Nintendo Switch, fans of the franchise were delighted by the fresh take on theZeldaformula, allowing for open-world exploration.
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Suffice it to say, expectations are high forTears of the Kingdom, which is set to release on July 03, 2025. Nintendo has kept details about the game’s story close to the chest, even as its release draws near, but that hasn’t stopped fans from closely observing the already-released trailers for potential clues, such as the following theories about the game’s direction.
8Tears Of The Kingdom Will Introduce The Zonai
Hardcore fans ofBreath of the Wildare already familiar with the Zonai, an extinct tribe that isalluded to in ruins found throughout the 2017 game.They’re heavily discussed inCreating a Champion, a book released in 2018 commemorating Zelda’s 30th anniversary which delves into the lore behind the Hyrule depicted inBreath of the Wild.
Some eagle-eyed fans have caught references to the mysterious Zonai in some trailers forTears of the Kingdom.In one cinematic, symbols that resemble the Zonai crest appear on a wall behind Link. Perhaps the game will give players more context on what happened to the Zonai, perhaps even getting to see them in action.
7Zelda Will Be Playable
One theory that is making fans excited forTears of the Kingdomis the speculation that Princess Zelda will be playable. In the first trailer revealed in 2019, fans noticed that Zelda was holding a torch in the sequences as opposed to Link. However, the more damning evidence came just after the game’s most recent trailer during a February 2023 Direct.
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In the game’s footage and promotional material, fans noticed that Zelda is in possession of her own Sheikah Slate,the Sheikah technology Link uses in the game. This could potentially be tied to Link’s new arm that seems to allow him to use the same abilities given to him by the Sheikah Slate. Hopefully, this will be the firstZeldagame where the princess is playable.
6Skyloft Will Return
One of the more prominent teases in trailers forTears of the Kingdomis the return of a land in the skies reminiscent ofSkyward Sword. It’s unclear if this sky world is the same as Skyloft, the land where Link and Zelda hail from in the Nintendo Wii game. However, some fans have speculated thatTears of the Kingdomcould serve as a prequel to the title.
The plot ofSkyward Swordrevolves around how the Hylians became refugees from their home world after the takeover of Demise, the predecessor to Ganon. This could also lend credence toNintendo’s decision to re-releaseSkyward Swordon Nintendo Switch, given the two game’s correlation in the story.
5The Twilight Realm Will Return
Twilight Princessis one of the most favoredZeldatitles by fans of the franchise, particularly for its inclusion of the Twilight Realm, a society of creatures called Twili that exist in darkness and slowly invade Hyrule in the game. Some trailers forTears of the Kingdomhave alluded to the return of the Twili, particularly their villainous leader Zant.
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Some fans have noticed the seemingly deceased corpse of Ganon in trailers forTears of the Kingdom, meaning there’s potentially a villainous character set on reviving him. This could be Zant, especially given their worshipper-worshipped relationship in the Nintendo Wii title.The imagery of the Twilight Realmhas also appeared in some trailers, too!
4The Master Sword Is Corrupted
One of the biggest pieces of promotional images forTears of the Kingdomshowcases theMaster Swordbroken and covered in some mysterious degraded evil. This could potentially set up for Link’s mission to recover its power throughout the game, which would be a great way to not let players start the game off withthe strongest sword Link can possess.
The Master Sword’s corruption may also factor into whatever happens to Link to result in his new, technologically-advanced arm. Perhaps Link—and as a result, the Master Sword—was corrupted by some strange evil force (probably Ganondorf). The question remains how Link will recover the power in his signature weapon, and what new powers he’ll unlock as well.
3Hylia May Play An Important Role
Hylia debuted inSkyward Sword, revealed to be the goddess who serves as the ancestor to every incarnation of Princess Zelda.This was a retcon ofOcarina of Time, which had established that Hyrule was created by the goddess Din, Farore, and Nayru. However, Hylia could potentially return inTears of the Kingdomaccording to some fan theories.
Given thatTears of the Kingdomalready appears to have connections toSkyward Sword, Hylia’s role could be significant in the game inherently. However, some fans also noticed a temple inscription in one of the trailers which bears resemblance to statues of the goddess in the Nintendo Wii title, potentially alluding to the goddess playing a role in the game’s story.
2Princess Zelda Dies
Breath of the Wildwas a significant entry in theZeldafranchisefor having a much more mature story for the franchise. Some of the trailers have indicated thatTears of the Kingdommay be even darker. In one sequence, Zelda appears to be falling as Link tries to catch her, which may be a scene that occurs near the beginning of the game.
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Zelda’s death would definitely also make the game’s subtitle make a lot of sense. Some fans believe the title’s importance was inadvertently spoiled when the trailer announcing it was altered for the U.K. since it aired shortly after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. It would be tragic to see Zelda perish in the game, especially for longtime fans of the character.
1The Zelda Timeline Is A Time Loop
The timeline of theZeldafranchise was widely debated for many years prior toBreath of the Wild, finally confirmed with the release ofSkyward Swordand the bookHyrule Historia. However,Breath of the Wildestablished itself outside the confines of what fans had known to be the Zelda timeline, thoughTears of the Kingdomcould connect the two together.
Particularly, many fans have noticed imagery alluding to the entireZeldatimeline existing in a time loop. Obviously, its allusions toSkyward Swordare obvious, but some fans have also noticed inscriptions of a serpent eating its tail, which is depicted in mythology as a symbol of immortality and the cycle of life and death, a potential theme of the newZeldatitle.
