What happened to Link’s arm in ‘Tears of the Kingdom?’

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom arrived on May 12, 2023, after an agonizing six-year wait. Before its release, eager gamers expertly dissected each and every trailer, still, and leak to gobble up as much information as possible.

Despite their best efforts to suss out further details, a few persisting mysteries continue to stymie the curious. Questions about the altered world and Breath of the Wild‘s connections to Tears of the Kingdom have already been answered, and at long last, gamers finally have an answer for the odd appearance of Link’s right arm, which appears to have undergone a pretty significant change, sporting darkened skin and an odd, stylized pattern encroaching up his arm and onto his chest.

Why does Link’s arm look like that in Tears of the Kingdom?

When the credits rolled on 2017’s Breath of the Wild, Link generally sported the same appearance he does in Tears of the Kingdom. His hair was a bit shorter, sure, and his outfit was far less tattered, but overall the longstanding protagonist looked a lot like he usually does — earnest, blonde, and decked out with whatever array of weapons gamers decided to saddle him with.

In Tears of the Kingdom, however, Link’s right arm is damaged early in the game, resulting in an altered appearance. At the outset of the game, Link and Zelda are exploring lengthy labyrinthian tunnels beneath Hyrule Castle. Zelda believes that the catacombs hold answers to the mysterious Zonai, a race from the heavens who helped the Hylians defeat the Demon King centuries ago before vanishing with little trace.  After disturbing the mummified remains of the Demon King, Ganon, the evil once again awakens when a glowing stone falls out of a light-imbued right arm that clutches the Demon King’s chest.

In a flood of miasmic gloom, the newly awakened Ganon attacks Zelda, but Link naturally steps in to save his princess. The poisonous gloom ravages the Master Sword and Link’s arm, leaving him nearly dead, and the blade corrupted by evil. After Link and Zelda are separated, he wakes with his power much diminished in the care of the long dead Zonai Sage, Rauru. The ancient being bequeaths his arm (the same one that was holding Ganon) to the hero, allowing him to tap into the mysterious powers of the Zonai.