Many parallel worlds have played a role inThe Legend of Zelda, nearly every one unique to a specific game. However, instead of the franchise continuing to introduce new worlds like this, it may be best if it instead revisited some of the settings that have already been established. Moreover, with such an immense range of interesting worlds in the franchise’s history, it would be a shame if they were never seen again.
As much as Hyrule is at the center ofThe Legend of Zelda’s world, there areplenty of otherZeldasettingswith their own significance to the franchise. Although some of these locations are simply neighboring countries, such as Holodrum, many more exist in alternate dimensions only accessible under strange conditions. One of the most iconic examples of this is Termina, which seems to invoke thefive stages of grief inMajora’s Mask, but other parallel worlds can range widely in both their tone and scale.
The Next Zelda Game Should Revisit An Established Dimension
Revisiting Parallel Worlds Creates New Possibilities
There are many reasons forThe Legend of Zeldato revisit one or more of the alternate dimensions revealed in past games.Nostalgia alone is a powerful force that would naturally drive interest in revisiting settings like Termina, as would the prospect of seeing how these alternate dimensions may have shifted and changed since their last appearances. Considering how many of them reflect Hyrule in some way, such as Lorule effectively being a full inversion of the kingdom, new titles could explore these same concepts in relation to more recent games, such asTears of the Kingdom.
Termina and Lorule both offer the opportunity to meet doppelgangers of familiar characters, potentially with very different personalities, which has already proven to be a very effective contrast for the franchise to present.
Furthermore, with so many of the more extensive parallel worlds being vastly limited in scope by technology, modern versions could expand greatly on what is already known about them. There is no doubt that theSwitch 2 will impactZeldagames immensely, andreimagining some of the franchise’s classic alternate dimensions with greatly improved graphics would be a perfect part of this. Additionally, with so many of these worlds being heavily associated with unique gameplay mechanics, such as the sailing required to traverse the World of the Ocean King, returning to these worlds would also encourage reviving these same mechanics.
Given its strong association with the Triforce, as well as the fact that it has already been depicted to differing extents in several titles,The Legend of Zelda’s Sacred Realmis arguably one of the more obvious parallel worlds to be reintroducedin a future game. As the traditional home of the Triforce, any game which involves the sacred relic would be well justified in making use of the Sacred Realm, and by extension perhaps also the Dark World. However, it must be noted that a creative plot could ultimately justify a return to any ofZelda’s other alternate realities.
The Legend Of Zelda Has More Than Enough Parallel Worlds Already
A Common Theme In The Franchise Could Become Dull If Not Handled Carefully
Including the Scared Realm (and its twisted alternate state as the Dark World), there are over half a dozen major parallel worlds and dimensions inThe Legend of Zelda. These include Termina, the Twilight Realm, Lorule, the World of the Ocean King, and most recently the Still World. Yet another is the World of the Minish, aZeldarace already in need of a comeback. Of course, given the concept’s prevalence, it is unlikely thatZeldawill never feature parallel worlds again, but the next exploration of the idea arguably should not use yet another new dimension.
I Think A Link To The Past Deserves More Credit For Shaping The Zelda Franchise
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Although it can be interesting forZelda’s cosmology to be expanded, the franchise is also beginning to feel bloated under the constant influx of new variations on the same theme. Lorule being a mirror of Hyrule feels very similar to the way that the World of the Ocean King mirrors the Great Sea, and several different dimensions also maintain an aesthetic rooted in darkness to contrast the light of Hyrule.Unless the next new dimension is extremely unique, it risks feeling superfluousin compassion to those that already exist.
Of course, although there is some thematic overlap,there is still a notable level of diversity amongZelda’s existing alternate worlds. As a result, there are enough unique features to each to keep them feeling relatively fresh even if the series begins to reuse them over time. Of course, given that none of these settings are likely to remain static, just as Hyrule itself constantly changes, even the same settings may be radically different in any future appearances, which only further increases their potential.
One-Off Alternate Worlds Wastes Their Potential
There Is Plenty That Can Still Be Done With These Settings
Considering the amount of work that clearly goes into developing these parallel worlds,it is clearly a waste for them to be purely one-off locations forThe Legend of Zeldato use. Moreover, as the franchise continues to grow and evolve, new possibilities naturally open up, not just for Hyrule but anyZeldasetting. All ofThe Legend of Zelda’s other worlds have an incredible amount of potential, more than can be explored in just one game. Direct sequels and other follow-ups would be extremely well-positioned to take advantage of this going forward.
Echoes of Wisdom Shines Terrifying New Light On This Zelda Location & Lore
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom’s additions to the Zelda series has wider implications for at least one previous setting’s own lore.
Returning to these parallel worlds would not only offer opportunities to revive iconic gameplay mechanics, but also tell unique stories that would otherwise be impossible. For example, if Hyrule and the Twilight Realm were to reconnect, people would not only be able to explore the unique landscape once more but potentially discover what happened to Midna after the ending ofTwilight Princess. Similarly, the different perspective offered by the knowledge that the World of the Ocean King is separate from the Great Sea means that the latter could now openly be shown developing in a different direction to its counterpart.
AlthoughZelda’s universe has expanded greatly over the years, the franchise has arguably let much of its worldbuilding go underutilized after its initial introduction. There are entire worlds that have effectively languished as one-off additions when they could be so much more, especially with the technological advantages the Switch 2 will offer ifZeldagames revisit older concepts.The Legend of Zeldawould benefit immensely from reviving its older parallel worlds instead of only inventing new ones, as any of these settings could be developed in countless new directions.
