Upon its 2023 release, Nintendo chose to keep the Imprisoning War Sages from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom cloaked in mystery. Despite their pivotal role in the overarching narrative, the Sages only made brief appearances in the game.
This shifted with the release of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, set prior to the events of Tears of the Kingdom. Here, players got a deeper look at the war’s Sages, who include Ardi of the Gerudo, Qia of the Zora, Raphica of the Rito, and Agraston of the Goron.
In Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, players can embody each Sage, along with characters like Princess Zelda and Rauru, as they battle hordes of bokoblins, Lynels, and other foes.
But why did Nintendo keep the Sages under wraps until the spin-off prequel? Director Hidemaro Fujibayashi explained that revealing the Sages’ identities and backstories too early would have made the narrative of Tears of the Kingdom “grow too much.”
“In Tears of the Kingdom there was a central theme running through the main story, with the Sages depicted behind masks and without names,” Fujibayashi noted in a recent interview. He mentioned that many elements were “intentionally held back” for the sequel to Breath of the Wild.
“If we had shown their personalities and faces, the story would have naturally expanded too much,” he elaborated. “I’m truly happy that the Sages have been more carefully explored in the Imprisoning War.”
Our reviewer praised Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment as the “richest offering yet” in the series after playing ahead of its release.
Since its November launch, updates for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment have introduced additional weapons and new, formidable enemies.
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