A small detail in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom might link it to Twilight Princess

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Link appears to be carrying around an item from Twilight Princess

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom artwork
(Image credit: Nintendo)

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom might be linked to Twilight Princess, if one popular fan theory proves correct. 

During yesterday's Nintendo Direct we finally found out the official title of the Breath of the Wild sequel, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Alongside the reveal, we also got a brand new trailer and key art, which fans have been furiously dissecting ever since. There's been a bunch of theories thrown out there already but this recent one points to a potential link between the new Zelda game and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. 

As pointed out by a fan on Reddit, in the new art released by Nintendo, Link can be seen carrying a Vessel of Light on his belt. This, along with the word 'tear' featuring in the game's title, has got fans theorizing that the two games are somehow linked.  

botw2_anyone_notice_this_yet_vessel_of_light_on from r/zelda

If you didn't know, the Vessel of Light is a recurring item in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and it's used to store and then revive Tears of Light to dispel the Twilight in the 2006 Nintendo game. The item also features in Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, and we guess now Tears of the Kingdom. It could just be a coincidence but it's way more fun to theorize these things while we wait for the game to release on May 12, 2023. 

As we've already mentioned, this is just one of several fan theories we've seen since the Nintendo Direct happened just over 24 hours ago. One of the other main theories is that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom isn't actually set in Hyrule this time, and instead will take place in Zonai. Eagle-eyed fans have also spotted changes to Hyrule Castle and Death Mountain, perhaps signifying that a lot has changed since Breath of the Wild. 

Still can't get over yesterday's reveal? Find out exactly where to get your hands on the new Zelda game when it releases next year with our The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom pre-orde guide.

Hope Bellingham
Hope Bellingham
News Writer

After studying Film Studies and Creative Writing at university, I was lucky enough to land a job as an intern at Player Two PR where I helped to release a number of indie titles. I then got even luckier when I became a Trainee News Writer at GamesRadar+ before being promoted to a fully-fledged News Writer after a year and a half of training.  My expertise lies in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, cozy indies, and The Last of Us, but especially in the Kingdom Hearts series. I'm also known to write about the odd Korean drama for the Entertainment team every now and then.