Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Theory Points To The Moment Link Loses All Of His Power

"The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom" is almost here, and fans are busy excitedly speculating and theorizing about what the new title will bring. There's been no shortage of wild theories about gameplay and plot points in the next game, and ad leaks and new trailers are only fueling the discussion further. Now, with the release of the final trailer before the official launch, some fans have put forward a theory to explain the loss of Link's power between games.

The fact that "Tears of the Kingdom" is a direct sequel to "Breath of the Wild" presents a challenge for developers, as it means the same iteration of Link will be carrying on his journey. Throughout the "Zelda" timeline, there is always a Link and a Zelda fighting a great evil. Link always has to gain power over the course of his adventure in order to finally defeat the villain and save Hyrule. As most of these Links are a new person (it's complicated), it makes sense that each game charges the player with acquiring their powers anew. This time, however, it will be necessary to explain why Link he must start from scratch, building up his health and abilities all over again.

If fans are correct, Nintendo has taken note of this discrepancy and are adding a narrative explanation for why Link would be starting over. What's more, there's a theory that the final trailer gave away the moment in which Link will lose his powers.

The last trailer for "Tears of the Kingdom ” finally introduces Ganondorf's new look and even teases what may be an early confrontation between him and Link. A sequence in which a strange, red energy seems to envelope Link's arm would appear to set up the emergence of the game's villain and offer a glimpse of his plans. According to one theory put forward on Reddit, it also explains how Link will lose his powers at the beginning of the game.

Ok theory time. This is when all that we collected in BOTW is taken away. The hearts, stamina wheels and champion abilities. It would also be very cool to see Ganondorf use something like Urbosas Fury or Daruks Protection!
by
u/larryman55 in
tearsofthekingdom

This fan theory contends that the red energy could actually be siphoning away Link's power and transferring it to Ganondorf. If true, this would be a great way of simultaneously explaining Ganondorf's return and Link's starting from scratch in "Tears of the Kingdom." Another Reddit theory has taken this idea even further, noting that Link seems to be holding the Master Sword when harmed by the red energy. This could mean that the sword, or Link's connection to it, has been tainted, preventing him from wielding it. In essence, this scene could explain the loss of Link's power and his best weapon.

These theories are entirely plausible but, of course, we won't know anything for certain until the game releases in May. Until then, we can only guess at how Link will lose his weapons and power — and whether or not Ganondorf is taking deadly lessons from Thanos for his comeback.