I’ve been on an Ocarina of Time kick recently, and it’s a great game to go back to if you crave the original Zelda formula after two huge open-world Zelda games with Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. However, you might be surprised to hear there are plenty of Ocarina of Time references to be found within Tears of the Kingdom, you just have to go looking under the surface for them. Today I want to highlight these references to Ocarina of Time, so you can seek them out and enjoy them yourself.

Without further delay, lets dive into the Ocarina of Time references found in Tears of the Kingdom.

Place names

Hyrule in Tears of the Kingdom is full of place names that reference characters found in Ocarina of Time. Bonooru’s Stand and Pierre’s Plateau are places near Kakariko village and are named after the Scarecrows found in Ocarina of Time. In the Korok Forest there’s Mido Swamp and Lake Saria, named after two of the children of the forest from Ocarina of Time. Mido would always challenge Link and Saria woudl teach us Saria’s Song, and become the Sage of the Forest.

Link’s Whistling

Link gathers together some ingredients for a meal, chucks them into a pan and whistles a little tune. Each time Link does this he’ll whistle a different song, and he cycles between a few classic zelda tunes including the Song of Storms and also Epona’s Song. It’s a subtle easter egg, but definitely one that helps the game feel richer.

Lon Lon Milk

If you get some milk in Tears of the Kingdom, then you’ll want to take a closer look at the bottle. The logo is very similar to that found in Ocarina of Time, from the famous Lon Lon Ranch. In Ocarina of Time we can play a mini game to help us get a new bottle, and we get some Lon Lon milk to go with the bottle. This milk is very valuable in Ocarina of Time because it helps heal Link, a good few hearts each time. Unfortunately milk doesn’t have the restoration power in Tears of the Kingdom, but it can be added to other ingredients to create hearty meals and other snacks for Link to help regenerate some health.

Rauru

If you’ve played Ocarina of Time before Tears of the Kingdom, then you’ll recognise Rauru’s name, although they have very different appearences between the two games. Rauru in Ocarina of Time is the Sage of Light. Rauru in Tears of the Kingdom is the first King of Hyrule and the last of the Zonai people. While Rauru played a relatively minor role in Ocarina of Time, he plays a much larger role in Tears of the Kingdom, acting as Link’s guide on the Great Sky Island, when we learn much about him through the cutscenes as Zelda was transported back to his time, plus his relationship with Sonia and the battle against Ganondorf during the Imprisioning War.

The name Rauru has is also used in Zelda II The Adventure of Link, however, here it’s only a town name. In Tears of the Kingdom, the mystery deepens given the medallion worn by King Rauru appears to have the face of Ocarina of Time Rauru on one side, with his owl form Kaepora Gaebora on the other side.

Ganondorf’s Pose

During the final battle in Ocarina of Time Ganondorf strikes a very distinctive pose, when he feels everything is lost and tries to bring down the castle on Link and Zelda. At that moment he feels everything is lost and he’d rather kill them all, then let them go free. Ganondorf stretches out his arms and raises them into the sky, it’s pretty terrfying and very memorable.

Ganondorf does the same pose in Tears of the Kingdom when he’s getting ready to battle Link in the final fight. At first Link meets mummified Ganondorf, only for him to regenerate himself into The Demon King Ganondorf, ready for battle. He pulls the same terrifying pose as he transforms into the battle ready Ganondorf, and then attacks Link.

Zelda turns

Zelda has a habit of turning for the camera and looking stunned, and we have similar scenes in Ocarina of Time and Tears of the Kingdom. In Ocarina of Time, when we first meet child Princess Zelda, she turns to meet Link for the first time, and is startled at his ability to get past the Royal Guards. In Tears of the Kingdom, Link and Zelda travel down into the depths to find a mummified Ganondorf, and once again, Zelda turns, looking startled diretcly into the camera.

Underground Secrets

Right at the start of Tears of the Kingdom, Link and Zelda are found exploring underground, searching for the source of the mysterious black and red substance that’s slowly poisoning Hyrule. Something similar happens in Ocarina of Time under the Well and the Shadow Temple, which also holds some secrets about the Royal Family. King Rauru sealed Ganondorf underground in Tears of the Kingdom, and in Ocarina of Time we also have Royal Secrets underground… but once again in both instances the secrets crept out.

Armor of Time

Perhaps the most direct Link to Ocarina of Time is Link’s Armor of Time outfit. This iconic Green Tunic, hat and trousers allow Link to take on the adult version of Link’s look from Ocarina, so if you want to travel around Hyrule looking like the Hero of Time, then it’s possible. The armor pieces can all be found in various places in The Depths. I’ve got a full guide on the channel with a walkthrough for each piece, so I’d recommend checking that out if you want to take a trip down memory lane with the Armor of Time.

Ganondorf Swears to the King

There’s a great cutscene in Tears of the Kingdom with Ganondorf swearing feilty to King Rauru. While Ganondorf goes on one knee and says he’s going to follow the King, his tone is somewhat suspect with Zelda pointing this out when Ganondorf leaves the room. This scene is very similar to a scene from Ocarina of time, with Link looking through a window in Hyrule Castle, he spots Ganondorf bowing to the King and Zelda stating she doesn’t trust this man with Evil Eyes. Ganondorf would turn on his King in both instances as predicted. Ganondorf has a habit of not only overpowering his foes in battle, but also in outwitting them.