The ball and chain is one of the most interesting weapons that Link has been able to wield in the past, and it's a shame that it didn't resurface in another adventure after Twilight Princess . It did see relevance again as one of Link's alternate weapons in Hyrule Warriors , where it granted him an impressive moveset. Connecting Tears of the Kingdom to Twilight Princess could open a lot of possibilities, with the ball and chain as a weapon being one of the b

Ocarina of Time is often considered to be the definitive Zelda game as it introduced much of the series’ most important lore while simultaneously splitting its timeline. Ocarina ’s use of time travel via the Ocarina of Time, the Master Sword, and the Door of Time opened the path to the Sacred Realm, allowing Ganondorf to enter and claim the Triforce. Depending on the outcome of Link’s final battle against Demon King Ganon, the timeline splits into three distinct branches, any of which could be relevant again in TO

Link's list of items only gets longer with every game, and that leaves a lot of good candidates for returning items in every installment. There is a lot that can be gained from revitalizing a few classic items for a new title, especially since Breath of the Wild already did a good job of changing the status quo. Hopefully, _Tears of the Kingdom _ can provide players with Link's best arsenal

While it’s unclear which Temple of Time Ruins walkthroughthese timeline branches BOTW and TOTK belong to, the events of Ocarina are the key to understanding the entirety of Zelda’s overarching lore. It also seems that TOTK will draw heavily on the plot, themes, and mechanics introduced in Ocarina of Time as the latest trailer revealed an owl-like figure surrounded by seven spirals reminiscent of Ocarina’s Seven Sages. BOTW had connections to Ocarina of Time as well, leaving plenty of opportunities for Nintendo to expand upon them in its sequel. Regardless, Ocarina of Time is among the most important titles in the Zelda franchise, making it well worth the replay before TOTK ’s rele

The most obvious recurring location in Tears of the Kingdom is Hyrule Castle itself. Hyrule Castle has been prominently featured in trailers for the sequel, floating above Hyrule Field. In many Zelda games including Breath of the Wild , a corrupted Hyrule Castle has served as the final dungeon. This floating fortress of Malice looks set to be Tears of the Kingdom ’s own final dungeon, with Link and Zelda perhaps storming the castle after breaking a seal similar to Ocarina of Time . It remains to be seen, however, if Hyrule Castle Town has been rebuilt since the events of the previous game, now living in the floating castle’s sha

Despite TOTK ’s ambiguous position on The Legend of Zelda timeline, it seems that the game may connect directly to Twilight Princess , as many fans have already begun to speculate. Not only are the Heroes of Sky, Time, and Twilight directly referenced by Princess Zelda in BOTW , but several notable details in TOTK ’s trailers seem to reference the Twilight Realm as well. Fans were quick to spot the snake and ouroboros imagery in the most recent trailer (seen below), which is strikingly similar to the ornamentation in the throne room of the Palace of Twilight where Link encountered Zant the Usurper in Twilight Princ

Ocarina of Time was a flagship game for the Nintendo 64, and it was a game Nintendo purposely utilized to test how far the console could be pushed. While Ocarina of Time's scrapped portal system couldn't work in the Zelda franchise in the late '90s — the portal work was completed around '96 or '97 per Giles Goddard, a developer who worked on a concept demo for Ocarina of Time - it might be able to now. The Switch can handle much more complicated coding and larger game sizes. The original Nintendo Switch handled Breath of the Wild , the franchise's biggest game, with ease, and now there are even newer Switch models with better specs and capabilities. With each new console, cooler features like these scrapped portals become increasingly possi

Another item from Twilight Princess , the Spinner occupied a niche that very few other items in the Zelda series have taken on. The Spinner was an item that Link could ride. Such a role has otherwise been occupied almost solely by Epona, Link's trusted horse companion. Although it has only gotten one real appearance thus far, the Spinner's unique qualities could make it a useful tool in Link's next advent

If the Zonai tribe returns in TOTK , it’s possible that the many timeline mysteries raised by Twilight Princess’ plot may finally be resolved. This ancient tribe may even be connected to the Interloper War that threw Hyrule into a state of chaos in the years following Hyrule’s establishment sometime after Skyward Sword , which could have resulted in their imprisonment in the Twilight Realm. While any potential connections between the Zonai and Twili have yet to be confirmed, it would explain both the vanishing of the Zonai and the mysterious origins of the Twili in an ancient era closer to Hyrule’s founding. In any case, it seems likely that Twilight Princess’ plot and lore will be relevant again in Tears of the Kingdom , making it a must-play for fans hoping to catch up on **The Legend of Zelda ** l