Since the fall of Breath of the Wild’s Calamity, Princess Zelda has been on a journey to help the people of Hyrule recover and rebuild. That was, at least, until she vanished beneath Hyrule Castle at the beginning of Tears of the Kingdom. One of the unfinished projects she left behind, the Hateno Village School, is unfortunately in dire need of a teacher. Who better to call on than our favorite silent protagonist?
Let’s back up. In the house that Zelda presumably shares with Link, tucked across Firly Pond in Hateno Village, the player can sift through Zelda’s journal. In it, she details her regrets over the state of Hyrule in the Calamity’s aftermath. As part of her strategy for reconstruction, she commissions Bolson to build a school for the children of Hateno, which has the largest Hylian population the kingdom. Moved by the request, Bolson declares it his last official construction project before departing for Lurelin Village, where the player can later find him.
After it was built, Symin, Purah’s lab assistant, took up a temporary role as a teacher for the village’s children. Through the journal’s passages, Zelda worries over finding an additional instructor, noting that the job requires “someone intelligent, educated, and capable of earning the children’s trust.” Hint, hint.
The school itself is located just past Reede’s house, down the hill from Zelkoa Pond. It’s a quaint building similar to the Bolson Construction Company’s cubic model homes (an aesthetic that’s also prominent in Tarrey Town). A wooden arch that simply read’s “school” in the Hylian alphabet marks the entrance to the school grounds. Out front, simple playground equipment sits across from plant boxes that host untamed wildflowers. The roof has a bell that can be rung, summoning a Korok as a bonus. Symin can be found inside on the first floor, lecturing beside a large chalkboard. Sitting attentively are four familiar faces from Breath of the Wild: Aster, Azu, Karin, and Sefaro, who once roamed the village as small children. Now, they are school age, and eager to learn – well, about that.
The questlines Teach Me A Lesson I and II can be completed in order for Link to become an official professor at the Hateno School. As it turns out, not being super talkative is fine when the job is essentially a few fetch quests. First, the kids don’t believe Symin when he describes the events of the Great Calamity 10,000 years ago. Insisting that Kakariko Village is too far for a casual walk (fair enough), he implores Link to travel there and take a picture of the Calamity tapestry located in Impa’s house with his Purah Pad. With a record of the Calamity presented to them, the kids are convinced. A relieved Symin rewards Link with ten bundles of Hylian Rice. He then needs Link’s help with a cooking lesson – the inclusion of Monster Extract in some recipes is confusing the kids. So, with Link gathering Goron Spice, Hylian Rice, and Monster Extract to cook Monster Curry, they delightfully taste it for themselves. Having now gained a good reputation with the students, Link is welcomed as the school’s new teacher.
With this, the player is given permission to use the field further down the hill to grow basic crops for free under the guidance of Uma, who used to help run the village inn. Link can also choose to sit in on pop quizzes Symin gives the students, in case the player happens to need a history refresher. Pretty nifty, even if he did experience some of it himself 100 years ago.
The school’s interior is charmingly cozy; an intimate and comfortable setting that feels lived in. No space is wasted, as was the original intent behind Bolson’s radical architectural style. Bookshelves and crates of school supplies are tucked into every available corner. Nestled beneath the stairway is a desk with additional books and a tea set. Paint scribbles and colored drawings decorate the walls, some of which colorfully depict Zelda with the children. After Link becomes a teacher, a new drawing is added on the wall of Link with the kids as well. The trademark Bolson Construction design also allows for rooms to be stacked and added at will (which the player can take advantage of when building Link a house on the outskirts of Tarrey Town). The school’s upper floor is segmented, with Symin’s bedroom taking up one side and a more official-looking office takes up the other.
Symin’s desk has a journal containing performance reviews for each of the students. Sefaro, for example, uses time after school to study by the bookshelf (which he can be seen doing after 2:00 P.M.). Symin theorizes that this is because the Dye Shop, run by Sefaro’s parents, has been swarmed with recent business. Karin, meanwhile, is the intelligent daughter of Reede, the village mayor. Symin remarks in the journal that he envisions Karin becoming a scientist rivaling Purah herself. The most recent entry is addressed to Princess Zelda, as presumably she was a frequent reader of these reports. Symin expresses the anxiety he feels leading up to Link and Zelda’s investigation underneath Hyrule Castle – a fear that indeed came to fruition. It’s a bit of a haunting read, knowing what became of their journey. He continues, acknowledging that while the kids know her as Ms. Zelda, their teacher, he recognizes her as Princess Zelda, who has an immense responsibility on her shoulders. Not only must she repair a broken Hyrule, but seek out and defeat any remaining evils plaguing the kingdom.
While the Upheaval has drastically affected things, Zelda’s presence can be felt all over. The hard work she put in to establishing the Hateno School is evident everywhere. During the day, Karin can be found across the bridge from Zelda’s house, waiting for her to come back. More drawings of Zelda with the children can be found in Zelda’s Secret Well, located behind the house. When encountering Hateno Village for the first time in Breath of the Wild, the player may well treat it like a sanctuary untouched by the Calamity. Indeed, due only to Zelda awakening her powers at the right moment was Fort Hateno, and consequentially Hateno Village, spared from Ganon’s apocalypse.
Now, in Tears of the Kingdom, when the village has come to know her, is her loss truly felt. However, if there was one thing that Zelda believed in, second to the courage of her knight, it was the hope for Hyrule’s future. The player taking the time to participate in the children’s education is, in a sense, honoring what Zelda has left behind. Potentially forever, unless Link can find her in time.
