It seems that Princess Zelda may appear in several iterations in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Fans have been both delighted and fascinated by the game’s trailers, which offer intriguing peeks at Link’s next adventure and reveal the inclusion of both well-known and unfamiliar characters.
And while Zelda from BOTW will undoubtedly play a big role in the tale, several images in the most recent teaser make it seem like TOTK may feature a different Zelda.
Zelda, who—despite the Zonai tribe allegedly being extinct—seems to have ended up cohabitating with them.
This seems to imply that time travel will be a key story feature in Tears of the Kingdom, which might potentially lead to the debut of a brand new Princess Zelda.
Other hints include Link’s new time-rewinding Recall skill.
An unnamed woman who remarkably resembles Zelda from BOTW is one of the new faces to emerge in the most recent TOTK video.
She is a blonde Hylian with emerald eyes, dressing much like Zelda does when she appears among the Zonai.
Despite the differences in their faces and skin tones, the similarities nonetheless point to a strong link between the two.
It is possible that this character is a native of that era if Zelda is a guest in the Zonai’s time frame; hence, she might be Zelda’s ancestor.
In accordance with the Hylian royal family’s custom, this would also mean she is also named Zelda.
One of the titular Tears from Tears of the Kingdom appears in possession of both Zelda and this new individual, and numerous additional Tears from the game appear throughout the clip.
Zelda may be seen holding the yellow Tear in her hands while saying, “Something only I can do,” as it is seen being worn around the necks of both Hylians.
The red Tear seems to have something to do with Ganondorf’s resurgence, while the yellow Tear shines just before the mystery Hylian arrives to unleash a burst of golden energy, which is reminiscent of Zelda’s inherent divine abilities.
Another major indication that the two Hylian ladies are linked is the fact that they both appear to possess comparable magical abilities.
All of Zelda’s predecessors possess the same abilities since Hylia is the source of all of her talents.
Of course, it’s also feasible that this fresh instance of golden magic derives from the Tear alone, independent of a lineage.
If this Hylian is a genuine Zelda from the distant past, it is possible that she is the Princess who first sealed Calamity Ganon 10,000 years before Breath of the Wild.
This makes great sense given that TOTK is a direct successor to BOTW; a story detail like this could easily offer insight into the circumstances that ultimately led to Breath of the Wild.
This would likely explain how Ganondorf’s body ended up being hidden beneath Hyrule Castle and, in turn, the reasons why the Upheaval now exists in Hyrule.
But there’s also a darker aspect to this that has to be recognized. There is a suggestion that something has happened to the original Zelda as the present Zelda acquires the yellow Tear.
It is also feasible that she has been sent back in time to seal Calamity Ganon herself, which would establish a time loop.
Obviously, all of this is just idle speculation, and it’s also possible that the Hylian woman’s identity may actually be more nuanced.
For instance, according to certain beliefs, she is actually the Goddess Hylia.
This would explain why she and Zelda are so similar, but it also begs the issue of why The Hylian looks so different from earlier portrayals of her.
Another hypothesis is that the Hylian is actually Zelda from BOTW who has undergone a change.
All in all, the physical similarity between this new Hylian and Princess Zelda from Breath of the Wild appears far too great to be just a coincidence, despite their distinctions.
It is immediately clear that there is a close relationship between the two, especially when considering their similar clothes and shared Tear.
Although there are other possibilities, it appears that a Princess Zelda from a previous era is the most likely one.