WhenThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomwas released, many players noticed that a fan-favorite character was surprisingly absent, which is an issue that could be resolved in the upcomingHyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment. Despite being a prominent figure inBreath of the Wild, greeting the player in different places as they progressed on their journey, the character was nowhere to be found throughout the entirety of the sequel. With there being no plans for anyTears of the KingdomDLC,Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonmentmay be the ideal opportunity for this character to return.
Despite the previousHyrule Warriorsgames being non-canonical spin-offs,Age of Imprisonmentwill be a canon entry in the series. The story follows events seen inTears of the Kingdomof Zelda’s experience as she travels back in time to the beginning of Hyrule’s history. Using different methods, one missing character fromTears of the Kingdommay also return to this earlier era.
How Kass Could Return in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment
Breath of the Wildintroduced many new characters toZeldauniverse, and one of these new additions that made a great first impression with fans was Kass. After fulfilling his promise to the Court Poet and completing the Unfinished Song, Kass’ story seemed complete, but many players may have missed hearing his distant melodies inTears of the Kingdom. With his whereabouts unknown, the question ofwhat happened to Kassstill lingers, but this may be something whichAge of Imprisonmenthas the answer to.
MAJOR SPOILERS forThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomahead.
The potential fate for Kass is that he may have traveled back to the founding of Hyrule, a time which players have briefly seen inTears of the Kingdomand will learn more about inAge of Imprisonment. It is unlikely that Kass could use the Secret Stone of Time to travel to the past as Zelda did, but there are multiple methods oftime travel used throughoutThe Legend of Zeldaseries, one of which Kass is already familiar with: playing music.
Kass’ Potential Link to the Song of Time
It is possible that, during his search for the Ancient Songs, Kass may have discovered the Song of Time or the Tune of Ages. Both of these songs are often tied to specific instruments, butMajora’s Maskhas shown this is not necessarily the case. Some of the masks inMajora’s Maskchange Link’s instrument, implying that the Song of Time isn’t solely restricted to the Ocarina of Time. This adds to the possibility that Kass could be able to time travel even with his concertina, potentially granting him the ability to visit an earlier point in the history of Hyrule and fight alongside Zelda in the Imprisoning War.
This theory could be supported by a line of dialogue spoken by Kass at the end ofThe Champions’ BalladDLC forBreath of the Wild. Kass recalls the Court Poet advising that he write songs that transport those who are listening to a certain point in time. If Kass were to find and play the Song of Time, this transportation could be literal, taking him back to the time of the Imprisoning War. TheZeldaseries does include song-related mysteriesand time paradoxes, so Kass may even be revealed to be the original composer of the Song of Time. The Court Poet specifically mentions that the songs Kass writes himself should have this effect, so this may be foreshadowing that this song is his own work.
Kass Would Be a Fitting Playable Warrior
Of all of the newcomer characters introduced to the series inBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom, Kass stands out as one of the most beloved by fans. The community excitement forKass to be included in aHyrule Warriorsgamehas been present since the announcement ofAge of Calamity’s Expansion Pass, andAge of Imprisonmentcould present the perfect opportunity to finally deliver on the hopes of these fans.
Kass being playable inAge of Imprisonmentmay seem like an outlandish choice to some, but theHyrule Warriorsseries has always welcomed weird warriors.Age of Calamityadded Hestu, the maraca-wielding Korok fromBreath of the Wild, as a playable character, proving that instrument-based weapons are not out of the question. With Kass being missing fromTears of the Kingdom, he could fill Hestu’s role as a musical fighter without having an impact on the established canon.
Other than the characters already revealed to be part ofAge of Imprisonment’s story, there is almost no doubt that the playable roster will be filled with otherTears of the Kingdomcharacters. Adding Kass would bring some much-needed variety beyond his melodic abilities, representingBreath of the Wildand giving more attention to a character that missed out on the last installment in the series.
With Kass’ noticeable absence fromTears of the Kingdomleaving fans wanting to know more about his fate, including him inAge of Imprisonmentmay be a good step forward. His story inBreath of the Wildfelt complete, but having him unwittingly travel through time presents the character with a new adventure without undermining his journey of fulfilling the Court Poet’s final wish. Expanding on his story in this way would give peace tofans concerned with Kass' future, allowing them to see the Rito bard in a more active role. Likewise, if he were to keep these possible time travel capabilities, he may be able to visit his teacher once again to play The Champion’s Ballad – the complete Unfinished Song – giving true closure to that storyline.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is an all-new Warriors title developed by Koei Tecmo that takes place before the events of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom.
