The reveal trailer forGrand Theft Auto 6has captivated eager fans awaiting the next entry in Rockstar’s iconic franchise. Even from this short trailer, it’s clear thatGrand Theft Auto 6will break recordsfor gaming when it launches in 2025, likely becoming the inspiration for many games that follow. From what can be seen from this trailer, there is one way thatGTA 6could end up influencing the sequel toThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, or whatever form the next entry in the franchise takes, that would break a decades-long tradition for the series.
This initial trailer forGTA 6did a great job establishing important elements of the game like the setting, tone, and main characters. While many fans were excited to see a return to Vice City and an expanded map of the greater state of Leonida, the story behind protagonist Lucia and her yet-unnamed boyfriend piqued the interest of others hoping to see how their Bonnie and Clyde-inspired story would play out. Although it’s still unclear just how these two characters will share the playable spotlight,GTA 6’s dual protagonists (per rumors at least) could inspire the sequel toThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomto star the titular princess as the main character, rather than Link.
GTA 6’s Protagonists Could Inspire a Zelda-Led Sequel to Tears of the Kingdom
Zelda and Link Could See a Role Reversal
It’s long become a pipe dream for fans ofThe Legend of Zeldaseries to see the princess as the star of a mainline entry, but a future game could finally go this route depending on the success ofGTA 6and its dual protagonists. Although Zelda has been playable in spin-off titles like theHyrule Warriorsgames, she has yet to be the star of a mainline entry in the franchise. Rather than being a supporting character like she tends to be, the nextZeldagame could follow in the footsteps ofGTA 6and see a role reversal for one of gaming’s most iconic duos.
Since not much was shown about therelationship betweenGTA 6’s two protagonistsfrom the trailer, it’s not yet clear how they will share the game’s spotlight. While rumors suggest both characters will be playable, the capacity in which players will get to control them has not been confirmed, meaning it’s possible Lucia could be far more important to the story than her boyfriend. In terms of the nextZeldatitle, this could mean Zelda herself becomes the main protagonist with Link as a supporting deuteragonist or even the damsel in distress.
Zelda and Link Could Be Dual Protagonists
Since thetrailer forGTA 6primarily focused on Lucia, one would assume she is the more relevant character of the two. However, it could be that her unnamed boyfriend is equally important and will receive his own trailer in the future to better establish his role inGTA 6. If this is the case, then it could mean more games adopt the dual protagonist approach, and theZeldaseries would be a natural candidate to follow this trend given the significance of its two most iconic characters.
As theZeldaseries looks to innovate after the success ofTears of the Kingdom, having both Link and Zelda as equal playable protagonists in the follow-up title would make a lot of sense. Aside fromGTA 6, other recent titles likeGod of War: RagnarokandSpider-Man 2have gone the dual protagonist route and seen great success. If the nextZeldagame shifts away from the style ofopen world fromTears of the Kingdom, it could be a great opportunity to split the game into Zelda-focused dungeons and Link-focused dungeons, allowing players to utilize two unique characters with varying abilities to solve puzzles.
