The secrecy surrounding The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s original title has been revealed, with rumors suggesting it had a distinct moniker before its current name was chosen to avoid spoiling the game’s story.
In a stunning move in 2019, Nintendo dropped a bombshell: development on a highly anticipated sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was underway, although details about the project remained under wraps at the time. For several exceptional years, everyone universally referred to it as the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, also commonly known as Breath of the Wild 2, adhering to Nintendo’s official nomenclature. In June 2022, Nintendo officially announced The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, after keeping it under wraps for nearly a year. Prior to its unveiling, the game’s developers had expressed concerns about revealing too much, fearing it might spoil the experience for fans. Puzzled by the enigmatic title, I was once among those many individuals who felt bewildered by the ambiguity surrounding “Tears of the Kingdom”. According to the recently released Grasp Works e-book, it was revealed that the game’s name underwent a significant change relatively late in its development process.
In the early stages of the game, when playing through the tutorial island, it’s not long before encountering a unique dragon – a rare white specimen sporting a golden mane, raising questions about its significance given the initial scarcity of only three dragons in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. As it appears, through a winding adventure and various escapades, Zelda emerges as the dragon in disguise. According to Grasp Works’ translation by Nintendo, the game was originally titled “Tears of the Dragon”, but series producer Eiji Aonuma was concerned that this name would focus on the “Gentle Dragon”.
The revelation that the enigmatic Gentle Dragon was, in fact, none other than Princess Zelda herself would have raised significant concerns; as a result, this crucial detail influenced the game’s overall direction. Among the numerous contenders vying for the coveted title, one notable mention is ‘Tears of the Dragon’, which successfully reached the finish line. While considering unconventional branding, it would be unwise to include the term “Dragon” directly in the title; yet, incorporating dragon patterns into the emblem seems inevitable, albeit open to alternative interpretations. In all likelihood, it would highlight the Gentle Dragon’s significance. Despite nothing else apparently being forthcoming in terms of innovative ideas, we had been operating beyond the allocated timeframe for refinement.
We explored numerous options before settling on ‘Kingdom’, when a colleague suggested it. To us, ‘Tears of the Kingdom’ seemed an intuitive fit for the gentle dragon series, allowing us to incorporate dragons into the logo seamlessly. As the title was confirmed, the brand finally transformed into its current form.
While the reveal doesn’t spoil the game entirely, understanding the memories through tears, with each one revolving around Zelda, makes it reasonably easy to piece together the title’s connection;
Tears of the Kingdom’s recent release notwithstanding, Nintendo is already gearing up for its next installment: Echoes of Knowledge, a title that marks a milestone as it allows players to take on the role of the iconic Princess Zelda herself for the first time in the franchise.
