Summary
- A fan of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has created artwork of Guardian enemies in the style of Zonai Constructs.
- The Guardians were not included in Tears of the Kingdom, but were a terrifying and tough enemy in Breath of the Wild.
- While fans praised the fan art, some speculated on how these new Guardians would have fit in Tears of the Kingdom and hoped for a DLC appearance.
A fan of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has created artwork of the previous game's Guardian enemies in the style of Zonai Constructs. Guardians were notably a no-show in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Both Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild are noted for their higher difficulty compared to prior 3D Zelda games, and part of that is derived from the tough enemies planted throughout the open-world map. While the former boasts Gleeoks and Gloom Hands, the latter had Guardians, a much more common and arguably more terrifying foe. These stone-faced spider-like robots can detect Link from a surprising distance, reduce a large chunk of his health with a ridiculously accurate laser, and can move deceptively fast. That eerie, distorted piano jingle that plays when they arrive doesn't help either. Their only weaknesses are Ancient Arrows, the Master Sword, or their own reflected lasers.
Despite this, one Reddit user by the name of Altoost expressed that they miss the Guardians and took it upon themself to post some fan art of what they might look like in the style of Tears of the Kingdom's Zonai Constructs. In particular, inspiration was taken from the designs of the more benevolent Constructs who can give Link gameplay advice on the Great Sky Island, expand the battery life for any vehicles and devices he creates, and sell him Zonai Charges or hand him blueprints in the Depths. Of course, had this concept existed in-game, these Constructs would probably act more like mini-bosses.
Many in the comments praised the design and how well it fits in with the Constructs' style. Some speculated as to whether these new Guardians would have been as terrifying or as difficult to beat as those in the previous game, while others agreed, noting how fun Guardians were to chop up in the last game and wishing that they had made a return in Tears of the Kingdom, with some commenters crossing their fingers for a DLC appearance. Some others suggested that the user incorporate Gloom into the design to make it more intimidating.
If there's one thing video game fans do best, it's speculate and come up with good ideas. While for legal reasons, game companies are not allowed to accept unsolicited fan ideas, Tears of the Kingdom is likely to receive DLC further down the line, and given its close ties to Breath of the Wild, there is a decent chance of Guardians at least getting a reference or cameo. But of course, only time will tell.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available on Nintendo Switch.