Summary

  • Tears of the Kingdom has an interesting parallel to Breath of the Wild that's gone unnoticed by some players for over a year.
  • Four chasms on the Great Plateau line up directly with where Ancient Shrines used to be.
  • The four chasms are even connected a quest that offers the same reward as four shrines.

Over a year after TOTK being a direct sequel to BOTW, the parallels between the two are practically uncountable, especially with a vast portion of the former's map being a one-to-one port of the latter's Hyrule. One such translation involving the Great Plateau was seemingly hiding in plain sight, going unnoticed by many fans for more than a year.

Reddit Elite4501 pointed out that the Great Plateau in Tears of the Kingdom has four chasms leading to the Depths, each of which lines up the locations of Ancient Shrines in Breath of the Wild. Various comments echo the sentiment about never realizing the connection, and note that this is almost a unique trait in TOTK's game world, at least regarding BOTW's Ancient Shrines specifically.

s Mr_Noh and BackgroundNPC1213 point out in the comments that TOTK chasms lining up with where Ancient Shrines were in BOTW is somewhat rare. Aside from the four on the Great Plateau, the Tingel Island Chasm, Hyrule Castle Moat West Chasm, Lake Hylia Chasm, and the chasms in each of TOTK's labyrinths opened underneath where Ancient Shrines once stood.

Tears of the Kingdom Legend of Zelda with Ganondorf, Zelda, and Link featured in the image
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TOTK's Great Plateau Chasms Are Tied Directly To A Side Quest

The Reward Is The Equivalent Of Four Shrines

A Bargainer Statue in the Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

Despite the Great Plateau shrines being replaced by chasms (and BOTW's Ancient Shrines being usurped by Heart Container or Stamina Vessel, the equivalent of completing four shrines.

It's interesting that these four chasms are directly connected to shrines from BOTW, but ultimately unsurprising given the importance of the Great Plateau Ancient Shrines. The Great Plateau served as BOTW's tutorial area, and these four shrines gave Link the Sheikah Slate abilities that players utilize throughout the game. There's actually very little to do on the Great Plateau in TOTK, with "A Call from the Depths" being the most prominent activity, making the chasms a subtle callback.

It's a testament to the world design in Tears of the Kingdom that what should be an obvious parallel to its predecessor has gone unnoticed by some die-hard fans for so long. The parallels between the Surface and the Depths were noted rather quickly upon release, but these chasms being repurposed has flown comparatively under the radar. With the chasms offering the same reward as four shrines, they're virtually the only shrines to remain intact between Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.

Source: Elite4501/Reddit

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The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Adventure
10/10
10.0/10
Released
May 12, 2023
ESRB
Rated E for Everyone 10+ for Fantasy Violence and Mild Suggestive Themes
Developer(s)
Nintendo
Publisher(s)
Nintendo
Engine
Havok
Cross-Platform Play
N/A
Cross Save
N/A

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the anticipated follow-up to Breath of the Wild, released in 2017. A rare occurrence in Zelda titles, Tears of the Kingdom is a direct sequel instead of loosely connected. In Tears of the Kingdom, Link will take to the skies and learn about a mysterious kingdom in the clouds.

Platform(s)
Nintendo Switch