#zeldalore

When Tears of the Kingdom was announced, many expected a true continuation of Breath of the Wild — a sequel that would honor its world, tone, and quiet emotional gravity. Instead, what we received was something that looked similar on the surface, yet felt fundamentally different underneath. TOTK didn’t expand BOTW’s foundation; it quietly replaced it.

This post is not about gameplay mechanics or surface-level complaints. It’s about how Tears of the Kingdom systematically erased the thematic core that once defined Breath of the Wild — its humility, its grief, its sense of earned recovery — and replaced it with a narrative of divine perfection and royal worship. The result is a world that feels "rebuilt," yet spiritually hollow.

I want to explore three threads in particular: How Zelda’s portrayal shifts from human fallibility to untouchable sainthood. How Link’s agency and memory are overwritten in service of that image. And how the illusion of “reconstruction” conceals a deeper erasure — both narrative and emotional.

This is not written in anger, but in precision. Anger fades; clarity endures.

🗡️ The Critical Analysis: Why TOTK Rewrote Hyrule’s Meaning

“Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is here.” Zelda is radiant again, the kingdom rebuilt, the legend renewed. Perfect timing to ask: what exactly did we lose along the way?

As I took one last look back at Tears of the Kingdom, I realized I wasn’t just speaking out for the first time — I was summarizing what I’ve been saying for two years. Tears of the Kingdom didn’t just change Hyrule — it rewrote its meaning. What was once a story about loss and endurance became a performance of worship — a PR campaign for perfection.

This essay examines how TOTK systematically erased Link’s agency, romanticized royal failure, and distorted Breath of the Wild’s legacy into something hollow.

[A Critical Look at Princess Zelda’s Portrayal] (A Harsh Take — Avoid if you unconditionally love TOTK Zelda)

I have many frustrations with Tears of the Kingdom — the handling of the final boss, the tedious crafting, the poor treatment of returning characters, narrative contradictions, and weak directing. But I want to focus specifically on how Princess Zelda is depicted.

1. The Glaring Immunity from Responsibility

A princess who had been missing for 100 years returns to Hyrule. People accept her as a given, praising her as “benevolent” and “wise.” Frankly, the deference shown to the Princess alone felt excessive.

Power comes with responsibility. A failure by someone holding the destiny of many is a grievous offense. Historically, leaders who failed in flood control were executed. When a dynasty falls, the execution of innocent royals — though unfair — is the harsh reality of monarchical accountability.

In BOTW, King Rhoam paid the price for failing to suppress the Calamity with his death. Even Link — a mere knight with no political authority — was forced to bear the grief of that loss.

Since the Calamity was 100 years ago, descendants of the victims must be alive. It wouldn’t be unreasonable for someone to ask, “Why didn’t you save us sooner?”

Yet Princess Zelda is universally praised. Her self-sacrificing act preserved life, yes — but the cause of Hyrule’s downfall was still her failure to fulfill her duty. Shouldn’t there have been at least one voice questioning that?

2. Political Abdication for “Charity Work”

The game shows Zelda dedicating herself to reconstruction — yet the content feels like charity work a ruler performs in leisure. She gardens with citizens, teaches recipes, and builds a school in Hateno Village, where she lives as a “teacher.”

I immediately asked: Is the restoration of the Kingdom not a priority?

To truly rebuild, she should be at the capital — directing administration, infrastructure, and law. Instead, she remains in a rural town, outsourcing state matters to Purah and others.

If her diary had shown genuine political thought, my frustration would be less. It doesn’t.

3. Moral Evasion and Link’s Sacrifice

After traveling to the ancient past, why did she not even try to alter the tragedy or protect Link from the inevitable battle? She witnessed Ganondorf’s awakening, saw the Master Sword shatter, and watched Link gravely wounded — yet still chose to become the Dragon, leaving the entire burden of saving Hyrule to him.

Even if she is no longer merely a princess, a leader should minimize danger to her people. Instead, she made herself divine — and left others mortal.

4. The Erasure of Link and the Privatization of Memory

The game is full of elements glorifying Zelda: “Gardener,” “Teacher,” “Self-Sacrificing Dragon” — roles meant to be adored. But the most shocking moment was Hateno Village.

Link’s house — once his only refuge — is now presented as Zelda’s residence. His belongings are gone. Her items fill the space.

Some fans call it “proof they live together.” But would you be happy if your home, memories, and belongings were silently replaced without your consent?

That house symbolized Link’s reclaimed life — his proof of existence. Now it’s gone, overwritten without explanation.

Whose story was this, truly? For players who loved BOTW, this wasn’t renovation. It was spiritual erasure.

5. The Romance That Excuses Everything

The beauty of the emphasized “bond” and “fated love” is undeniable. Yet advocates of Zelda and her romance with Link often claim that the depth and magnitude of their love alone justify and sanctify it.

If that were true, heartbreak would not exist, and soldiers would never fall on the battlefield. The depth of one’s feelings is neither absolution nor salvation.

What’s truly frightening is how, in consuming such a “beautiful story,” the sacrifices and contradictions behind it are quietly erased from view.

6. The Betrayal of BOTW’s Legacy (The Figma)

The BOTW Zelda, though flawed, was human. She struggled, failed, and eventually awakened. She was imperfect — and therefore believable.

The TOTK Zelda, however, feels like propaganda. She inherits the crown, evades accountability, delegates the Demon King’s defeat, and is universally praised — a grotesque state.

Her humanity was replaced by the image of a “perfect heroine,” polished with benevolence and beauty. The entire game feels like an advertisement — a PR campaign for her image.

Even the merchandise reflects this erasure. The long-awaited Figma? Not BOTW Link, but TOTK Link — a smaller, mismatched figure.

The free hero replaced by a bound one. The absence of BOTW Link’s figure is symbolic.

It mirrors the hollow legacy left behind.

It’s not renovation. It’s erasure.

➡️ Next Step: Discussion I welcome an honest and precise discussion on these points. What do you feel was the cost of Tears of the Kingdom’s “perfect” ending? Does the “beauty” of the Link/Zelda bond truly absolve the contradictions — and Link’s loss of agency?

Warning: This post will contain spoilers for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Please refrain from any further reading if you wish to avoid being spoiled on important story topics from this game. 

Hello everyone, today we’ll be discussing the Temple of Time, a sacred location in The Legend of Zelda series. Or, should I say, the Temples of Time, as there are actually several of them throughout the series, with different origin stories. However, there is a common misconception within the Zelda community that the “primary” temple - that is, the temple as seen in entries such as Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess, and the Sealed Temple in Skyward Sword, all exist in the same location, and are simply rebuilt versions of the same temple. This interpretation effectively means that the primary Temple of Time would just be a singular temple that is continuously updated over time as the passing of centuries takes its toll. I will be demonstrating the flaws with this misconception, and the facts showing that there are not one, but actually two separate "primary" temples that exist concurrently.

For brevity, I will be referring to the temple as seen in Ocarina of Time as the ToT(OoT), and the temple as seen in Twilight Princess as the ToT(TP), and I will expand in nomenclature from there.  We receive a very simple origin for the ToT(OoT) in Ocarina of Time, but we are provided further information in Twilight Princess and A Link Between Worlds that paint a clearer picture of the events leading up to its creation. As put bluntly in A Link Between Worlds, bloody battles were waged over the Triforce, which was kept within the kingdom itself.

We see this mentioned in Twilight Princess as well, as described by Lanayru. In Lanayru’s story, we see the Triforce in the distance, before “Link,” a stand-in for a Hylian of that era of Hyrulean history, kills “Ilia.” He then runs towards the Triforce in the distance, as Lanayru describes a cycle of conflicts ensuing over the land of Hyrule. He then describes the ancestors of the Twili, the people who established a mastery over powerful magic and wanted to conquer Hyrule, as they appear on screen, standing in front of the Triforce and represented by Shadow Links. Indeed, this reveals that the conflict in which the ancestors of the Twili were sealed was one of the many conflicts over the Triforce that occurred in this chaotic era.

ハイラル王国にて語リ継がれる伝説 はるかなる昔・・・・・・ハイラルという王国にはトライフォースと呼ばれる聖なる三角形があリました 神から賜ったと言い伝えられてるトライフォースは、触れた者の願いを叶えると信じられておリ・・・・・・ 人々はその力を得ようとして争いが絶えませんでした

The legend passed down in the Kingdom of Hyrule. Long, long ago... In the Kingdom of Hyrule, there was a sacred triangle called the Triforce. It was said to have been a gift bestowed by the gods, believed to grant the wish of whosoever touches it... All the land sought to obtain its almighty power, and so quarreled and fought endlessly...

Prologue (A Link Between Worlds) - Translated by hwrdjacob

しかし、やがて聖地ハイラルを巡り争いが起こった人々の中に、魔術に長けた者達が現れ強力な魔力によって聖地を治めようとした

Before long, a cycle of conflicts arose over the Sacred Realm of Hyrule, and among the many peoples of the land, accomplished people with a deep mastery of magic materialized. With their powerful magic, they tried to rule the Sacred Realm.

Lanayru (Twilight Princess) - Translated by hwrdjacob

While Twilight Princess doesn’t take this moment to elaborate on the creation of the ToT(OoT), A Link Between Worlds, and, by extension, Ocarina of Time do. The war culminated in the Royal Family calling upon the Sages of Hyrule, who sealed the Triforce in the Sacred Realm. As we learned in Ocarina of Time, this also involved the creation of the ToT(OoT), where we learn that the Ancient Sages also created the Temple of Time, and it was the Door of Time itself which was used to seal the Sacred Realm’s entrance along with the Triforce which resided inside of it.

王家はすさんだハイラル王国を憂い七人の賢者を集めトライフォースを聖地に隠しました

The Royal Family feared that the Kingdom of Hyrule would be laid to waste, so they gathered the Seven Sages, who hid the Triforce in the Sacred Realm.

Prologue (A Link Between Worlds) - Translated by hwrdjacob

そこで、いにしえの賢者達は心　悪しき者から　トライフォースを守るため　時の神殿を造られました。そう…　時の神殿とは、この地上から　聖地へ入るための入口なのです。でも、その　入口は「時の扉（とびら）」と　呼ばれる石のカベで　閉ざされています。

And so, the Ancient Sages constructed the Temple of Time to defend the Triforce from those with evil hearts. Indeed... the Temple of Time is the gateway to enter the Sacred Realm from this world. However, that gateway is closed off by a stone wall known as "the Door of Time".

Zelda (Ocarina of Time) - Translated by hwrdjacob

In summary, when putting together the information presented in these three entries, we have a clear story for the ToT(OoT): The Triforce was kept in the young Kingdom of Hyrule, in which people lived in peace and harmony. However, desire for possession of the Triforce grew within the hearts of men, and battles were fought over it, the war against the interlopers being one of the most prominent of these conflicts. To end the bloodshed, the Royal Family called upon the Seven Sages, who sealed the Triforce away in the Sacred Realm via the creation of the Temple of Time, utilizing the Door of Time, the Master Sword, and the Spiritual Stones to prevent entry to the Sacred Realm. 

This story for the ToT(OoT) on the surface may not seem to have any conflict with the ToT(TP), but, in reality, it conflicts in several ways, even down to the people who created the temples. 

In Twilight Princess, we learn about the Oocca, or the Sky Folk. While their modern appearances are that of strange bird-like creatures, we learn in-game that, many centuries before the events of the game, they were actually the ancestors of the Hylian people, as told to us by Rusl and Ooccoo, a member of the Oocca.

聖なる力で護られた森の奥深くに　悠久の時を眠る神殿があると言われている . ハイリア人の祖先によって造られたその神殿には、今もなお古代の優れた文明が遺されているらしい

It is said that deep, deep in the woods, there is a temple, protecting a sacred power that slumbers eternally. Constructed by the ancestors of the Hylians, even now that temple holds remnants of their ancient, outstanding civilization.

Rusl (Twilight Princess) - Translated by hwrdjacob

ハイラルは最も神に近い種族のハイリア人が創ったってのが通説だけど実は大昔には、ハイリア人よりもっと神に近い種族がいて、彼らが創ったという説もあるんだ

そして彼らは、ハイリア人の誕生とともに新しい都を創り、都ごと天に浮かべて

そこで暮らし始めたらしいしかも学者の間では、今でも彼らは大空の何処かに浮かぶ都で生きているって言われてる 

It is the prevailing view that Hyrule was created by the Hylians, the closest race to the gods. However, there's a theory that as a matter of fact, there was a race even closer to the gods than the Hylians, and THEY created Hyrule. It seems that they created a new capital when the Hylians were born, and launched the city into the sky in order to live there. Furthermore, the academic world says that even now, they still live in a capitol floating somewhere in the heavens.

Shad (Twilight Princess) Translated by hwrdjacob

We learn from Shad that, upon the birth of the Hylians as a cultural group, the Sky Folk departed from the surface. They created a city which they used to ascend to the sky, and remained there, leaving the kingdom of Hyrule they created to the newly birthed Hylians, with the Royalty of Hylia taking the reign of the kingdom. 

Since the Sky Folk left the surface upon the birth of the Hylians, this necessitates the ToT(TP) as having been built before the Hylians came to be. This is a very important detail, as this would mean that the Royal Family of Hyrule, who are Hylians, would not be in power, and thus they would not have been able to command the sealing of the Triforce, which resulted in the creation of the ToT(OoT) by the seven sages. Furthermore, they also appear in completely different locations in what is otherwise a mostly consistent map of Hyrule between Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess, with the ToT(OoT) appearing west of Death Mountain and ToT(TP) appearing deep within the Faron Woods. Even the interiors of the temples themselves are wildly different, featuring different architecture and aesthetics.

Finally, when Link enters the past ToT(TP) in Twilight Princess, we see that the pedestal of the Master Sword is empty, when by all reasonable metrics the Master Sword should be resting in the pedestal if this is the same temple as the ToT(OoT). This was commonly refuted by pointing out that since Link was already wielding the sword, it would temporarily disappear whenever Link entered the temple, due to how time travel would then affect the blade. However, Tears of the Kingdom disproves this notion.

In Tears of the Kingdom,  we observe the Light Dragon possess the Master Sword for tens of thousands of years, restoring it into its revitalized form we acquire in the game. During this time, the pre-time travel Master Sword is not affected by its duplication through time travel, meaning that, based on the mechanics we can see in Tears of the Kingdom, the presence of a second Master Sword through time travel should not affect the Master Sword that should be in the past ToT(TP).  What this means is that the Master Sword is in a different location in the time of the past ToT(TP), and, considering the sword went unused following the sealing of the Sacred Realm until the events of Ocarina of Time, its location was likely tied to its sister temple - the ToT(OoT), and this is further reinforced by the dungeon in the ToT(TP).

We enter the dungeon of the ToT(TP) through a secret entrance, revealed from behind the Master Sword’s pedestal through the stained glass. Despite also simply being called the Temple of Time, this dungeon is covered in Light Medallions, the symbol of the Sage of Light, and seems as if it’s in an almost dream-like, separate land. Even the in-game map depicts the Light Medallion on the Temple of Time. Interestingly, this dungeon is shown to not exist at all in the present era, showing that the dungeon is indeed in some kind of other location separate from just the Light World. Given all of the above, we can very easily determine it is the Temple of Light, especially due to the Temple of Time’s association with the Temple of Light - in fact, it’s even likely that this association with the ToT(TP) is why they chose to build the ToT(OoT) as a way to protect the Sacred Realm (and thus the Temple of Light.)

However, notably, the Triforce isn’t present in the ToT(TP)’s dungeon, which means that the era of the past in Twilight Princess is before the Triforce was sealed in the Sacred Realm, but it’s after the Master Sword was already moved from the temple. Why would the Master Sword have been moved? As we know, the ancient sages of Ocarina of Time created the ToT(OoT) to protect the Triforce, and sealed the Sacred Realm’s entrance using the Door of Time and the Master Sword. In Twilight Princess, we can actually observe a statue of Rauru in Chudley’s Fine Goods and Trinkets Emporium, or, in other words, the shop Malo takes over when he establishes Malo Mart in Castle Town. And coincidentally, we see this statue of Rauru holding the Master Sword using its design from Ocarina of Time!

Because of this, we can presume that Rauru had taken the Master Sword from the ToT(TP) at some point, and held onto it, likely because the ancient sages had agreed on the idea of using it to help sustain the seal on the Triforce while they were constructing the temple. In summary, this would put the past era of Twilight Princess in the era where the ToT(OoT) is in the act of being constructed, and, ironically, this would also put the pst around the same era in which the interlopers, the ancestors of the modern day Twili, were sealed in the Twilight Realm. 

To put the timeline of the two temples together, it would look like this:

In the infancy of Hyrule, the Sky Folk, using their advanced technology, created the ToT(TP). Eventually, the Sky Folk created the City in the Sky, and departed for the heavens, in which the Hylians emerged as a cultural group, and were given control of the kingdom by the Sky Folk. At some point in the distant future, terrible conflicts occurred in an attempt to gain control over the Triforce. To end this bloodshed, the Royal Family of Hyrule commanded the seven sages to seal the Triforce away. The sages determined they would build a new temple, the ToT(OoT), which they would use to seal the Triforce away. Rauru claimed the Master Sword before the temple was built, to ensure all the pieces were in place when the temple was complete. It was at this time that Link would return to the past in Twilight Princess and acquire the Mirror Shard from the ToT(TP). Shortly after this, the sages would finish completing the ToT(OoT), and seal the Sacred Realm away using the Master Sword and the Door of Time. Considering the Sacred Grove, the present version of the ToT(TP), has no entrance to the Temple of Light, it’s also likely that upon completion of the ToT(OoT) the sages removed or closed the entrance to the Temple of Light that Link used when he entered the past, so as to ensure complete protection of the Triforce. As for why the Master Sword would be moved back to the ToT(TP) between Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess, this was likely on the part of the Hero of Time, as we know that the Skull Kid - the good friend of the Hero of Time from Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask - is now the protector of the Sacred Grove and the Master Sword.