Tears Of The Kingdom: Who Fans Really Think That New Female Character Is
The final trailer for "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom" was packed with exciting reveals, including a ton of returning characters and hints about the Master Sword's whereabouts. But among all the recognizable elements, the trailer also introduced more than a few mysteries for players to ponder. One of the more prominent debates that has popped up since the trailer dropped revolves around the identity of a female figure glimpsed for just a moment.
The elven character has long blonde hair and appears to be conjuring up some powerful magic. She has piercing green eyes and a glowing necklace that almost matches the color of the light orb forming in her open hand, not to mention some heavy duty-looking earrings. She clearly means business — but who is she?
Fans already have a number of theories surrounding the character's identity, ranging from never-before-seen bits of "Zelda" history to callbacks to previous games.
Midna returns
Given the new game's darker tone, some fans believe this could be the installment that brings back the Twili people in a huge way. The Twili were introduced in "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess," where they are depicted as a peaceful tribe hailing from the Twilight Realm. That game also saw Midna, the Twilight Realm's titular princess, teaming up with Link to save her people from the sorcerer who is corrupting them. Though she appears as an impish figure for much of the game, Midna's glamorous true form is eventually revealed — and some fans think she may have gotten another makeover.
One of the theories states that Midna has somehow found her way to Link's dimension once again. It's unclear why her design would change so much (if this is really Midna), but perhaps further travel between dimensions has given her a more human appearance?
Whatever the case, fans are still listening closely to trailer audio for clues. When the last full trailer dropped earlier this year, gamers took its scrambled audio as a sign that Midna would be returning to the franchise, particularly due to the fact that she speaks in a similar garbled fashion in "Twilight Princess." The new trailer also has fans listening carefully, with some pointing out that Midna's signature theme music can be heard at various points.
i might be crazy but.. midna's leitmotif shows up twice in the trailer but is never completed👀 pic.twitter.com/3y7UNH6Trn
— Jamie ▴ (@linkkling) April 13, 2023
Hylia reborn?
Some gamers think that the mysterious woman could be an avatar of the Goddess Hylia, one of the most prominent figures in "The Legend of Zelda" mythology. The Hylian royal family traces their lineage back to Hylia, who was born in a mortal form as the first Zelda in "Skyward Sword." Could the goddess be making another appearance in "Tears of the Kingdom," though?
I wouldn't be surprised if Hylia had taken over Zelda's body the same way Gannon is the incarnation of King Demise.
Maybe this game is finally showing the aspects of the true tri force that weren't shown in the first game.
— Jinx Sharp (@JinxSharp) April 13, 2023
Potentially. Some fans speculated that the goddess might be using Zelda's body, essentially possessing her for a specific purpose. Ganondorf, Zelda, and Link are all constants in the "Zelda" mythology, reincarnated repeatedly to save the world over (or destroy it) over and over again.
Yes, and this is Hylia. We are going to meet the original Triforce with the Zonai guy as the original Chosen Hero, and their reincarnations, Link, Zelda and Ganondorf, I'm so excited. pic.twitter.com/09XBc8CNJ9
— Manuel. (@Trrzs) April 13, 2023
One fan presumed that Hylia could make an appearance alongside King Demise and the original Chosen Hero, bringing the three original elements of the Triforce together and marrying the past and present of "Zelda" lore. If this is true, fans might get more insight into the true power of the Triforce and its role within the long history of Hyrule. Whether the mysterious woman is a past incarnation of Zelda (closer to her original goddess form), or else Hylia possessing her, it's clear that the figure is brimming with divine power.
Alternate Zelda theories abound
The next strand of theories might as well be subtitled "Into the Zelda-Verse."
As mentioned previously, several theories surround this unidentified character being some alternate form of the princess we all know and love. One of the more prominent theories is that this is a version of Zelda that grew up in the Twilight Realm, despite the fact that she doesn't quite resemble many of the Twili as we've seen them in the past.
Others believe that "Tears of the Kingdom" will delve even deeper into the split timelines of "The Legend of Zelda" canon, incorporating multiple reincarnations of the character from throughout history. Some fans think this Zelda could be the version previously seen in "Wind Waker," while others believe this is an unseen incarnation of Zelda who belonged to the mysterious Zonai tribe. It's still unclear how much time "Tears of the Kingdom" may cover, but it would certainly be an ambitious twist to introduce Zelda's ancestors from thousands of years ago.
One final theory suggests that Princess Zelda has somehow awakened ancient Zonai powers within herself, triggering a transformation into the character we see in the trailer. The main evidence supporting this theory is the fact that both Zelda and this mysterious character have the same taste in accessories. Fans will no doubt continue combing the final trailer for clues until "Tears of the Kingdom" arrives on May 12.
"i know why i am here. it's something only i can do" what if zelda is talking about awakening a sort of hidden zonai power she has within her and transforming? because it kinda looks like it could be zelda in zonai form? look at the earrings, necklace, dress, headpiece, etc. idk pic.twitter.com/kxQlmlluQR
— lily ▴ (@lilkorok) April 13, 2023