The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s best fan theories… so far

Nintendo finally provided fans with the long-awaited name for the next mainline Zelda game on Tuesday: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. It will launch on the Nintendo Switch on May 12, 2023.

Nintendo first teased the game all the way back in 2019, where a trailer showed off what could be a very parched Ganondorf. In the summer of 2021, we took a closer look at the game, which showed us Link’s new powers and luscious locks. Tuesday’s most recent trailer was largely cinematic and showed off a lot of old carvings. Now fans are putting the pieces of both together to develop theories about the new game.

It’s just fun to speculate and take apart the trailer for possible connections to previous Legend of Zelda games. That’s why we’ve decided to compile some of the biggest and most thought-provoking fan theories we’ve found to date. Again, none of this is confirmed news, but it’s a great way to see what fans are getting excited about. As we get closer to release, we’ll continue to update this list with all the cool stuff we see as more information comes out and fans formulate new ideas.

There is a connection to the Zonai of Breath of the Wild

In The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, we encounter scattered ruins of an extinct group of humans who once occupied the land of Hyrule. They’re called the Zonai, but we don’t know much about them other than they created some of the landmarks in the game, such as the dragon carvings and some of the ancient architecture.

All the theories regarding the Zonai became a lot more plausible after a gameplay showcase Nintendo showed on March 28th. That’s because one of the main theories, that the new game would have a connection to the Zonai, was confirmed. In the game’s footage, we see Link pick up an item called ‘Zonai Charge’. Prior to this footage, players speculated that the Zonai would return as the logo and dragons in the new box art closely resembled some of the Zonai carvings in Breath of the Wild.

Now it seems plausible that the Zonai are somehow connected to the floating islands, and it is quite possible that the ruins on those islands are of Zonai origin.

The Korok forest has burned down

Since the March 28 demo, some fans have been speculating that the Korok Forest burned down or was otherwise destroyed. However, support for this theory is not as robust. Most people have pointed out a blurry shot during Link’s Heavenward sword-like skydive, supposedly pointing to the forest’s previous location Breath of the Wild. It’s not a clear shot though, so we can’t say for sure.

It’s still not entirely ruled out that this could have happened, as mainland Hyrule seems to be in turmoil in the upcoming game. It is quite possible that the Great Deku Tree and the forest surrounding it have suffered a terrible fate.

All of Zelda is a giant time loop

Some have theorized that online Tears of the Kingdom is part of a time loop in the larger Zelda timeline. The best support for this theory comes from the game’s logo, which features an ouroboros prominently. The ouroboros looks like a snake eating its own tail and is a symbol of infinity. There is more to it, such as possible connections to Heavenward sword so check below for the full knowledge dive.

There will be a huge underground area

In an in-depth analysis that takes into account all the trailers Nintendo has released Tears of the Kingdomprevious games and localization practices, YouTuber Monster Maze points to evidence showing there may be some kind of underworld in them Tears of the Kingdom. In the video, the YouTuber not only argues that a special demon world may exist in the game, but that the concept of a demon world has long been central to several Zelda games.

We will have to repair the Master Sword

We don’t know the details, but this theory is highly likely as we now know that the Master Sword is broken and/or in a state of disrepair. Nintendo shared an image of Link’s infamous sword with the point completely gone and the edges eroded. It’s in a pitiful state, so fans assume we’ll have to restore its power somehow.

The goddess Hylia will play a role in the game

Some theorize that the goddess Hylia will play a role in the upcoming game. Hylia is a divine being who later takes on a mortal form through Zelda. In one of the trailers, Zelda asks someone for their power, and some fans theorize that she is making that request to the goddess. Some also theorize that a number of the cave carvings shown so far depict the goddess, further suggesting her involvement in the next game.

There is a connection to the Zonai of Breath of the Wild

In The Legend of Zelda: The Breath of the Wild, we encounter scattered ruins of an extinct group of humans who once occupied the land of Hyrule. They’re called the Zonai, but we don’t know much about them other than they created some of the Hylian landmarks seen in the game, such as the dragon carvings and some of the ancient architecture.

Fans have pointed out that the logo and dragons in the new box art look a lot like some of the Zonai carvings, insinuating we’ll learn more about them and what happened to the group in the upcoming game.

We play as Ganon Breath of the Wild 2?

Probably the most common unconfirmed theory is that we won’t play Breath of the Wild 2 as Link. Instead, we play the game first in a series like Ganondorf. The bold theory is said to represent one of the biggest anomalies in Zelda franchise history, but the idea has garnered a lot of attention from a ton of fans.

The core of the theory is that the “Link” we see in the trailer isn’t actually a Link, and is actually the shriveled Ganon we see at the beginning of the trailer. The idea is especially supported by the visual similarities between Ganon and the character in the trailer, who, like Ganon, wears a one-shouldered tunic. We also never see this character’s face.

In addition to those visual similarities, there is also a piece of lore in it Breath of the Wild that support this theory. In a tapestry, we see a hero saving the land from disaster 10,000 years before the events of BOTW. The hero who saves the world resembles the zombie Ganon in the dark and the new “Link”. Again, this has led some people to think there is some kind of connection.

Those are the broadest strokes of the theory, but if you want to go in depth you can check out this video from Kinda Funny Games that lays out the theory in full.

Can we play as Zelda in Breath of the Wild 2?

At the beginning of the trailer, we see Princess Zelda fall backwards into a dark pit. While this seems like a sign that we won’t be playing as her, some fans speculate otherwise.

Again, this theory hinges on the fact that we don’t know with 100 percent certainty that we’re playing as Link because we don’t see his face. However, from the design of the character – they’re wearing a tunic that covers half their chest – we can assume that the character we’re seeing isn’t Zelda. Why? Because she’s probably not flying through the skies of Hyrule with a tidy one.

However, some people still hope that we can play as her and that at some point in the game we can choose who falls into the deep, dark pit.

Are we going back to Skyloft?

One of the most obvious connections between the Breath of the Wild sequel and this trailer is The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Link’s opening cutscene from the trailer is pretty much the same exact scene where Link falls in through the clouds Heavenward sword. Plus, the trailer shows off floating islands, just like in Heavenward sword. The description under the official Nintendo YouTube account literally says “Return to Hyrule – and the sky above”, which is a pretty obvious connection to the floating island of Skyloft.

The cinematic parallels and the fact that Nintendo announced that The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword This is getting an HD remaster for the Nintendo Switch when other Zelda games haven’t has led some people to speculate that Link could return to Skyloft in the latest game.

Tears of the Kingdom And Heavenward sword share an ancient relic

Amber Relics are a resource that can be found all over the Surface Heavenward sword. In-game, the description of the item tells us we don’t know where the strange shape comes from, but in the latest trailer we see an item with the same shape surrounding a deity-like figure in a carving, so a further hint at some kind of connection between the two games.

Is Breath of the Wild 2 connected to The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess?

People have also pointed to visual connections between The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and the new trailer. For starters, there’s a shared color scheme between the portals twilight princess and the shots with Link’s arms in the trailer. People also have pointed out that Midna’s designwho accompanies Link in Twilight Princess resembles that of the new stone monster we see in the trailer.

Does Link travel time in the Breath of the Wild follow-up?

In the trailer, Link appears to be using some sort of time travel power to push a spiked ball up a hill. In addition, there are links between Link’s new design and the hero depicted in the tapestry depicting the disaster 10,000 years earlier BOTWhave led some people think that there could be some kind of time travel.

Oh, and a possible Easter egg in the Breath of the Wild 2 trailer…

Like everything else on this list, this tidbit has not been confirmed as intentional or meaningful. However, one fan believes that the music in the latest trailer is a backwards version of the song played during the original Breath of the Wild movie about the tapestry with the prophecy.

Needless to say, there’s still so much we don’t know about the Breath of the Wild follow-up. As we get more information, we’ll continue to collect the biggest theories we come across.

Update (September 13): This article has been updated with additional information and theories based on the trailer revealed during the Nintendo Direct on September 13.

Update (February 23): This article has been updated with additional information and theories based on the trailer revealed on February 8 during the Nintendo Direct.

Update (March 29): This article has been updated with additional information and theories based on the trailer revealed on March 28 during the Nintendo Direct.