Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s Labyrinth Voices Explained

Like the previous title Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom features three labyrinths for Link to explore. Each contains valuable rewards, including shrines to solve and pieces of a rare armor set. However, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom never clarifies exactly what these labyrinths are, nor who the mysterious voices are that address Link as he makes his way through each one. Through context clues, players can develop theories about these voices’ identities, but a conclusive answer is never given.

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They May Be Connected To The Triforce

The three voices who address Link in the labyrinths refer to themselves as “the ruler of boars,” “the ruler of owls,” and “the ruler of dragons.” Each of these animals can be connected to one of the three pieces of the Triforce, the powerful artifact that has appeared in many Zelda games.

• Owls likely represent the Triforce of Wisdom. Throughout the series, owls have given advice and direction to Link, most notably the nameless owl in Link’s Awakening and Kaepora Gaebora in Ocarina of Time.
• Boars likely represent the Triforce of Power. This Triforce is typically wielded by Ganondorf, who has appeared in his boar-like “Ganon” form in multiple games – including as Calamity Ganon in Breath of the Wild.
• Dragons likely represent the Triforce of Courage. Link is typically the wielder of that Triforce, and he has often had to battle or interact with dragons throughout the series. In Tears of the Kingdom, particularly courageous players can even harvest scales, fangs, and other parts from enormous dragons flying around Hyrule

The three pieces of the Triforce do not physically appear in Tears of the Kingdom, but these labyrinth voices may be alluding to this iconic series element.

They Are Zonai – Perhaps The Dragons

It is likely that, like the Shrines of Light and devices around Hyrule, the labyrinths were built by members of the long-lost Zonai race. Their purpose is likely to test heroes like Link. However, it is unclear exactly which Zonai built the three Lomei Labyrinths. It probably was not King Rauru or his sister Mineru, as they were preoccupied dealing with Ganondorf’s invasion, and neither was shown to have any connection with owls, boars, or dragons.

While it’s certainly possible that the labyrinths were created by unnamed Zonai far in Hyrule’s distant past, there is another possibility. The creators could have been Farosh, Dinraal, and Naydra, three of the great dragons who fly around Hyrule in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. TotK suggests that the dragons were once humanoids who consumed Zonai sacred stones. They could have made the labyrinths before turning into dragons. This also fits because the dragons share names with the three goddesses of Hyrule, who are also traditionally connected with the parts of the Triforce.

They May Be Connected To A Version Of Ganondorf

One other possible hint to the voices’ identity comes in the form of Link’s reward for completing the labyrinths: the three pieces of the Evil Spirit Armor set. This armor was inspired by Ganondorf’s appearance – specifically his Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess look. The voices acknowledge this, describing the items as “wreathed in otherworldly evil.” It is possible that the voices are connected to a version of Ganondorf, possibly one from a separate timeline to Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. They could have been allies of his or heroes who fought against him but have chosen to preserve his armor for Link to wear.

Nintendo is currently not planning DLC for Tears of the Kingdom, nor will the next game reportedly be a TotK sequel. That means it is possible that these mysterious characters – and their connections to the Dragons, the Triforce, or Ganondorf – may remain unclear for good.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Released

May 12, 2023

Developer(s)

Nintendo

Publisher(s)

Nintendo

Genre(s)

Adventure

ESRB

Rated E for Everyone 10+ for Fantasy Violence and Mild Suggestive Themes

How Long To Beat

59 Hours

Metascore

96