Allegedly leaked pages from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's art book may provide a preview of a never-before-seen Zelda character. Many pages from the artbook, which comes with TOTK's Collectors Edition, have already popped up online ahead of the game's May 12, 2023, release date. These concepts and designs have given rise to tons of speculation about potential characters, plot devices, and equipment that might appear in the upcoming sequel to Breath of the Wild.
The Legend of Zelda series is known for its cast of recurring characters: Beedle the merchant, Dampé the gravedigger, Tingle the would-be fairy, to name a few. Of course, the protagonist Link and the titular Princess Zelda themselves appear in almost every series' installment, albeit in different incarnations. TOTK will likely be no exception, especially since it's a direct sequel to Breath of the Wild; a number of BOTW characters may make appearances in TOTK, like minstrel Kass, Prince Sidon, and Chieftain Riju. However, the leaked designs show a number of characters who are totally new to players, and one of them might explain a long-forgotten Zelda origin story.
Leaked TOTK Artbook Designs May Show Princess Zelda's Mother
One of the designs that appears in the pages leaked from TOTK's art book depicts an older woman who bears a striking resemblance to Princess Zelda, and could very well be her mother. This new character has long, thick, pale blonde hair — similar to Zelda's, but perhaps lightened by age. She wears a flowing blue dress adorned with Sheikah patterns and triangular tassels, mirroring Zelda's own blue tunic and Link’s BOTW blue outfit, replacing his iconic green one. The golden tiara on her forehead might suggest her royal status as the queen of Hyrule. The new character is also pictured holding a basket full of apples.
TOTK Could Introduce Zelda's Mother Through Time Travel
Across 37 years and 29 installments of Zelda games, players have still never seen Princess Zelda's mother. Zelda's mother, the queen of Hyrule, is mentioned briefly in BOTW, appearing in diary entries that Link can find. The entries explain that the queen passed away suddenly when Zelda was six years old, and was dearly missed by her husband and daughter. Leaked designs for an alternate version of Link have provoked theories about potential time travel in Tears of the Kingdom, and an appearance by Zelda's mother fits with that theory. If Link and Zelda travel through time in order to heal a broken Hyrule, they may visit a point before the queen’s passing, marking her debut in the Zelda series.
The Legend of Zelda is far from the only video game series to keep its major characters' parents hidden - however, as with Link, this is usually just part of an effort to turn silent protagonists into completely blank slates for players to project onto. Even if Zelda is playable in the upcoming BOTW sequel, there's no reason her mother can't appear. After all, her father, the king of Hyrule, has already appeared in many incarnations throughout the Zelda series. Whether or not this leaked new character design represents the debut of Zelda's mother in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, she'll likely be an interesting addition to the game's cast.
Source: Nintendo of America/YouTube