The final trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom finally gave us a proper look at the King of Evil: Ganondorf.
The three-minute look at the Breath of the Wild sequel was packed with new enemies, bosses, returning characters, and hints at some of the changes Hyrule has undergone in the time since the original.
Ganondorf, the Gerudo King of Evil, Returns
After teasing the character for years, Link's nemesis Ganondorf finally shows up in this trailer. We first see him early on in the trailer, staring directly into a blood moon. Then, later on in the trailer, a new rendition of Ganondorf's theme kicks in, and we see the iconic villain from the front. Nintendo of America also posted official art of the mighty Demon King.
“Do not look away. You witness a king’s revival…and the birth of his new world.”
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) April 13, 2023
The mighty Demon King, Ganondorf, returns in The Legend of #Zelda: #TearsOfTheKingdom. pic.twitter.com/JuBCVQ1Wjk
The trailer also revealed a mysterious new character with dark skin and long white hair. We don't know who this is yet, but their facial expression was very sinister. They very closely resemble the character seen in the wall painting from the very first Tears of the Kingdom trailer.
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
Nintendo also teased Zelda's role in Tears of the Kingdom, but is still leaving most of it a mystery. We see Hyrule's princess speaking with an unnamed character who appears to be Zonai in origin. Zelda is sporting her new haircut as well as some new jewelery. She is also seen holding a Magatama-like object that could be one of the "Tears" the title of the game refers to. The final shot of the trailer shows Zelda herself holding the Master Sword, with the princess telling Link he has to find her.
It also seems like we can expect more traditional Zelda bosses in Tears of the Kingdom. One shot shows Link fighting a massive spider-like enemy that evokes memories of Ocarina of Time's Gohma. We also get a better look at Gleeok, the returning boss from the original The Legend of Zelda. The modern champions were also confirmed to return, with appearances from the Zora's Sidon and the Gerudo's Riju in this trailer.
Some classic, very important Zelda characters could be showing up in Tears of the Kingdom. One shot shows a character that bears a lot of resemblance to Din, the fabled Goddess of Power in Hyrule's origin.
Rebuilding Hyrule in Tears of the Kingdom
The final trailer began in the sky, keeping in line with much of Tears of the Kingdom's marketing so far. We saw some establishing shots of the Sky Islands before seeing Link skydive onto the land of Hyrule below. Very quickly, we see Link running through Hateno Village, a returning location from Breath of the Wild that was previously host to the Ancient Tech Lab.
Interestingly, the trailer then cuts to a shot of the fountain just outside of Hyrule Castle. There's a settlement of new tents here, indicating that the rebuild effort mentioned at the end of Breath of the Wild is in full swing.
It also seems like Hyrule citizens are going to take matters into their own hands in Tears of the Kingdom. There are multiple shots of villagers taking arms against waves of Moblins, and scenes showing returning characters like Sidon fighting alongside Link. There's also a Rito character seen gliding alongside Link, and at one point Link is towing a cart of people on horseback.
Next, we see some sort of structure rising from the sand in the Gerudo area of the map. It's still too early to call for sure, but this could be the classic dungeon many Zelda fans have been hoping for.
While the prerelease marketing has been heavily focused on the sky, this trailer took things underground. There are multiple gameplay sequences where it looks like Link is below the surface of Hyrule, including a minecart sequence where he's seen fighting a Construct.
Other quick teases shown include a sailboat that's flying in the air, a flying squirrel-looking outfit that appears to improve Link's gliding ability, a large Construct emerging from a wall, Link riding a small rocketship into the air, and more. This trailer was absolutely packed with small details I'm sure we'll be dissecting over the next month.
The last time we saw Tears of the Kingdom, Nintendo pulled back the curtain on some of the sequel's new gameplay mechanics. Series producer Eiji Aonuma showed off four of Link's new abilities: Recall, Ascend, Ultrahand, and Fuse, which instantly had the internet talking. For a deeper dive on last month's gameplay, check out ten things we noticed in the Tears of the Kingdom gameplay demonstration.
We're officially less than a month away from the next mainline Zelda game. Tears of the Kingdom will be released on May 12, 2023, alongside a ton of Zelda-themed products. In addition to the game, Nintendo is releasing a special edition Switch OLED, Collector's Edition, pro controller, case, and amiibo.
Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN covering video game and entertainment news. He has over seven years of experience in the gaming industry with bylines at IGN, Nintendo Wire, Switch Player Magazine, and Lifewire. Find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.