Summary
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomtook every element fromBreath of the Wildto the next level. The game world substantially grew in size, and the number of settlements, NPCs, and mechanics were all taken up a notch. Many of the characters fromBreath of the Wildwere given new roles to suit the growth and development of the world. Even characters with minor roles inBreath of the Wildreceived more prominent ones inThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. One of the most substantial cases of this is the young Rito Tulin, whose new role inTears of the Kingdomlays out a blueprint for future characters in the series.
Tulin was first introduced inBreath of the Wildas a minor character that Link interacts with in Rito Village. When first introduced, he was little more than a young fledging following the lead of his father, Teba. Throughout the events ofBreath of the Wild, the groundwork is laid for a character who will return to fulfill a much larger role.TOTKopens up several years after Link is first introduced to Tulin, and as such he has grown to become a formidable archer and young warrior. As the game progresses, Link takes on a sort of mentorship role to Tulin that could serve as inspiration for future games in the series.
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Why Link Should Take On A Mentor Role in A Future Zelda Game
Though theZeldafranchise has featured many characters younger than their respective Links, it is rare that Link is seen taking on a substantial mentor role. Most Links throughout the series have been young, either children or teenagers, so there have not been too many opportunities for an even younger character to learn from him. In fact, it is more often that Link himself has a mentor than the other way around.Tulin inTears of the Kingdomis one of the closest examples of a character whom Link takes under his wing.
It would be interesting for a futureZeldagame to feature a character that follows Link around for much longer and learns from him throughout the journey. As Link is a shining example of bravery and heroism, it would be impactful to see a young, misguided, or uncertain character grow throughout the story from Link’s influence. This could perhaps be done by showingan older, experienced Link. Seeing Link train or guide a younger warrior throughout an adventure would only grow Link as a character.
Tears of the Kingdomlaid the groundwork for futureZeldagames to expand upon this idea. SinceTOTKinnovated a “party” system that allows Link to adventure with allies, there is more potential than ever foraZeldastory to center around multiple characters. Each of the Sages inTOTKhas an in-depth plot line and can follow Link into battle in a spirit form. It could be interesting to see a futureZeldagame with an expanded party system with multiple companions following Link throughout the game instead of just spirit forms.
AZeldagame with a party system could have Link serve as a mentor to a younger character throughout the game’s journey. Or maybe there could be an element to the game similar to when the Hero of Time fromOcarina of Timebecame the mentor for Link inTwilight Princess. Astime travel inTheLegend of Zeldahas been a staple for decades, it could be possible for an older Link to mentor a younger one. Whatever route Nintendo ends up taking, the story of Tulin inTOTKhas definitely opened up possibilities for the future.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
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The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the sequel to the beloved open-world adventure, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This installment once again sees Link and Zelda battling to protect Hyrule from falling to Ganondorf. This new adventure takes place in the same land of Hyrule as Breath of the Wild but sees something called the Upheaval, which allows link to travel to Sky Islands, as well as deep into the Depths beneath Hyrule. Players can use special abilities to fuse together weapons, and build items to help them progress through the release.
