Tears of the Kingdom was a smash hit in 2023, selling over 20 million copies. However, opinions have soured on Tears of the Kingdom much quicker than Breath of the Wild. It was always going to be tough to follow up on one of the best games ever made, but maybe it’s because Breath of the Wild just did some things better than Tears of the Kingdom. Today I want to focus on that, what Breath of the Wild did better than Tears of the Kingdom, plus I’ve got some other Zelda creators along for the ride.

Before I get into it today, if you enjoy this video then subscribe for more Zelda content, plus huge thanks to CM30, TuneForge, Gabeora, PixelFusion and WindWakerHyrule. Check out the description for links to their channels, I promise you won’t be dissappointed.

Without further delay, lets dive into some of the things Breath of the Wild did better than Tears of the Kingdom.

Guardians

Sheikah Tech is missing from Tears of the Kingdom, and mostly I don’t mind this change. However, we don’t have Guardians in Tears of the Kingdom, which provided a sense of dread everytime Link would explore the overworld in Hyrule. I still remember the time I first laid my eyes on a Guardian thinking “What the heck is that thing” only to be destroyed moments later, learning quickly I should fear these multi-legged monsters. Tears of the Kingdom also has threats in the overworld, but there’s nothing quite as terrifying as the Guardians from Breath of the Wild.

Shrine Trials

I liked the Shrine Trials in Breath of the Wild, these boss battles against mini-guardians really taught you a few things about combat. While the Shrines in Tears of the Kingdom are good, I don’t think they are as good as the ones in Breath of the Wild, in particular the Shrine Trials. The Shrines in Tears of the Kingdom are very puzzle focused, which I do enjoy, but there’s nothing like going into a Shrine Trial and applying a beat-down to a mini-Guardian.

Link’s BOTW abilities

Yes, we have Fuse, Ultrahand, Acsend and Recall in Tears of the Kingdom. They are great. You could probably make a game featuring Ultrahand alone. But one part of me misses some of the abilities from Tears of the Kingdom. Having the ability to create bombs on demand was a fantastic feature, plus stasis gave us the ability to freeze enemies or create platforms in water – another invaluable tool. I remember countless situations in Breath of the Wild where the bomb rune got me out of a sticky situation, and while Link’s abilities in Tears of the Kingdom are great, I do sometimes miss Link’s Breath of the Wild’s abilities too.

Revali’s Gale (and other Champion’s Abilities)

Revali’s Gale was a game-changer in Breath of the Wild, allowing Link to leap up high into the air with the power of the Rito propelling him into the air. We have Sage Vows in Tears of the Kingdom, and in their own right they are very good abilities. Back in Breath of the Wild we had in total Mipha’s Grace, Revali’s Gale, Daruk’s Protection, and Urbosa’s Fury. Tears of the Kingdom took a different approach by having characters fight alongside Link, rather than apply an ability to Link directly. It’s a different approach, each with their pros and cons. However, I do miss Revali’s Gale and what that brought to Link in Breath of the Wild.

Kass

Kass was our wandering Rito friend who would regale us with tales from the past through his songs. As well as telling us about the past, he would also help us find secret shrines, which cemented him in many Breath of the Wild’s fans hearts. If you want to guage how much Kass is missed, simply look up Kass Tears of the Kingdom on YouTube and you’ll find 100s of videos calling for Kass to return. Kass is nowhere to be found in Tears of the Kingdom, alebit with a very small reference from Penn. Kass was such an important character that he featured in the DLC for Breath of the Wild, The Champion’s Ballad.

Once again, huge thanks to CM30, TuneForge, Gabeora, PixelFusion and WindWakerHyrule for getting involved in this project and make sure to check them out through the links in the description.

Let me know what you think in the comments, let me know what you think Breath of the Wild did better than Tears of the Kingdom.