The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's trailer shown at a recent Nintendo Direct revealed seven tears surrounding an owl figure that looks familiar to those who've played past Zelda games before Breath of the Wild. Seven is a number that consistently pops up in the Zelda franchise, usually connected to important figures like the Maidens in A Link to the Past, who were sealed away in dungeons. If the trailer is anything to go by, choosing to show seven symbols could be Nintendo trying to hint at dungeons once again playing a significant role in the new Zelda. If this is true, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom could bring back one of Breath of the Wild's frequently requested features.
The Legend of Zelda's best dungeons are remembered as the pinnacle of a staple feature in the series. The intricate and hard-to-reach interior locations work as great transitions from the overworld map. When Link first enters a dungeon, tension rises as the music shifts to fit a dark atmosphere that entices players to go deeper. Each dungeon typically contains unique puzzles and enemies before culminating in a challenging boss fight. The dungeons of past Zelda games are key components to the formula, and their removal from Breath of the Wild was disappointing. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a great game, but replacing dungeons with BOTW's four Divine Beasts and spreading puzzles into little challenges across the map was a polarizing decision. Littering the elements of dungeons across a game world is not a bad direction to take, yet it left fans craving that fully-featured dungeon experience.
The title reveal trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom chose to show seven tears to possibly hint at dungeons making a return to the series. It could simply be a reference to the seven heroines mentioned in Breath of the Wild, which were the subject of an Ancient Shrine quest, or some unknown mechanic yet to be revealed. Although the trailer teases tears as a new Zelda gameplay feature, it's both in the title and linked to several other important elements of the game. If the land of Hylia is ripped apart with pieces of the land floating in the sky, maybe players will need to collect tears to restore the broken world. The barriers blocking player progress in various Zelda titles always need important items to be broken. In A Link to the Past, players had to collect three medals to attain the Master Sword, then dive into seven separate dungeons to find Maidens trapped in crystals, with the seventh Maiden being Princess Zelda.
Tears In TOTK Could Hint At Traditional Dungeons Returning
Tears in The Legend of Zelda: TOTK confirms a BOTW 2 theory directly connecting tears to the hollow figure in the reveal trailer. The reveal shows Zelda and Link traveling deep underground, another potential hint at dungeons, since natural subterranean caverns were only visited in Breath of the Wild's Hyrule Castle. The two explorers come across a thin, seemingly mummified person oozing the same red substance shown in later trailers who could be Ganon. Something happens to awaken the possible Ganon, shown by the person's very dry eyes opening before Hyrule castle starts rising in the distance.
The relief in the title reveal trailer also hints at some dark fate connected with this red energy. The trailer starts by showing several looks at a relief, including the owl surrounded by seven tears, which depicts red darkness spreading over Breath of the Wild's Hyrule and corrupting everything it touches. It resembles the same red energy oozing from the mummified figure that seems to be causing masses of land to float. Unfortunately, players will have to wait to confirm dungeons are returning when The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom actually launches in 2023.