#i love lurelin village

[arcane-gold]

takin a break from saving hyrule🌴

[prints!]

[avionvadion]

GANONDORF IS 7’6 ALSJDKSJDKSKSD-!!!

(Could not remember his height for the life of me, thought he was 6’7. Nope. Had it backwards. He’s 7’6!!!)

ILIANA WOULD GO UP TO HIS ELBOWS. AND HE’S SHORT FOR A GERUDO. IMAGINE THE ALTERNATE UNIVERSE WHERE SHE WASN’T PAIRED WITH SIDON, BUT REDEEMED REHYDRATED GANONDORF. HE’S EVEN RED.

THE PATTERN IS THERE.

Ghost Grandpa Time would NOT approve.

Sorry I need to sleep I’m literally in bed and I had to Google the height and now I can’t stop cackling he’s so TALL. HE A BIG BOI. He so SMALL next to the Gerudo ladies. ITTY BITTY BUT STILL SO FREAKING BIG.

…Gods I want redeemed rehydrated Ganondorf in TotK so bad. 😭

[sweetmiremoonie]

My favorite thing to do in TOTK is to look for physically attractive male npcs and determine whether or not they are bf material for Link

[nullsgameart]

Lurelin Village

- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (2023)

[annyllel]

Here’s one NPC who tells you about Lover’s Pond. It isn’t labeled on the map, but you can find the heart-shaped lake easily enough.

[herosecho]

.71

Quiet rainy day in Lurelin. Any weather keeps being beautiful by the beach, I really like it here. The colors really struck my attention; silver water, brown shore and a tint of blue from this hearty blueshell snail.  This is right behind the Hotel, did you know the snail always shows up there? It certainly is a pretty spot. 

[eiochevart]

Link and Link and surprisingly enough, another Link!

I don’t think I’ve ever expressed just how much I love the different outfits in this game. I’m excited to see if totk will expend on that. I just recently purchased the dlc, and somehow one of my favorite objects is the island lobster/windwaker shirt. Whenever I have Link travel on the beach or visit Lurelin village, I’ll spice up his outfit to match the vibe, and I love that.

Also, as you can see I drew scars on his body, but that’s just my headcanon

[yandereunsolved]

Breath of a Yandere - ,, Yandere Wild headcanons

tw(s): yandere themes, (Wild) multiple mentions of suicidal ideations/suicide & self depreciation

ꨄ︎ Yandere Wild who met you after waking up in the Shrine of Resurrection. You were a lone traveler from Lurelin Village. You traveled countless months, with many others accompanying you at various points on your journey. You had to know the truth. You had to know if it was true. The rumors about the legendary hero fueled your adventures. You feared the worst, but you found him. He didn't awake at first. You spent weeks traveling out of the Shrine only for necessities.

ꨄ︎ He heard a strange voice coming from the darkness and then saw you. You spoke to him with such a reverence that he wasn't accustomed to. He was incredibly cautious and wouldn't allow you near him. That all changed when you offered him some glazed meat. He shoved it down his throat and suddenly you were his closest companion.

ꨄ︎ Words never leave his mouth. You thought at first it was just the surprise of awakening after a hundred years, but no. He just never spoke to you. He spoke with his hands and through his body language. He taught you most of the Hylian sign language that you know. It is probably better that he doesn't speak. You would be disturbed and greatly flattered about the things he thinks about you.

ꨄ︎ He never leaves your side unless you are both put in a life ending situation. He's like a silent but loyal dog. He is always watching your movements and standing guard over you. You have to cuddle with him before he finally allows himself to succumb to sleep.

ꨄ︎ Guardians? You are staying behind. Shrines? You may stand at the entrance as long as there are no monsters around. If there are then he will kill them and then make you wait. The Divine Beasts? Okay, fine— he allows you in all the Divine Beasts except for Vah Naboris. He allows you to ride with Riju but only because she has the Thunder Helm. However, the Ganonblights? On Hylia's name, no. You go back to the entrance and wait there.

ꨄ︎ Ganon himself? You wait. After your entire journey together, he only speaks one word to you. "Wait." He presses himself against you and makes you hide behind one of the castle pillars. There are tears in his eyes and he is shaking. You are his God(dess). He has killed and sacrificed so much. You saved him. You did. He signs to you. "I face Ganon alone. I can't lose you." His hands get shaky. "I love you."

ꨄ︎ That's the first time he ever says he loves you and his yandere tendencies only get worse from there. More possessive. More obsessive. More puppy-like. He's a wolf in sheep's clothing. He always has an eye on you and doesn't allow you out of his sight. He would never hurt you, but he'll hurt others for you.

ꨄ︎ After the battle you two embrace each other and he sobs quietly into your chest. He allows you to patch his wounds. It's difficult because he's hanging off of you. Zelda is sitting near you both around the campfire. It's a little a lot awkward because she's seen his entire journey. She has seen his feelings for you blossom. A part of her hurts because she won't have her Link back, but was he ever hers? It was just his duty.

ꨄ︎ His memories may have come back but he only has one person in his heart. That person is you. Zelda wants him to come back as a knight. He signs no. He has to stay near you. He will die without you.

ꨄ︎ He thinks the sweetest and most depraved things in his mind. He is constantly praising you within his mind. He wishes he could speak those words but he can't. So he signs them. He shows them through acts of service. His mind is just a constant track about you. Partially this is because of his knight training. He was trained to protect and serve. He was trained to help the princess. His mind still sometimes slips back into that. It's just you, you, you, danger?, you, you, you.

ꨄ︎ On that note, his trauma is constantly fueling his tendencies and how he sees you as his god(dess). He was a child knight, blames himself for failing to protect everyone before Calamity Ganon gave over, and woke up with zero memories and a mission to save all of Hyrule. You were the first person he met. You were and still are his guide to this world. Sure, you aren't fated to be with him. Sure, it could have been just a mistake— but you are the first person that ever got him. You didn't push him to speak. You took your time in learning how to communicate with him. You respected him not just as the hero but a person.

ꨄ︎ He takes interest in whatever you are interested in. He will go so far as trying to replicate what you are doing. He isn't great at art but he'll do his best to draw what you are doing. He shows it you like an excited little kid. He does little poems as well. They are all about his adoration to you and how much he wants to spend time with you. Sometimes they have some blood splatters on them. Don't think about it too hard.

ꨄ︎ He his naturally cautious when all of these goods things become interrupted with the introduction of The Chain. He is like a frightened animal with his hackles up. He has his mastersword pointed to the strange group. They introduce themselves and he relaxes a little. He stays by your side the entire time and makes sure everyone knows that you are taken by him.

ꨄ︎ It's really, really, really hard for him when you say you want to travel with The Chain. His thought process is like this: heartbreak. My God(dess) wants to be around other Links? Why do they want to put themselves in danger? Why? Why? I have to protect them. I have to. I need them near me. Why do they want to travel? Will they still cook for me and me only...? Or will I have to share? You want to travel to different Hyrules and fight monsters with them? You want to see their Hyrules? What if my Hyrule isn't good enough for you?

ꨄ︎ As much as he hates it— he'd do anything for you. He sets some ground rules though. No letting the others get too close. Stay by his side. Tell him everything. And do not, ever, put yourself in harms way. That has been his number one rule since day one. No getting yourself hurt. That scares him the most. He could live without you, but you are alive. He'd barely be alive but he could live. If you died? He'd kill himself and die right next to you. So when you get a scratch he wants, needs, aches to kill the thing that gave you that scratch.

ꨄ︎ You both begin traveling with The Chain and it goes better then expected. Wild is still the same Wild. He may even be getting a little better. The Chain is a bunch of hims. Wild is doing better in a way. He's gotten close to everyone and now knows some of their secrets. He's quiet and he listens. They are unassuming of him. Even the more cautious ones such as Hyrule, Legend, and Time bring their guard down a little. He rarely communicates with them but you know he is acutely listening. He only really signs to you.

ꨄ︎ So, it's perfect. There are a bunch of hims that stay away from you and protect you. He is getting them to trust him. You are safer than you have ever been. Safe. So safe. And if he needs to kill them for you? He's already got the information on them.

ꨄ︎ Wild always buys you things from the villages you all go to. He runs up to you and shoves them into your hands happily. It's one of the few times you see a smile on his usually stoic face. He absolutely adores buying you matching fits. He's practically bouncing on the balls of his feet. He loves matching with you. He even gets you a sword that mimics the mastersword in style. He teaches you how to wield it and everything.

ꨄ︎ He sabotages the others in The Chain if they try to spend time with you. He'll tell you things about them, dark things that he's learned. He'll write them out to you and slip them into your back pocket, your satchel, your bed roll. He'll make them look stupid in front of you. He might accidentally trip them or outbest them in sparring. He makes sure you see the worst of them and the best of him. He doesn't need words to steal your heart all for himself.

ꨄ︎ He always wakes up early and watches you sleep. He tries to resist your warmth to not fall asleep but it's too much. So he wakes up in the morning before you. He watches silently, unblinkingly. He thinks you look so adorable, so pretty, so handsome. You are even more angelic when you are awake. Your smile could even make Ganon fall to his knees.

ꨄ︎ He either makes breakfast for you or with you. He sits guard while you bathe in the river. He wants to take a peek but he doesn't! He's a loyal man. He's tempted. Very tempted though. He loves watching you do your skincare and getting ready though. His eyes rarely leave you while in eyesight.

ꨄ︎ His habits reach their most overbearing after Sage joins The Chain. His life was going so perfect with you. You got protection and he got you all to himself. Now, there's this new version of him. He is acting so... clingy towards you. He just seems so attached to you. Wild begins to get shooed away when Sage is near. You are all about being near Sage. Saving Sage.

ꨄ︎ He refuses to leave your side, even for a moment. He distances himself from the rest of The Chain. He begins to not eat. He begins to not sleep. He gets very nervous and becomes a wreck. He thinks if he does this to himself you'll love him. You loved him when he was like this before. Is this what you want? Do you want someone that needs you? He needs you more than anyone else. He doesn't see any reason to live anymore without you.

ꨄ︎ Like always, you save him. You save him from that dark place and refuse to leave his side. He cuddles into you and refuses to let you go. You feel guilty and you are worried sick about him. Wild almost died and he refuses to tell you why. You were sparring with Sage and suddenly you heard a sword slash in the woods. Wild stabbed himself in the heart with a sword... If it wasn't for Hyrule he'd be dead.

ꨄ︎ You sobbed for hours over his body and you refused to leave. You still do. You are beginning to succumb to his neediness and overprotective ways. Just like Wild wanted. He just needs to be wanted by you. He just needs your love. He just needs one person who will love him above all else.

ꨄ︎ Wild has you, but at Sage's expense. He's extremely irritated that this little boyfriend of yours is taking you away from him. A few of the other Links have mixed, upset, and possessive feelings as well. However, we'll discuss that another time.

tag list; lmk if you want to be tagged: @screaming-until-god-hears-me

[dreadlock-detective]

Good news for those in the tags of the last Gerudo Girls post - we’ve kept thinking about these doofuses and they’re really fun to draw~

1- Kosha’s very fond of Lurelin village and is excited to show the other gerudo more about fishing. Probably pissed as shit when she sees the state it’s in at the start of TotK. She just really likes swimming and water in general 2- Calyza’s tastes in voe continue to impress as a certain mailman has caught her eye~ (Forget Ganondorf, why has the Mailman not appeared in any games since Twilight Princess? Dude is glorious, and I was thrilled to give him a bit of a Hateno makeover) Unfortunately for her, he’s a rather busy man. She hasn’t even managed to get his name yet!

3- Lachoo loves racing zonai vehicles and, naturally, has built one to resemble a sandseal. Her bestie Bipp rides around in a custom made backpack whenever it’d be hard for her to get around on her flippers. Kosha and Calyza ride in the back, which is of course completely unsecured and a massive health hazard. Calyza’s gotten pretty good at running to catch up with the car

[zipsunz]

montoya family doodle dump + more designs for me and @sunkitty143's botw au !!

aubrey was the rito champion. known for her love of bomb arrows, kel had a knack for bringing out her more rough, competitive side. she had trouble making friends, but she clicked well with mari and basil. i liked the male rito hairstyle more so i went with that =w=

basil was the zora champion! a gentle healer who had a particular love for plants. he was best friends with sunny and had known him and mari ever since they were born. i felt like mipha's species and design fit him best, so i went with her for more inspiration over sidon.

hero (and by extension, his entire family) hail from lurelin village. his father was a royal knight before eventually retiring for a quieter fisherman life. sally was less than a year old when the calamity struck. they all survived, though they believed that kel had died.

sally is the oldest person in lurelin village and one of the few hylians left who were alive before the calamity. she grew up with stories of her brother and the royal family he had died protecting. to this day, she still wears a part of the bracelet hero had worn as a young man.

hero never married or found anyone else after losing mari, but his life was a fulfilling one. he's fondly remembered by sally's children and extensive family as the hero of lurelin village due to dedicating his life to keeping the community safe and prosperous.

[frost-link]

Hiya, May I requested for Sidon with a female hylian S/o when he was arranged marriage to Yona cause Him and S/o sadly force to breakup and the S/o leave the Zora Domain. Here the twist the S/o shocked to discover days later she's pregnant with his child but scared to tell him worrying how his father, Zoras, Muzu (Especially Muzu) reacts. So she decides to keep it to herself.

Before the events of TOTK Sidon and Yona not married yet. A traveler came to visit the domain to tell a story of seeing a hylian woman playing with a baby half zora/ hylian in the water of lurelin village.

(Ooh! This is a very interesting idea! I'd love to write this! We'll see how this goes! I hope it turned out okay!)

"Unexpected"

You were in a small hut with a doctor sitting before you. It was beyond humid outside with the temperatures scalding the air. The sun still found a way to pierce its heat inside the room. Your eyes stared at the doctor with pure apprehension.

"After our tests, we confirm that you are indeed pregnant Ms (Y/n). Congratulations!" The doctor stated with a firm tone, adjusting her glasses.

"Oh." You responded, not knowing what to say. Your (e/c) eyes stared at the floor, they reflected hundreds of emotions that went through your mind.

"You seem nervous, it is a natural feeling to experience! Have you told your husband about the news?" The doctor tried to ease your worries after noticing your body language. You then looked up at her, fear immediately piercing into your veins. You haven't even considered the idea of even telling Sidon. You left Zora's Domain originally finding out about Sidon getting engaged with Lady Yona, both of you were forced to break up. It had only been a week since you left. Now hearing your suspicions about being pregnant were true, it felt even more like a stab. You didn't even think it would be possible to become pregnant by a Zora since you were a Hylian. However, there you were. How would Sidon even react to hearing this? How would his father, the King of The Zora himself respond? What terrified you the most was how Muzu would react. Even after Calamity Ganon, Muzu was still skeptical about hylians. You sighed looking at the doctor.

"Um... It's complicated. I don't have a husband." You stated in a quiet tone still obviously nervous. The doctor soon slowly nodded giving you an empathetic look.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have assumed. Well, I wish you luck for your pregnancy!" She stated, patting me on the back. After you had left the doctor's office it wasn't too long after you had settled down in Lurelin Village. You decided it'd be the best place for you and the baby. It was a small closed off village, far from Zora's Domain. You wouldn't have to worry about anyone finding out. It was also a perfect place for a Zora-Hylian hybrid to be. There was plenty of water for their Zora side, and plenty of Hylians around for them to interact with in the future.

P.O.V Change to Sidon

Two years had gone by since I had seen (Y/n). I kept busy steering my mind clear of her. I busied myself with Princely duties and kept Zora's Domain in check. An older couple had made their way into the domain and they seemed to be talking with each other. They were simply tourists, however it wasn't long before they were surrounded by quite a few Zora. One of my guards approached me. It was none other than the captain of the guard, Bazz. He had lightly tapped my shoulder.

"Your Highness, you probably want to come hear this..." I had looked over to Bazz giving a firm nod, approaching the couple. I finally was within earshot of the two older hylians.

"Yeah, the baby was out by the water playing with their mother. I was worried for a moment before I realized it was part Zora. In all of my years, I had never encountered something half Hylian and half Zora. It is simply unheard of." The older man stated. Another voice chimed in.

"The baby kind of looked like that big Zora over there!" An older woman stated, pointing at me. All of the Zora surrounding the couple immediately turned to me. My golden eyes had widened in shock. A... Baby?!

"It couldn't be..." I muttered softly to myself, lost in thought. One of the Zora approached me, immediately grabbing me by the wrist dragging me away from the crowd who went back to listening to the couple. It was Muzu, he looked skeptical.

"You have to go investigate this yourself immediately and dismiss whatever story that these Hylians are making up. I doubt there's even a child. However if it's real and if it's yours do you have any idea what that means?" Muzu yelled out, looking up at me. I only continued to stare in silence, stunned. Was it even possible? Muzu was quick to continue in the absence of my voice. "It means that you must immediately bring the mother and child back with you and we will have to have a royal meeting about what to do next! Now hurry up and get going!" He stated clearly angry and annoyed, shooing me off. I quickly nodded, immediately making my way out of the Domain and to Lurelin Village.

P.O.V Back to Yourself

You were sitting in the water with your half Zora half Hylian child, holding them up in the water as she/he giggled looking up at you splashing small droplets of water. You smiled softly at your baby before she/he pointed to something.

"Da! Da!" The baby called out, you looked surprised but then shook your head.

"No! Me mama!" You said pointing to yourself, however you noticed your baby wasn't looking at you. You turn your head to see the love of your life you haven't seen in almost two years. Your mouth immediately drops. Sidon hadn't reacted yet, his eyes were fixated on the baby you were now cradling in your arms. He slowly took a few steps to you, then crouched down looking closely at the baby, holding the baby's small hands in his. The minute he made eye contact with her/him he immediately knew it was his. Tears started forming in his eyes, as he slowly took the baby from you, cradling the small baby in his large hands. He had the biggest smile on his face seeing his own child. A minute had gone by before he finally looked down at you, his smile fading.

"Why didn't you tell me..?" He asked softly, almost comforting yet also with a hint of pain. You only looked at him with sad eyes, still shocked seeing him.

"How did you even find me?" You returned his question with one yourself. Sidon sighed, returning the baby back to you before the both of you stood up.

"Word tends to get around fast." He replied bluntly, he then rested his larger hand onto your cheek. "Please come back to Zora's Domain with me so we can figure this out together." He pleaded. You were quick to shake your head.

"Sidon... I already have built a life here with the baby... I... I can't face your father with this! You're also probably married by now! I don't want to make things weird" You said with a sad look, he then returned the same look to you.

"(Y/n)... I can't bring myself to understand hard it is, I can't believe you kept yourself hidden away for so long. However, I do know that I still love you. I never wanted us to break up... However, you have to come back to the Domain." He affirmed pulling his hand away.

"What about Lady Yona?" You quickly responded worried. Sidon was surprised by your urgency but then his eyes widened.

"Wait... Now that you are with my child, I can probably call off the engagement. The baby would immediately be the next heir to the throne after me as the child counts as my first born. He then smiled brightly at you and the child. "We'll make this work!" You then finally nodded in agreement.

"Alright... I'll go back with you." You said and his smile grew wider.

After the two of you got back, there was a meeting that immediately went into effect. Due to the baby being Sidon's, Lady Yona and Sidon called off the wedding and engagement. Soon enough the both of you were engaged not too long after to soon be married with your guy's baby who was soon to turn two years old. Most of the Zoras were accepting of you and the baby, however some of the older Zoras were not too happy about it. However, that didn't matter to either of you.

[science-lings]

After a stupidly arduous journey of taking about a hundred screenshots, I have completed it. Please send me characters you’d like to see and the color scheme I should use! If you use it yourself please give me credit for the palettes. 

my favorite screenshots used for this under the cut!

I would recommend everyone spend a blood moon on top of Mount Lanayru, the colors are so good

For Hateno I used a lot of the dye colors, otherwise it would’ve just been the red stone roof tiles and the same color wood that every place uses and the pale stucco. The dye shop is the most unique thing about the place lol.

I just thought it was cool to catch Dinraal in the distance, this one was used for ‘Waking Flames’

It’s unfair how pretty the world gets when you’re on top of the castle, I also love the framing that the archways provide. 

rocks are pretty, thats my whole thought process with this one

the big pillars surrounding the castle have the best views, it sucks that they’re so hard to get to. 

i love the blue rocks

just going to any super high up place is worth it. btw I was being attacked in this image. that bow belonged to a stal bokoblin. he was an asshole 

I died on purpose to get mipha feet pics

this is the magic tent thing, when you’re under it the whole screen gets a little pinker. it’s kinda trippy

the fire glowy effect in the snow is one of my favorite visual parts of the game. I love glowy things so much

idk the color contrast of the gray water and the red rock is so cool to me

For all the village palettes I wanted to focus on the buildings and decorations rather than the environment itself, I loved the burnt orange flags in lurelin and the stalls in Gerudo Town

all the places that are populated are just so colorful that it was hard to choose what colors to include in the color schemes. Many times, different shops are color coded and it makes it difficult to limit the colors to just the ones I chose, this world is just so colorful! 

[avionvadion]

I was thinking about the TOTK Lurelin quest line, and how touching it is and how tight knit the community… and how that makes Iliandra’s situation all the more devastating. Why did NONE of those villagers do anything? Sure they might be scared of Worst Link, but… none of them tried to sneakily approach her in the night? None of them tried to stealthily set up a support system? It took two young children to stand up for her

Thinking about it just doesn’t sit well with me

Tepha was one of them.

If one of their own said everything was fine, and they could see the boys with her out in town, perfectly unharmed, just quiet- and she said they were shy- and the Worst Link smiles and informs them his daughter “helped” him clear out the nearby monsters and is resting, and that she liked to keep to herself, they aren’t going to question it. Her brothers are shy, so it checks out that she’d be rather introverted herself.

They trust their own. They trust Tepha. They trust Tepha’s husband, and the boys are just shy. They don’t talk much to others, but they’re always playing together. They’re such good sons, helping their mother carry the groceries. They’re so adorable, clinging to one another and holding each other’s hands when the villagers approach to ask about their day. They don’t notice the suspicion in their eyes, or that their shyness derived from distrust or fear.

Ilia mentions in one of her mental dialogues in the more recent chapters (I think when she’s talking to Rashal and Emank) about how “the dog never bites the hand that feeds it” and how “one doesn’t look a gift horse in the mouth”. Yet because of it the dog doesn’t notice the hand has bad intentions, that food was poisoned, or that the horse is sickly and the gift is corrupt.

She even thinks- in the one chapter with Dorian revealing he had once been Yiga- that the worst enemy is the one you don’t suspect, because it is one you thought you could trust.

A family, a friend, a neighbor- someone you thought you knew, but turned out to be wearing a mask of deceit the entire time.

Kakariko was just as close knit as Lurelin, and yet Dorian had still betrayed it. No one knew he was feeding information to the enemy. No one even realized his wife was killed because he had chosen to defect from it. To them, it was no more than an terribly tragedy that she had been murdered. She was hardly the first victim of the Yiga, after all.

No one, except Link and Ilia, knows the truth.

Likewise, the Lurelin villagers don’t notice anything is wrong because nothing had ever been portrayed as wrong. Their village has always been a happy, loving one. Any outsiders that moved and married in had always been kind and friendly.

Who are they to suspect that their sweet Tepha, who had been orphaned due to the Giant Octorok attack many years ago when she was a young girl, had married a monster, and had become a monster herself? Especially when she seems so happy with her husband, and is always so sweet with her sons when they’re walking out and about???

It’s certainly a little odd that no one has seen sweet Iliandra since she was a child, but they have no reason to doubt. Fighting monsters is a hard job, and her father just wants to ensure she gets her rest.

Besides…

Those who are awake can hear the music playing at night near the docks. Some use the music to help them drift to sleep. They know it’s her. They know she’s shy, they know she doesn’t like to talk, because that’s what Tepha and her wonderfully kind and helpful husband had said. They trust them. They trust that she’s okay. They trust in the music she plays. They agree not to bother her, because she deserves time to herself after fighting monsters all day.

Until one night, the music no longer plays… and the father had left, yet to return to the village, because Iliandra had gone missing.

And suddenly… the truths behind the family are beginning to unravel, as Tepha becomes visibly unstable with her daughter and husband missing, midway through her third pregnancy. The boys have bruises. They have bandages. They’re hiding from their mother. They’re actively avoiding everyone in the village, and have turned completely mute.

Their animosity is obvious now, even to the most naive villager.

Lurelin is realizing their happy village wasn’t as happy as it seemed, and that they might have made a terrible mistake along the way.

TLDR: They don’t notice for the same reason Kakariko didn’t notice Dorian was a Yiga. Blissful ignorance and unyielding trust for their own.

[blueskittlesart]

do you have any thoughts on zelda not staying as a dragon? me personally I like it and am very cool with it mostly because I think zelda should get to be happy forever (and because I'm smart enough to know she changed back because of recall and not some ambiguous power of love lmao) but a lot of people seem to dislike that it made the draconification inconsequential?

i think there's like. some valid concerns surrounding inconsequentiality/"curing" the physical problems characters have as a way of giving them a "happy ending" but I think those concerns don't necessarily apply to totk in the way people seem to be applying them, especially irt zelda's draconification and link's arm.

most of the time when the criticism of this "magic cure" trope is applied to media, it's because the trope is used as a cure-all to erase a character's suffering or trauma and make them "normal" again, and often ignores the character development or themes of the story in favor of giving the character a happy ending. I don't think that applies to totk, though, because the "curing" link and zelda experience is both within the realm of possibility given the worldbuilding present in the game (recall could easily have done it, as you mentioned) AND thematically consistent with the rest of the game. One of if not the most important central themes of totk is the idea of failure and second chances. we see a hyrule that has been given a second chance after link's initial failure with the calamity brought it to the brink of destruction. we see characters who were deeply unhappy and entrenched in the shame of their precalamity mistakes like purah and zelda become active, beloved members of their communities. we see the people of lurelin village take back and rebuild their destroyed home. we watch this kingdom and its people make an unprecedented comeback after a century of struggle and ruin.

Similarly, totk's gameplay is LINK's second chance, his comeback from the initial mistake of losing zelda, of specifically being unable to reach her with his injured hand when they fell. The consequences of that--the master sword's corruption, the loss of his arm, and zelda's draconification, are all supposed to SEEM irreversible, because that's how LINK initially sees them. he believes that he doomed both himself and zelda all because of that SINGLE moment in which he wasn't enough, a viewpoint which is obviously left over from the pressure he experienced to perform to an impossible standard of perfection pre-calamity. The story of totk is about deconstructing that belief and proving it wrong. the mistake he made caused harm, but it's never too late to repair things. he can fix the regional phenomena ganondorf causes and rebuild those communities. he can revitalize the master sword. he can GET ZELDA BACK, with his own arm, uninjured and able to reach her this time. no matter how impossible those things may initially seem, no matter the perceived finality of his mistakes and their consequences, there is always hope. there is always a second chance. no one person's single mistake can doom an entire kingdom for eternity. the fate of hyrule was NEVER resting on link's shoulders alone. he was never their final hope. there was always going to be an after. the whole POINT of the draconification and the loss of link's arm is that they AREN'T final. they ARE inconsequential, because they were born of one mistake and ONE MISTAKE IS NOT THE END ALL.

[doctormage]

im sure someone has already made this poll before but replaying totk has me thinking abt how much i love all the towns/villages/etc in this iteration of hyrule :^) so whatever

if you have a different fav in botw and totk (e.g., you liked kakariko best in botw but then liked totk's hateno better than totk's kakariko) just follow your heart idk <3

[caylinmiraki]

My relationship with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

I love TotK, I really do. It's fun to play and to explore for a while. But that's it. I kinda have a toxic relationship with this game. It gives me the highest heights just to shove some pretty unnecessary hindrance in my face.

tl;dr: Erasing BotW from TotK was the worst thing they could've done to this game. It's hard to believe that this game's got 5 years of development under its belt. It truly is a disappointing Masterpiece.

I’m just going to head right in.

I absolutely adore a well-written story and exploring new Lands to see what kind of secrets it holds. and am someone who really can't deal with spoilers of any kind, so color me surprised when the second memory I encountered was the one near Lurelin Village where it's exposed that we got a fake Zelda. It felt great to have my theory proven right because I’ve cleared a few Stable Quests before looking for the Tears and figured it out (isn’t very difficult I know). But when I realized that I’d skipped a massive part of this story I was disappointed because I expected a story progression like Botw but ended up spoiling myself with one of the most impactful memories. At the same time, it was so frustrating to see everyone dance on the palm of this impostor's hand while the player knows exactly what's going on and you/Link couldn't do anything about it.

The fact that almost no one recognized Link or even knew of him was also so frustrating; infuriating even. This legendary Hero saved Hyrule along with Princess Zelda in a 100-year-long battle, only to be forgotten? While everyone knows of Zelda? Like, you wanna tell me that the whole time Zelda traveled the lands of Hyrule to learn about the people and forge connections, Link wasn't with her? Her appointed knight that never leaves her side?

I know they chose to basically erase him to make the story less complicated for people who didn't play BotW, but let's be honest the amount of players that fit this criteria can't be more than 5%, and that's thinking generously, so why ruin the experience for the other 95%? Besides a small part of the Zora, the Stableowners, the people at Lookoutlanding, some Shieka, and the Yiga-Clan no one knows about him. In addition to that we also only get two mentions of the champions from botw. Mipha is referenced and I think Daruk gets a mention as well. When I entered Zoras Domain in TotK and saw that they had replaced Miphas Statue with a statue of Link and Sidon (which I find hideous tbh) I was so fucking furious. I adore her and they just pushed her onto some faraway cliff to collect dust. I think Daruk gets referenced in a dialog with Yunobo but that’s it, besides his statue in Goron City. Urbosa and RevalI have been completely forgotten it appears. They could have at least referenced those two regarding their successors having similar powers.

However, I have to say that Gerudo Desert was one of the best areas in TotK with a nice twist to the Questline leading up to the Dungeon. The Desert is being plagued by weird undead monsters and shrouded in a never-ending sandstorm. Gerudo Town is desolated and abandoned and you worry for its citizens. I loved this dreadful approach on the Demon Kings homeland. There are just two things I can't agree with in this new Gerudo Desert.

First, they don't kick Link out of Gerudo Town after the situation is resolved. This clan of proud warriors that cling deeply to their roots and traditions, just let Link walk in and out of Gerudo Town as he likes. It apparently isn't that much of a deal anymore if young VaI were to see a Voi, and saving their Town for the second time after defeating Va Naboris, returning peace to Gerudo Desert, and retrieving their heirloom was now enough to allow him to enter without a disguise? Oh yes, I forgot BotW didn't happen apparently. Secondly, I want female Gerudo clothes for Link. Why would you rob us of this experience? I also strongly feel like they designed the areas in this order Rito>Gerudo>Gorons>Zora it just gets less and less refined throughout the game. I first encountered the Wind Temple and then went to the Water Temple afterward. I felt like I've skydived full speed from the sky islands straight into the depths without a paraglider. Moktoroc was a Boss I'd expect in a meme fight or mod or something, but a fully-fledged dungeon boss..?

Talking about bosses, something I really enjoyed in TotK were the encounters with Master Khoga. He is such a delight to encounter in this game; truly the most polished and lovable character in all of TotK (and BotW in my opinion). He has his purpose, he is silly, sometimes overly so, but all in all, is he a real threat to the inhabitants of Hyrule and Link. For real, Master Khoga and his Clan always recognize Link and engage with him BECAUSE he is Link and not because he just happened to be there. When I encountered Master Khoga for the first time in the depths I was so excited because I remembered that he fell down this chasm in BotW and that the most iconic and best villain in BotW is still alive. I really was just so delighted I think I almost cried (I'm a huge fangirl, leave me alone). He and the Yiga Clan made the Depths their own in the time that passed between those two games. The only thing I would have wished for was that Master Khogas questline could have been a bit longer and that he shouldn't have ended up like in BotW. And what I would have liked was to have one huge Yiga-Clan structure that served as their home base in the depths, like the Yiga Hideout on the surface.

There are just three more things I want to mention that don't sit well with me in this game.

First: the Depths are empty. I want to make each Zelda game my own and play it at least once to 100% in any regard. All Locations, all Shrines, all Lightroots, all chests, all quests, all Koroks (urgh), and so on. I want to harvest everything this game has to offer. But when I was "exploring" the depths in my progressed savestate I just found myself comparing the overworld to the depths to find shrines or lightroots. I traveled from one destination to another just to complete my task and gaining every shrine in the process was a nice addition. Tbh, I don't even know what the reward was for clearing all Shrines. I remember you got some kind of seed or flower from the lightroots tho.

The depths are incredibly dull. What happens in the depths?

1. You get the Autobuild ability

2. Fire Temple (Great design choice btw, very esthetic tho not challenging)

3. Minerus questline

4. Master Khoga and the Yiga-Clan

5. Weird Poe trading Statues (idk if this should count tbh)

6. Lost Woods access

7. Demon King Ganondorf (Daddy)

So we've got 6-7 major events in the depths. An area as big as Hyrule itself filled with almost nothing. You encounter abandoned Mines that always work the same. Search for the chest, pick up some Zonaite, and off you go. Yiga-Clan outposts; kill the Yiga, read the journal, loot the chests, and next. And don't get me started on the recycled dungeon bosses you can now just kill for fun down there. WHY?? I hate when bosses, incredibly strong monsters that are tied to a location as its last obstacle, as its guardian to prevent the Hero from accomplishing his goal, just get reused as an overworld boss. Tho they're so easy to kill a Gleeok is more dangerous. Now that I think about it King Gleeok might just be the most challenging Boss in TotK.

The second thing I would have wished for, but knew it would not happen was for Link to permanently lose his arm and for Zelda to remain a Dragon. I knew it wouldn't happen because Zelda always has a happy ending but it would have solidified TotK as another huge break in the tloz formula. Link losing his arm would have shown just how incredibly dangerous this whole situation really was, even to the Hero of the Wild. A crippled Hero with lost limbs and remains scarred for life (like the theories for the Heros Shade from Twilight Princess) is something Zelda lacks and just solidifies that Link is fucking overpowered and nothing can stop him. Don't get me wrong, I know it's kinda his thing to just be like this and to make the player feel accomplished in saving the land of Hyrule and its Princess, but we’re in the 2020s, and people want some kind of realism, drama, and especially in this case, involvement in the story. The way things are, it just feels like a fever dream sometimes. Might be an unpopular opinion but I'd like to see Link struggle for once in a while. (I know, botw’s basically a summary of Zelda and Links’ struggle to save Hyrule, but that’s not my point here and you know it.)

I know the chances of Zelda remaining a Dragon forever were close to nonexistent, and I think I wouldn't have a problem with this, if the developer had just given us a real explanation as to why, and how this is even possible. Mineru emphasized multiple times, that this forbidden ritual is irreversible and that she would erase herself if she were to proceed. Her decision has such a massive impact on the Story. Zelda went to such lengths to protect her Kingdom and support Link, she gave up everything and she was so terrified but her trust in Link is just so great that she believes that he will at least save Hyrule; her kingdom when she can only provide him with the tool to do so. Only to be reversed because two ghosts appeared. The theory that Sonia and Rauru channeled their energy through Link to reverse Zeldas form like Mineru said is just that, a theory. But aside from Raurus power and spirit residing with Link in his arm, where did Sonia come from? When the imprisoning war happened Sonia was long gone and there were no hints of her spirit being connected to Link or Zelda. It just feels unpolished and the explanation of "magic" isn't satisfying at all.

Lastly, something that bothers me in particular, I don't think many miss this feature. I am a huge fan of the Dark Souls series and challenging games in general. So my disappointment, when I learned that there wasn't a Master Mode for TotK, and there are no plans to implement one in the future, was immense. I would have loved to play through this game with a more challenging note and 100% it that way. I’m really sad about this, would have loved to see improved golden monsters that would have destroyed me and tested my skill.

To end this rant on a positive note, TotK is still one of the best games I've played. Its mechanics and freedom of action are one in a kind and I could spend hours just playing around with ZonaI devices and build the most ridiculous builds. It has really well-thought-out Quests and fun characters to interact with. Link and Zeldas relationship (as an aromantic myself) just feels so fulfilling. I know many people see their relationship and their dependency on each other as signs of a canon love story between these two, and by all means, go for it (that Zelda lives in Links house now is evidence enough. And I ship them occasionally myself)! But for me, the fact that it isn't explicitly said leaves room for interpretation, and, they are just two people who can 100% trust each other and whose lives are so incredibly intertwined that they are just codependent at this point. I love how they've written Zelda and Links relationship.

And my highlight, of course, is Ganondorf and the final boss fight. I adore Ganondorf his design is so incredibly well done, you feel his ambitions and dominance throughout every "encounter" we witness. Though we don't know those ambitions and anything about him besides that he wants to restore the rule of "the survival of the fittest", to be honest. He is pure fanservice I tell you. And I live for this.

The final fight is a (almost) one one-on-one with the Demon King(Just like Twilight Princess, one of the most epic showdowns of all time). An excellent magician who mastered all forms of weaponry just like Link and is even capable of flurry rushing (an ability that many/I thought was Links champion ability in BotW). It's epic, it's cinematic, and filled with surprises. When I fought Ganondorf in the first half, I just assumed we got two phases, and that's it, like in Botw. But holy shit. The second phase started and his health bar just kept going and he looks like THAT with his cocky attitude; brother. The moment you defeat him, and think it's over, you realize what he's about to do but before you can act he just grabs Link, and smashes him through tons of stone, and debris (however he came out of this unscathed; would have loved if he got at least a little injured and then healed by the light dragon or something.) and suddenly you are in the skies facing off against this massive titan of a Dragon. This fight is as challenging as the Dark Beast Ganon fight in BotW but its buildup and the resulting fight high above the surface with the help of Zelda who subconsciously knows it's her destiny to support Link in this fight makes it way better than just a cinematic final showdown. Link manages to defeat the Demon Dragon and after he blows up like a nuke (wtf was that anyway, so awesome!) and Zelda is transformed back to her human form. Link is skydiving to catch Zelda as they plummet from the sky and the moment, he finally reaches her hand and catches her will be forever one of the most emotional and impactful scenes in any Zelda game. Despite its flaws, TotK offers an undeniably captivating experience. With its innovative mechanics, memorable moments, and interesting characters, it carved its own niche within the Zelda universe. While it does leave me a bit disappointed that it ended up like it did, expectations for Zelda Games are always skyrocketing but I still don’t think that we expected too much. I rate this a solid 8.5/10 while every other Zelda entrance is a 10/10.

I love TotK but like I said. It's a toxic relationship and whenever I find myself wanting to revisit this Hyrule I rather play BotW than TotK. Sorry for my rant.