When The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was released, many players noticed that a fan-favorite character was surprisingly absent, which is an issue that could be resolved in the upcoming Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment. Despite being a prominent figure in Breath of the Wild, greeting the player in different places as they progressed on their journey, the character was nowhere to be found throughout the entirety of the sequel. With there being no plans for any Tears of the Kingdom DLC, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment may be the ideal opportunity for this character to return.
Despite the previous Hyrule Warriors games being non-canonical spin-offs, Age of Imprisonment will be a canon entry in the series. The story follows events seen in Tears of the Kingdom of Zelda’s experience as she travels back in time to the beginning of Hyrule’s history. Using different methods, one missing character from Tears of the Kingdom may also return to this earlier era.
Related
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment Marks A Growing Trend For Zelda Games
So long as Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is a canonical prequel, one missing character could reveal that the future of Zelda games is changing.
How Kass Could Return in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment
Breath of the Wild introduced many new characters to Zelda universe, and one of these new additions that made a great first impression with fans was Kass. After fulfilling his promise to the Court Poet and completing the Unfinished Song, Kass’ story seemed complete, but many players may have missed hearing his distant melodies in Tears of the Kingdom. With his whereabouts unknown, the question of what happened to Kass still lingers, but this may be something which Age of Imprisonment has the answer to.
MAJOR SPOILERS for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom ahead.
The potential fate for Kass is that he may have traveled back to the founding of Hyrule, a time which players have briefly seen in Tears of the Kingdom and will learn more about in Age of Imprisonment. It is unlikely that Kass could use the Secret Stone of Time to travel to the past as Zelda did, but there are multiple methods of time travel used throughout The Legend of Zelda series, one of which Kass is already familiar with: playing music.
Kass’ Potential Link to the Song of Time
It is possible that, during his search for the Ancient Songs, Kass may have discovered the Song of Time or the Tune of Ages. Both of these songs are often tied to specific instruments, but Majora’s Mask has shown this is not necessarily the case. Some of the masks in Majora’s Mask change Link’s instrument, implying that the Song of Time isn’t solely restricted to the Ocarina of Time. This adds to the possibility that Kass could be able to time travel even with his concertina, potentially granting him the ability to visit an earlier point in the history of Hyrule and fight alongside Zelda in the Imprisoning War.
This theory could be supported by a line of dialogue spoken by Kass at the end of The Champions’ Ballad DLC for Breath of the Wild. Kass recalls the Court Poet advising that he write songs that transport those who are listening to a certain point in time. If Kass were to find and play the Song of Time, this transportation could be literal, taking him back to the time of the Imprisoning War. The Zelda series does include song-related mysteries and time paradoxes, so Kass may even be revealed to be the original composer of the Song of Time. The Court Poet specifically mentions that the songs Kass writes himself should have this effect, so this may be foreshadowing that this song is his own work.
Related
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment’s Relationship With One Zelda Trope is Make or Break
One common Zelda theme seems inevitable in Age of Imprisonment, but if not handled well, it could bring the whole game down with it.
Kass Would Be a Fitting Playable Warrior
Of all of the newcomer characters introduced to the series in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, Kass stands out as one of the most beloved by fans. The community excitement for Kass to be included in a Hyrule Warriors game has been present since the announcement of Age of Calamity’s Expansion Pass, and Age of Imprisonment could present the perfect opportunity to finally deliver on the hopes of these fans.
Kass being playable in Age of Imprisonment may seem like an outlandish choice to some, but the Hyrule Warriors series has always welcomed weird warriors. Age of Calamity added Hestu, the maraca-wielding Korok from Breath of the Wild, as a playable character, proving that instrument-based weapons are not out of the question. With Kass being missing from Tears of the Kingdom, he could fill Hestu’s role as a musical fighter without having an impact on the established canon.
Other than the characters already revealed to be part of Age of Imprisonment’s story, there is almost no doubt that the playable roster will be filled with other Tears of the Kingdom characters. Adding Kass would bring some much-needed variety beyond his melodic abilities, representing Breath of the Wild and giving more attention to a character that missed out on the last installment in the series.
With Kass’ noticeable absence from Tears of the Kingdom leaving fans wanting to know more about his fate, including him in Age of Imprisonment may be a good step forward. His story in Breath of the Wild felt complete, but having him unwittingly travel through time presents the character with a new adventure without undermining his journey of fulfilling the Court Poet’s final wish. Expanding on his story in this way would give peace to fans concerned with Kass’ future, allowing them to see the Rito bard in a more active role. Likewise, if he were to keep these possible time travel capabilities, he may be able to visit his teacher once again to play The Champion’s Ballad – the complete Unfinished Song – giving true closure to that storyline.
Comments
Array