Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment Being Canon Would Set…

Among the many announced games coming to the Nintendo Switch 2, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is one of the more surprising ones. While Nintendo keeping its relationship with Koei Tecmo going with yet another Warriors crossover isn't surprising, it didn't feel like that long ago when players got to experience Breath of the Wild’s backstory firsthand in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, and now Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment will let them do the same with Tears of the Kingdom. It's not what many were expecting out of the next Legend of Zelda game, but it's a welcome addition to the series.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment returns the focus to another conflict once told through flashbacks, this time focusing on Tears of the Kingdom’s Imprisoning War. Players will take control of Princess Zelda, Rauru, the ancestral Sages, and other combatants of Hyrule’s distant past to fight the Demon King Ganondorf at the height of his power. Considering how impactful this massive conflict was in Tears of the Kingdom despite its short screen time, this should be a major venture, especially since the early confirmation of its canon status signals a major shift in the Hyrule Warriors series.

Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Fans Shouldn't Sleep on Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment

News that a new Hyrule Warriors installment is on the way is large enough, but Tears of the Kingdom fans have even bigger reasons to be excited.

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By Liam Ferguson

Hyrule Warriors Hasn't Overlapped With Zelda Canon Before

Shortly after the game’s reveal, Nintendo put out a press release for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment that referred to the game’s events as canon, a major departure from both previous Hyrule Warriors entries. The original Hyrule Warriors was a “crisis crossover” storyline set in an alternate dimension, pulling in characters and concepts from the Zelda series as it pleased in order to make the ultimate fanservice package. Meanwhile, Age of Calamity gradually ramps up from a seemingly innocent framing device into a full-blown alternate history tale that prevents BotW from even happening. However these stories were received, they clearly stood apart from their sources.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment Is Changing the Status Quo

Age of Imprisonment is supposedly throwing away its non-canon status, which is both a blessing and a curse. Its story is going to be under more scrutiny now, but thanks to Tears of the Kingdom making Princess Zelda travel back in time to the Imprisoning War era, there shouldn't be any reason to fear a repeat of Age of Calamity’s controversial story changes. Besides, the Imprisoning War and its Sage combatants are in dire need of fleshing out, so Age of Imprisonment can potentially aid TotK just as much as it draws from it. The possibilities of a canon Hyrule Warriors are promising, and not just for this game.

Age of Imprisonment Could Lead To More Canon Zelda Spin-Offs

Many Zelda Entries Have Room For Their Own Hyrule Warriors

If Age of Imprisonment really does fit into the Zelda timeline, the door to even more canon Hyrule Warriors titles is suddenly thrown open. The Legend of Zelda has frequently made reference to mythology, wars, ancient civilizations, and other major events in its background, but rarely ever portrayed them. Hyrule Warriors can now act as a vehicle for finally showing what those ill-defined conflicts looked like, potentially introducing swathes of new Zelda lore in the process. Like Age of Imprisonment, it's a risky proposition, but the rewards could be enormous.

For example, Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess, and The Wind Waker all reference wars and, in some cases, battles against Ganondorf in their backstories, while Skyward Sword teases the first ever Zelda adventure, which happened to set up its own quest. Getting to play through the original conflict with the original hero, Hylia, and Demise would be incredible, and Warriors gameplay would actually compliment Skyward Sword’s combat focus quite well. There are no guarantees yet, but Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment could represent a new storytelling dynamic that will change the Zelda franchise forever.