The reveal ofHyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonmenthas shown that the franchise has not left behind the world ofTears of the Kingdomjust yet, and could still provide answers to some lingering mysteries from the title.TOTKwas an impressive game in many ways, but some corners of its lore remain unexplained. The newHyrule Warriorsgame could finally resolve these issues, which would finally giveTears of the Kingdom(and, to a lesser extent,Breath of the Wildas well) a more cohesive background.
There are plenty ofunresolved mysteries inTOTK, something which made the lack of DLC for the game (and then no immediate sequel in favor ofEchoes of Wisdom)hit all the harder. For a long time, it seemed that these strange details were likely to go permanently unexplained, which was a disappointing realization for many, myself included. Now, however, the confirmation of thisnewHyrule Warriorsgame for Switch 2means that there is still an opportunity to get proper reasons for the more unusual details found inTOTK.
Age Of Imprisonment Could Be Full Of Important Zelda Lore
Its Premise Means It Should Give Valuable Context To Tears Of The Kingdom
Thetimeline placement ofAge of Imprisonmentmeans thatit is perfectly situated to expand onTOTK’s loreby focusing on Zelda’s time in the early years of Hyrule (or at leastTOTK’s version of the kingdom) with King Rauru and Queen Sonia. For example, despiteTOTKrevolving heavily around the Zonai, very little is still known about them. Notably, no explanation is given for the race’s clear decline, and the circumstances that led Rauru and Mineru to be the last of their kind.
After Learning About BOTW’s Original Story, I’m Relieved We Never Got That Zelda Game
Breath of the Wild’s early development included a wild concept for the game’s story, and I’m glad Nintendo decided to take a different direction.
Likewise, the deaths of Rauru and Sonia left no clear successor to the throne of Hyrule, despite the fact that the Royal Family must have continued on in order forTOTK’s Zelda to eventually be born.A game set in this time period will undoubtedly allow for a more detailed examination of the lives of its native characters, which could easily include the introduction of Rauru and Sonia’s child. This single addition would fill in a significant plot hole fromTOTK, but there is still plenty more thatAge of Imprisonmentcould explain.
TOTK Left Mysteries Surrounding The Master Sword And Ancient Hero
The Game Left Some Very Strange Details Unexplained
Arguablythe most intriguing mysteries ofTOTKare those that involve the Master Sword and the Ancient Hero. After its restoration,the Master Sword inTOTKcan be used like any other weapon in the game, including having various items Fused to it. Instead of said material appearing attached to the sword, however, its blade glows with Zonai runes. However, whether this writing is a result of the Fusion itself, or instead points to some deeper connection between the Zonai and the Master Sword’s origins is left unclear.
Similarly, the Ancient Hero’s Aspect is unquestionably the strangest armor set in the game, simply as a result of its appearance. Equipping it gives Link a radically different appearance, indicating thatthe Ancient Hero described as fighting Calamity Ganon 10,000 years beforeBOTWwas not Hylian. If anything, he appears to have been part Zonai, as indicated by the shared clothing style, although there are clear differences to Rauru and Mineru’s own appearances.
One Zelda: TOTK Armor Set Is Still The Game’s Biggest Mystery
Amongst the many pieces of armor available to find in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, one poses the game’s biggest mystery of all.
I sincerely hope thatAoIwill provide satisfactory solutions to these mysteries, or at the very least provide enough clues that I can better understand how this part of the franchise is intended to fit together. Although I can appreciate the logic of information simply being lost to time, it can still be frustrating for such blatant oddities to go without any further explanation. Set so far back in Hyrule’s past, this new game could even address other theories, like the possibility of there being anolder Hyrule beforeTOTK’s own kingdom, providing what would be some much-appreciated closure.
The Imprisoning War Was Barely Explained In TOTK
Age Of Imprisonment Will Reveal Much More Than TOTK’s Dragon’s Tears Could
Of course, it is also worth noting that the Imprisoning War itself was only given a brief overview inTears of the Kingdom’s Memories. Notably, the game did not even provide names for the four Ancient Sages, although they are shown wearing masks clearly fashioned afterBOTW’s four Divine Beasts.It is most likely that this will be corrected inAge of Imprisonment, a natural inclusion given they will presumably feature significantly in the game’s plot, perhaps alongside the game exploring the ancient cultures of Hyrule’s various races.
The Ancient Sages may simply prove to be the namesakes of the Divine Beasts, although this would be notable in itself given that the enormous mechanical animals were already named after older characters in the franchise.
AlthoughAoIis not guaranteed to resolve these mysteries, it is undoubtedly in the best possible position to do so. Considering that the Zonai are expressly extinct, it is unlikely that there will be a third game to feature them, at least not in the near future. Outside the possibility of a future game visiting the Zonai civilization at its peak, this may be the lastZeldagame to include the Zonai, makingHyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonmentthe only game that could explain the mysteries that are so obviously entwined with them, and I strongly hope it does so.
