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Cutscenes/Story
- For Zelda, the memories show that this is very much a do-over for her in terms of her childhood. Rather than an emotionally distant and demanding father and a dead mother, she gets three loving parental figures in her life before things ultimately go to hell. Rauru, Sonia, and Mineru all treat her with respect and kindness, being willing to accept her feelings and considering her insight, and make the effort to make her comfortable in their timeline. When she struggles to figure out her new time-related powers, Sonia and Rauru gently walk her through things in relation to their own powers, and give her the space to figure things out without being judged. And it ultimately pays off, given that she's referred to as the Sage of Time by the end of her stay in the past, and she can use her time powers with ease, something she could never say about her divine powers in Breath of the Wild.
- The Ancient Sages expressing their pride in their descendants after they find their respective secret stones is heartwarming in their own distinct way.
- When Link arrives in Rito Village, we see an older Tulin arguing with his parents over him going to scout the enormous cloud that's causing the blizzard currently blanketing the town in snow. However, Tulin's anger and frustration utterly evaporates as he is overjoyed to see Link again, showing that despite being older and more capable, he's still excited to see his idol.
- Tulin's sheer joy at being able to accompany Link on his quest should give a nice fuzzy feeling for the young warrior, especially for those who previously met him in Breath of the Wild. After seeing Link save his village twice, he looks and sounds incredibly eager to finally return the favor.
- In BotW, during the Champion's Ballad, reading Revali's diary shows he didn't have a high opinion of Hylians in general, thinking of them as selfish and only thinking of themselves. However, during the crisis Rito Village is facing, even before Link arrives, multiple Hylians go out of their way to try to help the Rito by bringing in food and supplies.
- In Zora's Domain, everyone refers to Link as Sidon's best friend. Sidon is overjoyed to see Link again, despite the emergency. There's even a new statue of the two of them assaulting Vah Ruta in the town square (Mipha's statue got moved to the spring that Sidon is cleaning). One of Sidon's history records reveals that Link managed to permanently drive out the Lynel on Ploymus Mountain just so the Zora no longer had to fear this boss-level terror armed with their weakness and Mipha would later get the loving tribute she deserves.
- Yona is Sidon's fiancé, but their relationship is a little strained because they haven't seen each other since they were children and Sidon keeps trying to push Yona out to keep her safe. Eventually he realizes he needs to let her make her own choices, accepts her help, and finally gives his trademark smile and gleam. That Yona is able to kick Sidon out of his funk when even Link's presence isn't shows just how much Sidon cares for her and respects her counsel.
- Oddly enough, the fight against Yunobo. It may look like you have to hurt him, but you’re actually destroying the mask controlling him. The fact that the boss subtitle says "Clearly Not Himself" indicates that Link is aware that Yunobo is not in his right mind and is freeing him from the mask's control.
- After the Goron's Marble Rock Roast problem is solved, Yunobo feels guilty over how he allowed the situation to grow under his mind control. Despite his jerkass behavior, the two young Gorons who expressed concern over his character change never lose faith in him and remind him how he helped save everyone. Yunobo is clearly touched by their words.
- At first the Gerudo are dubious and even disapproving of Link being allowed in town, despite Riju's orders, being so used to the no-voe law being absolute and even warning the kids not to talk to him. By the time he and Riju have saved Gerudo Town and the desert, they've finally (aside from a few comedic moments) grown to be comfortable having him around, especially after he's declared a hero to the town by Riju and he's allowed to walk in with open arms without needing to disguise himself.
- In a small moment, while they say nothing, Rauru and Sonia take each other by the hand as they move onto the afterlife, finally reunited.
- When Link enters the the Chasm where Ganondorf is at, he's about to face an army of monsters alone, until unexpectedly, all five current Sages come in and join Link in the final fight against Ganondorf. It's not just their Sage avatars either, it's them in person. When they pledged to fight by Link's side, they meant it.Tulin: You don't have to fight all by yourself, you know! [his Secret Stone activates] When we fight together... we're unstoppable!
Yunobo: [his Secret Stone activates] I'm gonna make my ancestors proud today, Link! I'll fight by your side!
Sidon: [his Secret Stone activates] Link! We shall protect Hyrule together! [flashes his signature grin]
Riju: [her Secret Stone activates] The Gerudo owe you for your help. You can count on me!
Mineru: [her Secret Stone activates] I will atone for my past failure. It is time to stop the Demon King! - After Ganondorf is destroyed and Zelda returned to her human form, both her and Link end up falling from the sky. It is here that Link gets his greatest second chance to save her after he failed to do so in the beginning. And he finally succeeds. You can basically hear him thinking as he saves her, "I lost her once. I am not going to lose her again!"
- Even the interface no longer says "Dive", but "Dive to Zelda". The controls themselves won't let you do anything Link wouldn't, and no force in Hyrule could keep him from her.
- And as they near the lake, Link hugs Zelda tightly as they land in the water. Afterwards, he carries her bridal style to shore and lays her down for her to wake up. If there was any doubt about Link having his own feelings for Zelda, this scene alone puts all of these doubts to rest.
- After Zelda wakes up, she tells Link that she had been sleeping all this time, but when she "felt something...like a warm, loving embrace", she woke up.
- The sheer joy in Zelda's voice as she says "You did it...oh Link, you really did it!". Really makes you, the player, feel like you've just accomplished something incredible.
- In the end, Mineru congratulates everyone for their efforts and decides that her time has come to move on, just like Rauru and Sonia. Zelda is of course saddened to see her go, but Mineru leaves content that Ganondorf is truly gone and is proud to have met her and all of what she did. She also assures Zelda that when she goes to the afterlife she will tell Rauru and Sonia how much she cares about them, the princess having come to see them as basically surrogate parents. As we're left with the lifeless Zonai mech that Mineru once occupied, Zelda stands there sad. What do the other Sages do to cheer her up? They pronounce their loyalty to Zelda and Hyrule with a united pledge. Sure they awkwardly mess up the first time around, but just like with Link, they will do exactly what their ancestors have done, protect. They don't know it, but this is exactly what their ancestors did with Rauru and Zelda saw it. Zelda can hardly keep her composure, but it's clear as day, this means the world to her. Hyrule is in good hands.
- In the Zonai Temple of Time, the vision that Zelda gives Link the Recall ability, she wordlessly offers Link her hand, as if to reassure Link that she's okay and survived, despite Link's Futile Hand Reach in Ganon's sealing tomb.
- It turns out that the voice from the trailer saying "But, you are not alone" was Mineru, telling her brother that he doesn't need to fight Ganondorf by himself. This ultimately convinced him to give each of the world leaders their own Secret Stone. Everyone gives Rauru their full support, and he responds by gifting all of them phenomenal power.
In-Game
- With Rito Village facing a food crisis due to the blizzard, Hylians from all over can be encountered supplying them in their time of need. One NPC who got trapped on the road laments that if that didn't happen, his food for the Rito wouldn't have spoiled, and a woman insists she doesn't want a single Rito child to starve.
- The Hylians who are supplying and transporting the food are said to be doing so at their own expense, the priority being the wellbeing of the Rito and not the financial concerns a crisis like this can bring.
- The Koroks now have a puzzle where you need to bring one to the other, with your quarry constantly saying "I need to reach my friend!" The whole thing is adorable, really.
- Zelda games have largely been solitary affairs; the first line of dialog a lot of people saw in The Legend of Zelda was "It's dangerous to go alone." In Tears of the Kingdom, Link is far from alone, having developed friendships and a reputation for being a hero during the Time Skip.
- When you enter Lookout Landing after getting back to the surface, all of the NPCs Link talks to are elated that he's okay, all of them saying that they were worried, with Purah having outright Anger Born of Worry at him.
- Once you go through the Skyview Tower tutorial, you begin to realize that the Sheikah aren’t just relying on lost technology. They’re building stuff again, for the first time in millennia.
- All of the New Champions (with the exception of Teba, since he's retired from warrior duty to be the new Village Elder, and therefore Tulin, his son, ends up taking his place) end up aiding Link in this new adventure, having confidence in him and providing muchly needed support for their respective storylines, and eventually become Sages who use their Avatars to aid Link from afar.
- Tulin basically treats Link like an idolized older brother and clearly looks up to him a great deal. Even when he's acting dismissive of everyone else in the village and insisting he can do things on his own, he immediately and enthusiastically accepts Link's help when it's offered.
- The Depths are scary and unnerving for the most part... but Lightroots help take the edge off. Apart from the obvious utility of illuminating the dark caverns, there's also the subdued, yet comforting piano jingle that plays upon discovering one. Even while deep underground, where danger lurks around every corner in the void, there's still a sense of hope that can be achieved with every Lightroot found, especially as it also restores any Gloom-stricken heart containers you have.
- Zelda was living in Link's house in Hateno Village before she went missing. This may lead one to believe Link simply gave her his home and opted for a nomadic lifestyle. However, a few details seem to contradict this—Zelda had a secret study built below the well, which would be odd if there were nobody else living there to keep anything hidden from (Zelda's diary expressly noting the room was made for when she needs to concentrate when working alone, implying there is a notable distraction for her in the house) — and among these secret possessions of hers? Link's old, worn hair tie from the first game. Additionally, you can still sleep in the house, whereas the game doesn't let you sleep in other peoples' homes. Lastly, various personal use items in the house are set out for two people instead of one. All this suggests that Link and Zelda live in the house together... which makes it all the more noticeable that there's still just one bed.
- Zelda's Diary in her secret study only adds fuel to the fire, wherein she writes excitedly about having ordered a new Champion's Tunic for Link as a surprise. It very much reads like a doting girlfriend or wife happy to be doing something nice for her partner. Bonus heartwarming points for her method, hiding her gift behind a secret mechanism in Hyrule Castle, which she expresses doing in knowing how good he is at sniffing things out, almost like a game between them.
- Between this and the previous game, she also helped establish a school for the village children. You can actually find some of the kids' artwork pinned in Zelda's study, and also an adorable drawing of Zelda surrounded by the kids in the schoolhouse.
- If you completed the Champions' Ballad, the photo of Link, Zelda, and the Champions will still be on display in the house.
- Hearing Zelda describe Link to Rauru and Sonia in one of the Memory Tears. Back in Breath of the Wild, Zelda initially resented Link for achieving his destiny of wielding the Master Sword, while she struggled with her sealing powers, assuming that he thought of her as unworthy. Here, Zelda speaks the world of him, and the love and admiration in her voice is obvious.Zelda: [Link] is a royal knight. He had been originally appointed for my protection. But later, he became a hero by saving both me and Hyrule from a great evil!Rauru: Oh? A hero, is he?Zelda: He is so very dedicated. And he refuses to back down from any challenge. He is very strong… and his heart is good and true!Rauru: Ah. I can see that you have absolute faith in him. Hearing you speak so highly of Link, I find myself wanting to meet him as well!Sonia: Indeed. I would also like to meet him. He must be quite the brave, courageous knight. What a picture Zelda paints of him!
- Ashai, teacher of the "Voe and You" class, asks Link if he's set his heart on someone special. She asked the same question in Breath of the Wild, but whereas Link can't actually give an answer in that game, in Tears of the Kingdom he has the option to say yes.
- In an extremely sweet form of Old Save Bonus, players of Breath of the Wild will have their horses transferred into Tears of the Kingdom as if they've remained in Link's care for the entire meantime. When checking the horses you have boarded at a stable the first time, it can be an extremely affecting surprise to see all the horses you've caught (and perhaps emotionally latched onto) in BotW right there and ready to join you on your newest adventure. It'd be reasonable to assume Link would have to start with a clean slate and catch new horses in this game, but instead, the game gives you your old friends as a lovely present.
- Back in Breath of the Wild, villages were quite insular, and not really aware of any happenings going on outside their borders. But in Tears of the Kingdom, people are really coming together to rebuild Hyrule, get the word out about everything that’s happening and research the newfound world beneath them. The entire region is behind Link, ready to support him in any way they can.
- Early in the morning in Kakariko Village, you can find Dorian and his daughters Cottla and Koko praying at some shrines in front of the chief's house. The grave of Dorian's wife is inaccessible to them, as "Princess Zelda" has blocked off one of the Ring Ruins, and the graveyard along with it. Should you talk when all three are present, Dorian will say that he's proud of his daughters.
- Progress far enough in the story to have defeated the Phantom Ganon posing as Zelda, and with the Ring Ruins no longer blocked off, Dorian and his daughters can finally pray once more at the graveyard.
- Koko makes and sells Ring Garlands, flowered wreaths, as souvenirs to any passerby, as an effort to encourage fellowship in Hyrule, and wishes good will to Link. If he fuses the garland to his shield and wears it, Koko will happily take notice, as will Dorian, Cottla, and even Paya. Notably, Paya has an entry in her diary noting Koko's kindness.
- Cottla is usually drawing Ring Ruins in the dirt, but she also secretly enters the Kakariko Village Well, where it's revealed she's trying to learn to cook with her late mother's diary to help out Dorian and Koko.
- Based on Yona's dialogue when you first meet her, Sidon considers Link to be his best friend.
- If you take the arrows lying in Molli and Harth's hut in Rito Village, Molli will begin to tell you off before deciding that you probably need those arrows and enthusiastically telling you to take them because she's just so excited to be sharing with someone who needs them.
- Everything about the Light Dragon:
- The simple fact that Zelda was willing to go to such great lengths just to give Link a fighting chance against Ganondorf, even at the cost of potentially her own personhood!
- When Link recovers all of the tear memories and sees what Zelda did, the Light Dragon is there waiting patiently for him to remove the Master Sword from her head (and if Link doesn't remove it until the final battle, she will let him pull it without a struggle), so it's clear that she knows exactly who Link is, even after over 10,000 years.
- Flipping things around to Link's perspective: the main objective of the game is "Find Princess Zelda." It is not marked as complete once you learn she's become the Light Dragon. It isn't abandoned when Link sees those visions that insist that dragons lose all sense of who they were. Even when the situation seems hopeless, Link won't accept that there's no way to fully recover Zelda, and his faith and determination are rewarded at the end of the game.
- During the final battle, as the Demon Dragon carries Link in its maw, the Light Dragon cries out and comes charging at it full speed to free him and proceeds to aid him and protect him as Link takes the Demon Dragon down.
- After the Demon Dragon is destroyed, Zelda is then restored to her true form thanks to the intervention of Sonia and Rauru's spirits. She has no real memory of being a dragon, Zelda noting the experience was like being asleep. She reunites with Link (after, in the player's final act of the game, he dives after her and catches her in midair), and realizes that Ganondorf has been defeated and she is back in her time. She declares warmly to Link that she is home.
- Taking into account that Zelda was not truly conscious of being the Light Dragon, it is still very clear that despite this, some part of her was in control given her final Dragon Tear and her actions during the Demon Dragon battle.
- Despite claiming that becoming a dragon robs one of their own self, The Light Dragon is the only one that does no harm towards Link, if only creates an updraft for him to leave, and many of its properties retain healing potential too. This dragon still retains all the goodness of Zelda through and through.
- The Light Dragon is also the easiest of the four to get to, at least after completing the Dragon's Tears sidequest and freeing the Korok Forest. Her path takes her in the close vicinity of every Skyview Tower in the overworld, and her altitude is such that diving and gliding onto her is a trivial matter. This makes it incredibly easy to acquire Light Dragon Parts... which, when fused with a weapon, heal with every strike. Not to mention, they are one of the required ingredients in upgrading the Champion's Leathers, the strongest single piece of armor in the game, and one which Zelda herself made for Link. Even as a mindless, immortal beast, the Princess is doing everything she can to help her beloved Knight.
- After liberating and rebuilding Lurelin Village, the proprietors are so grateful they grant you the use of their services for free, in perpetuity.
- The rebuilding of Lurelin Village in general also counts. Bolson just happened to wander by at some point before the monsters showed up, being offered a place to stay with the village head. The second the monsters are gone, Bolson immediately starts making plans to rebuild the village, in order to repay them for their generosity.
- It's even sweeter with Bolson's past in mind. After Hudson's wedding in Breath of the Wild, he voiced his intentions to retire and enjoy the rest of his life. However, before leaving Hateno to enjoy his retirement to Lurelin, he happily agreed to aid Zelda in building a school for Hateno Village. And then once the mess in Lurelin occurs, he gets to work on building the village right back up. Even after all that, he works even more to construct and run the Water Rally to attract more tourists to Lurelin. What a generous soul!
- After saving Lurelin, you can go around to all the Lurelin natives that were worried about the place, such as the Lookout Landing shop owner, and Link will inform them that Lurelin has been saved and you can hear their gratefulness. There is literally no in-game reason for the player to do this beyond just having Link be the bearer of good news.
- Kilton's brother Koltin dreams of becoming a Satori, which he decides he can do if he consumes a bunch of Bubbul Gems. Humor him and bring him all the 100+ Bubbul Gems in Hyrule, and alongside various rewards he gives you along the way, he thanks you profusely before... he turns into a Satori and happily hops away. While Kilton is saddened by what's effectively the loss of his brother, he acknowledges that it was Koltin's dream and is happy for him.
- In addition, as you hunted down the Bubbulfrogs to acquire the gems, you may have noticed small Satori (also known as Blupees) would hang out outside of caves where Bubbulfrogs lived, then run towards them as if to lead you there. Not only that, but you can offer fruit at various locations to have the Lord of the Mountain himself appear and mark the locations of caves for you. It's entirely possible that they knew what you were doing for Koltin and wanted to aid you in helping him become one of them.
- After the quest, Kilton says he'll move the balloon his brother used to "his favorite place". This turns out to be Satori Mountain, around where you could find the Lord of the Mountain in the previous game. And if you approach the balloon, you'll see numerous Blupees gathered around it. Perhaps one of them is Koltin?
- Kilton's sidequest is heartwarming in a roundabout way, given that in the previous game his love for monsters tended to get him seen as being rather creepy. In Tears of the Kingdom however, he finds a captive audience for his interests in Tarrey Town, working with Hudson and Link to create exhibits of various monsters so that the locals can enjoy seeing the monsters of the world safely. Even someone as odd as him manages to find people to share his interests with.
- Coming upon Tarrey Town can be a heartening experience for players. Every other settlement in the game has been negatively affected by the uprising and Gloomnote , but Tarrey Town remains safe, is prosperous, and finding constructive ways to use Zonai debris thanks to Hudson's leadership. The town is also filled with children happily playing, unaffected by what's happening in the world beyond.
- The abandoned Tarrey Mine in the Depths reflects this as well. All of the other abandoned mines that are under the above towns have been taken over by the Yiga Clan, save for the Tarrey Mine. Even there, Tarrey Town is safe.
- One of the Gerudo in the underground section of the town gets a crush on Link and tries cooking homemade meals for him. While she blunders the first few times (although the Dubious Food she makes ends up healing way more than usual), if Link keeps talking to her she will eventually start giving him Creamy Heart Soup, showing that Link's repeated visits eventually did let her improve her cooking.
- The evolution of Lookout Landing, serving as a parallel to Tarrey Town in the previous game. As the game progresses and Link ends the regional phenomena, more people come into the outpost and the place becomes more lively and decorated, with Rito, Gorons, Gerudo, and Zora ultimately all coming together with Hylians and Sheikah and mingling while banners with their emblems are added as decoration to signify their presence and support in the community there. Rito soar above the landing to watch the skies, Zoras train by the pond, Goron children roll around happily, and Gerudo soldiers join Hylian soldiers guarding the entrances, all while the music evolves to incorporate regional motifs as well. It's a very sweet and stirring reminder of the allyships and affection Link has garnered with his adventures and heroism, and it sends a clear sign that now, all of Hyrule is behind him and ready to fight with him.
- Once Link starts helping Symin out with lessons at the school in Hateno, Symin posts a note on the board outside welcoming him as a professor, and the kids will put a drawing of their faces around Link's on the wall.
- In the Yiga Branch in Akkala, interacting with the Yiga Blademaster there after warping once will have him ask if you visited him and the nearby Footsoldier because you were worried about them. It's oddly adorable.Yiga Blademaster: (Before passing the blademaster exam) Did you stop by our branch because you were worried about us?Yiga Blademaster: (After passing the blademaster exam) I've heard all sorts of stories about you. Have you come to support this branch?
- Heck, a lot of interactions with the Yiga Clan, especially the Yiga Blademasters, when you are disguised can qualify. Special mention to the Yiga Blademaster in the Blademaster Station when you pass the test; he gets so excited about it! Talking to him after warping somewhere will have him ask if you like being a blademaster. It might make you want to give the Yiga Blademaster a hug due to how adorable it is.
Yiga Blademaster: (excitedly) Hi there! It's been a while. How are you enjoying being a blademaster? - Crosses over with Tear Jerker: the Depths act as a physically inverted mirror of Hyrule, thus physically distinct places such as the Lovers Pond have Depths counterparts. If you go to Lovers Pond in the Depths, you'll find two Poes side-by-side in the middle of a heart-shaped hill. Considering that Poes are specifically the spirits of the dead, it's easy to see the implication.
- When you go to the bar after saving Gerudo Town, Furosa the bartender gives you a free Noble Pursuit, noting that Mattison was so happy to arrive and so grateful to Link's help that she asked Furosa to give him a drink for her as thanks, not only showing Mattison's fast integration into Gerudo society, but that Link's aid was well appreciated. Furosa seems charmed by the request as well, noting that it must taste better with a side of "sarqso" (thank you).
- The side adventure "Mattison's Independence." Hudson is nervous about his young daughter traveling to Gerudo Town and is trying to distract himself from the situation. However, Mattison wants to spend time with her papa before she leaves. The last thing they do together is make a hot air balloon, with Link's help of course, and using Sundelions to make a yellow cloth. Before she officially leaves, she declares that she will become a great vai like her mama and meet a wonderful voe like her papa.
- A bit of Fridge heartwarming: The fact that the song of the Stormwind Ark has survived for however many millennia implies that Rito oral tradition is really good at preserving information. Even though the Champions aren't mentioned much in TotK, the songs Kass wrote about them will probably keep their memory alive for a long, long time.
