Witnessing the Tragedy — Enhancing Age of Calamity’s Story With One Additional Chapter

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity.

The story of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity has been… controversial, to put it bluntly. Promising “a new story set 100 years before The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” this Zelda spinoff generated quite a bit of buzz within the Zelda community, as fans’ imaginations ran wild with speculation about experiencing the tragedy of the Calamity first-hand.

Which story elements from Breath of the Wild‘s memories will be more thoroughly explored? How will Koei Tecmo handle the inherent failure of the Champions’ tale? Could this be the most emotionally impactful Zelda story ever told? Such questions and more dominated the conversation about the latest Hyrule Warriors adventure.

But after the release of the demo in October and the final release in November, the conversation took a more divided tone, as some players felt that Age of Calamity did not ultimately keep the promises made in its marketing. Debates of canon and alternative histories, complaints of unfulfilled expectations, and accusations of false advertising have surrounded the game since.

And while many Zelda fans (me included) were ultimately satisfied with the story told in Age of Calamity and with the bold decisions made, there exists that burning itch for the uniquely tragic story that could have been.

 

In fact, midway through my own playthrough of Age of Calamity, I began to think about ways I would have enhanced the story, about ways I would have more thoroughly explored the events implied in Breath of the Wild, about ways I would have appeased the Zelda fans that actually wanted to see the Fall of Hyrule with every emotional gut-punch they expected to receive.

And while nothing short of a full-on rewrite of the game’s story would have satisfied some of the more disappointed fans — I’ve actually seen some really intriguing ideas within our own comments section — I feel that I have found a single change, a single addition, to Age of Calamity‘s story that would have enhanced the experience and provided players with the moments implied by Breath of the Wild we wish we could have seen.

So, here’s what I propose: The addition of one chapter, between Chapter 4 and Chapter 5, in Age of Calamity could have more strictly presented the sequence of events as implied by Breath of the Wild‘s flashbacks and memories. This chapter, which I will call “Chapter X,” could have served as the bridge between the tragic narrative we know from Breath of the Wild and the triumphant rewriting of history in Age of Calamity.

And I must note: The proposition presented here would not have realistically fixed every narrative issue in Age of Calamity and would not satisfy every disappointed fan. But my intention is to present a compromise between the tale disappointed fans wanted to see from the game and the story the development team at Koei Tecmo ultimately wanted to tell. This fix will attempt to appease both sides; it is, of sorts, a “have your cake and eat it too” solution.

So, with that long-winded introduction out of the way, let’s begin.

 

Before the Calamity — Chapter 1 Through Chapter 4

The first four chapters of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity depict the initial confrontation between the warriors of Hyrule and the forces of Calamity Ganon, with the increased aggression of mobs and monsters serving as an early sign of the Calamity’s eventual fury.

Just as suggested in Breath of the Wild, a prophesy foretelling the Calamity’s return has prompted King Rhoam and his allies to excavate ancient Sheikah technology — namely Guardians and the Divine Beasts — in hopes that they will aid the kingdom in repelling the encroaching evil. While the king’s knights combat the Calamity’s bestial forces, emissaries are sent to each of the other four tribes of Hyrule — the Zora, Goron, Rito, and Gerudo — to request their help and find pilots for the Divine Beasts.

So far, so good. Age of Calamity‘s establishing conflict mirrors what we saw in Breath of the Wild.

But, of course, a certain egg-shaped wrench is thrown into the narrative which alters the series the events in Age of Calamity in a handful of ways. Thanks to the emergence of Terrako and his intrusion on past events, the Sheikah Towers are activated prematurely, Sheikah scientists are more informed about future events than they would have been otherwise, and the entire kingdom grows in its sense of urgency.

 

The mere existence of Terrako in Age of Calamity means that the events presented in that game do not line up with the memories we saw in Breath of the Wild. The way Link and Zelda invite each Champion to their cause is noticeably different between the memories from The Champions’ Ballad and the events of Age of Calamity‘s second chapter. The Champions get their Divine Beasts moving and attacking way sooner than they were supposed to. And — discounting claims made in the Creating a Champion book — Link’s proficiency with the Master Sword is more immediately apparent than it was in Breath‘s memories.

But though that is unfortunate for fans who wanted to see Breath of the Wild‘s backstory adhered to as strictly as possible, I would argue that, even with Terrako and his time-altering shenanigans, the events depicted in Age of Calamity‘s first four chapters line up with what we know from Breath of the Wild, perhaps not in specifics, but in essence. The major events — the recruitment of the Champions, Link retrieving the Master Sword, Zelda struggling to awaken her powers, and Hyrule clashing with the Yiga Clan — the motivations fueling those events, and their ultimate outcomes are the exact same in both games.

In fact, the incongruities between them, differences in minor specifics really, were likely necessitated by the fact that Age of Calamity is a Warriors game and thus must accommodate battlefield gameplay with parties of major characters. Terrako’s presence could in fact be seen as a clever way to explain away such considerations to gameplay within the narrative itself.

For this reason, I am content in viewing Age of Calamity‘s first four chapters as respectful to Breath of the Wild‘s memories in the parallel, even though the former may be a bit more action-packed than the latter. Any differences are easily identifiable if one is familiar with Breath of the Wild‘s memories and the implications therein, and they can be easily dismissed when imagining the events as they happened in Terrako’s original timeline.

Therefore, I would choose not to alter any aspect of Age of Calamity‘s first four chapters if given the chance to enhance the story because I recognize the reasons why those changes were made in the first place. Greater minds than mine can propose alterations to these events that more effectively line up with the events presented in Breath of the Wild, but, as you’ll see in the following section, I see more value in adding to the story of Age of Calamity than in altering what was there.

 

The True Calamity — Chapter X

Again, I propose adding one more chapter to Age of Calamity‘s campaign, one directly following Zelda’s vow to “fulfill [her] duty” at the end of Chapter 4 and preceding the dramatic emergence of Calamity Ganon at the start of Chapter 5. This “Chapter X” would present the true series of events that were hinted at in Breath of the Wild.

Essentially, this entire chapter would be subtly presented as a flashback to the timeline we know from Breath of the Wild, the timeline Terrako came from.

Age of Calamity players actually receive a small glimpse of this timeline at the beginning of the game’s narrative. We see chaos as Guardians overrun Hyrule Castle, we see Princess Zelda finally awaken her powers to save a fallen Link at Fort Hateno, and we see Terrako activate and begin his journey through time. For me, a Chapter X, with five missions, could show the crucial events in that original timeline leading up to the moments depicted in that opening cutscene.

But why after Chapter 4? Why not have a chapter showing the fall of Hyrule in Terrako’s original timeline at the very beginning of the game? Wouldn’t it make more sense to show things in “chorological” order?

 

Well, while I certainly see the value in that approach, I believe experiencing the heartbreak, failure, and tragedy of the actual Calamity would be that much more impacting if we, as players, have first experienced the struggles our heroes have faced before things got really, really bad. Age of Calamity‘s first four chapters do effectively establish the relationships forged between our heroes, the realm-shattering stakes of their quests, and the trials they’ve faced thus far to meet their goals. Because we have battled alongside them and seen their growth, witnessing their failure — witnessing all that work fall to nothing — is that much more devastating.

So, in my head, seeing the true fall of Hyrule and its Champions would be most impactful directly following Age of Calamity‘s Chapter 4. By that point, we know the stakes, we know what our heroes have accomplished thus far, and we know, especially with Princess Zelda, what needs to be done next if Calamity Ganon is to be defeated.

So, Chapter X would be set in Terrako’s original timeline, the one we know from Breath of the Wild. But I would not draw too much attention to that fact, as I would want the sting of the Calamity to be as visceral as possible. Perhaps, with the slightest of indications that what players are seeing is a flashback, the first cutscene of this chapter would begin with a grainy, sepia-tone border effect, as we saw with the memories in Breath of the Wild. And that would be it. No other indication should be given to players that the chapter they are playing is not in the same timeline as the chapters preceding it.

 

Likewise, the absence of Terrako would not be emphasized throughout this chapter.

Remember, this is the timeline our Baby Guardian came from. He wasn’t following Link and Zelda around in that timeline; he was stashed away in a box in Zelda’s study.

For the purposes of storytelling, Age of Calamity would not draw attention to Terrako’s absence during Chapter X, as doing so would emphasize the “alternative” nature of the events depicted and thus weaken their emotional impact. Therefore, the events of Chapter X would just be presented with a straight face, and only eagle-eyed gamers would notice Terrako’s sudden absence.

The following sections will lay out the five missions I would include in Chapter X. These missions will serve to provide the true backstory of Breath of the Wild, connect all the dots between that game’s memory sequences, further establish the emotional stakes that later chapters would respond to, and even introduce a few gameplay ideas I would have wanted to see in Age of Calamity.

 

The Spring of Wisdom — Mission 1

Chapter X would begin with a mission set on Mount Lanayru, a location conspicuously ignored as a playable area in Age of Calamity. We know from Breath of the Wild‘s memories that Princess Zelda travels to the Spring of Wisdom at the peak of Mount Lanayru after failing to awaken her powers at the Springs of Power and Courage. So, given that Chapter 4 ends with a mission at the Spring of Courage, it would make sense for our heroes to immediately and desperately travel to Mount Lanayru.

This mission would follow closely the structure of “When Courage Fails,” the final mission of Chapter 4. Players would be able to choose any two characters, sans Zelda, to complete this mission; the goal would be to escort the princess to the peak of Mount Lanayru and then to protect her while she prays at the Shrine. While it wouldn’t provide the most unique challenge or objectives, this mission would at least give players the chance to fight through one of the most scenic areas from Breath of the Wild‘s map. Plus, the road to the peak of Lanayru seems tailor-made for a Warriors map.

The Dragons of Breath of the Wild were also noticeably absent from Age of Calamity, so this crucial moment in Princess Zelda’s personal quest would have been the perfect place to introduce one of these legendary beasts. Perhaps Naydra, after Zelda once again fails to awaken her powers, would appear to console her. The Dragon would wordlessly offer her encouragement, giving Zelda the impression that the ancient forces of Hyrule still support her in the fight against the Calamity. Perhaps Naydra’s presence would even hint that hope exists for Hyrule in the most unexpected place, subtly foreshadowing Terrako’s quest through time.

Link’s encounter with Naydra was one of the most memorable parts of Breath of the Wild for me. The chance to revisit such a moment in Age of Calamity would have been a welcome addition.

 

It would be during this mission that I would also address a concern I personally had while I played through Chapter 5 of Age of Calamity. By the time Chapter 5 began in the actual game, I found the gameplay beginning to stagnate a bit, chiefly because no new characters (other than optional characters like the Great Fairies or Monk Maz Koshia) had been introduced since Hestu in Chapter 3. This concern was of course alleviated later in the chapter with the introductions of the future Champions, but the inclusion of Chapter X would prolong the wait between new characters even more.

Therefore, if Chapter X had been added to Age of Calamity, it would need to introduce at least one new character as a way to keep gameplay fresh and varied. In my opinion, there is one character hinted at in Breath of the Wild that would be the perfect candidate for a warrior introduced here, in Chapter X’s first mission.

That character would be the old teacher of Kass, the Rito bard from Breath of the Wild.

A few Zelda Dungeon writers and I agree that Age of Calamity missed an opportunity to show players who Kass’ teacher truly was. So introducing him here would make up for that missed opportunity and provide players with a very welcome surprise. As bards are want to do, he would be braving this remote area of Hyrule in search of inspiration. Here he would meet Zelda, Link, and the Champions for this first time and thus be added to the party.

 

We know from dialogue in Breath of the Wild that Kass’ teacher was a Sheikah poet who held hidden feelings for Princess Zelda, but all other information is left to the imagination. The team at Koei Tecmo would therefore have had quite a bit of freedom in creating this new Sheikah warrior. Perhaps the teacher would utilize instruments, like an accordion or a lute, to attack enemies. Perhaps he would serve as a variant of Impa’s character in some way, much like the new Champions are variants of their respective predecessors.

Koei Tecmo would have even had the opportunity to explore this teacher’s emotional infatuations toward the princess. Perhaps witnessing Zelda’s passion for her people and for her duty would endear the teacher to her during this initial meeting. Perhaps he would butt heads with Link a little bit after he sees how devoted the knight is to his princess. I’m sure many players would have wanted to see this aspect of Breath of the Wild‘s backstory explored.

And I’m sure no players would have complained about another character being added to Age of Calamity‘s roster. Ideally, we’d want more story moments from this character beyond just Chapter X. But for the sake of my initial proposition of focusing on just one additional chapter, I won’t suggest any for Chapter 5 or beyond. Perhaps multiple side-missions would have fleshed out this character’s backstory and his relationship with Princess Zelda.

This first mission would end in a similar way to how it began, with Zelda still unable to awaken her powers and with even fewer paths for her to follow. The party, along with their new Sheikah friend, would descend the mountain dejected but still hopeful.

 

Calamity Awakens — Mission 2

Chapter X’s second mission would begin with a version of the “Return of Calamity Ganon” memory from Breath of the Wild, in which Zelda and the Champions discuss the happenings on Mount Lanayru, just before they are interrupted by the emergence of the Calamity.

In an effort to maintain continuity, Impa and the unnamed teacher would have to remove themselves from the group at this point, as they were not present in the original memory. Perhaps Impa would insist they give Zelda and the Champions some space after their latest failure. Perhaps we would get some further clues that the teacher is smitten with the princess and that he desperately wants to help her. Perhaps the Sheikah warriors would need to race off to Kakariko to report the latest developments. All are valid possibilities.

Anyway, as we saw in Breath of the Wild, the unexpected return of Calamity Ganon would prompt our heroes into action. Each of the four Champions would be headed for their respective Divine Beast, while Link and Zelda would be headed for Hyrule Castle to prepare for a final assault.

But, if you’re aware of Hyrule’s geography in Breath of the Wild, you’d know that our heroes would need to pass through the Lanayru Promenade, another area suited for a Warriors map, to most quickly reach their destinations. And this ancient road between Mount Lanayru and Kakariko Village would be the setting for this second mission.

 

This mission would be the last opportunity in Chapter X for Link, Zelda, Impa, and the Champions to team up all together. All characters unlocked up to this point in the game would be available to players. Not only would this mission service players who want to play with their favorite character without restrictions, but it would offer players one last heroic mission with all the characters working together before things take a bad turn. The Champions would even communicate words of encouragement to each other in game throughout the mission to really sell their camaraderie.

Additionally, Chapter 5 of Age of Calamity introduces the first true Guardian fight of the game, so it would only make sense that Chapter X also introduces Guardians as enemies. Just before the conclusion of this mission, a cutscene would show our heroes confronted by a duo of corrupted Guardians. Shocked and surprised, the Champions would lament the corruption of the tools they hoped to rely on at this very moment. And with the mechanical beasts standing squarely between them and their destinations (and with Terrako not present in this timeline), our heroes would have no choice but to fight.

This mission would end with our heroes reaching the end of the promenade and splitting up… for the final time. The Champions would say their goodbyes to Link and Zelda, and they would offer halfhearted assurances that their mission will end in success. Zelda would look back at her friends one more time before heading off toward Hyrule Castle.

 

Saving Kakariko — Mission 3

It would be in this next mission that the true stakes of Calamity are revealed to the player.

Link, Zelda, and the remaining characters available to the player would proceed toward Hyrule Castle by passing through Kakariko Village and its surrounding region. Not only would this be the safest and quickest route to Hyrule Field, but it would provide the characters an opportunity to secure a friendly settlement threatened by the Calamity and reunite with Impa if they need to.

The mission would involve our heroes taking back Keeps by defeating monsters all around Kakariko Village and helping to save the villagers and their homes. And, upping the ante from the past mission, our heroes would be challenging more and more Guardians as well. Like the areas discussed in the sections above, the layout of Kakariko Village is quite suitable for traditional Warriors gameplay, with its many branching paths and checkpoints. Plus, I personally would have loved to hear a battle-themed remix of Breath of the Wild‘s Kakariko Village theme.

By the end of this mission, Link, Zelda, and Impa would have fought their way out of the mountains surrounding Kakariko to the hills of Sahasra Slope. Hyrule Castle would come into view, and the princess would express a final burst of hope.

But then tragedy would strike.

 

At the end of the mission, a cutscene would show the four Champions — Mipha, Urbosa, Daruk, and Revali — hastily returning to their Divine Beasts, determined to meet the Calamity before anything truly tragic occurs.

But it would be too late.

In Age of Calamity, alterations to the timeline meant that the Calamity struck before the party set off to the Spring of Wisdom, not after. Therefore, the Champions — who were already more prepared for the Calamity than they would have been if not warned by Terrako — were aboard their Divine Beasts sooner and were more mentally prepared to fight when the Blights appeared.

The Champions of Breath of the Wild were not afforded such luxuries. Therefore, during this tense cutscene, the Champions would unknowingly, one by one, enter their Divine Beasts and be ambushed by the powerful Blights lying in wait. And from below, Zelda, Link, and their party would, from their vantage point, see the Divine Beasts become corrupted by clouds of Malice.

In a scene similar to the one that concludes Chapter 5’s “Calamity Strikes”, Zelda, Link, and Impa would assume the worst. The Champions, caught off guard by the strength of Calamity Ganon, have fallen, and their Divine Beasts are now in the hands of evil. Raindrops would begin to fall as Zelda looks from peak to peak to see each Divine Beast thrash around with rage. In that moment, she would blame herself for the fate of her friends. She would collapse to the ground, clench her fists, and fight back tears.

 

Zelda would speak these words here in Chapter X, just as she will again in Chapter 5. But here, during the true Calamity, Terrako would not be present to play “Zelda’s Lullaby” and discharge its power; so, as a result, Zelda would not find the renewed spirit to take back the Divine Beasts. The true tragedy of this moment would only be noticed by the players who recognize this fact. The Champions here fall because Zelda does not see the hope in their predicament; she does not choose to fight on to save her friends still struggling in their Divine Beasts.

The only course of action she would recommend would be to trudge on toward Hyrule Castle. She could at least still save her kingdom… and her father.

 

The Storm — Mission 4

This mission would take place in Hyrule Field, as Zelda, Link, and the remaining characters fight their way to the Hyrule Castle under a heavy rainfall. An army of monsters and Guardians would stand in their way; and our heroes would encounter pools of Malice strewn across the battlefield, just like in the missions of Chapter 5. Zelda and Link would also need to be separated from Impa at some point, so here would be the best opportunity for that. The final boss battle would be against a Malice-infected Hinox, showing both the heroes and the player just how deadly the forces of Calamity Ganon have become.

The mission would conclude with a cutscene that mirrors another from Chapter 5’s “Calamity Strikes”, the cutscene in which King Rhoam cuts down a Guardian before sending Link and Zelda off. However, instead of Link and Zelda running away from the castle, this version of events would see them running toward the castle. And, as we saw in the actual game, Link would attempt to shield the princess from a Guardian’s blast, and the king would step in at the last second to strike the machine down.

Against the princess’ protestations, King Rhoam would, as he does in the main game, decree that Link is Zelda’s knight. As rain continues to fall around him, the king would turn his back to his daughter and her knight, and he would offer one last command: head for Fort Hateno, the last bastion of Hyrule’s safety. Link would, just like he does in Chapter 5, silently accept his king’s orders, take the resistant Zelda by the hand, and flee the castle.

 

A Guardian’s blast would be all we hear as Link and Zelda make haste outside the castle’s walls. Just as in Age of Calamity‘s actually story, the player would not know here if the king survived the onslaught; but, because these events take place in Breath of the Wild‘s timeline, players could accurately deduce that here the king does meet his end at the hands of Calamity Ganon’s forces.

With the storm raging on, Link and Zelda would rush to Fort Hateno for their last stand against the Calamity.

 

The Final Stand — Mission 5

Because no other alternative would be appropriate, this final mission would begin with the memory “Despair” from Breath of the Wild, in which Princess Zelda collapses in the rain and emotionally blames herself for everything’s that happened.

Truth be told, I did not feel the full emotional impact of this scene until I attempted to line up the events from Breath of the Wild‘s memories and the events from Age of Calamity‘s story in preparation for this article. And, after actually seeing what events have befallen our heartbroken princess and then further imagining the scenes that connect them, I must admit that it is one of the most poignant character moments in any Zelda game ever. It would simply be irresponsible not to revisit it in Age of Calamity.

And so here it would be presented, in the last mission of Chapter X. And we’d all be wiping our tears away before picking up the controller again.

The gameplay of this mission would look very similar to Chapter 6’s “Each Step Like Thunder”, with Link and Zelda helping the knights of Hyrule hold back the Calamity’s forces on “the periphery of Fort Hateno.” Perhaps just before arriving at the battlefield, the duo could reunite with Impa and their remaining friends, so players would have a (somewhat) larger pool of characters to choose from for this final assault.

 

Battles against Moblins, Lynels, Hinoxes, and Guardians would demonstrate the escalating action, as our heroes’ hopes of victory would slowly erode with each new encounter. And, with the defeat of three powerful Guardians, our heroes would be ambushed by the fearsome Blights, in a cutscene similar to the one shown in “Each Step Like Thunder”. While Astor was never shown to be present in Breath of the Wild‘s memories, I see no reason why he couldn’t be present in this cutscene. He was a major antagonist in Age of Calamity‘s first four chapters, after all.

The final gameplay sequence would see Link and his allies fight back against the Blights with what remains of their strength and energy. But even that victory would be short lived. A cutscene would play showing how little our heroes have actually done, with legions of Guardians still rushing toward the gates of Fort Hateno. Players would know that every last bit of energy has been exhausted, and only a miracle could ensure victory against the Calamity’s forces.

It is here that Link would make his final stand.

 

Whether this moment would be shown in a cutscene or through an unwinnable gameplay sequence (a la Halo: Reach), Link, to his dying breath, would fight off the Guardians, strike by strike. And, once he and the player have exhausted every last resource in the face of overwhelming waves of enemies, the legendary hero would fail.

As we saw in Breath of the Wild, just before Link is shot down by a Guardian’s beam, Princess Zelda would here finally awaken her powers to save him from destruction. We would see the same moments from the “Zelda’s Awakening” memory: Zelda casts a wave of light to silence the Guardians and save her friend, she instructs Sheikah soldiers to take Link to the Shrine of Resurrection, and she decides to take the Master Sword with her.

The final cutscene would depict a final conversation between Zelda and her loyal friend Impa. The princess would explain her intent to return the Master Sword to its resting place and confront Calamity Ganon at Hyrule Castle alone, in the hopes that, when he does finally reawaken, Link could finish what she intends to start. Impa would protest, of course, but Zelda would set her friend’s mind at ease as only the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom could.

 

The final shot of Chapter X would show Princess Zelda heading off toward the Dueling Peaks, with piles of destroyed Guardians in the foreground. Then, as the camera pans slowly to the right, a single Silent Princess flower would be revealed, communicating to the player that hope still exists, both in this timeline and in a new one.

The grainy, sepia-tone border effect would encircle the screen once again before the entire scene fades to a shot of Terrako sitting on Robbie’s workbench — which is coincidentally the first shot of Age of Calamity‘s Chapter 5. The entire ordeal of Chapter X would be revealed as Terrako’s memories of his original timeline, a timeline defined by failure and loss.

But the implications of these memories now inform the events that follow in the next chapter. Chapter X’s emotional conclusion satisfies the tragedy promised in Breath of the Wild, and Terrrako’s presence in a new timeline offers a brighter future to come.

 

Re-Writing the Calamity — Chapter 5 Through Chapter 7

Despite Chapter 5 being “the point of no return” for Breath of the Wild purists hoping to see the events of the previous game told as strictly as possible, the events in that chapter and beyond are not without their merits. In fact, many fans came out of Age of Calamity‘s story more than satisfied.

The tension present in Chapter 5 as the player races to save the Champions from certain destruction, the handful of emotionally affecting scenes involving Zelda and her father, and the many, many twists and turns sprouting from the time travel shenanigans are all welcome additions to the narrative, especially after one has tempered his or her expectations of a true Breath of the Wild backstory. As a grand what-if adventure, Age of Calamity is worth the ride.

But for all the reunions, redemptions, and happy endings, I still think Age of Calamity‘s concluding chapters would have been improved if players had been allowed to witness the dark timeline they were fighting to prevent.

So, in addition to satisfying the players that wanted to see Breath of the Wild‘s Calamity as was advertised, I also feel that the inclusion of my hypothetical Chapter X would have even enhanced the events presented in this altered timeline.

The victories would have been that much more impactful, as players would have already felt the crushing blows of defeat. The importance of the time travelling characters — Terrako and the new Champions — would have been more pronounced, as players would have already seen what happens when those characters weren’t present. And, in true Warriors fashion, the power fantasy of subverting the Calamity would have felt that much more invigorating, as players would have felt like they were overcoming the very nature of time itself.

Age of Calamity‘s happy ending deserved that tragedy as much as any fan did.

 

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And that’s how I would have enhanced the story of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity with the addition of just one chapter.

Obviously, Chapter X wouldn’t fix every single problem with the game’s narrative. I’d need to start writing a work of fan fiction to do that. But I do hope that you can, in true fandom fashion, consider my ideas here as a hypothetical piece of head-canon.

Anyway, how would you have fixed the story of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity? Would you have re-written the entire story to line up perfectly with Breath of the Wild‘s memories? Would you have retained the happy ending? What crucial moments shown in or implied by Breath of the Wild were missing from Age of Calamity? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Rod Lloyd is the managing editor at Zelda Dungeon, primarily overseeing the news and feature content of the site. The Zelda Dungeon Caption Contest and Zelda Dungeon themed weeks are both Rod’s babies. You can find Rod on Twitter right here.

Editor’s Note: This article has been edited to correct a factual error regarding Breath of the Wild‘s Dragons.