Moments pages are Spoilers Off.
It's dangerous to go alone... so don't.
Unmarked spoilers below.
- The game's map intro easily tops the already-iconic and awesome intro of the previous game's map with Link running out to a vista of Hyrule. Here, Link awakens in another location and leaves the area to see sunlight...and walking out reveals he's already on a floating island high in the sky above the kingdom. An extended diving sequence then commences, fully letting the splendor of the sky islands and the sheer verticality of the expanded map sink in, particularly since you're at the highest point of the sky, and the title logo coming in as Link dives clicks into place at just the right time to declare the game has officially started and cement it as a truly next-level sequel. And to finish the entire scene off, Link's descent into the pond below is accented by the soundtrack reaching a powerful crescendo as he continues to fall. Finally, it is capped off by a soothing woodwind as he splashes down into the water, and the droplets raining down on him from the sheer force of the splash. Your next adventure has truly begun.
- Following the Time Skip between both games Riju has taken to becoming a Lady of War, learning to expertly wield two scimitars and using a variation of Urbosa's lightning magic. Becoming the Sage of Lightning merely makes it official. In fact, her ascension with that stone explicitly does not grant Riju (or any stone wielder) any new power or even knowledge. It can only enhance natural and already-learned talent.
- After helping Hudson with his daughter, Link can buy a dream house from Rhondson. This allows the player design their own home, provided that they have enough money to buy all the rooms they want. They can buy a kitchen, a paddock, multiple weapon displays, and even a blessing room. Unlike the previous game, this allows players more creative freedom to give Link the house he deserves.
- The Ultrahand ability is amazingly Simple, yet Awesome in its main function - telekinetically grab things and stick them to each other. This simple feature opens up tons of possibilities for puzzle solving, as well as just creating anything you can possibly think of. Cutting the Knot and Dungeon Bypass are all too easy with Ultrahand, you just need the right objects to glue together. And there's almost always a way to fashion something together to either sidestep a challenge, or creatively complete it in ways that are very ingenius. Some players have even used it to make Humongous Mecha!
- In fact, all the new abilities are this. They blow the Sheikah Slates Runes out of the water. Ultrahand, as mentioned, is Magnesis on steroids, with Autobuild allowing to speed up certain Ultrahand builds. Ascend lets you traverse otherwise impassible areas as long as a suitable platform is above you. Recall rewinds moving objects, providing interesting strategies taking advantage of the rewind. And Fuse lets you play around with weapons to either make them stronger or have a tool on hand for any occasion!
- The Dragon's Tears showing the memories of what happened in the distant past. After Gannondorf nearly takes Hyrule and the Master Sword is broken, Princess Zelda makes the ultimate sacrifice and actually swallows her secret stone. Doing so blesses the user with eternal life and power, but also permanently turns them into a mindless dragon. Zelda is aware of the price she's paying, but the Demon King has to be stopped and Link needs the Blade of Evil's Bane again if he's to stand a chance against him. So Zelda swallows the sacred jewel to become the Light Dragon, soaring through the skies and protecting the Master Sword as it bathes in sacred light for more than 10,000 years.
- The Monster-Control Crew. Are any of them the Hero of Hyrule, or even Hyrulean soldiers for that matter? No. Is there anything they admit they can do about Blood Moons undoing their work? No. Does that stop these Badass Bystanders from assembling Vigilante Militias to charge into monster strongholds and slay them to the last man if it means a more peaceful Hyrule? Hell no. The all-out wars that ensue whenever you lead their forces into an enemy stronghold are truly epic, and it's implied they've singlehandedly taken out several strongholds on their own without Link's help. They've likely taken down at least one Lynel, as the reward for a sidequest from one of the Monster-Control Crew members is a Blue-maned Lynel saber horn that he picked up on a previous expedition.
- Yunobo's character growth between games is incredible. In Breath of the Wild, he is a Cowardly Lion who relies on his Shield out of fear. In this game, after being free from his mind control, there is no evidence of that timid Goron anymore, and he bravely charges into danger with Link, fully becoming a Goron worthy of being the descendant of the Sage of Fire and Daruk.Yunobo: I'm gonna make my ancestors proud today, Link! I'll fight by your side!
- In truth, you can still see the uncertainty in some parts, but it's clear that Yunobo has managed to get a better control over his insecurities. While he might not be as certain in his actions as Daruk, he's shown to have grown to be fairly thoughtful in his decisions and more decisive. Something that is just as valuable as being strong and less fearful.Yunobo: I don't know if I'm nearly as great as my ancestor was... But then, if I don't help out, I'd be letting everyone else down! There's no way I'll let that happen! I can do this!
- In truth, you can still see the uncertainty in some parts, but it's clear that Yunobo has managed to get a better control over his insecurities. While he might not be as certain in his actions as Daruk, he's shown to have grown to be fairly thoughtful in his decisions and more decisive. Something that is just as valuable as being strong and less fearful.
- Lady Yona manages to get Sidon to finally break out of his mental block, pointing out how his fear of suffering another loss like his sister was ultimately hurting him more than helping, and that she knew he's able to be better than that, all the while never talking down to him and showing that she deeply cares for his wellbeing. She also proves invaluable by taking his place holding back the polluted waters long enough for him and Link to deal with the Water Temple's Scourge. It's easy to see why Yona managed to catch Sidon's attention.
- Tulin, the cheerful son of Teba from the previous games with a goal of become a powerful Rito Warrior like him and his hero Revali? Here, he's not only achieved that goal, but he also now matches (and possibly even surpasses) Revali as a master of the wind when he reawakened as the new Sage of the Wind, like his ancestor from 10,000 years ago before him. And he did this while being even younger than Revali was when he became Champion! Even if Revali wasn't there in spirit, he would almost certainly be proud of the kid.
- This also proves just how exceptional of a warrior that Revali also was as well. Unlike Teba and Tulin, who are descended from the Wind Sage (with the latter gaining the Wind Sage's aptitude for wind control), Revali managed to gain a mastery of wind control despite having no lineage to speak of, only his own hard work and refining of his skills. In a sense, he proved that he did deserve to brag about his accomplishments in life, even if he was exceptionally obnoxious about it.
- Riding around on dragons. If you're equipped with protective means against Farosh, Dinraal, and Naydra's elemental attacks, you can climb onto the dragons and farm materials off of them. If you're lucky enough, you can ride on them as they descend into the Depths. This will allow you to toss Brightbloom Seeds onto the ground below and locate Lightroots while enjoying your flight.
- The lead up to the Wind Temple is an incredible journey. Link must ascend up into the sky in the middle of a blizzard alongside Tulin while fighting monster and sentry alike, making death defying leaps and riding winds until you must be miles above Hyrule. The final descent into the temple proper is the most memorable part, where you launch yourself so high up that you're above the storm and the clouds and can see the sun and clear sky for the first time since the start of your ascent. You then come crashing back down onto the temple itself which is an enormous airship in the eye of the storm, as the music swells.
- The boss battle for the Wind Temple, Colgera, is a High-Altitude Battle as winds constantly push Link upward and allow you to dive and glide constantly as you try to get a bead on the enormous monster's icey weak points. Halfway through the battle it starts to whip up entire tornados to try and defeat you. If you use a bow and arrow while free falling like you are most likely expected to, you'll enter Bullet Time to line up your shots and break Colgera's ice barriers and then nail its weakpoints. And if you run out of arrows or want to try something even more daring? You can dive directly onto the weak point to break them. If you follow the game's prompts and handle the Rito story first, you are set up for one hell of a first dungeon and boss.
- Ganondorf, showcasing just how powerful a villain he is, opens the story by consuming almost all of Link's power, shattering the Master Sword, and displaying why it was he was so dreaded. Later in the story, he uses an evil doppleganger of Zelda to great effect, and even murders Queen Sonia in ages past to gain her Secret Stone. He was so powerful that Rauru could only seal him away.
- This counts as a moment for Link as well - that attack tore away 27 hearts worth of strength, broke a legendary weapon that took multiple gods to forge, and was so dangerous it essentially melted his arm to a point not even magical healing could fix. And when he comes to, Link doesn't so much as hesitate to get back to work.
- Even the Master Sword itself seems to be Defiant to the End, as despite such a grand showing of breaking it, a single fragment is still potent enough to leave a noticeable, searing gash on Ganondorf's cheek.
- Rauru himself, meanwhile, demonstrates in one of the Dragon Tear memories exactly why Ganondorf had to come up with the whole plan to assassinate Sonia in the first place. In an earlier attempt to simply conquer Hyrule through military might, Ganondorf and the Gerudo unleashed a swarm of dozens of Moldugas (each one of which would, in gameplay terms, qualify as a mini-boss or minor boss in its own right) on Hyrule's forces. Seeing them coming causes the soldiers to panic, and Zelda reacts with notable alarm. Rauru, meanwhile, wordlessly steps up and (with a bit of extra energy donated from Zelda and Sonia) fires off a positively massive beam of pure light into the horde, killing every single Molduga on the spot. The display of sheer overwhelming power leaves the Gerudo troops absolutely flabbergasted, and Ganondorf himself openly admits that he has no chance of winning the would-be war as things are.
- Pay close attention when Rauru is being given energy. Sonia begins to glow with an aura, and Zelda's is about twice as strong as hers.
- The Zelda of these games was not raised as a warrior, so it's all the more impressive that the flashbacks show she stood on the front line with the other Sages against Demon King Ganondorf, using her time powers in sync with their attacks to create an opening for Rauru to seal him after it became clear they could not outright win. While she is shown bearing obvious injuries from the battle, the fact she survived at all speaks volumes to how much she had learned and grown in this era.
- This game's iteration of acquiring the iconic Master Sword pull might just be its best yet. Firstly, it's revealed that the Master Sword is in the sky, embedded into a dragon's head. Upon reaching it, Link then has to hang on for dear life as the dragon ascends into the sky, thrashing around and putting Link's stamina to the ultimate test. Finally, upon hanging on for long enough, the dragon allows Link to pull out the Master Sword, which has been fully restored to its former glory, and raise it high into the air once again.
- Even those who ignore the questline and rush straight to Ganondorf? They will see Link drawing out the Master Sword from said dragon's head, which goes to show that Zelda is willing to deliver the Master Sword to Link regardless.
- While it is ultimately tragic and horrifying, the gambit Zelda sets up is awesome if only for the sheer grit and determination demonstrated. Knowing that the Hyrule she comes from is doomed otherwise, Zelda passes up the chance to live out her natural life in peace and sacrifices everything to give Hyrule a fighting chance.
- Sneaking into the Yiga HQ is one of the most badass things Link has done, especially because of how he basically steals all their secrets out from under them, including the Earthwake Technique used by the Blademasters, and the successful copy of the Thunder Helm from the last game, dubbed the Lightning Helm. Coupled with a few blueprints here and there and their stash of bananas, Link has proven to be the Kleptomaniac Hero of Hyrule, while tricking the Yiga into thinking that they've lucked out on finding a soldier who could triumph over Link and handed him some of their most powerful items.
- Once you've ended the regional phenomena, stormed Hyrule Castle, and found the Fifth Sage and checked in with Purah, all of your main quest objectives (apart from the one to Find Zelda) are checked off and replaced with a new one whose wording alone is enough to create the sense of grim urgency yet utter confidence toward a long-awaited battle: Destroy Ganondorf. This isn't just a defeat. This isn't a quest to restore peace. It's a fight to put down a terrible monster beyond any hope of his return, and the player is, at this point, armed and allied enough to make this possible and triumphant.
- The entirety of the final battle counts as this, from waging war against the Dark King's Army at the depths with the sages by your side, to fighting Ganondorf himself who is able to break a heart away and dodge flurry attacks, to having the sages join in, to Ganondorf going demonic and upgrading his ability to taking hearts flat out of you, to finally turning into a dragon himself and initiating a sky battle with a Draconified Zelda assisting you. It has become a common consensus that this finale will be hard to top.
- Speaking of the final battle, the duel of the dragons between Draconified Ganondorf and Link/Draconified Zelda team is perhaps one of the most epic final duel moments in gaming history. Link is literally flying by the seat of his pants while riding dragon Zelda, jumping and falling several hundreds of meters at a time from soaring altitudes to land on the gloomified dragon body that is Ganondorf, destroying one weak point at a time, and each time jumping away to safety which is yet another free fall to the ground, fully trusting the dragon Zelda who is instinctively (without reason or thought) flying to save/protect Link from falling to his death. At the same time, Ganondorf fires entire barrages of Gloom from his mouth, which can outright remove hearts from Link, but Zelda can block them with her body. Right after he lands, Link and Zelda fly and climb to gain a few hundred meters of altitude again to rinse and repeat until the final attack, which is to land on Ganondorf's head and deliver the final blow (to which Ganondorf is then destroyed in an extremely spectacular explosion of light). This is all done with no oxygen tanks, no G-Force suits, and no fancy aerial vehicles. In other words, Link did an equivalent of at least a dozen high-altitude skydive jumps and climbing back to altitude in a span of 15 minutes. Anyone who have seen Top Gun: Maverick should appreciate a thing or two about high-speed aerial battles in real-world physics and the physical toll it has on a human (or Hylian) body.
- It becomes even more awesome when you consider the symbolism in the greater context of the series. The three dragons introduced in Breath of the Wild are named after the Three Golden Goddesses; and while the introduction of draconification in this game casts doubt on the exact nature of their origins, they are clearly meant to symbolize those deities in some capacity. And now, in the final battle, we have Link wielding the Master Sword against a draconic form of Ganondorf, aided by a draconic form of Zelda. In all likelihood, this is the closest we're ever going to get to a full-on sequence of Link, Fi, and Hylia facing off against Demise.
- Breath of the Wild's progression is a journey toward mastering Link and making him stronger. Tears of the Kingdom offers an additional journey of mastering Hyrule itself and making traversal through its daunting vertical structure completely trivial. With enough Zonai device experience, Zonai charges, the Zonaite armor, and tons of Energy Wells, you can essentially attain lengthy free flight all over the map, such that you can eventually achieve an uninterrupted smooth ride all the way from the ground to the top of the island hosting the Room of Awakening! It's a level of exploration you can earn that puts the map in your control like never before in the Zelda series.
- The Glide Suit is one of the most fun and game-breaking armor sets when collected and upgraded. It serves as pretty decent substitute for the paraglider in descending in distances, and cost zero stamina to use. Furthermore, its upgrade set bonus is "Impact Proof". What does that mean? No fall damage. Ever. When Link wears the upgraded set, he can glide from the Great Sky Island to the surface and land on his feet completely unharmed without once having to take out the paraglider. The Impact Proof effect applies to all falls, too. Even if Link got hurt and is ragdolling from the highest possible height, he'll take no damage from the landing.
- Whenever you manage to defeat a Gleeok, which have usurped Lynels from the last game as the most difficult, tankiest overworld bosses.
- The performance of Matthew Mercer as Ganondorf. This is the first time that the King of Evil has had voice acting in an official Zelda title, and Matt Mercer put in his all bringing the villain to life. Not an ounce of that effort was wasted, and he brings an awe-inspiring sense of evil to Ganondorf in every scene he's in!
- After Rauru and Sonia's final blessing to restore Link's right arm and Zelda's human form following Ganondorf's defeat, Link awakens from the astral plane to find the two of them plummeting from the skies, with Zelda still unconscious far below him. Mirroring the opening beneath Hyrule Castle, he dives without hesitation to reach her and succeeds in saving her this time. The sight of Link straining to close those last few feet and grab Zelda's hand as dramatic versions of Zelda's Lullaby and the series' main theme soar in the background makes for one hell of a finale.
