Is Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom a Prequel? Answered

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a massive hit and the most recently released video game in Nintendo’s iconic franchise. Tears of the Kingdom carries a strong resemblance to the last Zelda game, Breath of the Wild, and with the way the story unfolds, it can cause some confusion as to when Tears of the Kingdom actually takes place. Don’t worry though, we’ve got all the information you’ll need. Here’s everything you need to know about if Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a prequel.

Is TotK a Prequel?

The short answer is, no, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is not a prequel. Instead, Tears of the Kingdom is the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, following the same format of an open-world future Hyrule with heavy exploration. Tears of the Kingdom features a story that takes place as a direct continuation and follow-up of the Breath of the Wild plotline, with the narrative occurring sometime after the Breath of the Wild’s conclusion.

Following the end of Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom kicks off with Link and Zelda exploring ancient ruins located in the underground of Hyrule to investigate the cause of a mysterious phenomenon known as ‘Gloom,’ which is spreading across the land and causing sickness to the residents. While exploring these ruins, the duo stumble across a mummy who unleashes a strange power throughout Hyrule, causing Zelda to disappear, Link’s arm to decay, and Hyrule Castle to rise high into the sky. From here, gameplay kicks off, and Link starts his next adventure.

That’s everything you need to know about if Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a prequel. For more helpful gameplay guides, lists, and news, check out the rest of our content by scrolling down and looking through our related links below.