The nextLegend of Zeldatitle has been announced, but it’s not what fans expected despite its familiarity.Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonmentis the third full entry in theHyrule Warriorsseries, and is primed to continue what 2020’sAge of Calamitystarted by fleshing out the background of another modernZeldagame. Last time it wasBreath of the Wild’s memory flashbacks, and this timeAge of Imprisonmentis showingTears of the Kingdom’s Imprisoning War in more detail. This will be a welcome expansion toTotK’s story, butAge of Imprisonmentalso brings a new element to the table.
Unlike pastHyrule Warriorsentries,Age of Imprisonmentis a canonZeldastory. Nintendo itself dropped this reveal in a press release, seemingly de-confirming the return ofAge of Calamity’s alternate timeline plot. Considering the amount of unexplored ground in the Imprisoning War’s ancient era,Age of Imprisonmentmight be better served sticking to an extended portrayal ofTears of the Kingdom’s existing flashback scenes. However, the confirmation ofHyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonmentas canon raises even more questions about its roster, which aWarriorstitle can’t afford to screw up.
Canonicity Calls Age of Imprisonment’s Cast Into Question
IfAge of Imprisonmentis canon, that implies certain restrictions when it comes to which playable characters it can use. The game is supposed to be set entirely in the ancient past that Princess Zelda is sent toinTears of the Kingdom’s opening, and there are only a handful of major characters found within that timeframe. Based on previousHyrule Warriorsgames, the assumed minimum roster forAge of Imprisonmentincludes:
With Queen Sonia and Phantom Ganon holding high potential for the roster as well, that makes 8 to 10 characters, and four of them don’t even have names. IfAge of Imprisonmentadheres to canon, there will be no time-travelling Sages or Champions present during the main story, and Link might end up taking Calamity Ganon’s place inAge of Calamityas the big postgame unlockable character.Age of Imprisonmentwill obviously have to make up a lot of new material to build a full game out ofTotK’s flashbacks, andWarriorstradition dictates that must include doing something with its playable roster.
How Age of Imprisonment Can Work More Characters Into Its Canon Story
There are several solutions to this on top of the postgame Link unlockable mentioned above.Age of Calamityincluded several characters that were of debatable canonicity even within the game’s alternate timeline, with the Great Fairies and Monk Maz Koshia being unlockable duringAoC’s campaign, and Terrako and Calamity Ganon afterward. The Great Fairies could reprise their role here, but immediately, there’s an impasse. It’s unknown if Maz Koshia’s Sheikah Tribe even existed at the same time as the last of the Zonai, which not only prevents his return, but also makes it difficult to add anAge of Imprisonmentequivalent to Impa.
Hyrule Warriors Will Need To Work Some OCs Into TotK’s Backstory
All of this suggests the real possibility that the various Secret Stone users established inTears of the Kingdomwill be the only onesplayable over the course ofAge of Imprisonment’s story, with additional fighters trickling in once it’s done. That’s not an appealing prospect, so there will most likely be new characters in the story, taking advantage of the ample time implied between several ofTotK’s Dragon Tear scenes. Whether this means exploring the original forms ofTotK’s elemental dragons or introducing new Zonai,Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonmenthas a lot of work ahead of it to maintain its canon status.
