Set in the ancient past of Tears of the Kingdom, the latest game in the Zelda franchise, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, is set tell the “conical” story of Princess Zelda, Rauru, and Mineru as they fight to protect Hyrule in the infamous Imprisoning War.
Much like 2020’s Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, the third Warriors-style spin-off will focus on a single entry within the Zelda series, expanding upon parts of the story that were not previously explored. However, Age of Imprisonment seems to have a lot more grounds to work with, as we know little about The Imprisoning War and its key actors outside of the small main cast. The ancient champions, any key Gerudo, and even Ganondorf himself could be significantly expanded upon in this more focused title. In contrast, most of Age of Calamity‘s characters, and to an extent events, were set up by Breath of the Wild. Though, famously, that game took many creative liberties with its story.
According to Nintendo’s press site, the game will be a “canonical title”. This means Age of Imprisonment may not take similar creative liberities with its story, and detail the actual events that occured long before Tears of the Kingdom in a way we have never seen before. Then again, Age of Calamity‘s status is very ambigious, with some claiming it is just an alternative timeline, while others think it is not canon at all. But Nintendo knows the implications of using”canonical title”, so anything is possible.
Since the game takes place an indescribable amount of time prior to Tears of the Kingdom, it is most likely to follow Princess Zelda instead of Link, much like 2024’s Echoes of Wisdom. This would be especially true if the title is truly canon like the press site states. In other words, fans of the Hylian Princess will be eating well for the second year in a row. Seeing her fight in the trailer using a combo of light magic and what appeared to be the decayed Master Sword might just be the coolest thing humanity has ever made.
The newest entry in the Hyrule Warriors saga is set to release this Winter exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2. Be sure to watch the full trailer to see the fast-paced action in all its glory.
