Horror-Inspired Tears of the Kingdom Fan Animation Explores a Tragic Alternate Reality
Posted on March 03 2024 by Nicole Scott
The introductory cutscene to Tears of the Kingdom is nothing short of severe. The emotional whiplash is unending, beginning with Zelda’s enthusiasm for an archaeological discovery, to the Demon King’s eyes flashing red with fury. Link’s heroic defense provides a glimmer of hope, until, ultimately, Link fails to catch Zelda amid the Upheaval — a destroyed arm and Master Sword in its wake. We know Zelda teleports, but what if she didn’t? What if she and Link fell to the bottom, and Rauru’s arm never showed up to save the day?
This is what YouTube creator n3l imagines in a horror-inspired fan animation entitled “a split in TotK’s timeline.” This is not for the faint of heart, so proceed carefully.
This was an extension of their previous video, “You failed me,” inspired by a torch the player can find when heading to the Gloom lair. The torch was placed intentionally — it is the one Zelda carried in the opening cutscene that she dropped when she fell. It’s easy to imagine if Link noticed this on his way to defeat Ganondorf, he would feel a pang of regret and failure.
These emotions ooze in n3l’s unsettling narrative. Link’s arm is overcome with Gloom. It screeches horrifically as a Gloom eye opens in Link’s palm, and our hero desperately fights its power. This contrasts with Fi’s distressing cries. Link takes drastic measures to overcome it, trying to make it to Zelda. Here, n3l reveals a gruesome surprise, paired with the swelling horns players hear any time they enter The Depths.
n3l does an excellent job crafting dread and stress in the final frames. If you’re brave enough, check it out for yourself.
If you enjoy more lighthearted and humorous animations, I recommend n3l’s “I need to reach my friend,” which is another delightful entry in the Zelda fandom’s long list of Korok-related misadventures. View n3l’s comics and animations on their YouTube channel or support them with a coffee.
Does this version of Tears rattle you as much as it did me? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
Source: n3l
Nicole Scott is writer for Zelda Dungeon from suburban Appalachia. She loves drinking espresso, seeing live music, building LEGO sets, being a completionist, and snuggling her two probably-alien cats, Tizo and Alarielle.
