One of the many titles announced during the July 10, 2025 Nintendo Switch 2-focused Direct event,Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonmentis a musou-style game set in the ancient past of Hyrule. It follows Princess Zelda after her transportation to the age of the Zonai during the events ofThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.WhileAge of Imprisonmentwill likely focus on characters from the past such as King Rauru, Queen Sonia, and the original incarnations of the Sages, it should also include present-day characters - particularly the modern Sages and, of course, Link himself.
The Modern Sages Previously Time Traveled InAge Of Calamity
Age of Imprisonmentisin many ways a follow-up toHyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity,which covers the events that led up to the titular Calamity one hundred years beforeThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.The game allowed players to experience a story previously only told in flashbacks inBreath of the Wild,as Link, Zelda, Impa, and the four Champions - Mipha, Daruk, Revali, and Urbosa - fought against the forces of Calamity Ganon.
However,Age of Calamitywas not simply a retelling of events gone by. Four characters, each connected to the Champions - Gerudo chief Riju, Rito warrior Teba, the young Goron Yunobo, and Mipha’s brother Sidon - successfully traveled to the past to save the Champions from defeat. Tulin, Teba’s son and the eventual Sage of Wind inTears of the Kingdom,also traveled to the past inAge of Calamity’sDLC. The events ofAge of Calamityultimately represented an alternate timeline where Calamity Ganon was successfully sealed away, and the original Champions did not fall in battle. Getting to see the new and modern Champions battle together - and ultimately succeed - was a heartwarming experience that also provided character development for both sets of characters.
Age Of ImprisonmentCould Repeat This Time Travel Plot
InTears of the Kingdom,only Princess Zelda wound up in the past, but that doesn’t mean the new Sages, Link, and possibly other modern-day characters couldn’t do so as well inAge of Imprisonment.This would allowRiju, Yunobo, Tulin, and Sidonto interact more closely with the original Sages of their respective elements, who appeared only briefly inTears of the Kingdomto pass their powers on. They could also interact with Mineru, King Rauru’s sister, who fought alongside them as the Sage of Spirit in a robotic form.
It would also be interesting to see the modern Sages use their elemental powers themselves - inTears of the Kingdom,these abilities were mostly used by shadowy “avatars” who accompanied Link after their respective Sage’s power awakened. The Sages themselves got to battle in person only a few times, primarily during the final conflict againstGanondorf, meaning they got very little chance to show off how becoming a Sage enhanced their combat abilities.
Finally, having the modern Sages time travel would address one concern regardingAge of Imprisonment:the low number of potential playable characters. Musou-style games are typically known for a large roster of characters players can choose from, but the “Hyrule of the past” features only eight: Zelda,King Rauru, Queen Sonia, Mineru, and the four masked Sages. While the game will likely introduce new past characters to its playable roster, it could also expand said roster significantly by bringing Link and the Sages into the mix.
Ultimately,more information aboutAge of Imprisonment’splayable roster will likely be revealed in the coming months, as it does not have a set release date at this time. However, if the modern Sages are appearing, it is possible that - just like inAge of Calamity -their involvement may be kept a secret until the game’s official release.
