If replaying an entire Zelda game seems like a daunting task, I recommend reading a book to prepare yourself for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom instead of?
The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia, published by Dark Horse Comics, is the closest thing to an official and comprehensive compendium of Zelda lore fans, and it’s a veritable treasure trove of the creatures and curiosities that make up the land of Hyrule. For me, reading the tome was an enlightening experience that allowed me to refresh my general Zelda knowledge and even take that knowledge up a notch.
Encyclopedias are the original reading choice for modern people who like to sit on a couch and get lost reading Wikipedia entries. Nothing beats the weight of a coffee table book on your lap as you devour details about all the confusing lore details of a fictional world. The Zelda Encyclopedia begins with an extensive explanation and image describing the Zelda timeline. While it’s not necessary, I recommend learning the general gist of that timeline before diving into the rest of the book, as many of the entries refer to it. Otherwise, you can simply choose the sections that interest you.
There are practical reasons to read the book earlier Tears of the Kingdom. Unfortunately, it does not contain extensive information about it Breath of the Wild because that game and the encyclopedia were released around the same time. However, reading this book allowed me to understand the general synopsis of games such as Heavenward swordthat can be connected Tears of the Kingdom, according to some theories. Similarly, I’ve used it to get concrete answers about hard or ambiguous concepts, such as the various dark worlds that exist parallel to Hyrule, or just to learn more about characters I don’t understand very well, such as Demise, the adversary of Heavenward sword. In addition to brushing up on old details from other games, I’ve appreciated the book for how it illuminates a broader history of Hyrule.
Since an archival approach is needed to organize information, rather than a story, The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia allows the reader to delve into certain aspects of the series that may be overlooked when playing the games or reading general narrative explanations of games. For example, the timeline is generally explained via larger events that take place in the world shared by Ganondorf, Zelda, and Link, and their battle for the Triforce. This makes sense since that’s generally what fans need to know. However, in this encyclopedia we get to read more precise histories of Hyrule. The message on Zelda explains where she is and what she is doing in each branch of the timeline as shown in various games. There are even mentions for plenty of other characters, such as the lesser-loved grunt enemies named Blins, who have also been placed in their own timelines.
All this has broadened my view on what is important and why. Zelda games often provide information about lesser-known characters or monsters through patchy conversations or interactions in the world. I like this approach to world building in a game; the histories we see or don’t see usually reflect the values of the world. But a consequence of this is that we can learn more or less about a topic depending on the knowledge of different characters or the relevance of a character to the main plot. Reading the encyclopedia has allowed me to learn more about the characters who exist on the fringes of Hyrule but have played important roles in its history.
Before I picked up the encyclopedia, I never actually thought about this fact, or Blins’ historical origins or cultural practices, despite them appearing in the vast majority of Zelda games. Little details like the fact that they have a communal lifestyle and a tendency to eat extremely rich foods get lost as I play to beat them. Reading the encyclopedia has reminded me that every monster, city, and object has its own history, and I’m excited to take my new knowledge and mindset with me as I explore Tears of the Kingdom world.