With the recent release ofThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, video game fans are exploring new and unseen corners of the iconic Nintendo franchise. The series, which began in 1986 on the Nintendo Entertainment System, has been one of Nintendo’s most intricate and lore-filled. However, lots about the world ofZeldaremains a mystery to fans.
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Whether it’s abandoned plotlines across several games, unexplained connections between characters, and confusing timeline queries, theZeldafranchise has befuddled many fans for years. These questions continue to linger in fans' minds, even thoughTears of the Kingdommay not focus on answering any of them.
10The Lineage Of Ritos And Zoras
Notably, the Rito tribe and Zora people both feature prominently inbothThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildand its recent sequel. These aren’t the first games in the franchise to feature the civilizations, as the Zora debuted all the way back inOcarina of Time.On the other hand, the Rito made their first appearance inThe Wind Wakermany years later.
However, their co-existence inBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdomposes a contradiction to the established lore ofThe Wind Waker. As confirmed by developer Eiji Aonuma, the Rito inThe Wind Wakerare far-off descendants of the Zora fromOcarina of Time, which raises the question of how the two species are able to exist separately.
9Breath Of The Wild’s Place In The Timeline
Similarly to the question of Rito and Zora co-existing, the overall timeline of theZeldafranchise is put into question byBreath of the Wild. WithThe Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Nintendo for the first time clarified theZeldatimeline by establishingSkyward Swordasthe earliest entry in the series chronologically.
However, Nintendo has given no clarification on whereBreath of the Wild, norTears of the Kingdom, take place. It’s possible the games exist in their own alternate timeline, but if this was the case, Nintendo could still clarify this for fans. Until then, their connection to the rest of theZeldafranchise remains unknown even to the franchise’s most hardcore fans.
8The Existence Of Termina
Most ofThe Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Masktakes place in the land of Termina, where Link gets sent after being ambushed by the Skull Kid, who is cursed from wearing the titular evil mask. However, what has interested fans since the game’s release in 2000 are the connections between Termina and Hyrule, as many characters appear in both worlds.
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While some have chocked this similarity up to limited resources during the Nintendo 64 era, others have theorized that Termina was a figment of Link’s imagination. This is further supported by Termina ceasing to exist once Link destroys the Majora’s Mask at the end of the game. It’s quite a dark way to go for all the innocent civilians of the alternate world.
7Navi’s Disappearance In Ocarina Of Time
Navi is a significant characterinThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, acting as a guide to Link throughout his journey to save Hyrule from evil. However, in the game’s heartbreaking ending, Link and Navi part ways once Link is returned to his original timeline. Thus, the events ofMajora’s Maskare set off after Link goes on a journey to find Navi.
However, given that Link’s journey inMajora’s Masktakes him to Termina, he never ends up finding Navi, as far as fans know. While manyZeldafans have theorized that Navi returned to the Kokiri Forest where she’s from, it stands to reason that Link would have no trouble finding her if that was the case, which begs the question of where she ended up.
6Link’s Family Origins Are Never Explained
The Legend of Zeldaas a franchise has never shied away from revealing bits and pieces about Link’s relatives.His uncle is a prominent characterin the early scenes of the SNES’sA Link to the Past, while Link’s grandmother is also featured inThe Wind Waker. However, other entries in the series leave Link’s origins, especially that of his parents, untold.
Link’s mother is alluded to inOcarina of Timeas a Hylian who orphaned the boy with the Great Deku Tree during the Hyrulean Civil War. Some fans have speculated that Link and Princess Zelda are connected, though their slightly romantic relationship in entries likeSkyward Swordhave brought into question this theory.
5The Royal Ties Of Tetra’s Crew
A big plot twist inThe Legend of Zelda: The Wind Wakerreveals that Tetra, the pirate companion of Link throughout the game, is actually a disguised Princess Zelda who is being protected from Ganondorf’s evil forces. However, some fans may miss a certain Easter egg regarding what this means for Tetra’s crew, who claim to have supported her mother.
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Particularly,Zeldafans who explore the undersea Hyrule Castle inThe Wind Wakerwill find a portrait of Princess Zelda and her royal servants, who all bear a resemblance to Tetra’s crew. It’s possible that, like Tetra, these crew members are unaware of their true identities, though this has yet to be confirmed by the game’s creators.
4Toilets Throughout Hyrule Are Haunted
A recurring character in many games of the franchisedraws inspiration from Japanese folklore, particularly a ghost story of a hand grabbing toilet users. InMajora’s Mask, the character known as “???” is a decrepit hand creeping out of a toilet asking for paper. When Link completes this request, ??? disappears after giving Link a piece of heart.
A similar character also appearsOracle of Ages, simply known as Hand, who is also in need of paper. Phoeni inSkyward Swordis also a little girl’s ghost trapped in a toilet in the Knight’s Academy. Though these characters have basis in Japanese culture, their recurrence in theZeldafranchise might suggest something more sinister regarding Hyrule’s sewers.
3The Song Of Storms Creates A Paradox
“The Song of Storms” isa music theme which appears in many titles throughout theZeldafranchise. However, its appearance inOcarina of Timeraised a lot of questions for fans of the series. In the game, an adult Link can learn the song through speaking to the Phonogram Man in Kakariko Village, who claims to have learned it from a young boy.
By returning as young Link, Link becomes the boy who teaches him the Song of Storms. This creates a paradox that’s confusedZeldafans for decades regarding the true origins of the Song of Storms. Although the Composer Brothers are revealed to have written it inMajora’s Mask, Termina’s non-existence doesn’t explain its origins in Hyrule.
2Where The Wind Fish Came From
Although many characters and mythological aspects are recurring throughout theZeldafranchise, one unique character is the Wind Fish fromLink’s Awakening. In that game, the Wind Fish is the creator of Koholint Island, a land that only exists in Link’s dreams, but the ending of the game raises even that fact into question.
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AlthoughLink’s Awakeningseems to end with the implication that Link is waking up from a dream of his adventure, he spots the Wind Fish flying in the sky. The Wind Fish doesn’t appear in any otherZeldatitles, nor is it even referenced, aside from appearing in one of Marin’s moves fromHyrule Warriors, so fans will likely never know.
1The Extinction Of The Sheikah
The Sheikah tribe have remained one of the biggest unsolved mysteries of theZeldafranchise for a long time. InOcarina of Time, they’re establisheda long-extinct chosen people of the goddess Hylia, survived only by Impa (and later Zelda through her alter-ego Sheik). However, the tribe plays a major role inBreath of the Wildand its sequel.
In the Nintendo Switch games, the Sheikah are revealed to have been exiled and survive in clusters throughout Hyrule, mainly Kakariko Village. The Yiga Clan are also established to be a group of defected Sheikah who serve Calamity Ganon. The remains of Sheikah technology also imply lots that fans do not know about what the Sheikah were like in their prime.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomis available now for the Nintendo Switch.
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