Is Zelda Tears of the Kingdom Breath of the Wild 2?


Tears of the Kingdom Link riding paraglider

With the massive global success of Breath of the Wild and the imminent release of Tears of the Kingdom, a lot of hype has been generated once more for this game. But is Zelda Tears of the Kingdom Breath of the Wild 2, or is it a completely seperate game? We'll break that down for you.

Tears of the Kingdom was always initially referred to as Breath of the Wild 2, before the game was ever officially revealed. However, much like previous The Legend of Zelda games, the titling isn't as straightforward.

While you’re here, check out our pieces on the release date and pre order bonuses for Tears of the Kingdom, as well as our guide on the size of the game's map.

Is Tears of the Kingdom Breath of the Wild 2?

Yes, it has been confirmed that Tears of the Kingdom will be a sequel to Breath of the Wild. People have been referring to Tears of the Kingdom as Breath of the Wild 2, but it’s better to call it its own thing.

The game will be set once more in the Kingdom of Hyrule, and Link will be able to visit many of the locations already featured in Breath of the Wild. Nintendo is looking to shake up the mechanics in such a way that this sequel feels fresh and new. The trailers show much of the Kingdom being upturned and floating into the sky.

Tears of the Kingdom islands in the sky
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As for the story, it’s most likely set after the events of Breath of the Wild with the same rendition of Link and Princess Zelda we met in the previous title. They’re seen exploring some ancient caverns in Hyrule, where they face a reawakened enemy(possibly Ganondorf). After this, we see Princess Zelda in mortal peril once more.

Breath of the Wild returning features

While the Sheikah Slate from Breath of the Wild is nowhere to be seen in any of the Tears of the Kingdom footage, Link has access to many of the powers in different forms.

Tears of the Kingdom sequel ability magensis arm
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Link’s new arm is seen performing the Magnesis ability in the trailer, and we see him hurl his signature blue bombs at a Stone Talus in the trailer. Safe to say that all the old abilities from Breath of the Wild will be making a return in an upgraded manner.

Will Tears of the Kingdom have the champions

The champions formed an integral part of the story of Breath of the Wild, and we have been wondering if they will make another appearance. While Tears of the Kingdom is a sequel, there are hints that time travel may be at play. In fact, in an interview with Lega Hyrule, the voice actor for one of the Champions, Daruk, mentioned he’d be voicing one of Daruk’s ancestors.

This is exciting news as it may point towards converging plot points and character arcs from the previous titles. We may get to see fan favorites from Breath of the Wild, such as Mipha and Sidon, once more as well.

If you’re excited about all the new content coming to Tears of the Kingdom, be sure to check out our piece on whether the game will have multiplayer.

For more articles like this, take a look at our Guides and Zelda page.