Daily Debate: What “Secret” in Tears of the Kingdom Did You Enjoy Discovering the Most?

Note: This article contains potential spoilers for The Legenda of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

Expanding the map from Breath of the Wild to Tears of the Kingdom yielded more opportunities for Easter eggs and secrets placed in by Nintendo, and while we have explored with wealth on this website what we felt may have been missing, that doesn’t negate the wealth that was there for us to plunder in the newest Zelda game. So I wondered: what are some of your favorite secrets discovered while playing Tears of the Kingdom?

I wanted to present a few different ideas on what a “secret” might look like. For some readers, it might come down to gameplay, or a revealing in the story; for others, it might look more like an “Easter egg” that holds room for interpretation and speculation. Here are some that came to mind that I reveled in:

1. Returning to Washa’s Bluff: There’s an argument to be had that Penn is the Tears of the Kingdom version of Kass from Breath of the Wild. While he plays a very different role in the story and the gameplay, and the only real thing in common is they’re both talking birds, there is some evidence to back this up that takes a bit of exploration to uncover. Penn’s related Side Adventure ends with him feeling dejected and lost, unsure of himself and his future. For many players, this is the end of Penn in their playthrough. However, if you return to Washa’s Bluff after the Side Adventure concludes, you’ll find him reflecting on his accomplishments, and comparing himself to what can only be assumed is Kass himself, perhaps the strongest link between the two characters’ stories.
2. Signposts in Hyrule: If you go up to the signposts that give you directions to different towns, landmarks, and regions in Hyrule, engaging with the sign will show you the information to help get you where you need to go. However, if you focus at the visuals of the signs themselves, they often seem a little more… literal. Looking at the image in the gallery below, you’ll see that the signs clearly read “LEFT” and “RIGHT”, with other signs in Hyrule a little more universal, simply saying “THIS WAY” and “THAT WAY.” I’m aware that this was something that occurred in Breath of the Wild as well, but I didn’t notice it until playing Tears of the Kingdom, so it’s making my personal list.
3.  Kakariko Village Well: If you’ve been to the well underneath Kakariko Village in more than one Zelda game, this may not come as a huge secret to you, but I think the effort that Nintendo put into preserving the reputation of the well shows its dedication to keeping the secrets of Hyrule alive from the perspective of the NPCs as much as the players. It is quickly evident that this is no ordinary well, as you find stone walls with splatches of blood and winding hallways that prove this was much more than just an underground aqueduct of sorts. I feel like there’s enough people reading this who haven’t played Ocarina of Time to make me consider letting a secret stay a secret to them, for now.

There are secrets abound in Tears of the Kingdom, and I certainly had a hard time picking three to call my favorites. I feel like this list covers a variety of different types of secrets that can amuse the unique collection of players who enjoy the franchise.

What are some of your favorite secrets found in Tears of the Kingdom? Don’t keep it like a secret; let us know in the comments below!

Josh Wittmershaus

Josh Wittmershaus is a writer at Zelda Dungeon. Originally from Erie, Pennsylvania, he now resides in Northern California. Aside from Zelda, Josh enjoys playing music, seeing live music, music history, and all other things music. He also enjoys skating, hockey, and the occasional political or philosophical thought exercise.