This is an analysis and video essay on The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom where I examine the game's core identity, and question if this new direction for the Zelda series has worrying implications. If you enjoyed the video, please consider liking, subscribing, and sharing with others.

Introduction: 0:00
Weapon Durability and Fusion: 3:08
Shrines and Ultrahand: 6:52
Shrines - Flaws: 11:02
Dungeons: 14:28
Exploits - Bosses and Introduction: 18:54
Exploits - Shrines: 23:27
Exploits - Further Examples: 30:11
Exploits - Counterarguments and Conclusion: 32:42
Story: 37:23
Conclusion - Freedom Fits All?: 42:49
Conclusion - The Potentially Worrying Future of Zelda: 46:18
amogus: 49:42

========= CREDITS =========

All rights belong to their respective owners. I neither own nor represent any of the intellectual properties used in this video.

-- Research Sources --

~ In the video ~

"Interview: Tears Of The Kingdom And The State Of Zelda With Aonuma And Fujibayashi"; gameinformer.com; Brian Shea; May 12, 2023.
https://www.gameinformer.com/intervie...

"A conversation with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s creative leads"; theverge.com; Charles Pullman-Moore; May 12, 2023.
https://www.theverge.com/23721063/zel...

"Ask the Developer Vol. 9, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom—Part 4"; nintendo.com; May 11, 2023.
https://www.nintendo.com/whatsnew/ask...

The entire nintendo.com interview series was used for research.

~ Other sources ~

"Creating Tears of the Kingdom (SPOILERS) Eiji Aonuma, Hidemaro Fujibayashi interview"; Mark Santomartino; May 12, 2023.
   • Creating Tears of the Kingdom (SPOILE...  

"The making of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Beginning (Part 1)"; Nintendo UK; March 14, 2017.
   • The making of The Legend of Zelda: Br...  

"[ENG] GDC 2017 - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Fujibayashi, Dohta, Takizawa)"; Lega Hyrule; November 15, 2021.
   • [ENG] GDC 2017 - The Legend of Zelda:...  


-- Songs Used (In Order) --

A link to the video's soundtrack, in order, can be found here:    • TotK Video Soundtrack  

Korok Forest - Day (BotW)
Lookout Landing - Main (TotK)
Kakariko Village - Day (BotW)
Dragon Roost Island (The Wind Waker)
Shrine of Trials (BotW)
Tallon Overworld - Main Theme (Metroid Prime)
Gerudo Town - Day (BotW)
Null Moon (Silent Hill 2)
Water Temple - The Great Wellspring of Hyrule (TotK)
Lightning Temple - The Mural's Myth, Risen from the Sands (TotK)
Mucktorok (TotK)
Colgera (TotK)
Groose’s Theme (Skyward Sword)
Phendrana Drifts (Metroid Prime)
Twilight Sniping (Metal Gear Solid 2)
Stray Sheep (Catherine)
Black Market (Shin Megami Tensei IV)
We Are Finally Cowboys (No More Heroes)
Shrine of Light (TOTK)
Heaven's Night [In-Game Version] (Silent Hill 2)
Gleeok Battle (TotK)
Pirates (Wind Waker)
Shibuya: Underground District (Shin Megami Tensei IV)
Battle - Shrine of Light (TotK)
Shinjuku: Underground District (Shin Megami Tensei IV)
Greenpath (Hollow Knight)
Gloom's Lair (TotK)
Demon Dragon (TotK)
Tranquility (Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors)
Riding - Day (BotW)
Temple of Time in the Sky (TotK)
Abandoned Mine (TotK)
Corridors of Time (Chrono Trigger)

~ Musical Credits ~

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Manaka Kataoka, Yasuaki Iwata, and Hajime Wakai

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Manaka Kataoka, Maasa Miyoshi, Masato Ohashi, and Tsukasa Usui

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Kenta Nagata, Hajime Wakai, Toru Minegishi, and Koji Kondo

Metroid Prime
Kenji Yamamoto

Silent Hill 2
Akira Yamaoka

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Hajime Wakai, Shiho Fujii, Mahito Yokota, and Takeshi Hama

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Norihiko Hibino and Harry Gregson-Williams

Catherine
Shoji Meguro

Shin Megami Tensei IV
Ryota Kozuka, Kenichi Tsuchiya, and Toshiki Konishi

Hollow Knight
Christopher Larkin

Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors
Shin Hose

Chrono Trigger
Yasunori Mitsuda and Nobuo Uematsu