With T-minus 30 days until the official release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, you're probably looking for any hints you can find regarding gameplay and storyline. To fire up anticipation even more, Nintendo released a third and final trailer for the upcoming game. And boy, did this promo deliver.
The trailer highlights major characters - there's plenty of Link and Zelda footage - along with ones featured in Breath of the Wild. Lush landscapes, bustling towns, and hovering sky islands contrast with demonic monsters, Blood Moon transformations, and Ganondorf's maniacal face (more on that later). Needless to say, Tears of the Kingdom seems poised to deliver for both long-term Zelda fans and new players alike. Here's some of the top reveals from the third trailer.
10 Hyrule Is Rebuilding
In Breath of the Wild, players were introduced to a post-apocalyptic version of Hyrule. Calamity Ganon's destructive shock waves spread far, and survivors eked out lives in widespread villages and horse stable way-stations. In that game, Link often encountered travelers in ones and twos that braved the wildernesses of goblins and monsters around them.
The Tears of the Kingdom trailer, though, shows a different side of Hyrule's citizenry. Gorgeously rendered images of bustling villages, camps of Hyrule soldiers, and a rebuilt interior of Hyrule Castle indicate that all is not lost after Calamity Ganon's rule - at least, not yet. Of course, how long this era of peace lasts is anyone's guess.
9 Link Squares Off Against Fused Vehicles
In a previous gameplay trailer of Tears of the Kingdom, Nintendo creators demonstrated one of Link's new Sheikah Slate abilities: Fuse. Already virally popular before the game's imminent release, Fuse lets Link merge just about any found items together into custom weapons and vehicles.
It appears that this ability is available to baddies too, at least if the giant mechanized robot emerging straight out of a wall is any indication. Other scenes show Link facing a group of goblins riding a moving rock-like contraption. Regardless of what else Ganondorf's minions can throw Link's way, these Transformer-esque battles are sure to create some epic fight scenes.
8 Princess Zelda's In Danger
It's pretty much a given in any Legend of Zelda game that the titular Princess will be in some sort of danger. Otherwise, what does she need a blond, Master Sword-wielding protector for?
The type of danger - and the stakes for Hyrule that accompany it - does vary from game to game, however, and the final Tears of the Kingdom trailer indicates that the stakes this time are very high indeed. From Hyrule Castle disappearing straight into the air to Zelda free-falling into a bottomless abyss, Link may just have his work cut out for him. But then again, that's what Zelda needs her hero for, right?
7 There Be Dragons...In Hyrule
Remember how the Tears of the Kingdom gameplay trailer showed some bat-like thing carrying some other, smaller thing around in its huge claws? Well, turns out that creature might actually have been a dragon. In the final trailer, Link stares down a gigantic, three-headed monstrosity with burning eyes.
Most likely a dungeon big bad, this enemy hints at the vast array of monstrosities that Tears of the Kingdom will introduce to players. If you thought Lynels were tough, Nintendo is clearly sending a warning signal that you better brace for much stronger (and scarier!) enemies in its newest Legend of Zelda iteration.
6 Ganondorf Is Back
Perhaps the single biggest reveal in the final Tears of the Kingdom trailer, Ganondorf's familiar, sneering face makes a clear and prominent appearance. No longer is Link just fighting Ganondorf's disembodied calamitous self, but it also looks as if the "dark being from the desert" is physically back in all his evil glory.
How this happens or what this means for Hyrule is still unclear, but one thing is for sure: this can't bode well for Princess Zelda. Perhaps players will get a final showdown between Link and Ganondorf on the level of Ocarina of Time's climactic battle.
5 The Master Sword Takes Center Stage
The Master Sword has always been an important weapon in Legend of Zelda games. It's served a variety of purposes, including as a time machine in Ocarina of Time, but it ultimately is the only weapon that can successfully defeat Ganondorf for good.
Tears of the Kingdom's plot-line appears to center around the Master Sword. Both Link and Zelda are shown holding it in various teaser scenes, and Zelda even references it directly. What kind of significance and power will it hold for the upcoming battle against Ganondorf? Something critical enough to keep it charged up as much as possible, no doubt.
4 There's Another Man In Zelda's Life
Princess Zelda's father - the rightful King of Hyrule - has appeared both directly and in passing throughout much Zelda lore. However, Breath of the Wild flashbacks hinted at a tumultuous relationship between Zelda and her father, one that eventually ended with Calamity Ganon's takeover.
The title Tears of the Kingdom may actually refer to certain trailer scenes that show Zelda crying with a much larger man's heavy hand on her shoulder. Whether this man is her father or the physical incarnation of Ganondorf remains to be seen. However, Zelda's backstory - already fleshed out in more detail than players are used to in Breath of the Wild - may contain some critical information that Link will need to defeat Ganondorf once and for all.
3 Link Helps Villagers In Need
In past games like Majora's Mask, Link has taken on the role of active protector for helpless villagers in need. This job looks like it might be a more frequent addition to his resume in Tears of the Kingdom. On top of Link's typical "I need you to find this ingredient" or "save me from this goblin" quests common in Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom might actually require Link to escort caravans of villagers to different parts of the map.
This could be a mixed blessing as some people in need of rescue are needier than others. For every Princess Zelda, there's also a Princess Ruto. Hopefully, more of the villagers fall into the former's camp.
2 The Gerudo Culture Gets A Deep Dive
One of the more fascinating ethnic groups in The Legend of Zelda is the Gerudo, the desert dwellers from which Ganondorf originates. An all female group of warriors, the Gerudo often play a pivotal part in Link's quest to save Hyrule, even if they initially start out as antagonists.
Tears of the Kingdom introduces both new and old Gerudo faces, but, more enticingly, shows off some of the Gerudo's impressive sword work. As enemies, the Gerudo are formidable. But as allies, Link's chances of victory go up exponentially.
1 Link Has Some New Friends
In past games, Link has fought alongside fairies and imps (think Navi and Midna) that grant him additional powers and guidance. But rarely has he had another sword-wielding being by his side while facing down Ganondorf's army.
That might change in Tears of the Kingdom as a significant portion of the trailer shows a motley crew of Gorons, humans, Zora, Gerudo, and Rito accompanying Link into battle. Indeed, it seems like all of Hyrule's surviving population is willing to take up arms against Ganondorf, perhaps because they simply have no other choice. Regardless, if you're going to be risking your life to save a princess, doing so with friends definitely makes the prospects seem a little better.