As The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom looks to outdo its predecessor, Breath of the Wild, there's one enemy from Zelda history that could fill an important niche missing from the first game. Being a rare direct sequel in the Zelda franchise, as well as the series' second attempt at an expansive open world, Tears of the Kingdom will have players returning to the desolate Hyrule of Breath of the Wild - and while information on the sequel has been scant so far, TOTK does look to be making some significant changes.
Tears of the Kingdom has a tall task ahead of it - needing to expand on the already massive world of its predecessor, change things up enough to make exploration still surprising for returning players, and even avoid repeating mistakes from past games like Skyward Sword. Luckily, there's one area in particular where Tears of the Kingdom can handily outdo Breath of the Wild - by expanding on the first game's limited roster of enemies. And with plenty of new additions on the way, Tears of the Kingdom could be the perfect time for the series to reintroduce one iconic enemy in particular.
TOTK Should Bring Back An Old Zelda Enemy
Tears of the Kingdom can expand on Breath of Wild's mini-boss roster with the addition of one Zelda enemy in particular - the Darknut. Appearing prominently in Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, Darknuts typically take the form of armored knights wielding a sword and shield, making them somewhat of a mirror to Link's own equipment. Among the possible returning Zelda creatures in Tears of the Kingdom, Darknuts could make for an imposing addition to the game's mini-bosses like Lynels and Moldugas, and fill a niche that was left empty by Breath of the Wild's enemy roster.
Darknuts Would Complete TOTK's Mini-Boss Roster
In adding Darknuts as a mini-boss, Tears of the Kingdom could fulfill the niche of a "duel" fight - a tough encounter against an enemy on roughly equal footing with the player, testing player's skills with a game's combat systems. It's a type of fight that BOTW's many enemies and bosses ultimately don't offer (although Lynels and Yiga Blademasters come close), but, as proven by the Darknuts in Twilight Princess, one that can be incredibly satisfying to overcome in a Zelda game. Along with other Zelda bosses Tears of the Kingdom could include, Darknuts could provide some needed variety to BOTW's enemies.
Of course, Darknuts as an enemy type would need some changing to fit with BOTW-style mechanics, and perhaps variants wielding spears or large weapons to match Link's potential arsenal, but they would round out the roster of mini-bosses if included in TOTK. Along with the other additions being made in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, enemies on more equal footing with Link would provide some more unique encounters.
Source: Nintendo of America/YouTube