As The Legend of Zelda enters its impressive 40th anniversary, it’s proven time and time again that the series can work in multiple settings. Most recently, fans have been enjoying the Breath of the Wild universe, but that may change very soon.
Tons of Legend of Zelda fans took to Reddit to voice their thoughts on where the series goes next, and it seems like they are a united front.
Zelda Fans Are Ready To Move On From BOTW
We’ve Been In It For A While
The top-rated comment sums up a lot of other fans’ thoughts: “Fresh start. BOTW era has largely been the focus of Zelda since 2017. It’s time to move on.” Another user chimes in, putting how long this has been in perspective: “In the same time period between 1997 and 2007, we got Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, Phantom Hourglass, the Oracle games, and Minish Cap.”
Another gamer agrees, but also notes that they could go for one more Breath of the Wild-like: “I mostly agree, but I’d be good for one more, well past the current story where Hyrule is bustling and thriving. Would be cool to see that world really fleshed out and ‘full’.” While a mainline Zelda might not be the best place for that, I could go for a spinoff that ties a neat bow on that universe in the future. Someone else chimes in, “Can I get a hybrid of traditional and the open world styles?” to which another user replies, “That’s Wind Waker.”
I’ve been thinking a lot about where the series could go next, and some sort of Toon Link adventure could happen, bolstered by re-releases of Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass, and Spirit Tracks on Switch. It would be a killer marketing campaign that could marry newness and nostalgia, especially since Wind Waker has been a fan favorite for many years following its reevaluation by some Zelda fans.
It’s Time For A New Era Of Zelda
The Skyward Sword Is The Limit
Incredibly, Breath of the Wild has been essentially a subfranchise of Zelda for nearly 10 years. Originally released in 2017 on the Wii U and Switch, it spawned a full sequel in Tears of the Kingdom in 2023, as well as many other side projects.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment are both from the Breath of the Wild universe, not to mention the countless promotions like Nintendo Switch Online avatars and merchandise. It has been the dominant force in Zelda fandom for a long time, and now it’s time to shift to something new.
Even though there are a lot of familiar elements about any given Legend of Zelda game, the series excels at showing us Hyrule and the Warrior of Light in brand-new ways. Nintendo has its work cut out for it, topping Breath of the Wild, but there’s been plenty of time to figure that out behind the scenes.
- Movie(s)
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The Legend of Zelda (Live-Action)
- Created by
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Shigeru Miyamoto, Takashi Tezuka
- Upcoming Films
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The Legend of Zelda (Live-Action)
- First Episode Air Date
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September 8, 1989
- Cast
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Jonathan Potts, Cyndy Preston
