Nintendo finally shared the trailer Zelda fans have been waiting for: An extended look at Tears of the Kingdom that rivals Breath of the Wild's legendary release date trailer. This was our final glimpse of the highly-anticipated sequel before its launch next month, and Nintendo didn't hold back. From the confirmation of Ganondorf's return to some exciting lore implications for longtime Zelda fans to hints at new gameplay mechanics, there are a ton of secrets hidden in the four-minute trailer.
Here are 20 things we noticed from the best Tears of the Kingdom trailer so far.
Guess Who's Back, Back Again: The Demon King Ganondorf
Ganondorf is officially returning in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. If you've been following the other trailers, it's seemed clear that Link's longtime nemesis would take center stage in the Breath of the Wild sequel, but we now have confirmation. The trailer included an awesome new rendition of Ganondorf's theme music, as well as a closer look at the King of Evil himself. Can we please get an amiibo, Nintendo?
This marks Ganondorf's first appearance in a mainline Zelda game since 2006's Twilight Princess. Calamity Ganon was the central villain of Breath of the Wild, but he didn't appear in his human form. We also heard a voiceover line from Ganondorf, which said, "Do not look away. You witness a king's revival, and the birth of his new world." It appears that Ganondorf is not the only villain at play in Tears of the Kingdom, though.
Is This the Zonai Leader, or Someone Else?
Last month's gameplay presentation confirmed the presence of the Zonai: An ancient, unseen tribe in Breath of the Wild that appears to play a huge role in Tears of the Kingdom. At the 1:42 mark of today's trailer, you can spot a brand new character with a very sinister look on their face. The character has gold horns, dark skin, and long, pointy white hair.
Looking back at the first Tears of the Kingdom trailer for a revelation and all I can say is:
— Brendan Graeber (@Ragga_Fragga) April 13, 2023
WHOMST? pic.twitter.com/YsMAMNJFPb
We don't know this character's allegiances yet, but it's very possible they could be a member of the Zonai tribe. IGN's Brendan Graeber noticed that this figure closely resembles the character seen on the wall hieroglyphics from Tears of the Kingdom's first official trailer. The wall art clearly depicts this character as someone in power, and they're surrounded by seven magatama-like objects, which could lie at the center of Tears of the Kingdom's title.
Are These the Tears of the Kingdom?
We may finally have an answer to what exactly Tears of the Kingdom's title is referring to. Throughout the trailer, multiple characters are seen holding magatamas that are most likely the game's titular Tears. There's a close-up shot of Zelda holding one, and eagle-eyed viewers can catch the Zora Prince Sidon wearing one on his hand. Ganondorf's even got one on his forehead. Will Link have to track down the seven Tears of the Kingdom during the events of the game? Do these belong to the Zonai? How did Zelda come into possession of a tear? There are still far more questions than answers at this point.
The Zelda series is no stranger to MacGuffins. Over the years, we've collected medallions, mirror shards, Fused Shadows, and — yes — tears. In Skyward Sword Link must collect Sacred Tears, and in Twilight Princess he has to hunt down Tears of Light. It's yet another connection Tears of the Kingdom shares with these two 3D Zelda titles.
Zelda's Whereabouts Revealed
Speaking of Zelda, we see Hyrule's princess for the first time following her long fall into a deep chasm in an earlier trailer. She's now wearing new earrings and accessories that resemble Zonai iconography. Seriously, this tribe is just all over this game.
Zelda is seen talking to an unnamed figure about Link. We don't get to see the face of this character, only the Zonai-looking robes they're wearing. The voice mentions that Link is their last line of defense, and Zelda appears surprised to learn that the person she's speaking to knows who Link is. The trailer ends with Zelda saying, "Link, you must find me," while holding the Master Sword.
The Restored Master Sword, and a Potential Link to the Past
An earlier clip of Tears of the Kingdom showed a broken version of Link's iconic Master Sword. The game's logo even includes the shattered blade. So how is it that Zelda is holding a completely unharmed version of the weapon at the end of the trailer?
We don't have the answers yet, but I'm going to theorize that time travel is at play.
In Breath of the Wild, Impa shares a legend with Link from the first Great Calamity 10,000 years ago. We see an image of a hero with the Master Sword fighting Ganon, and a Princess or Goddess beside him sealing the beast away.
In Tears of the Kingdom, Link's tattered green tunic looks very similar to the hero's clothes from this legend. This has had fans theorizing for years that Tears of the Kingdom could take place in two significantly different times: Present day following the events of Breath of the Wild, and 10,000 years ago.
Today's trailer lends even more credit to this theory because of the Master Sword. What if present day Link's Master Sword is destroyed by Ganondorf, and Link has to travel back in time to before the sword was broken to recover it? When Zelda says Link must find her, what if that's because she's in a completely different time than he is? Knowing the Zonai are an ancient tribe, it seems inevitable that time shenanigans will play a part in Tears of the Kingdom's story. Or who knows, maybe this will all be proven wrong a month from now.
Is That Din, the Goddess of Power?
I've got just one more lore-heavy theory for you before we get into some of the gameplay specifics of the trailer. But given that today is easily the most story information Nintendo has shared about Tears of the Kingdom, it's only fair you let me go off the Zelda deep end a little bit.
We see another unknown character for just a split second in the trailer. She's got orange hair, pointy Hylian ears, and she's using light magic that resembles Zelda's magic from Breath of the Wild.