Daily Debate: Should the Next Zelda Game Be Set Outside of Hyrule?
Posted on March 30 2025 by Chakell Herbert
Hyrule and Zelda go together like Link and pot-smashing. Although there are some controversies and unanswered questions about how the landmarks in this magical land constantly evolve and change locations between games, I think most fans can agree that we love traversing it and all its fascinating lore. However, the past two major 3D titles in the series (Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom) have taken place in the largest Hyrule we have ever seen! This version of the kingdom was massive, complete with easter eggs from locations in past games and whole new landmarks that we’ve never seen before (some of which making a secondary appearance in Echoes of Wisdom).
With all this in mind, is it time for the next 3D Zelda to take place in a land or dimension or kingdom outside of Hyrule? The series has explored this many times before. In both of the Oracle games, Link explores neighboring kingdoms to Hyrule — Holodrum and Labrynna. In Majora’s Mask, the Hero of Time leaves his homeland of Hyrule and becomes the savior of Termina, a seemingly parallel universe. In Link’s Awakening, Link’s full adventure takes place on Koholint, an island far from the reaches of Hyrule (and reality). And, as honorable mentions, the overworlds in Skyward Sword and The Wind Waker take place in a pre-settled surface that will one day become Hyrule, and the Great Sea which has smothered the remains of the former kingdom. All of these adventures brought something special to the series and a unique story line for each, so it’s possible that Nintendo will take this approach again, seeing that they are sticking with the open-world mechanics and will likely need to bring something new to the table!
However, my favorite Zelda games are always the ones that are interconnected to Hyrule. I love the lore of this magical land that houses the Triforce and is forever cursed to be plagued with evil time and time again, only to be defended by a hero and a princess. This is the continuity that I love about this series and makes it all so powerful! If they switched up the map and did a massive overhaul in a new age, I would be fine with that. On the other hand, it would be nice to see some new turf. My one hang-up is that in many games that take place elsewhere, Princess Zelda is not always a big part of the story. So, if the next adventure is set in a new land, my one wish would be a story that includes her and makes her an equal to Link throughout whatever struggle they face together.
If Nintendo can make that happen, then I am absolutely on board with the next incarnation of Link and Zelda exploring a new land.
What about you? Do you want the next game to be set elsewhere? Let me know in the comments!
Chakell (pronounced shuh-kell) is an associate editor for Zelda Dungeon! She has loved The Legend of Zelda series since she was a little girl because of its equal mix of princesses, besting bad guys, and heartfelt stories. Chakell lives in the overall tame state of Utah, but holds onto her childhood hopes to find an adventure in her backyard one day. She has a degree in English and is a full-time editor for a magazine. You can usually find her gaming (obviously), laughing with her husband, taking a long time to tell stories because she keeps getting distracted; getting sucked into books and podcasts; or snuggling her cute Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
