Summary
After having been with players since the Nintendo Switch’s launch in 2017, the saga that started withThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildmay finally be over. With a spin-off inHyrule Warriors: Age of CalamityandThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomas a sequel, the current iteration ofZeldaseems to have run its course. Nintendo has stated that although open-worldZeldais still the franchise’s current direction,Tears of the Kingdomshows the extent of the ideas Nintendo had for this particularZeldaworld.
There’s no telling where the franchise will go next, as it’s been unusual for a singleZeldasetting to last as long as this one has. With what may be over ten cumulative years of development, it’s not surprising that Nintendo would like to move on to a different Hyrule, whether it’s a classic top-down adventure or amodern-dayLegend of Zelda. However,Breath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom’s story doesn’t have to be over yet, so Nintendo shouldn’t cross out the possibility of making these games into a true trilogy someday.
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There’s Precedent For Zelda Games With Multiple Sequels
TheZeldafranchise is no stranger to having several games serve as explicit sequels and even use the same Link. Consulting the Hyrule Historia reveals the most notable example to beOcarina of Timeproceeding intoMajora’s Mask, followed by the sameLink’s shade appearing inTwilight Princess. Each timeline branch has multiple games leading into each other, so even withBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdomapparently taking place far in the future, there’s still room for their own era to build up a solid line of games.
Comparing theBreath of the Wildfamily to the established timeline reveals they form a brief timeline chart all on their own, with all the space for more installments that entails.Breath of the Wildcovers a time periodafter a vague but long Era of Myth, and parts ofTears of the Kingdomjump into or before said Era to establish how its Hyrule was founded. Meanwhile,Age of Calamityrepresents a major timeline split beforeBreath of the Wild. There’s ample unexplored history in and around all the entries inBreath of the Wild’s setting, and they aren’t short on plot hooks to explore.
How A Tears of the Kingdom Sequel Could Work
One of the best reasons to giveBreath of the Wildanother sequel is how many details are still left to tug on. How the Master Sword was forged in this timeline is now suspect thanks toTotK’s time traveling despite the apparentpresence ofSkyward Sword’s Fi, as is the whereabouts of the Zonai tribe apart from Rauru and Mineru. There have also been several references to the Goddess Hylia and the Triforce, but it’s once again unclear ifSkyward Sword’s explanations for them still apply. Add all that to Calamity Ganon’s multiple apparent revivals and there’s plenty more to do with this Hyrule.
Alternatively, an urbanLegend of Zeldacould take place afterTears of the Kingdom. BesidesSpirit Tracks,Tears of the Kingdomhas the highest level of public technology in the franchise, potentially leading to the rise of a more modern civilization within a couple of generations. That would excuse the Guardians returning as guards and service machines, as well as explain the use of anew Ultrahand equivalent in a futureZeldagame. Throw in more secrets or dungeons in the Depths or the skies, and aZeldatitle set afterBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdomcould feel just as fresh as a wholly new entry.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomis available now for the Nintendo Switch.
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