Tears Of The Kingdom: The Most Exciting Details In The Final Trailer
Four years after its initial announcement and nearly a full year after its official title was revealed, "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom" is nearly upon us. Exact details regarding the game's plot have been kept safely under wraps, but fans have recently gotten a good look at some of the title's exciting gameplay changes, including Link's new Fuse ability. The excitement for the game has reached a fever pitch, with fans concocting intricate theories about "Tears of the Kingdom" ahead of its launch date. And now, the final trailer has arrived.
Nintendo rolled out the red Hyrulian carpet for this one, releasing the trailer as part of a special Nintendo Direct livestream on April 13. As expected, the trailer is even more bombastic than previous ads, giving players their best glimpse yet at Link and Zelda's latest adventure. The trailer is also filled to the brim with small details that should be of interest to "Legend of Zelda" fans. Let's break down the coolest ones.
Returning enemies
A return to Hyrule wouldn't be complete without the return of some of Link's worst enemies, would it? And judging by the new trailer, Link's going to have his work cut out for him with multiple returning baddies. The biggest names here are Ganon and Ganondorf, who both make dramatic entrances in the trailer. Ganon appears to have assumed a new and terrifying form, whereas Ganondorf seemingly emerges from Link towards the end of the trailer.
Meanwhile, a few other recognizable enemies pop up here and there. Of course there are multiple appearances from the mechanical Guardians that plagued Link in "Breath of the Wild," one of which oddly seems to be in the process of leveling Hyrule forest near the very beginning of the trailer. We already knew Link would facing these technological menaces from previous previews, but the new trailer also gave us a better look at another exciting enemy return: For the first time since "Phantom Hourglass," Link will have to contend with the multi-headed Gleeok. This is easily the most intimidating version of the dragon we've seen in the series, which fits right in with the darker tone of "Tears of the Kingdom."
Zelda has the Master Sword?
Known as the Master Sword, Sword of Legend, Legendary Sword, or even the Sacred Sword, this unique blade has been a recurring element in many of the games, and it quite clearly will feature in "Tears of the Kingdom." While Link can be seen fighting with the blade itself during the trailers, the final "Tears of the Kingdom" drop paints a slightly different picture.
The trailer is broken up with dialogue between Zelda and a mysterious man, a man who states: "Zelda, we rely on your knight and that Legendary Sword he carries. Our last line of defense will be Link."
This makes sense, as viewers have already seen Link battle with the epic blade. However, the end of the trailer makes the details murky at best. Zelda can be heard, desperately pleading, "Link .. you are our final hope. Link! You must find me."
At this stage, she is clearly holding the Legendary Sword, and it seems intact and undamaged — but only the hilt is shown in full. Seeing as the broken (and repaired) Master Sword is incorporated into the logo of the game, fans are pretty sure it's going to play a large role, and the possibility of hunting down the broken pieces is definitely a theory we can't wait to investigate.
Link's 'infection' is worse than we thought
As mentioned previously, the end of this third and final "Tears of the Kingdom" trailer finally offers fans a proper look at the resurrected Ganondorf. We have known that the series' iconic red-headed villain would return in some way for "Tears of the Kingdom," after what appeared to be a version of his body was seen in previous teasers. Fans also got to listen to widely-loved voice actor Matthew Mercer's take on Ganondorf for the first time, but the new trailer still managed to pack in some shocks. Ganondorf only reveals himself after he appears to take over Link's body.
For a fraction of a second in the original teaser from 2019, viewers can see Link raise his arm upwards, enveloped in a blue aura, then blast red matter toward the ceiling. In this most recent trailers for "Tears of the Kingdom," this red matter appears again as a malign force ensnares Link. In the newest trailer, Link is consumed completely. We see Ganondorf standing where Link once was.
In this trailer, the villain tells Link, "Do not look away, for you witness a King's revival, and the birth of his new world." It's implied that Ganondorf took over the hero's body, though details on this mechanic or story element are still hazy. It's also possible that the trailer has been edited in this way as a misdirect.
Link has returning friends
The journey for Link looks more dire than ever, but — as Zelda says in a voiceover — he's not alone. Plenty of friendly faces appear in the third trailer for "Tears of the Kingdom," including several favorites from "Breath of the Wild." At one point in the trailer, Link stands beside everyday Hylian citizens and warriors alike, stoically looking toward his next challenge and signaling to players that they haven't seen the last of important "Breath of the Wild" characters. Brave fighters from every corner of Hyrule appear in the trailer beside Link, with Gorons, Gerudo, and Zora all making appearances. In fact, it seems Link can even team up with friends to take on enemies.
Two particularly notable figures pop up in the trailer: Riju and Sidon. Riju, the Gerudo ruler with the power of lightning, strikes a powerful pose as lightning crashes down around her, scimitars ready to fight. Additionally, the trailer shows a brief bit of combat where Link fights side by side with Prince Sidon, Mipha's brother. The segment seems to be captured in real-time combat, rather than as part of a cutscene, suggesting that players might be able to join forces with NPCs in certain combat situations. It's not clear if this is a new mechanic for "Tears of the Kingdom," or special circumstances for a specific part of the game. Thankfully, players don't have to wait long to find out.