Summary
Let it be said thatTears of the Kingdomis a successful sequel to the already-acclaimedBreath of the Wild. Fans were hyped for more information when the teaser was dropped back at E3 2019. Given the skyrocketing sales, it’s safe to say that it lived up to the audience’s expectations.
Now thatTears of the Kingdomhas been on the shelves for more than a few months, some players find themselves returning toBreath of the Wild. It would appear that despite all its achievements,TotKmade fans nostalgic for the prequel. Some have even noticed that whileTotKreally pushes the world ofBotWto its limits, it still has its own share of drawbacks, and that while it may be a sequel, its predecessor still has more than enough going for it.
Updated on August 03, 2025 by Renri Seong:BothBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdomset a high bar for the nextLegend of Zeldagame, and yet despite their praise, they each have their own flaws. A common complaint aboutBreath of the Wildwas the story and how there were no Temples, a long-time staple of theZeldafranchise. WhileTears of the Kingdombrought back Temples and even Sages, certain gameplay mechanics, such as the Sages'' Vows, had some players missingBreath of the Wild. The following list has been updated to include three “things"Breath of the Wilddoes better thanTears of the Kingdom.
10Gameplay is More Forgiving
No Gloom
It goes without saying thatTears of the Kingdomis not friendly to new beginners. Its tutorial mode, when compared toBreath of the Wild, is much longer and can take an hour or two compared to the Great Plateau. This is probably due to Link’s new Abilities. Another reason: At the end of the tutorial inBotW, Link would get the paraglider from King Rhoam. InTotK,Rauru does his best to lend a hand, but doesn’t seem to have anymore parting gifts when Link departs from the Great Sky Island.
The monsters and minibosses inTears of the Kingdomare alsomuchstronger than theirBreath of the Wildcounterparts. Factor in The Depths, and a newcomer to the series may findTotKless forgiving than its predecessor. That isn’t to sayBreath of the Wildisn’t without its threats. Guardian Stalkers were a force to be reckoned with, and its arguable whether they’re more of a nuisance than the Gloom Spawns inTears of the Kingdom. However, when it comes down to setting foot on Hyrule, it’sTears of the Kingdomthat has the stronger enemies.
9Shrine Trials
Sheikah Shrines vs. Shrines of Light
A lot can be said about the Shrine Trials inBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom. Completing them is necessary for building up Link’s health and stamina. Usually, a Sheikah Shrine (BotW) or Shrine of Light (TotK) will have a series of puzzles that Link needs to solve before he can get the Spirit Orb or Blessing of Light. In some cases,a Shrine doesn’t have a Trialbut rather a “Blessing,” in which Link can just waltz on in and grab the Orb. These types of Shrines are usually locked behind a puzzle that involves unearthing the Shrine.
Surprisingly, there are alotof “Rauru’s Blessing” Shrines inTotK. Many of the Shrine Quests involve bringing a giant green crystal to the destined location. One would figure with creative abilities such as Fuse and Ultrahand that the Shrine Trials would call for some more creativity. The Shrines inTotKare also hurt by how many “tutorial” Trials that exist. Players will find at least a handful of “how to throw an item” or “how to sneak attack” Shrines in Hyrule Field.
Compare this toBreath of the Wild, where there were tutorial/hand-holding Shrines, but not nearly as much asTotK. In fact, a lot of the Sheikah Shrines house puzzles, forcing players to get a bit creative to get the Spirit Orb. From a lore-standpoint, the Sheikah Shrines are how the Sheikah Monks can observe Link’s potential as a hero. In a way, theyneedto test him and make sure he has what it takes to stop Calamity Ganon. The Shrines of Light don’t seem to put as much pressure on Link. This could be due toZelda’s strong belief in Linkcarrying over into Rauru and Sonia, thus preventing a need for Link to “prove” that he’s capable of defeating Ganondorf.
8Elemental Weapons
Flamespears, Bomb Arrows, and More
Elemental Melee Weapons and Arrows were great for freezing, shocking, or setting fire to their targets. The downside was that they were expensive… at least the Elemental Arrows and Bomb Arrows were. The melee weapons such as the Thunderspear or Great Flamesword could be looted off powerful enemies. Depending on where players were at in theirBotW-playthrough, they could even get a melee weapon with more attack power or durability.
Tears of the Kingdom’s Fuse Ability makes it possible for Link tocraft his own Elemental Weapon. He can simply attach a Fire Fruit or Ruby to a weapon and get firepower from it. While handy, the attack power of the Fused Weapon may not reach the same attack power as an original Elemental Weapon. The arrows can also be fused with Materials, so on the plus side, players aren’t have to spend as much Rupees. The downside is that all arrows come from the same quiver inTotK. InBotW, arrows were split into categories: Normal, Fire, Ice, Shock, Bomb, and Ancient. Using an Ancient Arrow wouldn’t pull from Link’s regular/normal arrow supply. It also doesn’t help that some situations call for more convenient measures than having to fuse/waste Materials just to melt ice or blow up a red barrel.
7The Price of Ore
Ambers to Diamonds
Cutting down grass or breaking barrels inBotW/TotKdoesn’t net Link any Rupees. Beating up Blupees does, but good luck catching them. If Link wants a pocketful of change, he’s going to have better luck selling gems/rare ore than he will tracking down every Blupee in Hyrule. Selling Ore was the best way to get a ton of Rupees inBreath of the Wild. The same goes forTears of the Kingdom, but there are only a few problems with this method.
Due to The Upheaval inTears of the Kingdom, the price of Amber Ore, which is a common drop from Ore Deposits, has plumetted by 20 Rupees fromBreath of the Wild. Ore itself is much easier to find… or at least that’s what the game wants its players to believe. The truth is that rare ore such as Sapphires and Diamonds are still very… well, rare.Their drop rate hasn’t been increased, and instead it feels more like it’sdecreased. It doesn’t help thatTears of the Kingdomis expensive.For example, upgrading armor, which was free of cost inBotW, now charges Link a sum of Rupees in addition to the required Materials. There’s also armor that Link has to buy again inTotK, and those prices haven’t shriveled down either. Restocking arrows at the store and buying ingredients for meals can also add up very quickly. Money farming has become a frustrating part ofTears of the Kingdom, so it’s no wonder fans are looking for ways to dupe glitch Diamonds or other expensive items to sell.
Breath of the Wildmay have patched out most of its dupe glitches, but with how much easier it was to get rarer ore, players feltless of a need to break the game. It also doesn’t helpTotK’s case that Amber Ore and Opal sell for more inBotW, both of which are “common” drops. WhileTotKclaims The Upheaval is to blame for ore sale prices, many fans were displeased at how tedious it is to scrape together Rupees just to afford a bundle of arrows.
6The Sheikah Slate
Sheikah Runes
Ultrahand and Fuse are two Abilities thatTotKplayers have largely enjoyed, and for good reason. They allow more creativity thanBotW, and some players like fusing bizarre yet powerful weapons. The Ascend Ability makes it easier to scale sheer cliffs or buildings, and Recall is great for those that need a makeshift elevator or want to throw weapons at their enemies. Less impressive is Auto-Build, but like the other Abilities, it has its use.
ManyBotWfans find themselves missing the Sheikah Runes: Magnesis, Bombs, Stasis, and Cryonis. While Link couldn’t exactly attach objects to weapons like he can inTotK, the diversity of the Sheikah Runes compared to Rauru’s Hand Abilities earnBotWsome points. In fact, it’s the Bomb Sheikah Rune that would have been great forTotK, considering the amount of breakable walls and caves lying around Hyrule. The existence ofZonai Technology also accomplishes things that the other Sheikah Runes could do, but they’re not as handy. For example, if Link needs to cross a body of water but doesn’t have the right Zonai Device, he’s out of luck, whereas inBreath of the Wild, he could just make ice platforms to hop to the other side.
5The Champions' Abilities
Grace, Gale, Protection, and Fury
When Link freed the Champions from the Divine Beasts, he was given their power. Each one could be used a set amount of times before needing to cool down. These abilities included Mipha’s Grace, Revali’s Gale, Daruk’s Protection, and Urbosa’s Fury. They made battling and exploring the vast world of Hyrule a bit easier.
InTears of the Kingdom, the Champion Abilities are swapped out for the Sages' Vows. This would manifest as an Avatar of the respective Sage, which could fight alongside Link in battle. Link could also use their Abilities by approaching them and pressing A-button. This is also where the flaws start to come in.Because the Sages charge at enemies, it happens too often that players may be trying to use someone’s Ability only for them to rush off. In other cases, they may accidentally activate the wrong one, such as trying to use Vow of Yunobo only to activate Vow of Tulin and blow away any dropped items. It also doesn’t help that the Sages are quite large in stature (sans Riju and Tulin).
Breath of the Wilddoesn’t have the spirits of the Champions aiding Link in-battle, making the game feel a bit lonelier. However, their Abilities were easier to use and weren’t all assigned to one button (i.e, A-button). If Link needed to use Revali’s Gale to get somewhere up high, he didn’t run the risk of triggering Urbosa’s Fury in the process.
4Kass
Rito Minstrel
Tears of the Kingdombeing a sequel meant the return of many characters fromBreath of the Wild, and one of these characters was the Rito, Kass. InBreath of the Wild, he could be spotted outside stables or near hidden Sheikah Shrines. While he’s technically not a main character, Kass was someoneBotWplayers would often see if they were trying to complete every Sheikah Shrine in-game. Kass' significance in the story was enhanced by the Champions' Ballad DLC. Naturally, it was a shock to many thatKass was nowhere to be foundon the face of Hyrule in the sequel.
Since Kass was never a main character in the original nor did he appear as a “DLC” fighter forAge of Calamity, it’s possible there was no role for Kass to fill inTears of the Kingdom. Some Shrines of Light are locked behind quests, but any hints for unlocking them are usually given by unimportant NPCs or Steward Constructs. In other cases, Link just needs to follow a green light to retrieve the Shrine’s crystal. Thus, there really was no reason for Kass to play the same role he did back inBreath of the Wild. Strangely enough, a new traveling Rito named Penn seems to be a “Kass substitute,” running into Link on his travels and being spotted at stables. Penn even mentions Kass if Link manages to find him after completing the “Princess Sightings” side adventure. It would seemPenn is none the wiser regarding Kass' whereabouts.
3Breath of the Wild Expansion Pass
The Master Trials & The Champions' Ballad
The first part of theBreath of the Wildexpansion pass was packed with cameo armor and a series of difficult trials that would unlock the power of the Master Sword. The second part had more of a story, focusing more on the Champions of Hyrule and Princess Zelda. Some fans weren’t pleased that the important characters were already dead by the start ofBreath of the Wild. The Champions' Ballad seemed to remedy this, giving more background and personality to the established Champions: Mipha, Revali, Daruk, and Urbosa. The DLC story concludes with a difficult battle against the powerful Monk Maz Koshia, and a heartwarming cutscene of Link, Zelda, and the Champions. For most people, it was the perfect way to cap offBreath of the Wild’s story and characters.
Tears of the Kingdomfans were fully expecting the announcement of an expansion pack. The world of the Zonai and their technology as well as Ganondorf had people at the edge of their seats, hoping for a deeper dive into ancient Hyrule. Unfortunately, the developers ofBotW/TotKannounced back in late-2023that there were no plans for developingTears of the Kingdomany further. While not every game needs to have expansion packs,Tears of the Kingdomstill leaves many unanswered questions regarding pre-existing characters (ex: Kass) and lore. It would seem the time to move onto the next generation ofLegend of Zeldatakes priority rather than building on the world ofBotW/TotK.
2Farming Dragon Materials
Dinraal, Naydra, and Farosh
There are three dragons that can be found soaring around Hyrule inBreath of the Wild. Each one is an obvious reference to the goddesses inLegend of Zelda’s lore:Din, Farore, and Nayru. These majestic creatures serve absolutely no role in the story ofBreath of the Wild, and despite their intimidating size, they’re completely harmless… for the most part. However, ifBotWplayers intend on upgrading their better armor, such as the Champion’s Tunic, then they’ll need to farm Dragon Parts. These can be achieved by shooting an arrow at their body, horn, mouth, or claw. Depending on where the arrow is shot, a different Dragon Part will drop from Dinraal/Naydra/Farosh. The tricky part is that the dragons have a flight path. They will only appear in certain areas of Hyrule during certain times of the day. However, if players know of the dragons' whereabouts (ex: Naydra descends from Mount Lanayru in the morning, Farosh flies through the Faron Region at night, then they can simply set up camp and “wait until morning/afternoon/night” and continue to respawn and farm the dragon.)
Tears of the Kingomretains the dragons' flight paths, but they no longer spawn at specific times. To make matters worse, Din, Farosh, and Naydra’s flight paths are split between the Surface and the Depths. Link could look for Naydra near Mount Lanayru, but if he can’t find her, then it’s likely she’s flying about the Depths, and vice versa. Also, while dragons can be “respawned” by waiting in-game, this does not work forTears of the Kingdom.Each dragon has a 10-minute cooldownbefore you can farm another part from them. This 10-minute cooldown also usesreal-time, meaning that yes, players will need to wait 10 minutes in real life before they can get the next dragon part. Keeping the game on pause will justdelaythe countdown.
On theplus side, Link can climb and walk along the dragons' backs, so it’s possible to just sit there and wait out the cooldown. On thedownside, every dragon, except for the Light Dragon, can unintentionally harm Link. Naydra’s body emits ice clouds that freeze Link if he doesn’t have cold-resistant gear. Dinraal’s body will set Link ablaze and burn up any of his wooden weapons he has equipped if he gets too close. Farosh’s body won’t harm Link, but storm clouds and lightning always strikes,meaning if Link’s wearing anything metal, he’s going to get zapped. He’ll also have to worry about the spheres of electric energy that occasionally rise up if he stays on Farosh’s back. It doesn’t help that Link will drop his melee weapons (excluding the Master Sword) or shield if he’s shocked. This becomes extremely tedious as players will need to have level 2 heat/cold/shock-resistant gear if they need to get close to the three dragons.
What makes “Dragon Farming” more frustrating inTears of the KingdomoverBreath of the Wildare the armor upgrades. There are some high quality materials that are needed to upgrade Link’s armor, and some aren’t even worth a full level 4 upgrade. However, you’ll need multiple dragon parts fromeach dragonif you want a fully upgraded Armor of the Wild Set. Fortunately, the Champion’s Leathers that Link wears at the beginning of the game only requires parts from the Light Dragon, and unlike the other three dragons,she won’t hurt Linkif he gets close.
1Locked Mementos
Link’s Memories
Make no mistake: Rauru, Sonia, and Mineru were extremely vital to the story ofTears of the Kingdom. Many can agree that seeing Princess Zelda get treated with love and patience after being flung into the past was a breath of fresh air from King Rhoam’s stern upbringing. The Dragon Tears also gave some background to this version’s Ganondorf, who was highly anticipated whenTotK’s teaser dropped. However, some fans were also quick to point out that while the memories are dear to Zelda, they don’t have much to do with Link.
Breath of the Wildtakes place 100 years following The Calamity. Those that decide to do the “Locked Mementos” main quest will get more ofBotW’s story andwhyThe Calamity was considered such a tragedy.Gamers learned about the Champions, the Divine Beasts, and witnessed the growth of Link and Zelda’s relationship. Sure, it’s possible to complete the Divine Beasts without unlocking a single Memory, but the Memories can make the story feel more personal. Link isn’t just fighting Calamity Ganon to rescue Zelda; he’s fighting for his friends, too.
WhileTears of the Kingdomshowed more of The Zonai, there isn’t that connection Link has to Rauru and the others like he did with the Champions (i.e, Mipha, Daruk, Revali, and Urbosa). It’s also given that being a sequel toBreath of the Wild, Link and Zelda’s relationship is already-established. Those that didn’t playBotWand are going straight toTotKmay not get the same impact fromTotK’s Link and Zelda than players who witnessed their friendship build up from scratch. Despite this, that doesn’t stop Link and Zelda from being an iconic duo.
