5 takeaways from Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom official trailer 3

The latest trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is finally here. Publisher Nintendo recently unveiled their debut pre-launch trailer via their official YouTube channel.

With about 3 minutes of new footage shown to fans, there is a lot to glean here. From brand-new details to more instances of what's already known. There are some neat surprises as well, which should catch fans off guard.

The footage ends up raising more questions than it answers. So let's take a look at some major highlights from the newest trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

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Here are five takeaways from trailer #3 for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

1) The Champions make a comeback

The four Champions were first introduced in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. However, they were etheral forms freed by Link; their original bodies perished in their respective Divine Beasts 100 years before the events of the 2017 predecessor.

Now, it looks like their descendants will provide Link with a helping hand in the fight against evil. We get a look at each of the four heroes from their respective tribes: the Goron, Zora, Gerudo, and Rito.

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2) Companions

While Breath of the Wild was an ambitious adventure, it was also a solo one. Just like every past mainline entry in the series. Tears of the Kingdom looks to shake things up once more with the inclusion of companions. We get several glances at a couple of the Champions accompanying Link, like Sidon from the previous game.

They seem to be able to hold their own, whether in combat or exploration. We even get a look at a shot of Link posing with a group of NPCs, suggesting that even commoners will be able to help their cause in some manner.

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3) New uses of Ultrahand, including "Mech" battles

It is no surprise that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom increases player freedom with the inclusion of new lite crafting mechanics like Fuse and Ultrahand. The latter, in particular, allows for the creation of bizarre constructs, particularly various vehicles and machinery.

The new trailer highlights new ways of using Ultrahand, like a rocket and a horse cart. However, the biggest surprise comes in the form of mech-like constructs. Link can be seen riding atop such a "robot" while going against a massive Stone Talus golem.

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4) New enemies

This one should be a given, but it is still exciting to see what new ideas the team at Nintendo has come up with. These range from a fast-moving, Goron-like foe that leaves trails of fire behind to a massive land shark.

Starting with a massive variant of the Construct enemy type, it is clear that larger-than-life boss battles are a highlight as well. This also includes a look at a massive Kraken-like creature and a three-headed dragon.

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5) The return of Ganondorf

The highlight of the latest trailer is certainly the reveal of the familiar antagonist Ganondorf. He did not feature in Breath of the Wild; instead, it was a corrupted incarnation called Calamity Ganon.

Now, the humanoid Gerudo known as Ganondorf, first appearing in 1998's The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, is here. This should make for a more exciting showdown against the familiar foe than the underwhelming finale of Breath of the Wild.

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The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is set for release on May 12, 2023. It will be released exclusively for the Nintendo Switch hybrid console.