We have been looking forward to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for around six years now. Ever since we first rolled credits on Breath of the Wild, we have been eagerly anticipating what is to come next, speculating about who Link will be facing, what's the deal with his arm, and what the sequel will do to the Zelda timeline.
This long wait has meant that the anticipation for the follow-up is at an all-time high, but it has also meant that the details of what happened all those years ago are a little hazy — there was something about a giant smoky pig, and then an electric camel spat a laser at him?
Sure, some prepared folk will have (re)played the first game in anticipation of its sequel, but if you find yourself, much like Link, struggling to remember the events of the past then worry not, we've got you covered.
Below, we have provided a recap of the entire story from Breath of the Wild, covering both the pre-plot memories and the content from the game itself, so that you can be all clued-up and ready to dive right into Tears of the Kingdom.
So, grab yourself a glass of Lon Lon Milk, have a Hearty Bass to hand, and let's delve into a spoiler-filled recap of what happened on our last visit to Hyrule...
What Happened In Zelda: Breath Of The Wild?
One of the huge selling points of Breath of the Wild was that you could do whatever you want, in whichever order you wanted. While this was a great mechanic, for sure, it does make creating a cohesive story timeline for the game's events a little difficult.
We will therefore recap what happened in as close to chronological order as we can (if such a thing even exists), starting with the prelude events that take place many, many years before the main game begins...
10,000 Years Ago
Calamity Ganon
10,000 years prior to the events of Breath of the Wild, Calamity Ganon started a war on the entire world in an event known as 'The Great Calamity'.
In an attempt to hold off the evil laying waste to their land, an ancient tribe called the Sheikah built an army of mobile weapons (Guardians) and four huge fortresses known as the Divine Beasts and used them to tackle Ganon head-on.
The attempt was successful and the Sheikah and Hylian armies were able to seal the Calamity away, ushering in an age of peace.
Skip to:
100 Years Ago
The Champions
This peace was maintained until 100 years before Breath of the Wild, when it was prophesied that Calamity Ganon would be resurrected.
Taking this prophecy as a warning, King Rhoam of Hyrule began a search for the site of Ganon's imprisonment, where he uncovered the Divine Beasts. The King assembled a team of Champions to pilot these fortresses and prepare to defend Hyrule should the Calamity return.
Included in this team were Princess Zelda and Link, the former of whom was to learn of her magic abilities which, it was said, would be a definite asset in the fight against Ganon. However, no matter how hard she trained, Zelda could not unlock her power.
That is, until...
Ganon's Resurrection
Yes, just as the Princess was about to give up, Calamity Ganon was resurrected, taking control of both the Guardian army and the Divine Beasts, and killing the four Champions and King Rhoam in the process.
At the final hour, and with Link mortally wounded from the battle, Zelda managed to unlock her magic and temporarily restrict Ganon to the confines of Hyrule Castle, while Link was sent to the Shrine of Resurrection to recover from his injuries.
Fade to black.
"Wake up, Link"
An entire century passes and Link is awoken by a mysterious voice, only to realise that he has lost all of his memories. Discovering a Sheikah Slate (a tablet created by the ancient tribe capable of granting the user a multitude of abilities) at his bedside, Link leaves the Shrine of Resurrection and escapes into a Hyrule that has been plagued by monsters and malice for the last 100 years.
The Great Plateau
In this opening area, The Great Plateau, Link is greeted by a mysterious old man, who teaches him how to use his new-found Sheikah Slate and subsequently grants him a glider.
Having followed the old man's instructions, Link discovers that this mystery figure is in fact the spirit of King Rhoam, who explains that Link is the last remaining Champion and must do everything in his power to assist Princess Zelda who has been holding Ganon at bay for the past century.
To do this, Link will have to rid the four Divine Beasts of Ganon's malice and use their power to save Zelda and put an end to the Calamity for good.
Note. The rest of the game can take place in any order and can involve any number of the following Divine Beast quests. We have presented the events in the order that we first played them, though your experience may have differed depending on where you chose to venture first.
Zora's Domain
Link travels to Zora's Domain in an attempt to free the Divine Beast Vah Ruta.
It is here that he is greeted by Prince Sidon, a Zora, who explains that the Divine Beast threatens to destroy the nearby reservoir and flood all of Hyrule. Link agrees to help and remembers his past relationship with the Zora's Champion, Mipha — a childhood friend who made him a set of special armour for navigating the waters.
Link boards Vah Ruta and sets about reinstating the fortress' control panels before battling (and defeating) Waterblight Ganon, which has been the force behind the Beast's submission for the past 100 years. Doing so frees the spirit of Mipha, who promises to aid Link in his battle against Ganon and aims Vah Ruta's attack blast at Hyrule Castle in preparation.
Death Mountain
Link ventures to Death Mountain, home of the Gorons, where he must take on the Divine Beast Vah Rudania.
Heading into the nearby Goron City, Link discovers that the Divine Beast is behaving erratically and is disturbing the residents' mining operations. Goron boss Bludo explains that he usually calms the Beast by firing himself from a cannon at it, but, having hurt his back, he requires the descendent of the Goron's Champion Daruk, Yunobo, to do it for him.
Having sedated Vah Rudania by firing Yunobo in such a manner, Link boards the fortress and successfully defeats the parasitic Fireblight Ganon, freeing the spirit of Daruk in the process. The Goron Champion also promises to aid Link in his fight and prepares the Divine Beast to attack the castle.
Gerudo Town
Link heads into the desert to Gerudo Town, home of the woman-only tribe of Gerudo warriors and the Divine Beast Vah Naboris.
Before he can get to the malfunctioning fortress which is spewing lightning across the land, Link disguises himself in women's clothing and assists the tribe's leader, Riju, in reclaiming the stolen Thunder Helm from the Yiga Hideout.
The Yiga are a clan of banana-obsessed, ninja-like warriors, who have hidden the Gerudo's Helm away in the desert. Link is able to infiltrate the camp, defeat the group's leader, Master Kohga, and return the Thunder Helm to Riju, granting him access to the region's Divine Beast.
Link reestablishes control over the beast and defeats Thunderblight Ganon to reinstate Gerudo Champion Urbosa's spirit as the fortress' protector. Urbosa tells Link not to feel guilty for the group's previous failure in stopping the resurrection and prepares Vah Naboris' lasers for an attack.
Rito Village
Link heads to Rito Village in western Hyrule to aid the bird-like resident race in their attempts to stop Divine Beast Vah Medoh's aerial assault.
It is here that Link remembers Revali, the Rito Champion whose spirit is trapped in the Divine Beast which hovers in the skies above.
Instructed by the Rito elder, Link successfully aids the courageous warrior Teba's attempt to board Vah Medoh, where he once again goes about removing the malice from the sky-borne fortress. Defeating the corrupting presence of Windblight Ganon, Link frees Revali's spirit and persuades him to support the other Champions in their stand against the Calamity.
The Master Sword
Link makes his way into The Lost Woods to retrieve the Master Sword — placed there by Zelda 100 years earlier to restore its strength.
Proving that he is worthy of wielding its power, Link manages to pull the sword from its stand, reclaiming the legendary blade as its rightful owner.
Fighting Calamity Ganon
With all of the Divine Beasts restored and the Master Sword at his disposal, Link heads to Hyrule Castle, where he has to navigate a labyrinth of corrupted machinery and malice-controlled monsters to make it to the centre and face off against Calamity Ganon.
Before dealing the first blow, the four Champions unleash a powerful blast from their respective Divine Beasts, weakening the Calamity and leaving Link to finish the creature off one final time (which he achieves).
But it doesn't last for long. Before he can free the Princess (who has been holding the Calamity at bay this entire time, it should be noted), the antagonist transforms into Dark Beast Ganon, a huge pig-like creature who begins rampaging across Hyrule Field.
With the help of Zelda's Light Arrows, Link manages to weaken the beast enough for Zelda to permanently (well, maybe not permanently) banish it to another realm.
Hyrule Restored?
The Calamity is defeated. The Princess is freed. Peace is restored. Having achieved all of these, Zelda tells Link that she has been watching over him for the past 100 years and asks if he now truly remembers her.
As the pair walk away from Hyrule Castle, the spirits of the four Champions and that of King Rhoam disappear into the air, content that the adventure is finally over.
Except, it isn't quite done. If you have restored all of Link's memories before reaching this point, there is still one final piece of story to be had which shows Link and Zelda beginning to restore Hyrule to its former glory and beyond. Zelda confesses that she can no longer hear the voice inside the Master Sword, saying that her power must have weakened over the past century's imprisonment.
And that really is the end... for now...
Well, there you have it. You are now armed with all of the necessary story information to head into Tears of the Kingdom as if you have just played through its predecessor.
What is your favourite moment from the BOTW story? Is there anything that you hope to see more of in TOTK? Let us know in the comments.
For more help on your journey across Hyrule, check out our full Tears of the Kingdom walkthrough for more hints, tips, tricks, and maps.
Comments 26
Can they please stop posting about BOTW and TOTK? I know they are coming out soon and literally everyone is excited but half this stuff isn't even news.
So, Ganon returned again. Link wakes up and takes control of 4 mechs and we get to know 4 colorful yet dead friends. We learn Zelda's father was a horrible person. Link storms the castle and reks Ganon, who then unleashes his inner Peppa and turns into a pig. Gets spammed with flashbang arrows, the end.
@Hajilee This is a Nintendo-focused site, and there's a new Zelda game launching on Friday. TOTK is arguably the biggest release on Switch since 2017. We've always posted articles of all types, not just straight news, so OF COURSE we'll be doing so with Zelda.
Each to their own if you're not as enthused as we are, but there's going to be a lot of Zelda over the next, oh, month or two, so buckle up.
@TheBigBlue "I think it’s safe to say that at least one editor is a fan" — It is safe to say that! Just me, though. Nobody else on staff can stand it.
@Hajilee haha I agree but absolutely no way thatll happen, you're not expecting a million articles on may 13th gushing over mechanics, silly finds and the inevitable "What next...? Totk 2?" articles? Buckle up
Link and friends tried to stop Gannon before his rise to power, they failed, all but Zelda died. Link was able to be resuscitated but it took 100 years.
Gannon "destroys" the world. Zelda manages to keep him in stasis for the time being.
Link wakes up, recruits new allies to help him beat Gannon and rescue Zelda.
The Master Sword and every weapon sucks!
They Succeed.
The End
Post credits, something is wrong with one of the Moving Statues. (i forgot what they were called)
To be continued.
I don't remember other games getting a "What happened in the previous game" before the new one in a series comes out.
Well, I for one enjoyed the article
@dartmonkey I am just as excited for TOTK as everyone else. I just think a significant amount of these headlines about the game are worthless.
@CammyUnofficial Yeah lol, this is only the beginning.
Zelda is always the star of the show, but this is the first game where Link is basically superficial, and the existence of the Hero of time is actually the whole reason Gannon isn't instantly defeated.
Link can't save the champions. He can't save Zelda. If she didn't go Super Saiyan Link dies. He need 100 years to recover from that day and it cost him his memories. Meanwhile, Zelda walks back into the castle by herself, defeats Gannon, and then fights him for 100 years like it's nothing.
In the final fight with Gannon, Link does 12.5% of his total damage. The Devine Beasts defeat his 1st form (half his first health bar) themselves, Link follows up by doing 25% of the bar, but then it's the Champions powers that take the next 25%. Link is powerless to fight him at that point.
His second life bar and 3rd form is all Zelda. She makes a bow out of nothing, makes unlimited arrows for it, fights a spiritual battle with Gannon to weaken him, then highlights the weaknesses. She even teleports Link's mount to him. All Link does is fire a few arrows at the spots Zelda tells him to.
What's even worse is that because only the Hero of time can use the Master Sword and he doesn't show up until Zelda is 16, her father forces her to try and find her own power to seal the darkness rather then study Sheikah tech. Had she spend her whole life on that, she surely would have discovered how Gannon was going to corrupt their tech and prevented it. So if the Hero of time wasn't a thing and anyone could wield the Master Sword ... Gannon gets knocked back into the sacred realm before he knows what's happening.
And I think it's perfect. The idea that Link is just some useless idiot who's only leg up in the world is his ability to run headlong into damnation thinking he can win is perfect. The cutscenes he spends on his knees eyes on the ground while Zelda stands up to her father are prefect in communicating how he's the fish out of water.
It allows him to be the "chosen one" while still being relatable. He's not the chosen one the world is waiting on to save them, he's the last piece of the puzzle that always arrives too late.
@ComfyAko And they lived happily eve... wait at least for 6 years.
A very handy trip down memoryless lane.
@Hajilee
I agree that the amount of Zelda content today is a bit much, but considering the game comes out on Friday, there will be a lot of articles on the game for the next week.
BOTW had a story?
@Hajilee Oh come on now. It’s a new Zelda game launching. These articles are building up the hype wonderfully. Less than 24 hours!
First time swimming up a waterfall in Zora's realm. For me personally, that was a special moment where I felt like I was experiencing something completely new.
@HeadPirate Story obsessed much? I played checks switch 230+ hours of Link. The story, which you're obsessing about, takes less than 1% of that. and less than 30% of that 1% is about Zelda. And I was impressed with none of it. But you do you, I guess.
@Spider-Kev
Most games aren’t anywhere as big as TOTK is.
I want a game set during the Hyrule civil war taking place before Ocarina of Time.
Might be better suited to a Warriors game.
In fact it's odd that they haven't done that yet.
So this is cool but what the heck about the Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity timeline? That went all out of whack by messing with the events of BOTW. Guessing that is not canon (or Ganon - I'll show myself out).
Nicely written.
Has there ever been an explanation for why Princess Zelda didn't age during the 100 years that she had been watching over Link?
@Hajilee lol....wll is a Nintendo site, and its about the most important Nintendo game for years.
A pro tip: You can always NOT click on the article you are not interested about... and surelly dont comment on it!
The more people click on the article, and the more comments on it, the more similar articles they are going to publish.
@Zequio My comment definitely is wasting time complaining for no reason. Not sure why I said anything, was pretty much just super bored and kept getting TOTK notifications.
@Picola-Wicola Perfectly valid criticism, I regret saying anything honestly. Super excited for the game!
@Mince Lies?
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