Daily Debate: Does Tears of the Kingdom Strike the Right Balance Between New and Returning Characters?
Posted on August 29 2023 by Michaela El-Ters
The challenge nearly every sequel faces is introducing new characters and giving them enough screentime for the audience to get to know them, while bringing back recurring characters in a satisfying way and not just for the sake of fanservice. It can be tricky to strike the right balance, and some games do this better than others. Tears of the Kingdom, overall, does a pretty good job at striking the right balance, but I don’t think it’s perfect.
New characters like Rauru and Sonia are featured prominently throughout the story, and it’s appropriate that they would be so involved and present in the story since the lore and worldbuilding revolves around them. But the treatment of certain recurring characters–such as Impa who doesn’t reappear for much of the Geoglyph sidequest, and Kass, who is missing from the game entirely–feel like strange missteps given their importance in the first game. Conversely, other recurring characters such as Tulin, who are prominently side characters in Breath of the Wild, are given greater roles in the story of Tears of the Kingdom, and it’s a welcome change. It comes down to personal preference, in a way.
Do you appreciate the emphasis and screentime of the new characters, or wish the recurring characters had more to do? Do you think Tears of the Kingdom strikes the right balance between the new and returning characters? Let us know in the comments!
Michaela El-Ters is a Senior Editor for Zelda Dungeon. She is also an Senior Writer for Boss Rush Network, and writes blogs and streams games on Objection Network. Her favorite Zelda game changes with the seasons, but the series as a whole is near and dear to her heart.
