Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom fan theory has Ganondorf pulling a Thanos

Artwork for Ganondorf in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
(Image credit: Nintendo)

A new fan theory surrounding The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom suggests Ganondorf will be doing his best Thanos impression.

The theory, posited by the Tears of the Kingdom subreddit post just below, rightly points our Ganondorf has several unused slots in his obnoxiously large necklace. The post's author suggests Ganondorf will claim the titular Tears of the Kingdom from other characters in the new Zelda game, to Thanos Snap everyone out of existence (or just do some general evil).

Could it be? from r/tearsofthekingdom

We still don't know a lot about Ganondorf's motivations in Tears of the Kingdom - he was only finally revealed as the sequel's big bad earlier this month, after all - so it stands to reason he could be after the Magatama beads we've seen other characters holding.

If this is the case, we can expect Ganondorf to be gunning for Link, Sidon, Riju, Zelda, and other returning characters in Tears of the Kingdom. We've already seen artwork where several returning characters possess the mysterious Magatama beads, which some are taking to represent the literal Tears of the Kingdom, and grant new powers to whoever wields them.

There's a lot of unconfirmed speculation surrounding Tears of the Kingdom right now, including the possibility of old-school dungeons being back, as well as what appears to be Skyward Sword's Demise back in full force. All this rampant speculation only makes the new Zelda game all that more intriguing.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom finally launches on May 12.

Head over to our guide on The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom pre-orders if you're looking to get your hands on a fancy Collector's Edition before launch.

Hirun Cryer

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.