Tears of the Kingdom, like Breath of the Wild before it, tells its story across two moments in time. Link searches to find the missing princess and combat Ganondorf’s hordes in the post-Calamity world while Zelda trains and forges alliances to foil the Demon King’s machinations in the past. While both heroes are working towards the same ultimate goal, they have very little actual contact; instead, they rely on faith and hope in each other. Link hopes that Zelda is still alive and will come back to aid him in his quest, and Zelda has faith that her sacrifice of becoming the Light Dragon will pay off when Link retrieves the Master Sword she has kept for him. Through their work of art entitled “Tears of the Dragon”, Sophingers has crafted a beautiful piece that conveys this ethereal relationship the heroes share across time.
Upon initially viewing this art, it immediately becomes clear that Sophingers has a great mastery of balance and symmetry. Link and Zelda mirror each other in the bottom right and upper left corners of the piece respectively. The opposite corners feature blooming Silent Princesses and Sundelions as well. By having these various elements mirroring each other, it connects them while simultaneously keeping them apart, showing their longing to be together. Link and Zelda reach out for each other and for the sword that connects their quest through time. Similarly, the Sundelions are found only on the Sky Islands until the Upheaval casts them down and introduces them to the surface of Hyrule, bringing them and the Silent Princess into contact for the first time.
Zelda’s pose is serene. Her arms are down and her Zonai gown billows and floats around her. Her left hand reaches for the Master Sword but not as if trying to grasp it. Her hand looks more like she’s pushing the sword away, casting it on the waves of time to the hero she has faith will use it to conquer evil in the future she once belonged to.
In contrast, Link has a concerned look on his face. Where has the Master Sword gone? Where is his Zelda? Both thoughts float through his mind as he reaches towards the blade. He reaches as if to grasp the weapon though it stays just outside his grasp.
While the primary figures of Link and Zelda will draw everyone’s attention, the background of this art also tells a captivating story. The Zen-like swirls of the Zonai flow alongside Zelda’s corner. Link’s corner is dominated by the jagged Zonai lines similar in style to the depictions of the Demon King’s power in the murals underneath Hyrule Castle. This tiny detail sets the stage for both heroes: Zelda lies in the past while Link battles the Demon King’s rise in the present.
The final and most heartrending part of Sophingers’ art is done through the use of the Light Dragon. At first, it looks like it’s going to form a complete circle as it swirls through the center of the piece; however, it doesn’t. It breaks when it comes to Link, keeping itself and Zelda away from the hero’s hands. They cannot be together, not yet.
This leaves the completed circle in the piece. Behind the Master Sword, the pupil of Zelda’s transformed dragon eye glows with fear despite her determination to play her part in the quest. In connecting the circle with this eye, it reveals the method of connection between past and present, princess and hero. Zelda’s determination and sacrifice, giving up her human form for a draconic one and embedding the Master Sword within her, so one day Link may receive it. She will make both times touch to stop Ganondorf even if it means potentially not seeing her beloved friend and traveling companion ever again.
The beauty of Sophingers’s art is within its complex simplicity. Each element of the art is extremely well done but initially seems simple. As you examine each part more closely, the symmetry reveals the heartbreaking decision to sacrifice her humanity to save her kingdom, certain of her faith that Link would find her and use the Master Sword to save the land they both love.
