The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom: Difference between revisions

* [[Benevolent Architecture]]: Whenever you need to use the Ultrahand to construct something, the materials are usually close by. (With a sign saying anyone is welcome to take them.) The hard part, of course, is figuring out how to use them.

* [[The Bet]]: Link enters a wager in two side quests:

** The side quest “One Hit Wonder!”; Link finds a woman outside the South Akkala Stable - Parcy - futilely hacking away at an ore Deposit, trying to break it and extract the gems from it. The look he gives her (possibly because she is doing it wrong, trying to do so with a Traveler’s Sword - makes her angry and give him a Let's See You Do Better dare, challenging him to break it in one hit. She doesn’t give him anything if he succeeds, but lets him keep the gems, which may include one or more Diamonds.

* [[Beyond the Impossible]]: {{spoiler|Mineru made it perfectly clear that draconification is an irreversible process, and given how scientifically inclined she is, it's not like she was making wild assumptions. Yet at the end of the game, Link is able to turn the Light Dragon back into Zelda through [[The Power of Friendship]] and [[The Power of Love]]... as well as with a bit of help from Rauru and Sonia.}}

** In one of the memories that shows Zelda receiving the Master Sword via Recall, she hears a female voice, assuring her that Link is still alive and urging her to find a way to fix the sword. It is heavily implied that this is Fi, the personification of the Master Sword, who appeared in ''Skyward Sword''.

* [[Cartoon Cheese]]: A new food ingredient, Hateno Cheese, a typical wedge of cheese with holes. It isn’t exactly the most useful ingredient, but one of the more interesting, as you can use it to make things like pizza and cheesecake.

* [[Catch a Falling Star]]:

** At the start of the game, Link tries to catch Zelda with his wounded arm, but fails. At the end of the game {{spoiler|after defeating Ganondorf, the last playable part has him try again while both are in free-fall. [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming|This time, he succeeds.]]}}

** Nearly literal example, you can catch Star Fragments while they are in free-fall when Link is skydiving.

{{quote|"Za-pow!"}}

* [[Cave Behind the Falls]]: Many examples. In fact, you find the Vah Ruta Divine Helm behind a waterfall in a cave that is behind another waterfall!

* [[Cherry Blossoms]]: There is one cherry tree for each region, with an empty bowl at the base. Put any sort of fruit in, and Satori will appear and put large glowing wisps by all of the map region's cave entrances to show where they are.

* [[Chaos Architecture]]: Downplayed. Most of Hyrule does look the same as it did in the previous game, but the Upheaval has caused quite a bit of its geography to change due to the falling debris from the Sky Islands. There is also the matter of the complete absence of the Sheikah Shrines and Towers, an issue that is not addressed in the game.

* [[Chekhov's Gun]]:

** When you first use the Purah Pad’s Camera function, there are already three saved photos - the ones Zelda took in the opening cutscene.

** Also, in the opening cutscene, Zelda can be seen dropping her torch when she falls into the abyss. If Link returns to that spot later and para-glides into the Depths, the torch is still there.

* [[Collection Sidequest]]: For starters, the Korok Seeds and Spirit Orb quests return (the latter called Lights of Blessing now, which are pretty much the same) but there is a lot more of both.

** Bubbul Gems, dropped by Bubbulfrogs, and there is one for every cave. Gather them and give them to Koltin to get unique items. Eventually, he will run out of items to give you, and the only reason to collect them is for completion’s sake. Well, that and so he can fulfill his lifelong dream of turning into a Satori for whatever reason. {{spoiler|Naturally, it fails... because he turns into a ''Blupee'' instead.}}

*** The same goes for many of the items they sell, including the Dark and Depths Armor sets.

** Link himself can gain many sinister-looking armor sets, like the Evil Spirit Armor, Dark Armor (makes him look like Dark Link), Phantom Set, Radiant Set, and Depths Set, but he uses them for good purposes.

** Also in the Depths are shadowy entities that give Link a weapon if he interacts with them; their basic shape seems to resemble Hyrulian Soldiers from previous games like ''Ocarina of Time''. {{spoiler|They don’t like the Yiga either, as the clan members can only see the weapon when they look towards them.}}

* [[Dark Reprise]]: The first time you visit any given area, the background music is gloomy and morose to reflect the crisis at hand. When the crisis is resolved, the music returns to the cheerier upbeat score.

** Happens when Hoz first sees Link - it takes him a few moments to realize who it is.

** {{spoiler|Master Kohga does this at least once when Link encounters him attempting to use a piece of Zonai technology. He mistakes Link for a Yiga Footsoldier and tells him to take over - and then it sinks in that it’s his hated enemy watching him.}}

* [[Dramatic Irony]]: When the Zonai ruins appeared among the clouds and started falling from the sky a massive effort was started to study and research them. However, from the point of view of the player, this research becomes obsolete fast, between Link’s ability to use the Zonai devices and the flashbacks from the geoglyphs. They do help a little due to their translations of the steles (which Link cannot read) but Link barely needs that to uncover the mysteries of the Zonai of his own.

* [[Dressing as the Enemy]]: {{spoiler|Once Link obtains the full Yiga set, he can pass as a Yiga and enter their hideout unnoticed, plus he can use it to prevent disguised Yiga attacks and ambushes. In fact, switching to the armor after a random ambush starts causes the attackers to cease and despawn.}}

* [[Disc One Nuke]]: It is possible to get the Champions Leathers armor very early in the game, once you finish the quest that activates the tower to Lookout Landing.{{spoiler| Simply brew a few Stamina Elixirs (easily done by finding a few Crickets) then use the Tower to launch Link into the air, and then use the Glider to fly to the front gate of Hyrule Castle. There are no enemies or traps there (yet), despite its significance to the end game, it’s perfectly safe now. Enter the throne room and light the braziers, and this opens a secret compartment where you will find the Champions Leathers.}}

* [[Dude, Not Funny]]: {{spoiler|Wearing a Yiga Clan uniform and talking to Sheikah NPCs will have them remark how Link's outfit is of incredibly poor taste and strongly recommend that he change into something more respectable. Trying it in Gerudo Town will result in the guards ''arresting'' Link, and refusing to let him out of jail until he takes it off.}}

* [[Dying Race]]: The Zonai are quite likely an extinct race judging by Ganondorf's passive-aggressive statements during one of the memories - {{spoiler|only Rauru and Mineru are still around, and both are spirits.}}

== F ==

* [[Face of a Thug]]: Dondons are Dodongo-like creatures with bulky armored bodies and an imposing pair of horns, and are mistaken for fearsome monsters by civilians who have seen Zelda riding one. However, they're very peaceful, dopey creatures that actually seem to have a bit of a shy streak to them.

* [[Fantastic Flora]]: In addition to the fruits and vegetables that Link can harvest and use, there is Sundelions, flowers found in the Sky Kingdom that hold solar power within, and are able to cure the debilitating effect of the Gloom. The Depths are covered with forests of strange twisted trees with fronds resembling peacock feathers, and strange purple grass. They're also gigantic mushrooms and weird fern-like plants.

**[[Fantastic Fruits and Vegetables]]: The stat boosting fruit and mushrooms return from the previous game (except Hearty Durans), with a lot of new ones appearing, such as elemental fruit that can be bonded to weapons in order produce bursts of flame, frost, electricity, water, or flashes of light. There are also muddle buds, whose pollen disorients living creatures, puffshrooms, whose spores create obscuring smoke, and the explosive bomb flowers.

** While it doesn't last, [[Stout Strength|Yunobo]] goes from a [[Cowardly Lion]] and bonafide [[Nice Guy]] to an abrasive, slimy [[Jerkass]] who gladly spreads the highly-addictive [[G-Rated Drug|Marbled Rock Roast]] throughout Goron City {{spoiler|because of Phantom Ganon's brainwashing via cursed mask}}.

* [[Feed It a Bomb]]: Much like Dodongos, you can do some serious damage to Froxes by hurling bombs into their open maws.

* [[Fighting a Shadow]]: The Phantom Ganons are, as Ganondorf himself claims, a puppet created by magic under his control.

* [[Fighting Your Friend]]: At Goron City, Link has to fight Yunobo {{spoiler|to free him from the evil mask that has rendered him brainwashed and crazy}}.

* [[Fling a Light Into the Future]]: A major point of the plot. Ganondorf was far too powerful for the sages to defeat, but they managed to seal him away, which they knew was a temporary solution. Knowing he would eventually break his bonds, they did all they could to leave warnings, instructions, and other aid through their descendants, in hopes Link could succeed where they failed.

* [[Floating Continent]]: The Sky Kingdom above Hyrule, an archipelago of floating islands holding ruins of the Zonai civilization

* [[Flunky Boss]]: Queen Gibdo. Like any queen insect worth her salt, she sics hordes of Gibdo drones on Link and Riju during her boss fights.

* [[Foreshadowing]]:

** The game's logo is an ouroboros symbol composed of two dragons eating each other’s tails. This foreshadows {{spoiler|the [[Stable Time Loop]] that leads to Ganondorf’s initial defeat 10,000 years ago and the conflict between him and Link in the present day, from the time-displaced Zelda’s point of view. It also predicts the [[Final Battle]], with Ganondorf consuming his Stone to become the Dark Demon Dragon and the aerial battle high above Hyrule where Link engages the villain while riding atop Zelda’s similar aspect of the Light Dragon.}}

* [["Friend or Idol?" Decision]]: In the opening cutscene, Link drops the Gloom-ravaged Master Sword in his attempt to catch Zelda as she falls; he doesn't succeed, but fortunately Rauru manages to pick the sword up.

* [[Free-Fall Fight]]: Colgera's boss fight mostly takes place in the sky, where a powerful updraft keeps Link afloat. Bonus points for being able to hurt the colossal monster ''by free-falling through its body!'' {{spoiler|The final battle against Ganondorf's Demon Dragon form also takes place high in the sky and through near-constant free-falling.}}

* [[Fungus Humongous]]: Towering stalks of fungi grow like trees in the Depths. The caps of this giant fungus can be used as platforms for Link to use with Ascend in order to reach high cliffs.

 

== G ==

* [[Gameplay and Story Integration]]:

** The grave injury Link suffers at the beginning of the game is the reason he cannot use the Master Sword, and his Heart Containers are reduced to three. {{spoiler|During the third phase of the final battle, much later, Ganondorf's gloom attacks are more lethal than normal, as they completely destroy Link’s heart containers, rather than render them unusable, meaning this damage cannot be healed at all. Fortunately, those lost Hearts are restored before the 4th phase of the battle.}}

** In ''BotW'', the mechanic where the Master Sword had limited amount of energy and needed time to recharge after losing it was mostly added for the sake of gameplay to keep the player from permanently losing the [[Sword of Plot Advancement]] by using it too much on common enemies. Here, it is formally established that the sword can regenerate damage over time, although the most severe of damage can take years, or even centuries to repair.

** {{spoiler|Master Kohga claims that after he and Link fought in the previous game, he was thrown into the Depths. Sure enough, if you go to the spot where that fight took place, the [[Bottomless Pit]] that was there the last time is now a chasm that leads to the Depths.}}

* [[Gemstone Assault]]: While the gemstones were either used to upgrade certain pieces of gear or sold to merchants for a ton of money in the previous game, in this one, they can be fused to weapons in order to create makeshift Fire/Water/Lightning/Ice Rods. In fact, these Gem-fused weapons replace the elemental rods wielded by the Wizzrobes outright.

* [[Getting Crap Past the Radar]]:

** The first Shrine you will deal with (where you gain the Ultrahand ability) has two iron orbs dangling from chains, with no real purpose other than to practice the ability on. Didn’t take long for many fans to notice that when both are attached together they resemble certain male reproductive organs.

** If Link tries to enter the Gerudo Shelter before getting permission from Riju (which requires doing part of the mainline quest) the guards will kick him out like they did in ''BotW'', but if the player decides to truly tempt fate and sneak in after taking off all his armor, they’ll actually throw him in jail until her gets dressd. (The snarky jailer saying, “I know the desert is hot, but it’s not ''that'' hot!") They aren’t the only female NPCs who will notice if Link is only wearing his skivvies.

** Also, items you can pick up from bedside tables in both Gerudo inns - Goat Butter and Oil Jars. Draw your own conclusions.

* [[Ghost Town]]: {{spoiler|This is the state Gerudo Town is in when you first arrive: unrelenting sandstorms and ferocious Gibdo have forced the native Gerudo into an underground shelter, allowing the creepy zombie-bugs to roam freely above ground as they try to think of a way to drive them off for good.}}

* [[Giant Spider]]: Marbled Gohma, who combines this trope with [[Giant Enemy Crab]] in true Gohma fashion.

* [[Glass Cannon]]: Royal Guard weapons once again, but now Gerudo weapons function in this way.

* [[Good Bad Bugs]]: One way to benefit from the Blood Moon is to save all your cooking until it occurs. Anything cooked between 11:30 and midnight on the night of a Blood Moon will be a critical and the results will be maximum efficiency, and it’s possible to see it around 10:30 or so. However, should you need more than 30 minutes to cook everything in your inventory, there’s a useful glitch that can help. When it’s 11:50, teleport to a Shrine and enter the Shrine. This will cancel the actual Blood Moon effect until the next night, giving you an additional 30 minutes to use the cooking effect.

* [[G-Rated Drug]]: Marbled Rock Roast, a suspicious-looking cut of maroon-colored Rock Roast that messes with the minds of Gorons that eat it. They tend to either become lazy and lethargic, or aggressively try to push it onto other people, but the unifying thread is that they can't stop eating the stuff, and end up with red eyes to coincide with their addiction.

* [[Grievous Harm With A Body]]: Hoblins and Boss Bokoblins often attack by throwing things at Link, usually rocks or explosive barrels; they also tend to throw the regular Bokoblins at Link if there’s nothing else to throw.

* [[Guest Star Party Member]]: During the main story, Tulin, Yunobo, Sidon, and Riju will each accompany you to their respective dungeons and help you fight the monsters inside. While they leave your party once they awaken as Sages {{spoiler|aside from a few moments later in the story}}, they leave aspects of their powers with you that play the same role as they did.

 

== H ==

* [[Handicapped Badass]]: Link, whose arm had to be cut off and replaced with one of Rauru's due to the threat of Ganondorf's corruption infecting his entire body. While he starts off heavily weakned with his stats knocked firmly back to square one, he ends the game a bigger [[Badass]] than he already was in the previous game!

* [[Happy Ending Override]]: ''Breath of the Wild'' ended on a positive note, with Link finally rescuing Zelda and eliminating the threat that is Calamity Ganon once and for all. Peace seemed to have returned to Hyrule at long last, only for an even deadlier type of Malice to start leaking out from underground...

* [[Heavily Armored Mook]]: Two types of enemies come in armored variants, with the added durability you'd expect with the trope. One is [[The Goomba|Armored Bokoblins]]... and the other is [[Oh Crap|Armored]] [[Demonic Spiders|LYNELS.]]

* [[Heroic Sacrifice]]:

** {{spoiler|In the backstory, King Raruru did this in order to seal the Demon King. He is still around as a benevolent spirit.}}

** {{spoiler|Non-lethal example, Zelda accepts a [[Fate Worse Than Death]] in the hopes of vanquishing Ganondorf forever. Trapped in the past, she consumes her Dragon Tear (the focus of her power as the Sage of Time), turning herself into the Light Dragon (an act that she had been warned with destroy her humanity) and then implants the destroyed Master Sword in her scales. Over the next several thousand years, the Sword regains its power and then some as she takes [[The Slow Path]] back to Link. Sure, there is a way to restore her to normal, after the final boss is defeated, but she didn't know that.}}

* [[High Altitude Battle]]: Thanks to the newfound emphasis on flying, several climactic battles take place high in the sky: Moragia is meant to be fought with a Zonai flying machine, Colgera is fought high above the Wind Temple/Stormwind Ark (which is itself ridiculously high in the sky), and {{spoiler|the Demon Dragon is fought in the sky as well}}.

* [[Hoist by His Own Petard]]:

** With his Recall power, Link can cause certain enemies and even bosses to be hit by their own attacks. Marbled Gohma is the most notable example, since launching its boulders right back at it is one of the few ways you can hurt it.

** Once again, this trope ends up being how {{spoiler|Kohga is dealt with at the end of his sidequest chain. His sloppy handling of a whole bunch of Zonai Rockets leads to him [[Pokémon|blasting off again]]. While it's unlikely that he's dead considering that he survived a far more definitive-looking "death", it's still enough to put him out of commission for the rest of the game.}}

** When a Gleeox is reduced to about 25% of its health, it flies ''way'' up high where Link can't reach it, and then unleashes a devestating super attack; Flame Gleeox use giant fireballs, Frost Gleeox drop giant iciciles, Lightning Gleeox conjure up a thunderstorn to call lighting down on Link, and King Gleeox can do any of the three. But each time, this potent attack is the key to bringing it down. Both the fireballs and thunderstorm set the ground on fire, enabling Link to use his glider to ride the backdraft upward, while he can use Recall on the icicles to ride them upward,and in each case, let him have it with an arrow rush.

* [[Hospitality for Heroes]]: Several examples:

** Once Link drives the pirates out of Lurelin Village and then helps rebuild it, there are plenty of benefits provided by the grateful town folk. First of all there are some weapons and food that can be picked up everyday. Also, Link can get a free random meal at the restaurant once per day (also good for cataloging recipes, and you can get it to go), get a free room at the inn once per day (but if you want to use the special spa treatment, you must give The innkeeper five rock salts), and use the casino free once per day to get a random monster part that can be fused with weapons. He will let you do it twice if you give him a cooked Porgy. In addition, if you recover the fish monger’s boat, he will have some merchandise to give Link for free every day.

** Once you complete the "Mattison's Independence" questline (which basically consists of Link acting as babysitter for the 8-year-old Mattison before she has to travel to Gerudo Town) her mother will sell him a plot of land to build a house for the bargain price of 1,500 rupees, which is indeed a bargain, seeing as an acre of land is worth far more than 300 pieces of Hayato Cheese (to give one example), which can be bought for the same.

** After you rescue Chumin from Malpa Point Cave, he'll open up a shop near the Research Lab. While he can't give Link anything for free, he does sell some things that cannot be bought elsewhere, like Razorclaw Crabs.

* [[Horned Humanoid]]: This seems to have been a racial trait for the Zonai, given the presence of horns on Rauru's head. There's also {{spoiler|Ganondorf, who grows a little pair of devil horns after becoming the Demon King.}}

* [[Hot Scientist]]: Purah. Thanks to fine-tuning her anti-aging rune, she's physically around the same age as she was in ''Age of Calamity'' and looks ''stunning'' as a result.

** While he's more of a Hot Archaeologist, Tauro is a [[Walking Shirtless Scene|shirtless]] [[Hunk]] and a huge history geek to boot.

* [[Humanoid Abomination]]: {{spoiler|By stealing and corrupting Sonia's stone}}, Ganondorf went from a powerful Gerudo warrior to something a whole lot worse. By the present day he's less a man and more of am ancient, nearly unkillable demon wearing a man's skin, {{spoiler|and his Demon King form is one giant [[Call Back]] to Demise}}.

* [[Humongous Mecha]]: {{spoiler|Mineru's soul ends up inside one of these once you tackle her questline, and the boss of the Construct Factory is a [[Psycho Prototype]] of her mecha body corrupted by Malice. Likewise, Kohga ends up controlling one of his own during the final battle with him. Compared to his previous boss fights, [[Beware the Silly Ones|he's actually somewhat dangerous.]]}}

 

== I ==

* [[Ignored Epiphany]]: The Evil Statue that was originally in Hateno Village (whom Link could use to swap his Heart Containers for Stamina Vessels and vice versa) has been further punished by the Goddess, buried in an abandoned shrine in Lookout Landing. It admits to Link that it should have learned its lesson, but refuses to, and still cannot resist making its infernal deals.

* [[Imposter Forgot One Detail]]: {{spoiler| There is a subtle hint that the “Zelda” Link is trailing might not truly be her, as the clothing she is wearing is different than what she was wearing when she disappeared, and is not anything she previously wore. She ''is'', however, wearing it in some of the memories, with Queen Sofia wearing the same style of dress - obviously, Sofia leant it to Zelda, and there is no memory where Ganondorf interacts with or even sees Zelda wearing anything other than that dress, so his version of Zelda is the one Ganondorf is familiar with, which is ''not'' familiar to anyone in modern Hyrule. Consequently, this detail is ''not'' missed by the Yiga Clan members who disguise as Zelda, as they have not seen Zelda wearing this style.}}

* [[In the End You Are on Your Own]]: [[Zig-Zagged]] during the game's finale. If you've awakened all the Sages {{spoiler|you'll be horrified to see that they can't follow you into Ganondorf's lair deep beneath Hyrule Castle. However, they manage to get a [[Big Damn Heroes]] moment where they come to your aid during the [[Multi-Mook Melee]] near the end of the daunting trek to Ganondorf's lair. While they end up staying behind to fight off the resurrected temple bosses, they catch up just in time to take the pressure off you when Ganondorf summons a few Phantom Ganons to help him out in the final battle.}}

 

== J ==

 

== K ==

* [[Killed Off for Real]]: {{spoiler|Rauru, Sonia, and Mineru don't survive the events of the game. While there was no way they ''would'' thanks to them hailing from Hyrule's distant past, they each had their life cut short by Ganondorf. Ganondorf, likewise, seems to have been definitively killed off... or at least, ''this'' version of the character.}}

* [[Kill It with Fire]]: Dragon head-shaped flamethrowers are among the Zonai devices you can create. Early on you're nudged into combining one with a shield in a cave that's home to a Like-Like, and the result is a ''fire-breathing shield''!

* [[Kill It with Water]]: The same, likewise, can be accomplished with Hydrants attached to constructs and weapons. The Zora's Domain scenario, in fact, revolves around washing away toxic grime and fighting sludge-spewing monsters. It almost feels like you're playing a ''Zelda''-flavored version of ''[[Super Mario Sunshine]]''.

* [[King Mook]]: There's three among the enemies, overworld bosses, ''and'' temple bosses respectively.

** For the enemies, there are the Boss Bokoblins. Bigger, fatter, stronger, and meaner than your bog-standard Bokoblins, they lead several of their weaker brethren into battle and coordinate group attacks by blowing on special horns.

** And finally, there's the boss of the Gerudo Desert scenario: Queen Gibdo. She's the [[Hive Queen]] of the new buglike Gibdos, and she'll unleash hordes of them on you during her boss fight.

* [[Knight of Cerebus]]: Ganondorf. While ''Tears of the Kingdom'' is generally more lighthearted than ''Breath of the Wild'', Ganondorf is a cruel, bloodthirsty monster who's treated less like a man, and more like a horrific ancient evil. When he shows up, things never fail to take a turn for the worst.

 

== L ==

* [[Lady Land]]: Gerudo Town once again. However, {{spoiler|because they're facing down a potential [[Zombie Apocalypse|Gibdo Apocalypse]], they have no choice but to welcome Link, a man, into their town so he can help fight back against the hordes of zombie bugs descending upon their home. Once Queen Gibdo has been killed, Riju allows him to come and go as he pleases as the one man allowed into Gerudo Town.}}

* [[Lady of War]]: Riju, who carries herself with queenly grace, dignity, and beauty as she cuts through monsters on the battlefield. Urbosa would be proud.

* [[Level in Boss Clothing]]: This game has some literal examples, with groups of mobs referred to as Monster Forces. All the monsters in one area, often a cave, have a shared life bar and you must defeat them all to win the battle. If Link is killed or falls back and retreats before all of them are slain, you have to start the whole battle over.

** {{spoiler|The Demon King's Army, which Link and his friends have to fight right before the final boss appears, combines this with [[Sequential Boss]], As once the first wave of mobs is defeated a stronger wave appears, and then a third after that. Only after all three are destroyed is the lifebar depleted and the battle ends.}}

* [[Light Is Good]]: While it comes with the territory in a Zelda game, there's a lot of emphasis on the divine restorative power of light combating corrupting, infectious darkness.

** Rauru, the Sage of Light in Hyrule's distant past, is the game's [[Big Good]] and saves Link's life by grafting his own arm onto the hero's body in order to stop Ganondorf's Malice/Gloom from slowly killing him from the inside. Link further dispels the corruption by recieving "Lights of Blessing" from the various Zonai shrines showing up around Hyrule.

** While Gibdos are weak to every element, you're encouraged to take advantage of the beams of light shining down from the Lightning Temple's ceilings and reflect them onto the horrible beasts with MacGuyver'd Mirror Shields.

** While Gloom damage can't be healed normally, sunlight and the lightroots in the Depths will dispel it and let him heal normally once again. Also, gloom damage can be mitigated with Sundelions that have been cooked into meals.

* [[Lily Pad Platform]]: You can find these in all sorts of bodies of water, and swimming towards one and standing on top of it is a good way to restore your stamina and avoid drowning.

* [[Loophole Abuse]]:

** Gloom weapons are very powerful but have the drawback of inflicting gloom damage on Link as long as he wields them. However, fusing these weapons onto other weapons will result in a weapon that inherits the Gloom weapon's damage but not its drawback.

** As fans of ''BotW'' know, a good way to fight a Lionel is to sneak up on him with a powerful weapon, leap on his back, and let him have it; for this reason, a Royal Guard Claymore that has been worn down to a Badly Damaged state is the best to use for this purpose. A weapon with the Royal Guard designation has its power doubled in such a state; the big problem is, when a weapon is in this state it will break after two or three blows. But when Link is mounted (which he technically is in this sort of fight) a weapon will not break when he uses it, and a Royal Guard Claymore has base damage of 32, meaning 62 in Badly Damaged state and even more with an item fused.

** The Labyrinths each consist of three parts, Surface, Sky, and Depths. The Sky section cannot be solved until you solve the Surface, and the Depths must be solved last. However, each Sky section has a Shrine that can be entered and activated without solving the Labyrinth. Doing so not only makes the Sky section easier to return to, but you can skydive from that Shrine to the one in the Surface section if you know where that is, saving a lot of time and avoiding the nasty Gloom Hands that lurk in that section.

* [[Lovable Coward]]: Yunobo, though he gradually overlaps with [[Cowardly Lion]] over the course of the Fire Temple scenario.

* [[Loyal to the Position]]: The Zonai Constructs are still following the commands given to them by the Zonai millennia ago; Maker Constructs are still chopping wood, Culinary Constructs are still cooking (even though they do not eat), Ranger Constructs are hunting for game (supplying to the cooks), Miner Constructs are still excavating the ore, Forge Constructs still smelt it, and all will give Link advice on how to use such skills himself (Just in case the player has not played ''BotW'' or is rusty from that game). King Rauru even claims to be impressed by their loyalty. Unfortunately, this is why the Soldier Constructs still attack Link.

* [[Minecart Madness]]: Minecarts are no longer exclusive to the Death Mountain region, and with the addition of Zonai devices and Ultrahand, you can build self-propelled carts for fast travel through any place with tracks. The Fire Temple in particular focuses on minecart puzzles.

* [[Mundane Made Awesome]]: Part of the fun in messing with Zonai constructs is taking the elaborate weapons and amazing vehicles that you make, and using them for the most basic menial tasks imaginable. Sure, you ''could'' make a car to transport Koroks to their friends... ''or'' you could launch them to the distant campsite with a catapult. Likewise, why create basic Rock Hammers with rusted weapons when you can mine with style by fusing a rock to the ''Master Sword?'' Or hell, why use a weapon at all when you have {{spoiler|Mineru's robot body}} at your service?

* [[Multi-Mook Melee]]: {{spoiler|Before you take on Ganondorf, you (and potentially the Sages, if you've awakened them) have to cut your way through an army of monsters that he summons once you arrive at his doorstep. It's very similar to the army of Bokoblins you cut down before the final fight with Ghirahim in ''Skyward Sword'', except you've got a much more diverse array of enemies to fight, including the dungeon bosses if you haven't already defeated them beforehand.}}

* [[Mythology Gag]]: ''Loads'' of them:

** The 2021 trailer alone has two of these. The first shot of Link skydiving in the trailer is framed exactly like the skydiving cutscenes in [[The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword|Skyward Sword]], complete with the circular clouds creating some sort of tunnel around Link. The trailer also shows Zelda falling in a dark void, much like how in ''Skyward Sword'' Zelda fell to the surface after being dragged by a black tornado summoned by Ghirahim.

** Flux Constructs are block-like Golems, calling to mind the Avalaunch from The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, or Eox from The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass.

** Ganondorf's new design is an [[Art Shift]] that combines features of his previous three appearances. He has the rounder ears and the pointier nose from the Era of the Hero of Time, a stouter face like he had in the Era of the Great Sea, and a trimmed beard with gold jewelry like he had in the Era of Twilight. His longer hair is also reminiscent of Demise and his non-canon counterpart from ''[[Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity|Hyrule Warriors]]'', and he becomes even more like Demise during the Final Boss fight when he transforms into the Demon King.

** The battle between the original Sages and Ganondorf in the past is referred to as the Imprisoning War, the same name as the war in the backstory of ''[[The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past|A Link to the Past]]'' backstory in which the sages of Hyrule banished Ganon to the Dark World.

** {{spoiler|Ganondorf is ultimately defeated by being impaled through the skull by the Master Sword, just like he was in ''[[The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker|Wind Waker]]''.}}

** Pretty much every game in the franchise has an armor set and/or weapon in this game that references it. You have the [[The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass|Phantom Set]], [[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time|Dark Set, Evil Spirit Set]], [[Majora's Mask|Fierce Deity Set]] (with matching Sword), [[The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess|Zant's Helmet, Midna's Helmet]], [[The Legend of Zelda (video game)|Hero Set]], [[The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening|Hero of Awakening Set]], [[The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword|Hero of the Sky Set]], [[The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time|Hero of Time Set]], and [[The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild|Hero of the Wilds Set]]. Weapons you can gain include the [[The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker|Sea Breeze Boomerang]], [[The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess|Dusk Claymore]], Biggoron's Sword (reference to many games), [[The Legend of Zelda (video game)|Sword of the Hero]], and the [[The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword|White Sword of the Sky]]. You can even win [[Majora's Mask]] itself in one of the arenas!

 

== N ==

** The Horse God Inverts this Trope. In the previous game, he could only revive a dead horse. Here, he can also enhance them, increasing its stats in exchange for certain cooked foods.

* [[Never Trust a Trailer]]: The trailers and pre-release material put a lot of focus on the sky islands that you can explore, making it seem like sky traversal would be a big part of the game. While the tutorial and a few dungeons ''are'' in the sky, there's a lot less to do up there than there is in The Depths, which had barely any attention drawn to it outside of a few out-of-context video clips that didn't even hint at the fact that there's an entire second world beneath Hyrule's surface.

* [[No Endor Holocaust]]: Miraculously, no one was killed or even injured when the Upheaval and resulting emergence of Zonai ruins changed the landscape of Hyrule. A few unlucky people, however, have had their homes destroyed as a consequence of it.

* [[No-Gear Level]]: The Proving Grounds shrines. Remember Eventide Island back in ''Breath of the Wild?'' The game’s developers seem to think a majority of players loved that part of the game ([[Sarcasm Mode| spoiler alert]], [[Scrappy Level| they ''didn’t'']]) so instead of being having a one-off challenge, there's an entire ''series'' of shrines and one Monster Forces scenario that require you to overcome armies of enemies while naked and armed with whatever you can find laying around.

* [[Paper-Thin Disguise]]: The monster masks return (and with a new Horriblin mask in tow), and despite them still being obvious raggedy-looking disguise, they totally fool the monsters that they mimic. Except the Lynels, who are quick to catch on to your deception.

* [[Permanently Missable Content]]: Once you go to Tarrey Town, you can have Kilton make figurines of monsters replicated from any pictures you've taken from them. This actually includes the pictures of the bosses you fight... with the catch that he won't make models based off of pictures you take for the bestiary. You ''have'' to have a picture of them in your album. While this isn't a problem for the first four dungeon bosses or Ganondorf since you can refight them whenever you want, it ''is'' a problem for bosses that can only be fougth a finite amount of times. If you want models of the Sludge-Like, Moragia, or {{spoiler|Kohga}}, you better have pictures of them saved, or no figurines for you!

* [[Planet Heck]]: While Hyrule itself is larger than before, the Depths below it are just as big. This realm of eternal darkness is where Gloom breeds, home to a high population of monsters, twisted plants and trees, giant mushrooms, and a heart of pure Evil where the Demon King resides. The only inhabitants that are genuinely helpful to Link are the Steward Constructs, though there are plenty of disguised Yiga who try to deceive him.

* [[Punny Name]]: The Stable Trotters and their hilariously specific, on the nose names. You've got Mastro the maestro, Violynne the violinist, Pyper the flute player (or in other words, a ''piper''), and Beetz the drummer. It's easy to think that Eustus is a case of [[My Friends and Zoidberg]], but even his name is an [[Genius Bonus|obscure reference to a bit of inner-ear anatomy that is shaped like a horn, the instrument that he plays.]]

* [[Recurring Boss]]: Along with the returning Hinoxes, Stalnoxes, Taluses, and Moldugas, we've got the newly introduced Gleeoks, Battle Taluses, Froxes, and Flux Constructs as overworld minibosses. {{spoiler|Master Kohga}} is also fought four times over a lengthy sidequest, while {{spoiler|Phantom Ganon}} is a boss encounter in Hyrule Castle and the Lost Woods as well as {{spoiler|a recurring miniboss that pops up every time you kill a Gloom Spawn}}.

* [[Recurring Element]]: Let's see... carrying over from ''Breath of the Wild'' alone, you've got towers that you need to activate in order to fill in your map, shrines to complete in order to upgrade your health and stamina, regional phenomena plaguing the homes of the races that the Champions/Sages belong to, an extensive tutorial set in a place that's initially cut off from the rest of the world, Link waking up after a near-death experience that leaves him heavily weakened, an incarnation of Ganondorf that you can kill as soon as you leave the starting area...

* [[Ridiculously Cute Critter]]:

** Koraks, of course.

* [[Roaring Rampage of Revenge]]: When Ganondorf {{spoiler|murders Sonia}}, [[Casting Gag|Rauru's ready to pull a]] [[Fire Emblem: Three Houses|Dimitri]] and fly into a murderous rage. Zelda, however, talks him down out of hope that he can save {{spoiler|Sonia}}.

* [[Royals Who Actually Do Something]]: Idle and complacent, Hyrule's rulers are not. Zelda took an active role in restoring Hyrule to its former glory before the Upheaval happened, and Sidon and Riju respectively are doing what they can to combat the problems plaguing their regions before helping Link take down the monsters that are ultimately responsible. In the distant past Rauru was also willing to take to the battlefield himself in order to stop Ganondorf's horde of rampaging Molduga from flattening Hyrule.

 

== S ==

* [[Secret Shop]]: The secret shop in Gerudo Town that sells male clothing returns, but there are two others as well. {{spoiler|The Bargainer Statues hidden in The Depths will exchange certain weapons and outfits for Poes}}, and giving Koltin Bubbul gems will allow you to buy special outfits and monster parts from his own shop.

* [[Seldom-Seen Species]]: Dondons are a newly discovered species that look like a cross between bison and armadillos. Only five specimens have been found. Supposedly, these are prehistoric ancestors to common horses. An odd path for evolution to take, but then, in this world, Rito and Zora descended from the same forerunning species.

* [[Simple Yet Awesome]]:

** The various Hero armor sets. There are [[The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening|Awakening]], [[The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword|Sky]], [[The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess|Twilight]], [[The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild|Wild]], [[Ocarina of Time| Time]], [[Wind Waker| Winds]], and [[The Legend of Zelda (video game)| the regular Hero set]]. Nostalgia fans will love these, as they make Link look like he did in previous games in the franchise. Most of them grant a base armor defense of 3 and can be upgraded up to 20, plus an attack bonus for the whole set, putting them right below the Barbarian set, while the Hero of the Wild stands out a bit, the base defense being 4 and the maximum being 28.

* [[Slobs Versus Snobs]]: A variation, where the rivalry between factions in Hateno Village is a case of fashion versus function. Fashion designer and artist Cere is trying to beautify the town with her flashy mushroom-themed art, while traditionalist mayor Reede is upset, as he believes the gaudy colors are hurting the crops, their argument causing Cere to challenge his position as mayor of the town. The player can have Link vocally side with either of them or remain neutral, though in the end, the two reach a compromise.

* [[The Sociopath]]: Ganondorf, as usual. He's violent, sadistic, power-hungry, and a total egomaniac who cares for no one but himself.

** In a mechanic new to Zelda games, the dungeon bosses can be refought, but you do not have to return to the dungeon to do so. You can find them in the Depths if you want to fight them again.

** {{spoiler|While [[One-Winged Angel]] transformations are hardly new for Ganadorf, this time he does not become a giant pig monster. This time it’s a dragon.}}

* [[Sudden Sequel Heel Syndrome]]: Yunobo seems to be a victim of this once you arrive in Goron City, and see that he's inexplicably become a rude, sneering drug kingpin dressed like an evil luchador. {{spoiler|He's still the same [[Nice Guy]] that he always was, just [[Brainwashed and Crazy]] thanks to Phantom Ganon's machinations}}.

* [[Support Party Member]]: Aerocudas are this to the other monsters. While they die in one hit and are incredibly weak, you're not in danger of getting killed by these things. They will, however, ruin your stealthy approach by screeching loudly when they see you trying to sneak up on a monster camp. They'll also try to drop explosive barrels on you, which hurt a ''lot'' more than their standard charge attacks.

 

== T ==

* [[A Taste of Power]]: You start the game with maxed-out stats and the full-powered Master Sword. [[Bag of Spilling|And then along comes Ganondorf and his Malice...]]

** There are also many bosses and Elite Mooks (such as Boss Bokoblins and Stone Talos) who throw things at Link, and Recall can be used to send them back at them.

* [[Theme Song Reveal]]: The new version of Zelda's Lullaby heard not just in the title theme, but in trailers several years before the game's release hint {{spoiler|at [[The Reveal]] that Zelda's been turned into a dragon thanks to it being played with the same instrumentation as the Spirit Dragons' theme.}}

* [[Time Skip]]: A decent amount of time has passed between this and the preceding title, and closer inspection of the land of Hyrule and its inhabitants reveals it to be quite a substantial one. While some elements are more obvious than others (Tulin growing from a toddler to an early adolescent and Riju showing a more mature personality), the big one is in that Hudson and Rhondson, who were newly-married at the end of Breath of the Wild, here are shown to have a daughter, Mattison, who is now grade school age. This puts the time skip anywhere from five to six years, lining fairly closely with the time passed in the real world between games.

* [[Took a Level In Badass]]: Tulin, Yunobo, and Riju were non-combatants in ''Breath of the Wild'' (though the latter two ''did'' help Link board the Divine Beasts in their regions) and unlike Sidon, didn't have anything hinting at off-screen combat prowess. Here they take to the battlefield and actively help Link fight monsters.

* [[Took a Level In Kindness]]: Hunnie, the bratty little rich girl from Tarrey Town in ''Breath of the Wild'' has mellowed out a lot between games. It seems like she has her friendship with Mattison to thank for that.

 

== U ==

* [[Underground Monkey]]: Like in the previous game, several enemies have elemental variants encountered in certain regions. And if you want to get cheeky about it, the newly introduced Horriblins are literal examples of this trope given that they're monkey-like Blins mostly encountered in caves.

* [[Unusually Uninteresting Sight]]: Link's bizarre and fantastic powers bestowed to him by Rauru don't attract any sort of reaction from people. The most you get are people being startled if you use Ascend to pop out of the ground right next to them, and even then it's only if you're within spitting distance: they wouldn't care otherwise.

 

** Unique to this game is Addison and his signs. All across Hyrule you can see him struggling to keep signs of President Hudson standing up straight, and you can use your Fuse ability to create structures that will help give them the proper support needed to keep them erect. While his rewards are minimal to outright useless, it feels nice to lighten the guy's load all the same.

** If you aren't a [[Video Game Cruelty Potential|sadistic monster who enjoys tormenting them]], acting as a Taxi service to the backpack-wearing Koroks who need to reach their friends can be this.

* [[Video Game Cruelty Potential]]:

** Related to the above? While it's nice and beneficial to help Koroks trying to reach their friends' campsites, it's even more fun to create elaborate torture devices to torment them with. Crucifying them, spit-roasting them over open flames, drowning them, and wrecklessly swinging them around on deadly carnival rides gives you the same reaction: a pained "Oof!" that really makes the little guys feel like victims of cartoonish slapstick violence.

** A notable aversion is in the opening cutscene of the game; the player can have Link swing his sword at Zelda, but it doesn’t hurt her and she doesn’t even notice.

** Once you master the selfie mode of the Purah Pad's camera, it's almost too much of a temptation to take them after delivering the final blow to a boss, giving Link a picture of himself with a "say cheese" grin with a dying Lynel, Gleeox, Talos, or Hinox behind him.