While playing The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, one thing has really stuck out to me, and it reminds me of … Tony Hawk. You know how Tony Hawk is always getting mistaken for Tony Hawk in public? How everyone sees him and tells him he reminds them of Tony Hawk, all the while missing the memo that they are, in fact, talking to the actual Tony Hawk?
Well, this Tumblr comic helped me put a name to what Link is going through in Tears of the Kingdom. Poor guy is having his Tony Hawk Moment:
Just as this comic portrays, in Tears of the Kingdom, most people don’t seem to recognize that Link is … Link. All those stable attendants you got to know in Breath of the Wild, all the merchants, they just stare glassy-eyed at you and comment on how the world sure has gotten weird lately. Even Beedle does this. Beedle. My guy Beedle!! It’s so disorienting, considering how much you get to know the world and NPCs in Breath of the Wild just by design.
I’d imagine that the amount of time that’s passed between BOTW and TOTK hasn’t been THAT long, and Link couldn’t have been spending all that time holed up in the castle. So, uh, what’s up, Hyrule? Why are you forgetting about your most iconic short king? Has he really just been following Zelda and her crew this whole time? Did they forget how important it is to let their Link out for daily walks across the kingdom?
Thankfully, the “important” NPCs still remember him, such as Purah and Sidon, but still, I’m bewildered! Like, Link doesn’t look that different, does he? He just grew his hair out. He got slightly beefier (slightly). He’s still that odd little cryptid who climbs over everything and cooks frogs with milk.
Either the people of Hyrule have serious memory problems, or all those “bonds” we made in BOTW were just never that deep. Sorry, Link. At least Paya still remembers you.
(featured image: Nintendo/Nickelodeon)
