Towards the end of 2025, Zelda fans were treated to Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, a Warriors game that retold the history of the Imprisoning War; but unlike previous installments, Nintendo made clear this story was canon. I thoroughly enjoyed playing my way through the Imprisoning War from the early days of Rauru’s Hyrule. While I LOVED The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, I always felt that the lore and storytelling left something to be desired. It’s unfortunate that it took pairing the game with Warriors entry for the story to feel full and complete. That said, Nintendo chose to tell the final story of the Wilds Era in this manner and by the end, I felt a renewed curiosity and passion.
As 2026 began, I dove from the skies back into the world of Tears of the Kingdom. While I had previously finished all the mainline quests and many of the side quests and adventures, I discovered fresh interest in revisiting those locations, exploring undisturbed ground, and completing those remaining quests. The addition of Zelda Notes via the smart phone app also added to this experience.
One of my favorite quests this time around? Finding the eighth heroine statue (complete “The Heroines’ Secret” and “The Mysterious Eighth”). This adventure made me feel like Indiana Jones, exploring the desert archaeological sites, avoiding traps, and outsmarting puzzles. I had to find all the stelae hidden around the Gerudo Shelter beneath Gerudo Town and share the information with Rotana. After that, I had to retrieve all the mysterious orbs and return them to the mini-heroine statues inside the shelter–some of these orbs were stashed in tricky places across Gerudo Desert! Finally I discovered a massive Gerudo Orb that I had to drag to the North Gerudo Ruins, which opened an ancient gate and led beneath the ruins; there I maneuvered down long-forgotten tunnels, past deadly traps, and through puzzle rooms until I discovered the mysterious Eighth Heroine statue—which turned out to be a voe! The eighth hero was actually male!
I’m really glad I returned to Tears of the Kingdom because Nintendo packed so much content into this game. I needed a break after my several hundred hour original run, but I’m back and ready for more.
Tell us what you think? Have you returned to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom since finishing Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment? Share your reactions in the comments below or join the conversation on Boss Rush Network’s Discord, Facebook, and Twitter.
Featured Image: Nintendo
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