After the latest trailer forHyrule Warriors: Age ofImprisonmentteased a new yet potentially familiar character, an argument could now be made for Nintendo to change its mind onThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s lack of DLC. Like most spin-off games,Hyrule Warriorsappeared to have been separate from the mainlineZeldaseries, such as whenHyrule Warriors: Age of Calamityfeatured non-canonical characters and an all-new ending despite beingZelda: Breath of the Wild’s supposed prequel. However, after Nintendo claimed thatAge of Imprisonmentwould be a canon prequeltoZelda: Tears of the Kingdom, this may no longer be the case.
WithHyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonmentset during Hyrule’s ancient history, as seen inTears of the Kingdom, one of the biggest challenges that this confirmed canonical sequel seemed to face was the absence ofZelda’s iconic protagonist. But thanks to the newest trailer from 2025’s Nintendo Direct Partner showcase,Age of Imprisonmentmay have revealed plans for Link’s return without breakingTears of the Kingdom’s canon. Yet the benefits ofAge of Imprisonment’s prospective workaround could go both ways, as Link’s return could help salvage and inspireTears of the Kingdom’s untapped DLC potential.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment’s Link Loophole Could Help Zelda: TOTK
WhileAge of Imprisonmentcould have joined a trendof Link-liteZeldagames alongsideZelda: Echoes of Wisdom, the final moments of its latest trailer might suggest otherwise after teasing a mysterious humanoid Zonai Construct. Though this new character’s identity hasn’t been confirmed, there are already theories linking the Construct to Fi and the decayed Master Sword or evenTears of the Kingdom’s mythical “Ancient Hero.”
However, despite the chance to subvert expectations,Age of Imprisonment’s new Zonai Construct will more likely connect to Link while preservingTears of the Kingdom’s canon, with the list below outlining several ways this could be achieved.
Provided that the connection betweenTears of the Kingdom’s present-day LinkandAge of Imprisonment’s past Construct is direct, then this newfound loophole could prompt Nintendo to reconsider the former’s DLC potential. DespiteBreath of the Wild’s Expansion Pass proving successful, particularlyThe Champions' BalladDLC, Nintendo’s claims that there were no similar plans forTears of the Kingdomseemed shortsighted. But while the reasoning behind this decision may have been justified at the time, Nintendo may now have the opportunity to giveTears of the Kingdomdefinitive closure throughAge of Imprisonment-inspired DLC.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment Reopens The Door For Zelda: TOTK DLC
Having initially started development as potential DLC before being reworked intoBreath of the Wild’s direct sequel, the news thatTears of the Kingdomwouldn’t receive any DLC was disappointing but ultimately understandable. However, while Nintendo may have felt that it had done all that it could withTears of the Kingdom,Age of Imprisonment’s introduction of a Link-Construct could expand the former’s story in new, never-before-seen ways. Just asAge of Imprisonmentwill provide important depthto Princess Zelda’s time in the past, so too couldTears of the Kingdomdo the same for Link in the present via DLC.
For example,Tears of the Kingdom’s Spirit Temple could serve as astarting point forAge of Imprisonment-centric DLC, as it balances player progression midway through the game while also capitalizing on the overlap between the Construct Factory and a potential Link-Construct. From here, the DLC’s main quest could follow Link’s discovery and repair of ancient Zonai technology that can connect withAge of Imprisonment’s Construct. By takingAge of Imprisonment’s story as its lead,Tears of the Kingdomwouldn’t even need to stray far fromBreath of the Wild’s DLC approach while offering a wealth of new content, such as the list below.
