The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom must revisit certain locations from its predecessor, Breath of the Wild. For the first time in Zelda history, Nintendo is providing a sequel that takes place in the same version of Hyrule not separated by ages. While many locations have spanned the series’ entries like Death Mountain and The Lost Woods, they have always been completely morphed to suit the specific game’s aesthetic. This time, the locations must distinguish themselves without completely altering Breath of the Wild’s topography.
So far it has been revealed that Link will traverse floating islands, exhibiting better vertical exploration in Tears of the Kingdom, and Ganon’s Malice appears to be spewing forth from beneath the ground. Nintendo has no doubt made many suitable changes to pre-existing locations impacted by these upheavals. Given that Breath of the Wild’s dungeons were located inside the Divine Beasts, it’s even possible that previous areas will now house the dungeons for Tears of the Kingdom. For that reason, it’s worth noting which iconic locations should make a return.
Tears Of The Kingdom Should Revisit Hyrule Castle & BOTW's Villages
The most obvious recurring location in Tears of the Kingdom is Hyrule Castle itself. Hyrule Castle has been prominently featured in trailers for the sequel, floating above Hyrule Field. In many Zelda games including Breath of the Wild, a corrupted Hyrule Castle has served as the final dungeon. This floating fortress of Malice looks set to be Tears of the Kingdom’s own final dungeon, with Link and Zelda perhaps storming the castle after breaking a seal similar to Ocarina of Time. It remains to be seen, however, if Hyrule Castle Town has been rebuilt since the events of the previous game, now living in the floating castle’s shadow.
On the topic of towns, Tears of the Kingdom should allow Link to revisit all the villages featured in Breath of the Wild. That primarily includes the different races’ towns, such as Goron City, Zora’s Domain, Rito Village, Kakariko Village, Gerudo Town, and Korok Forest. This provides a great opportunity to observe how the inhabitants have developed and visit familiar faces such as Prince Sidon and Yunobo. Additionally, these locations may be impacted by the Malice seemingly released by Ganondorf. Zelda's iconic Death Mountain has changed, for example, shown spewing out Malice in the trailers - perhaps this has forced the Gorons to abandon their city.
The final towns that Tears of the Kingdom should revisit are Hateno Village and Tarrey Town. Both of these locations were developed by Link in Breath of the Wild. In Hateno Village, Link purchases his own house and can decorate it. It will be interesting to see if he’s since sold this house or if, possibly, he now lives there with Zelda. Tarrey Town went one step further: Link entirely created Tarrey Town by assisting Bolson with his construction efforts. With so many residents moving in, the town may have outgrown the small spit of land upon which it was built to become a major city.
Tears Of The Kingdom May Explore Buried Locations From BOTW
In the trailers for Tears of the Kingdom, Link and Zelda find Ganondorf sealed away underground. Additionally, chunks of land are launched into the sky by Malice. Both of these concepts suggest that Tears of the Kingdom may allow Link and Zelda to explore below ground, spelunking into long-forgotten caverns and unearthing ancient ruins. Some sparser areas of Breath of the Wild’s map may be populated by these new ruins, like Arbiter’s Grounds in the Gerudo Wasteland. In Breath of the Wild they are barely visible above the sand, but if they rose up they could form a new dungeon recalling Twilight Princess’ own Arbiter’s Grounds.
This unearthing mechanic could also answer some of the mysteries left unsolved in Breath of the Wild, the most obvious being again in the Gerudo Desert, south of Spectacle Rock. Here, there are Seven Heroine statues and a Sheikah Shrine quest. But in the lore of Breath of the Wild, these statues represent the Seven Sages. And, more curiously, an eighth statue can be found on the far side of the wasteland, suggesting that one member was shunned by the others. If this site were unearthed in Tears of the Kingdom, the answers may also surface, exposing the history of this iteration of Hyrule.
The biggest mystery, however, is the true identity of Breath of the Wild's Zonai, an ancient tribe of magic wielders. Structures such as the three labyrinths and the Faron region’s stonework were created by the Zonai, easily identifiable by their Aztec-like designs prominently featuring dragon heads. Crucially, the Tears of the Kingdom logo also features these dragon designs, fueling speculation that more Zonai history will be explored in the game. Perhaps an underground Zonai ruin will form a dungeon, or a sprawling network of tunnels. A fantastic location for a Zonai-inspired dungeon would be beneath Lake Hylia, given its proximity to the Zonai ruins of the Faron region.
Tears Of The Kingdom Stretches Beyond Breath Of The Wild’s Map
One location actually established in Breath of the Wild, yet never seen, is the “land in the sky.” Shamae, a child at Woodland Stable, references this kingdom, and it is implied elsewhere that the dragons Dinraal, Farosh, and Naydra are the kingdom’s protectors. Given the heavy emphasis on the sky in Tears of the Kingdom, and the word “kingdom” in the game’s title, it seems likely that Link and Zelda could visit this sacred location. Perhaps the mountains in Breath of the Wild that are named after kings and goddesses (such as Mount Hylia, Mount Rhoam, and Mount Lanayru) will act as launch points to this kingdom.
While Tears of the Kingdom promises to open up Breath of the Wild’s world once again, many locations have already served their purpose. The locations discussed here expose new angles through which to explore Hyrule’s terrible past in Tears of the Kingdom. Naturally, it’s also exciting to see what new locations are added to the game: Eiji Aonuma and Nintendo (via YouTube) promises Tears of the Kingdom's "expanded world goes beyond" the already shown sky. This rather cryptic message suggests players may go beyond Hyrule’s borders or possibly into other realms, like the Triforce’s Sacred Realm. Tears of the Kingdom promises to not only revisit but expand Breath of the Wild’s extensive map.
Source: Nintendo of America/YouTube
