Before the release of Tears of the Kingdom, fans theorized that Zelda is dead. The game’s name could definitely allude to the kingdom mourning its leader, and some clues seem to allude to her demise. We’ll explain whether she dies in the story or at the ending.
Is Zelda dead in Tears of the Kingdom, or does she die in the ending?
Zelda isn’t dead in Tears of the Kingdom. Instead, when she falls into the hole beneath Hyrule Castle at the beginning of the game, she’s sent to the past. There, she becomes the Sage of Time and fights the Demon King alongside the first King of Hyrule with the other sages. Her fate after the Imprisoning War is one of the mysteries of the game, but there’s no indicator that she died afterward.
Additionally, Zelda doesn’t die in the ending. We won’t spoil the whole thing, but rest assured that she will make it through alive. Fans might have been hoping for a more poignant and tragic tale, but no incarnation of Zelda or Link has ever died in the series. One of them might get put into a coma or turned to stone, but they always pull through in the end.
Despite its legion of adult fans, Nintendo still intends Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom to be kid-friendly. That makes killing off a main character a big no-no. After all, we don’t want a little girl to be inspired by the heroics of the princess only to have her murdered at some point. Heck, even Ganondorf doesn’t really ever die in these games, and he’s the main villain.
So, rest assured, Zelda is alive and kicking. Some time-travel shenanigans are going on that confuse things a little, but the end result is that she makes it out alive and continues to serve her kingdom.
