Among the many new mechanics revealed for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the ability for Link to build and drive all-new vehicles across Hyrule, which has sparked new promise for Breath of the Wild's Master Cycle Zero. Though much of the focus following this revelation was light-hearted commentary on the similarities between Tears of the Kingdom and vehicle-building mechanics in Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, attention has turned to the actual implications this new ability will have.
It could be that the Master Cycle's popularity following its introduction in Breath of the Wild inspired Tears of the Kingdom to further expand on the idea of vehicles. As a result, the Master Cycle could still have a role to play. While early concerns suspected that Breath of the Wild's sequel would strip away Link's abilities to provide players with a blank slate, it's possible that the Master Cycle is spared this reset and instead used to help Tears of the Kingdom integrate its vehicles.
The Impact of Zelda's Master Cycle
When it was first introduced in Breath of the Wild, the Master Cycle seemed analogous to the game. It was a late addition as a reward for completing The Champions' Ballad DLC, and a literal motorbike seemed contrary to Zelda's fantasy aesthetic. However, in the companion book The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Creating a Champion, series producer Eiji Aonuma said he had proposed the concept of the Master Cycle during Breath of the Wild's main development. Though it was rejected at first, it was later approved to be a reward as a new traversal mechanic following The Champions' Ballad.
From this, it's possible to imagine that Breath of the Wild always had the potential for vehicles, but that these would have broken the game's inherent design. Tears of the Kingdom, therefore , has the opportunity to innovate where Breath of the Wild left off, as reflected in the transition to new vehicles and vehicle-building. While Tears of the Kingdom's vehicles pose a challenge for keeping horses relevant, it does suggest that the Master Cycle won't suffer the same fate if it has already proven influential.
How Tears of the Kingdom Could Navigate Using the Master Cycle
Due to its odd position as post-game DLC, it might not cause concern if Nintendo doesn't included the Master Cycle in Tears of the Kingdom. But given its recurrence in other games from Mario Kart 8 DLC to Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, it seems the only option is to include the now-iconic Master Cycle. Should Nintendo intend to transition away from the Master Cycle toward its new mechanics, it could do so by limiting its use, changing what it's capable of, or using it to contrast Breath of the Wild mechanics to Tears of the Kingdom's own.
It's still unclear how Link's abilities will transition between Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. But while this could include keeping the Master Cycle as one of Link's Sheikah Slate runes, some early ideas suggested that instead the Master Cycle should be upgraded for Tears of the Kingdom, perhaps into a flying vehicle. As per the latest trailer, gameplay footage has shown that the new vehicles will similarly serve this function instead, potentially rendering the Master Cycle redundant.
But this presents a new possibility, something that might help connect the ideas behind the Master Cycle in Breath of the Wild to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's vehicles. By granting Link access to all the abilities he would have presumably owned by the end of Breath of the Wild, including the Master Cycle, the early stages of Tears of the Kingdom could be designed in a way that demonstrates how ineffective these abilities are. For example, as the Master Cycle cannot fly and has both limited speed and fuel capacity, the player would be organically shown that Tears of the Kingdom's vehicles are better opens as they become available.
New Vehicles in Tears of the Kingdom Might Mean No More Master Cycle
Another alternative would be to grant players all their previous Breath of the Wild powers, but during the opening acts of Tears of the Kingdom, Link is stripped of these abilities. For instance, it's possible that the Sheikah Slate will be replaced by Link's arm, meaning that the abilities associated with it will be modified or erased during this change. The Master Cycle could be among these, so by letting players ride in the first moments of Tears of the Kingdom, it could become part of the power fantasy that is taken away and must be reclaimed.
Ultimately, the fact that Nintendo used its latest Tears of the Kingdom trailer to focus on traversal with new vehicles and vehicle-building mechanics suggests that the Master Cycle is in dire straits. Since it was only ever a DLC reward with non-canonical appearances in other games, the Master Cycle was never something that every player is guaranteed to have had, meaning its inclusion in Tears of the Kingdom was tenuous at best. With the trailer specifically showcasing its new vehicles, there's a stronger case against the Master Cycle's return than there is for it.
But with the Master Cycle being replaced, there would be new potential in Tears of the Kingdom's vehicle-building mechanics with Link shown to be building both ground and air contraptions. The foundations that the Master Cycle built could let Tears of the Kingdom's vehicles achieve much more, as it's likely the trailers have only shown a glimpse of what the final product will offer. If it is set to be retired, the least Nintendo could do is provide fans an Easter egg or reference to acknowledge the Master Cycle and its legacy.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is set to release on May 12, 2023, exclusively for Nintendo Switch.