The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom fans think new art points to a playable Zelda

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The copium is, once again, real

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

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom fans are once again hoping for a playable Princess Zelda.

Yesterday, February 8, the latest Tears of the Kingdom trailer debuted in a flashy Nintendo Direct. Shortly after, the official Zelda Twitter account in Japan tweeted the artwork of Princess Zelda in Tears of the Kingdom, seen just below, in which the Princess is carrying a slightly redesigned Sheikah Slate.

This has led a tonne of fans to hope and pray for a playable Princess Zelda. In the comments section of the Reddit post just below, Zelda fans desperately hope the redesigned Sheikah Slate means the Princess is a protagonist in Tears of the Kingdom, not just a sidekick as usual.

"Playable Zelda just got more likely," writes one commenter. "That was the impression I got when she asked Link to lend her his power," says another Reddit user, referencing a line that was heard right near the end of the new Tears of the Kingdom trailer yesterday.

Hey, some Tears of the Kingdom fans are just taking the redesigned slate to mean Zelda won't be disappearing roughly 15 minutes into the new game. A previous trailer, which saw Zelda falling into a gigantic hole in the ground, worried fans that she'd again be relegated to the damsel in distress role.

"So either they created a whole art just for the first 10 minutes of the game before she falls, or she has a major role in the game," wrote one Reddit user in response to the post above. "Zelda having the Slate gives me a tiny - tiny - glimmer of hope that she might do something other than go missing after the first fifteen minutes and be gone the entire game," chimed in another.

With the new Sheikah Slate and Zelda's new look, fans of the Princess are really pinning their hopes on a playable Zelda after decades of waiting. Will Tears of the Kingdom finally give us a playable Zelda, or will legions of fans once again be left in longing for what could have been?

Check out our upcoming Switch games guide for a deep look into everything Nintendo's console has to offer in the coming months. 

Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer
Freelance Writer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.