Despite being very different from many other dungeons in the Zelda series, the Divine Beasts did maintain Zelda tradition by having a reward for completing each dungeon. In addition to the heart container, the player also receives a blessing or magic spell from each of the four respective champions. These blessings (Urbosa’s Fury, Mipha’s Grace, Daruk’s Protection, and Revali’s Gale) are all extremely powerful spells that give Link new options for combat and navigation. Revali’s Gale, which create an updraft that the player can use in harmony with their paraglider, allows the player to climb further and faster than ever before. Urbosa’s Fury is one of the most powerful spells in the entire Zelda series, dealing a ton of damage and paralyzing most foes for a considerable amount of time.

Since it appears that Tears of the Kingdom will include the same Link from Breath of the Wild, do you think Link will have access to the Champions’ Blessings in any form at the start of Tears of the Kingdom?

Overall, this an interesting discussion that has a lot more to do with game mechanics and balancing difficulty than it has to do with story continuity. From a narrative perspective, it seems obvious that Link should have access to these spells if Tears of the Kingdom is a direct sequel to Breath of the Wild. From a gameplay perspective, it is a little tricky giving players access to powerful spells at the start of the game. Giving Link access to these power spells early in the game could make the combat or navigation too easy; this could lead to a game that lacks challenge or difficulty. Additionally, some players might rely on these spells and never bother to learn how to fight enemies without Urbosa’s Fury or Daruk’s Protection.

While it would be nice for Link to have even a muted or downsized version of these blessings to start the game, it feels like Nintendo might follow the approach that Retro Studios took in Metroid Prime. Metroid Prime, one of the best Nintendo games ever made, gave the player access to many of Samus’ best tools at the start of the adventure before taking them away at the end of the tutorial section. Tears of the Kingdom could use a similar strategy, where Link has all of the Champions’ Blessings at the start of the game, before losing them after some type of disaster or attack.

What do you think, will Link have access to the Champions’ Blessings in any form at the start of Tears of the Kingdom?  Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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