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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →No. You do not have to finish The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom before playing Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment. Nintendo describes Age of Imprisonment as the canonical account of the Imprisoning War that led to Tears of the Kingdom, so its story is set in Hyrule’s distant past. Playing Tears of the Kingdom first is an optional context upgrade: it helps you recognize the war’s consequences, important characters and historical references, but Nintendo has not announced it as a prerequisite for understanding or accessing the Warriors game.
Which “next Zonai-focused Zelda” are we talking about?
“The next Zonai-focused Zelda” is a fan description, not the official name of a separately announced mainline game. The closest official match is Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment. In Nintendo’s 1 August 2025 Partner Showcase, the company said that “The Imprisoning War led to the events of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” and called the game a canonical tale. The announcement identifies Princess Zelda, King Rauru and other heroes, and places the action in Hyrule’s distant past.
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That wording establishes the relationship clearly: Age of Imprisonment depicts the earlier war, while Tears of the Kingdom shows the later consequences of that history. It does not establish that Tears of the Kingdom must be completed first. It also does not turn every rumor about a future Zonai-centered project into an official Nintendo announcement.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallNintendo’s 2026 40th-anniversary Direct highlighted The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for Nintendo Switch 2 but did not identify another new mainline Zelda explicitly described as Zonai-focused. Until Nintendo gives a different project that description, “next Zonai-focused Zelda” should be understood as shorthand for Age of Imprisonment, not as a confirmed title separate from it.
#1 Best Overall
- See Hyrule 100 years before the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild game and experience the events of the Great Calamity.
- Join the struggle that brought Hyrule to its knees. Learn more about Zelda, the King of Hyrule, the four champions; Urbosa, Revali, Mipha, Daruk and more through dramatic cutscenes as they try to save the kingdom from Calamity. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is the only way to see first-hand what happened 100 years ago.
- Battle hordes of Hyrule’s most formidable foes - From barbaric Bokoblins to towering Lynels, Ganon’s troops have emerged in droves. Revisit iconic locations such as Zoras Domain, Death Mountain and Hyrule Field and use your playable heroes’ distinct abilities to carve through hundreds of enemies to save Hyrule from the impending Calamity.
- Team up and take on Ganon - Pass a Joy-Con to a friend and take on Calamity Ganon as a team in local co-op multiplayer. Fight side-by-side or divide your efforts to cover more ground, complete objectives and defeat the forces of darkness!
Is Age of Imprisonment a sequel or a prequel?
In story chronology, it is a prequel to Tears of the Kingdom. Nintendo presents the Imprisoning War as the event that led to the later game, so the war occurs before the opening situation players encounter in Tears of the Kingdom.
It is not a conventional sequel that assumes you have already completed every quest in Tears of the Kingdom. The two games also use different formats. Tears of the Kingdom is an open-world action-adventure set across Hyrule. Age of Imprisonment is a Warriors-style battle game centered on large-scale combat. Their chronology connects them, but their campaigns are designed around different kinds of play.
There is another useful distinction. Tears of the Kingdom itself is a direct sequel to Breath of the Wild. Nintendo’s developers have said that the earlier game is the foundation, while also explaining that they considered new players when designing the sequel. That precedent supports a practical reading of Age of Imprisonment: continuity can reward returning players without making the earlier game a formal entry requirement.
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What you gain by playing Tears of the Kingdom first
You recognize the historical stakes
Tears of the Kingdom presents the aftermath of the history that Age of Imprisonment explores. Playing it first means you already understand that the war is not an isolated fantasy battle; it is the foundation for the condition of Hyrule in the later adventure. Scenes about alliances, losses or the fate of the kingdom can therefore carry more weight because you know what they eventually affect.
Names and roles have more meaning
Princess Zelda and King Rauru are named in Nintendo’s announcement, and the setting involves other heroes from Hyrule’s distant past. Tears of the Kingdom gives you a working familiarity with the era’s terminology and with the way its characters are discussed in the present-day story. That familiarity can make introductions, references and dramatic reversals easier to follow. It is context, not a decoding key: you can still understand who the characters are from the new game’s own presentation.
Rank #2
- Hyrule Warriors is an action game based on the Dynasty Warriors gameplay mechanics but set in the Zelda universe.
- This Definitive Edition contains all previous DLCs in a complete package
- Combat large numbers of enemies to take over enemy bases or defeat bosses
- Choose between 29 playable characters including Link, Zelda and even Ganondorf
- Compatible with Nintendo Switch only.
You can spot consequences without needing an explanation
A prequel often creates a deliberate dramatic advantage for players who know the later outcome. When Age of Imprisonment revisits the war, a player who has already seen Tears of the Kingdom can notice foreshadowing and irony that a newcomer may read simply as new plot information. This is the main reason to play the later-set game first if you value continuity more than surprise.
You have the broader Hyrule sequel experience
Tears of the Kingdom is the large open-world sequel experience: exploration across Hyrule, environmental discovery and an adventure that unfolds over a substantial map. Starting there gives you the fullest modern view of the setting before moving into the focused historical conflict of Age of Imprisonment. The benefit is breadth and recognition, not access to a locked feature.
What happens if you skip Tears of the Kingdom?
You should still be able to follow Age of Imprisonment as its own campaign. Nintendo has not said that a completed save file, a finished story or ownership of Tears of the Kingdom is required. The official description calls the Warriors game a canonical tale of the Imprisoning War, which gives it a defined subject and setting rather than presenting it as optional background material that only makes sense after the sequel.
What you give up is mostly context. You may encounter historical references, character relationships or consequences without having seen the later story that gives them additional resonance. A newcomer can treat those details as discoveries in the war itself; a returning player can treat them as connections to an already familiar future. Neither approach is wrong, and the difference is about emotional emphasis rather than basic comprehension.
If you are sensitive to spoilers, skipping ahead can even be preferable. Because Tears of the Kingdom depicts the later consequences, playing it first may reveal information about the war’s eventual direction. Nintendo has not published a detailed spoiler-order warning, so the safest spoiler-free route is to start with the game whose period you want to discover without prior knowledge.
Rank #3
- Battle some of the fiercest Legend of Zelda enemies across Hyrule’s famous locales
- Link and Zelda can wear costumes from the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild game
- My Fairy mode—now with detailed three-dimensional graphics—lets you befriend, customize, raise, and level up fairies you can take into battle
- Fight alongside a friend in two-player mode on one system
- Contains all downloadable content from prior versions of the game
Choose your play order
Best context: Tears of the Kingdom, then Age of Imprisonment
Choose this order if you want the strongest continuity. You will experience the later consequences first and then return to the conflict that produced them. It is especially suitable if you enjoy tracing causes and effects, recognizing familiar names and noticing how a prequel reframes events you already know.
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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →This route does not require that you complete every shrine, side quest or optional objective in Tears of the Kingdom. The useful preparation is familiarity with its main premise, central characters and historical references. A full completion run is a personal choice, not a condition Nintendo has stated.
Fastest route to the Zonai-era story: start with Age of Imprisonment
Choose this order if the Imprisoning War is the part that interests you most. You can enter the distant-past setting immediately, learn the conflict through the Warriors campaign and decide afterward whether its connections make you curious about Tears of the Kingdom.
This is also the cleanest choice for someone who prefers not to approach a prequel with knowledge of its later consequences. You will encounter the war as a new historical drama rather than as an explanation for events you have already seen.
Limited time: use a reliable recap, then choose by combat preference
If you cannot commit to the open-world sequel, a dependable recap of Tears of the Kingdom can supply the broad story context before you play Age of Imprisonment. The recap should cover the sequel’s central characters, the state of Hyrule and the historical references that connect to the Imprisoning War. It cannot reproduce the feeling of discovering the world yourself, but it can prevent the main relationships from feeling unfamiliar.
Rank #4
- Battle hordes of enemies in the untold story of the Imprisoning War Fight the war for Ancient Hyrule! Step on to the battlefield as Princess Zelda, King Rauru, and other legendary heroes as you fight to reclaim your homeland—and live the story of Demon King Ganondorf’s invasion that was only briefly alluded to in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom game.
- Fight alongside new and familiar heroes to defend Hyrule from the Demon King Princess Zelda is not alone in this war! Join Mineru, the Sages, and even some brand-new heroes in battles against Ganondorf’s forces. Combine powerful Zonai Devices with your heroes’ signature abilities to take down powerful bosses and their legions of minions.
- Use save data from Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity or The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom to get additional weapons If you have save data from the Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity game on your system when you play, you’ll receive a Eminent Guard’s Claymore. If you have save data from the Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom game, you receive a Eminent Guard’s Sword. These weapons can be redeemed after returning to the Hyrule map upon completion of The Howling Tempest mission.
- Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment
You can also choose on gameplay rather than chronology. Pick Tears of the Kingdom if you want open-ended exploration and an action-adventure structure. Pick Age of Imprisonment if you want a Warriors-style battle game focused on fighting through large engagements. Nintendo has not established a mandatory order, so the format you are most likely to enjoy is a legitimate deciding factor.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How the two games differ for a first-time player
| Question | Tears of the Kingdom | Age of Imprisonment |
|---|---|---|
| Story position | Later-era sequel whose events follow the history of the Imprisoning War | Canonical account of the Imprisoning War in Hyrule’s distant past |
| Gameplay format | Open-world action adventure | Warriors-style battle game |
| Best reason to start here | Build a broad understanding of Hyrule and recognize later consequences | Reach the war and Zonai-era setting immediately |
| Required before the other game? | Nintendo has not stated that finishing it is required | Nintendo has not stated that prior completion of Tears of the Kingdom is required |
The formats imply different kinds of time commitment, even though Nintendo has not published a single official completion-time figure that would make a precise hours comparison appropriate. An open-world adventure invites optional exploration and a non-linear route. A Warriors campaign organizes its appeal around battles and a more direct action loop. Plan around the structure you enjoy rather than assuming that chronological order determines which game should come first.
Do you need Breath of the Wild as well?
No prior game is identified by Nintendo as a prerequisite for Age of Imprisonment. The relevant continuity point is that Tears of the Kingdom is a direct sequel to Breath of the Wild. If you have played Breath of the Wild, you will bring extra familiarity with the version of Hyrule that the sequel builds upon. If you have not, Nintendo’s own developer comments indicate that the sequel was made with new players in mind.
That makes Breath of the Wild helpful background rather than a required checkpoint. Adding both earlier games before Age of Imprisonment can create a richer sequence, but it also turns a single question about the Imprisoning War into a much longer journey. Start with the title that matches your available time and preferred gameplay.
What is officially confirmed—and what is not?
- Nintendo describes Age of Imprisonment as a canonical tale of the Imprisoning War.
- Nintendo says that the Imprisoning War led to the events of Tears of the Kingdom.
- The announced story includes Princess Zelda, King Rauru and other heroes in Hyrule’s distant past.
- Nintendo’s developers describe Tears of the Kingdom as a direct sequel to Breath of the Wild.
- The developers also say they considered new players when designing that sequel.
- Nintendo’s 2026 40th-anniversary Direct does not identify another new mainline Zelda explicitly described as Zonai-focused.
Those points support a confident recommendation about play order, but they do not support claims that a separate rumored game exists, that a completed Tears of the Kingdom save is checked by Age of Imprisonment, or that one order is mandatory. Treat fan labels and unannounced projects as speculation until Nintendo publishes an official description.
Bottom line for each kind of player
- You want maximum story context: Play Tears of the Kingdom first, then Age of Imprisonment.
- You want the Imprisoning War now: Start with Age of Imprisonment; return to Tears of the Kingdom if its references prompt further interest.
- You have limited time: Watch a reliable Tears of the Kingdom recap or skip it and choose the game whose format appeals to you.
- You want to avoid later-story knowledge: Begin with Age of Imprisonment, since it is set in the earlier period.
Playing Tears of the Kingdom first can make the Imprisoning War more meaningful, but it is not a confirmed prerequisite. The correct order is the one that fits whether you value continuity, spoiler-free discovery, open-world exploration or Warriors-style combat most.
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