In The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildLink is told of the ancient defeat of Calamity Ganon at the hands of a vast army of Guardians, four Divine Beasts, a mighty princess with the blood of the Goddess, and her hero of time, chosen by the Master Sword.
The identity of the hero who fought alongside the princess and the forces of Hyrule Kingdom some 10,000 years ago has been a subject of much debate over the past six years, leading some to theorize that it was Ganondorf himself – the adversary by The legefrom Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom — who defeated and sealed Calamity Ganon for a big heel turn. But a big completion event in Tears of the Kingdom gives players a better idea of who that hero actually was, even if the reveal leaves a lot of questions unanswered.
[Ed. note: Spoilers for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom follow.]
Players can earn a new piece of equipment called the Aspect of the ancient hero after completing 100% of Tears of the Kingdom‘s sanctuaries. There are more than 150 shrines in it Tears of the Kingdom, and completing them all – let alone finding them all – is a major hurdle. But the reward is cool. The player can get it from the Temple of Time after completing the side mission “The Shrine Explorer”.
According to the Ancient Hero’s Aspect in-game description, “This item is said to contain the spirit of a hero who once saved Hyrule. The aura of that hero will envelop the wearer.” Here’s what that looks like:
Image: Nintendo EPD/Nintendo via Polygon
As you can see, the Ancient Hero’s Aspect aura doesn’t just give Link another armful of Zonai tech, it completely covers him in it and completely transforms him into a different species. The Ancient Hero is adorned in the Zonai aesthetic that players see in constructions everywhere Tears of the Kingdom and wears the long, fiery red hair depicted in the Calamity Ganon tapestry that Impa Link shows in Breath of the Wild. However, the name of that ancient hero is unknown – and certainly ripe for exploration in future Zelda content.
The Ancient Hero appears to be a Zonai, based on shared physical aspects with Rauru, a Zonai and co-founder of the Kingdom of Hyrule. Rauru plays a major role in this Tears of the Kingdom‘s story, both through flashbacks and as a guide throughout the tutorial. Hopefully, we’ll learn more about this mysterious new hero and his ties to Hyrule’s lore in the years to come.