What are the “tears” in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom?
![Zelda holding a tear from Tears of the Kingdom](https://www.dexerto.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=3840,quality=60,format=auto/https://editors.dexerto.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/14/The-Legend-of-Zelda_-Tears-of-the-Kingdom-–-Official-Trailer-3-Nintendo-Switch-2-48-screenshot.jpg)
One of the biggest mysteries in The Legend of Zelda’s upcoming game, Tears of the Kingdom, surrounds the tears themselves. Here is everything we know about the tears so far.
When it comes to The Legend of Zelda, the extensive story and its various timelines is of the utmost importance. Many players spend countless hours replaying older games to piece the narrative together.
Tears of the Kingdom is approaching quickly, and fans are eager to know more about Breath of the Wild’s sequel. Nintendo has kept the game’s storyline under wraps, but what little has been shown has provided some understanding of the game’s narrative.
One of the greatest mysteries surrounding the sequel’s plot is that of the tears themselves. The latest trailer for Tears of the Kingdom highlights five or six of these tear-shaped gems, each unique in a variety of ways.
What are the tears in Tears of the Kingdom?
While Nintendo hasn’t provided any concrete answers in the three official trailers, fans are taking to social media to piece together clues about the tears. The final pre-launch trailer, in particular, has highlighted the tears, showcasing them without revealing more about them.
Each tear seems to belong to a specific character and harbors its own color, from Zelda’s yellow tear to Ganon‘s red one. Some fans have posted pictures of the tears shown in the trailer, describing who holds which tear and who may have tears that were not yet shown.
The tears are highly reminiscent of Ocarina of Time’s Sage Medallions, items that represent the power of their respective Sages. The colors seem to match well with the medallions’, and fan speculations point to there being seven tears total (just as there were seven Sage Medallions).
Makes you wonder how Ganondorf and Riju have one, I would guess there being 7 means one from each tribe, unless in Ganondorf fashion he stole his. 7 tears, 7 domains/races/kingdoms: Zora, Goron, Rito, Gerudo, Sheikah, Hylian and Zonai. Can’t wait to find out.
— Apallu (@KohlYis) April 13, 2023
Each of the seven could match one of the seven domains, from the Zora to the Gerudo peoples. It is still unclear what the tears represent, but the fact that they all belong to different tribes could mean that they harbor powers specific to those places or their inhabitants.
This connection would also make sense seeing as Zelda herself was a Sage, and fans think that the mysterious figure shown in the final trailer with a tear of her own is related to her. The unknown lady’s tear matches that of Zelda and can be seen around her neck.
![Tears of the Kingdom speedruns](https://www.dexerto.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=3840,quality=75,format=auto/https://editors.dexerto.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/13/The-Legend-of-Zelda_-Tears-of-the-Kingdom-–-Official-Trailer-3-Nintendo-Switch-3-9-screenshot.jpg)
We won’t know what the tears truly represent until the game’s release on May 12. It seems that their identity is not so mysterious after all once the trailer’s clues have been pieced together. One tear for one tribe, one color for one tear, and perhaps one purpose for each one, too.