More Studio Ghibli references to be found in the latest Tears of the Kingdom trailers

It’s no secret at this point that the creators of The Legend of Zelda series have taken much inspiration from Studio Ghibli over the years. I mean, how could they not? Since the 1980s, this creative titan has distilled the timeless art of hand-drawn animation into gorgeous, wildly imaginative films that have left the world spellbound. Its fantasy films, like Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle, have made a particularly strong impact on the Japanese cultural landscape, so it makes sense that several elements from these stories would organically weave their way into a fantasy saga like Zelda.

Usually this just comes down to similar themes and ideas, but if you’re a hardcore Ghibli fan, you’ve probably also come across some characters, creatures, and architecture that seem oddly familiar. A couple of examples include Maple from the Oracle duology, who shares her taste in fashion with Kiki from Kiki’s Delivery Service (she even has a similar messenger bag), and the Remlits from Skyward Sword, who look like they could be a subspecies of the fox-squirrels from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. And of course, pretty much every corner of Breath of the Wild has been infused with Ghibli spirit, from the music and environments to creatures like the Lord of the Mountain. But if the trailers are any indication, Tears of the Kingdom may just have all of them beat in terms of explicit representation.

When the E3 2021 Nintendo Direct trailer unveiled Link’s Malice-infected arm for the first time, we noted that it bore a striking resemblance, both in design and function, to Prince Ashitaka’s curse in the Studio Ghibli film Princess Mononoke. Not only do the writhing tendrils oozing with Calamity Ganon’s evil essence look nearly identical to the hideous black worms that are borne from corrupted souls, but both curses imbue their respective victims with superhuman abilities. That would be intriguing enough on its own, but now that the third and final trailer has dropped, we can see another strong correlation between Tears of the Kingdom and Princess Mononoke: the designs of their leading ladies.

In the film, “Princess Mononoke” is a rather derogatory nickname given to San, a human girl raised by the wolf god Moro, who wishes to wage war against humanity because of its callous disregard for the health of the forest ecosystem. San is a tough young woman used to weathering the elements and fighting all her battles hand-to-hand, and her memorable wild child wardrobe reflects this perfectly. So when Trailer #3 aired this past April and Princess Zelda’s new look was revealed, I couldn’t help but do a double-take. The short hairstyle, the rustic clothes, the large dangle earrings, the paint marks on her cheeks, the minimalist jewelry adorning her neck, forehead, and upper arms — her appearance is so reminiscent of San, it’s rather jarring.

Granted, Zelda’s new outfit does make sense if we consider what the trailers have told us thus far. Even if you disregard the connection to the misanthropic forest maiden, this garb still evokes the earthy beauty and mystery of a long-lost civilization. The trailers have heavily implied that the Zonai, described in Breath of the Wild as an “ancient warlike tribe” with close ties to nature, are the ones who have taken Zelda, and these are exactly the kinds of clothes and accessories I would expect the members of such a tribe to wear.

But that begs another question: what exactly are the Zonai like? Are they truly the barbarians that the scattered ruins and primitive artifacts would have you believe, or are they far more advanced than anyone could have imagined? This enigma is similar to the one that drives the plot of another beloved Ghibli classic, Castle in the Sky. This film tells the story of two children on a journey to find Laputa, a floating city akin to Atlantis, and prevent a megalomaniacal government agent from harnessing its incredible technology to conquer the world. Unsurprisingly, when the early Tears of the Kingdom teasers first revealed the existence of the Sky Islands, people immediately drew comparisons to the general themes and aesthetic of Castle in the Sky. But important design details suggest that the connection between the two may be even stronger than we realize.

First off, let’s take a look at what are, presumably, the eponymous Tears of the Kingdom. These strange objects were first depicted in wall carvings in the September 2022 Nintendo Direct, and now in the most recent trailer, they’ve made their first tangible appearance as glowing magatama-esque jewels engraved with runes. When I first saw them, my mind instantly went to the Aetherium crystal from Castle in the Sky. This talisman designates the main character Sheeta as a member of the Laputan royal family, allowing her to command its frightening power in times of great need. Although we don’t yet know what their purpose is, the fact that these “Tears” encircle the mysterious Zonai in the wall tapestry implies that they can only be wielded by those who have a connection to the lost civilization. Perhaps they too will reveal themselves as amulets capable of controlling robots, unleashing waves of destruction, and pointing to the hidden location of the Zonai society?

If that last point struck you as odd, then consider the bizarre cloud formation illuminated by lightning in the February trailer. This towering column of water vapor hovers ominously in the sky, swirling like a deadly hurricane. But why is it there? Well, perhaps something is hiding inside, protected by the impenetrable wall of clouds. In Castle in the Sky, the city of Laputa is concealed within a similar storm system, only accessible to those with an airship durable enough to survive the fierce winds. Perhaps the Zonai civilization has the same advantage, their true home nestled inside this egg-shaped mass of clouds that no normal Hylian could ever hope to break through. And if Zelda has a task in front of her that only she can complete, then what better place to do so than a sanctuary in the sky that guarantees both privacy and safety?

Now to talk robots. Homicidal automatons are a prominent fixture in post-Calamity Hyrule, and we have already noted in the past that the spindly-armed Guardians from Breath of the Wild look and behave similarly to the Laputan robots from Castle in the Sky. Tears of the Kingdom recently introduced a new type of robot enemy called a Soldier Construct, and it too can be connected to the robots of Laputa, but for a different reason. When Eiji Aonuma hosted the gameplay demonstration in late March, he revealed something significant about the Sky Islands: they appear to be uninhabited save for these awkward technological amalgamations. This aligns with the state of present-day Laputa, where artificial lifeforms are the only creatures (besides birds and animals) who still roam the abandoned city.

But while the robots in the film have lapsed into a state of docility since the Laputans left, the Constructs in Tears of the Kingdom appear to be quite aggressive and territorial, attacking everything from Chu-Chus to Hylian heroes. It’s possible that they’re simply jerks, but the more likely explanation is that they’re guarding something valuable that the Zonai want to keep a secret from everyone. Either way, let’s just hope that they leave the Remlits alone if the furry critters make an appearance on the Sky Islands.

While I don’t think that any of these Ghibli Easter eggs are meant to be interpreted as direct parallels, they may be trying to subtly hint at what kind of story Tears of the Kingdom is going to be. After all, Aonuma has implied that this game will be even darker than Majora’s Mask, and with the notable exception of Grave of the Fireflies, Princess Mononoke is easily the darkest film in the Studio Ghibli library. It’s violent, terrifying, and surprisingly gory, depicting an all-out war between humans and the spirits of nature. And Castle in the Sky is nothing to sneeze at either, as a tyrannical maniac with delusions of grandeur tries to obtain a weapon of mass destruction in order to bring humanity to its knees.

Considering the enormous army of monsters that Ganondorf is amassing, I wouldn’t be surprised if this ends up being the bloodiest battle Hyrule has seen yet. Also, while the Zonai come across as friendly in the trailers, we still can’t say for sure what their true intentions are. Maybe they’ll end up being as morally ambiguous as Princess Hilda, manipulating Link and Zelda into helping them carry out their own dangerous schemes. Link, like Prince Ashitaka, may find that his new Ultrahand abilities come at a steep price, slowly tearing apart his soul as the hour of doom draws near.

But what piques my curiosity more than anything else is the majestic maiden briefly seen in the third trailer, whose long hair and long ears indicate that she is most likely the woman depicted on the Zonai wall tapestry. Some have theorized that she is a member of Zonai royalty, or the goddess Hylia, but that steely green-eyed stare leads me to believe that she may actually be Princess Zelda, having undergone a transformation after communing with an ancestral spirit or past incarnation. If true, then this narrative development could result in an interesting character arc for Zelda that, once again, aligns with the themes present in Princess Mononoke. In the film, Moro the wolf god explains that she raised San after the girl’s selfish human parents tried to sacrifice her in exchange for their lives, and now that she is all grown-up, her “poor, ugly, beautiful daughter is neither wolf, nor human.” Zelda may find herself suffering a similar identity crisis following this transformation, as she struggles to reconcile her new persona with the one she has known her entire life. Is she Hylian, or Zonai? Royalty, or divinity? A combination of all four, or something else entirely? Only time will tell.