Summary
Across theLegend of Zeldaseries, there have been plenty of iconic locations that crop up repeatedly. Locales like Death Mountain and the Lost Woods have been around since the original NESZelda, and have persisted until the latest entry,Tears of the Kingdom. Their varied iterations have drawn in many different fans over the years, helping eachZeldatitle establish its own identity. Even in the wide-open spaces ofBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom, these memorable places still endure with their own strengths built on what came before them.
One ofTears of the Kingdom’s takes on an olderZeldasetting is its Sheikah-dominated Kakariko Village. First introduced inThe Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Kakariko Village has long been a place of both refuge and hidden darkness, either literally or metaphorically. As it is inTears of the Kingdom, Kakariko Village is typically associated with the Sheikah tribe, an ancient clan of ninjas loyal to Hyrule’s royal family.Tears of the Kingdom’s Kakarikois arguably more out of the way than most, but it has plenty of similarities to past Kakariko Villages as well as qualities that make it unique.
What Makes Tears of the Kingdom’s Kakariko Village Stand Out
The Kakariko Village shared betweenBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdomhas several qualities all to itself. Most notably, there has never been a Kakariko Village shown to be an active Sheikah settlement beforeBreath of the Wild. EvenOcarina of Time, which takes place after Impa opened her ancestral village to regular Hylians, only shows Impa temporarily staying in Kakariko, and noother Sheikah are seen besides the wandering Sheik. This is reinforced byBotWandTotK’s village adopting historical Japanese designs for its buildings, as opposed to the medieval architecture common to not justTears of the Kingdom’s other towns, but every other Kakariko iteration as well.
Differences Between Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom’s Kakariko Village
Speaking of distinctions,Tears of the Kingdom’s Kakariko Village has a few compared to its counterpart inBreath of the Wild. With the establishment of Lookout Landing, the “home base” whereTears of the Kingdomplayers should head firsthas shifted away fromBreath of the Wild’s Kakariko and Hateno Villages. Major quest giver Impa and Kakariko’s nearby Fairy Fountain have both moved as a result, removing most players' motivations to visit Kakariko.
They are eventually given a reason near the end of the main quest, asTears of the Kingdom’s Kakariko uniquely hosts several ruins that are either low in the sky or have fallen outright. Players can use this as a jumping-off point to find the fifth Sage, though it’s entirely possible they have done so already, and thus would never need to visit Kakariko. It’s an odd reduction of one ofZelda’s most common recurring areas, but it does helpTears of the Kingdom’s journey throughBreath of the Wild’s Hyrulechart a different path.
Tears of the Kingdom’s Kakariko Village Is Less Important Than Most
A Kakariko Village with minimal plot relevance is a far cry from the series’ norm, as it’s often not just a mandatory visit, but a mechanical and narrative touchstone.The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Pastestablishes Kakarikoas the main town, and its Dark World equivalent also hosts one of the game’s dungeons, Thieves' Hideout.A Link Between Worldsoperates the same way, though considering the game’s status as a sequel toALttP, that should be expected. Even afterOcarina of Timeintroduced Hyrule Castle Town, Kakariko is not only connected to many areas Link needs to visit, but eventually becomes Adult Link’s hub town once Ganondorf conquers the kingdom.
Twilight Princess' Kakariko Village lies on the way to Death Mountain just like it’sOoTcounterpart, and shares its role as a frequent story stop. VisitingKakariko isn’t necessary inBreath of the Wild, but it’s suggested to players after the tutorial, and initiates the true ending-relevant Memory side quest. One more mandatory instance of Kakariko exists inFour Swords Adventures, but it isn’t like the rest.Four Swords Adventuresis a linear, level-based game, so players will arrive at it eventually, but its biggest similarity to any other Kakariko is being set on fire likeOcarina’s take. Otherwise, it embodies Kakariko Village’s other common theme far more literally than its peers.
Kakariko Village Always Harbors Some Sort of Darkness
Kakariko Village may not always be tied to the stealthy Sheikah, but it is always associated with shadows of some kind. InTears of the KingdomandBreath of the Wild, that connection is as simple as being inhabited by the Sheikah themselves, albeit ones with downplayed ninja traits.Ocarina of Timemakes this more obvious, with Kakariko not only being the series’ first ancestral Sheikah home, but alsohidingOoT’s entire Shadow Templebeneath its surface.A Link to the PastandA Link Between Worldsboth have prominent dark mirrors to their Kakariko’s in the Dark World and Lorule respectively, and the first Twilight-claimed town entered inTwilight Princessis Kakariko Village.
Four Swords Adventures’ Kakariko Makes Tears of the Kingdom’s Look Traditional
However, all of that pales in comparison to theFour Swords Adventures’ take, which is situated entirely inside a cursed, perpetually-shaded forest called the Dark World. This Kakariko also has a Shadow Temple nearby, but is itself such a hostile place thatZelda’s traditional Kakariko Village music was moved to an earlier village level. Players even need to herd thieves into a pen in a twisted reference toOoT’s Kakariko Cuccos.Tears of the Kingdom’s Kakariko Village just has a questconnected to the Spirit Temple in the Depths, but not every version of Kakariko needs to hide a dark secret.
