The Next 3D Zelda – General Direction?

Both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom have been tremendous hits for the Legend of Zelda and for Nintendo as a whole, where they will shape the future of the series one way or another. We can be certain that the open world direction will be kept and iterated, where a high level of freedom has become the biggest selling point. Other than that, we really don't have a clear idea about the way forward, only Nintendo does.

The most interesting question is how the game will look like and whether we're going to see a new Link and Zelda. Breath of the Wild really has established a new brand for the series, one that has become very successful and recognizable, much like the Nintendo Switch itself. With the re-introduction of both titles as "Nintendo Switch 2 Editions", it also seems in Nintendo's own interest to push forward with this brand on their new system.

On the other hand, we have a series that has always been quick to reinvent itself, to experiment with different art styles and ideas. So, it is not out of the question that they might come up with something that looks completely new and fresh. It just doesn't feel necessary at the moment...

Overall there seem to be three different options going forward:

1. A third game in a Breath of the Wild trilogy.
2. Another game in the same style, but taking place in a different era.
3. A completely new version of The Legend of Zelda. 

The first option doesn't seem very likely, because Aonuma already said so in an interview with GameInformer from late 2023 – they were not keen about making a sequel to a sequel. And they had exhausted their ideas for this iteration of The Legend of Zelda.

However, it felt more like they were talking about this Hyrule specifically. And no one wants to return to the same Hyrule a third time (or a fifth time if you count the Hyrule Warriors games), where you may even be of the opinion that Tears of the Kingdom doing so already was a mistake. That's up to debate, but a third game in the same Hyrule would certainly overstay its welcome, no matter how much they are going to change this time.

If they are going to make another game with the same Link and Zelda, it will have to take place in a different land. That's actually a very common thing to do for sequels in the Zelda series. We have Koholint Island in Link's Awakening, Termina in Majora's Mask, the world of the Ocean King in Phantom Hourglass, or Hytopia in Tri Force Heroes. But this always gave the sequels the character of a side story and if they truly were to make a Zelda trilogy for the first time ever (with that I mean a story with the same Link and Zelda for three games in a row), then it would feel weird if it were to end on a such a note.

Still, the idea of a true trilogy is tempting and there is also quite some potential with such a sequel. While Tears of the Kingdom has brought back some classic ideas from Ocarina of Time, like Ganondorf, the sages and their temples, it never touched upon the most fundamental part of the lore: the Sacred Realm and the Triforce. Despite appearing in symbols and seemingly as part of Zelda's sealing powers, the Triforce still a forgotten mystery in this world of Hyrule and we have yet to learn why that is. And making this the topic of a third game would certainly be fitting.

There is also Princess Zelda herself. Ever since the first teaser trailer for the sequel to Breath of the Wild, where Link and Zelda went to explore Hyrule's underground together, there has been a lot of interest in a game where she is also playable, right next to Link. This didn't come to fruit with Tears of the Kingdom, but Nintendo made the princess the protagonist of a main game shortly after, with Echoes of Wisdom. Maybe also to test how such an idea would be truly received...

But after all the hardships the Zelda from Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom went through, she really deserves to be in the spotlight of a 3D Zelda game where you play as both Link and the eponymous princess. It would be disservice if they were to replace her in such a scenario.

Well, there is still the problem of dealing with the same Hyrule for a third time. We don't want this, but there is no good reason for Zelda to leave this Hyrule, unless she gets forced to or this some sort of higher calling. However, this could connect quite well with a plot around the Triforce – the third game could lead both Link and her inside the Sacred Realm. And the Sacred Realm can take all sorts of shapes, maybe even reflect other Hyrules from the past somehow...

However, we are already getting Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment as an upcoming spin-off game, where you primarily follow Zelda's journey in the distant past of Hyrule's founding. So, this will already be a game where this Zelda is the playable main protagonist. And maybe, just maybe it will also explore the topic of the Triforce...

The third option certainly can't be dismissed, but it feels also not very likely. As already said, they have established a strong brand with Breath of the Wild and they are already continuing with this brand on the Nintendo Switch 2. The mix of realism and cel shading also has worked out quite well for the series, it's truly the best of both worlds. So, coming up with something completely new for Zelda at this point might not be what they want and might also not be needed.

This leaves us with the second option. Same art style, but new Link, new Zelda and a new land. This would be similar to Spirit Tracks, but it's also something that Nintendo has done very recently. Donkey Kong Bananza uses the art style of Super Mario Odyssey and shares that game's vibes, where it's easily recognizable as a spiritual successor, but it's also truly its own thing. It's a new 3D Donkey Kong with emphasis on destroying the environments. However, that game started its development on the Nintendo Switch, which won't be the case for the next big Zelda.

But staying with the current art style would make it clear out of the box that they are going to continue on the open world route, while placing it in a different era (and potentially even a different Hyrule) would allow for a number of changes. For example, such a game wouldn't have to bring back the exact same weapon system, where this never had so many fans to begin with. But that's a topic worth discussing on its own.

In any case, Zelda games always have been defined by their gameplay ideas and the next one won't be any different. The story usually gets developed around the core mechanics, not the other way around. And they choose whatever art style delivers their ideas the best. What those gameplay ideas will turn out to be, that's the million dollar question...