#tears of the kingdom au

[proxycrit]

Linktober Day 5! Hyrule Field Chasm.

The duo find themselves trapped in a strange new location. At least they have each other! Also note to self: zonai magic and sheikah tech do not mix. Explosions are to be had.

All zelda nonsense here'

Plus my Patreon if you wish to support my terrible decisions!

[scenicphoenix]

You know how most if not all links in the legend of Zelda are eventually forgotten, and if they aren’t they ended up in a different timeline. And most of them are seen as just a hero for the most part, a normal guy who stood up to the challenge to save the world.

What if one of them ended up with a religious reputation? Like a Botw/Totk au. This guy can outright speak with the Hylia Statues, something not even the royal family can do despite their close ties to the gods. What if people noticed his conversations with the Hylia statues? What if he instead of becoming a royal knight like he wanted to, was forced into a priest like role due to his ability to converse with Hylia herself (he tried to convince them that the statues are more like secretaries but they didn’t really understand him)

I think this would make a very interesting botw/totk swap au! Link is still chosen by the master sword, just cementing his role as the goddesses chosen talking piece. His relationship with Zelda is very different but still similar to canon. Zelda is jealous of links ability to talk to the goddess, but also understanding of how much pressure he must be feeling. She is secretly thankful for him taking many eyes off her even if just for a moment. They both equally vent to each other angrily.

Zelda is the one to die and be resurrected and Link to hold Calamity Ganon back for a hundred years. I’m thinking Zelda still protects Link, but does it differently. Since he’s injured she tries to both heal him and destroy the guardians around them. But she realizes that he is on the verge of death, so instead of trying to destroy the guardians she uses all her powers to save link. By giving them to him. Link is able to destroy the guardians once healed and given that huge magic boost. But Zelda has been mortally wounded and has died. So he has the Sheika send her to the shrine of resurrection. And he prepares to fight the calamity.

Link can’t defeat the calamity alone, not when it’s this strong. Not with the other champions, not without Zelda. So he goes into a one hundred year fight with the calamity. He doesn’t have the master sword as it needs to recharge with the great deku tree. So it’s a test of willpower and magic.

[aberrantcreature]

Wisdom and Courage ✨

I had the sudden revelation of correlation while playing Tears of the Kingdom today that both Link and Anakin lose their arms and get a cool replacement. Thus, this was born.

I put Obi-Wan in the Frostbite armor because I HAD TO. [It has an open back.~]

[archi-pelago]

"hey are you gonna do more of that AU where Link gets turned into a Zonai" yeah brother I already did

its a super complicated au that involves Link going back in time thousands of years to try and nip the problem at the bud since a Zonai body is a bit longer lived and can handle time travel waaay more efficiently.

the deal Link made with the God of Time (named Ordona) to get the Ocarina of time + the melodies needed to save the world was allowing him to possess Link when he gets bored so he can play around with the mortals. (thus why Zonai link has fierce deity markings, they're the same god in this AU) when Link goes back in time to save Ganon from being influenced by Demise, he also decides to kick around the gerudo desert and ends up in Ganon's employ, basically sticking around to make sure that Demise isn't fucking with Ganon's brain anymore (this doesn't make Ganon less of a self absorbed jackass, but it DOES make him less murder-y which Link considers a win)

...for better or for worse he seems to get along with the gerudo and all of Ganon's monsters

also this au is predominantly ganlink because i said so. he's the kings silly rabbit if you will

downside is, Link is still gloomtouched from getting his arm fucked, so Demise is trying to set anchor at the same time as Ordona

the latent gloom starts presenting where Link has scar tissue, as its the most compromised, and spreads out from there. don't worry, eventually Ganon hucks Link and himself up to Hyrule castle and fetches assistance from Rauru and co. who are VERY confused as to why there's aNOTHER Zonai here????

some additional references, the first one is a set of armor Ganon insist Link wears when he's out with the guards (he does not, he thinks its kind of stuffy because he's covered in fur and scales now) and the second is a matching cloak Ganon makes him wear when they're at political meetings so people identify Link as part of Ganon's personal honor guard. (...and also because Ganon thinks its cool to match with the dude he's totally not crushing on)

last one is a nakey boy, showing his more prominent scars.

[ickymakesart]

au where everything is fine

[hollypies]

I legit forgot to post this ???? Lol anyway I drew this with my thumb so it prolly looks weird ! I was downstairs watching our doggy and was to lazy to go get my stylus 👍

Anyway MORE ZONAI LINK MY BABBBBYYYYYYY!!!

[finrinrinfin]

klance sticky note doodles I do when I’m procrastinating at my desk. I’m fond of the zelda/link AU, I think they’re cute

[dragonartist298]

So, my sibling Is crying her eyes out (She Just watched Transformers:One) so . . . I want to make It worst help her out with a grown!up Tulip!

[pkmn-lillie]

TOTK AU idea!! spoilers for the ending of the game!!!

so you know how Zelda got un-dragon-ed by Sonia and Rauru at the end. what if it didn't work right? like, it only *mostly* reverses the draconification, so zelda has horns and a tail and spikes and scales, all that fun shit. But where did all that extra energy go?

It went to the other three dragons, who are now hanging around in hylian-adjacent forms in Hyrule (or the Depths ;)) and having fun/making trouble. I'm going to posit that they didn't start out as mortals like Zelda, so they have more memories of being dragons, unlike Zelda who was 'sleeping'. Also I'm bringing Ganondorf back, but getting exploded has knocked a lot of memories out of his head.

While the defeat of the Demon King has slowed the Blood Moon phenomena and greatly reduced the number of monsters on the surface, it has correlated with a surge in monsters and stalfos in the Depths, making it incredibly difficult to traverse, even by the Yiga. the Gloom has also disappeared from the surface, and only pockets of it remain within the Depths.

Because both Zelda and Link are trying to recuperate and manage the kingdom (and her new body,) they don't find out about this development until a few months after the defeat of the Demon King.

I've been alternating between he/they/she pronouns for all the dragons btw, i don't think they'd particularly care. (all three of the dragons are also wearing their respective armor set for convenience)

More on the dragons below the cut

FAROSH:

They are the tallest of the trio, (3.5m) and also bear the most resemblance to a Gerudo voe.

I have no way to describe his hair other than that it's Gotenks hair. Their hair conveniently sticks up like their horn.

Prefers one-handed weapons and shields.

He wakes up on the shores of Rassla Lake, heads to Tuft Mountain to get the lay of the land, and runs into Bolson.

Farosh: my name is Farosh.

Bolson: like the dragon?

Farosh: ??? of course???

I don't think anyone would immediately clock her as being The Thunder Dragon, just some weird Gerudo who chases off all the pirates.

They don't go to Gerudo Town because she gets mistaken for a voe by a stable attendant, and he misunderstands it as 'dragons aren't allowed'

NAYDRA:

They have the smallest stature, and besides the dragon features he also has a variety of malice scars (a la botw) and feathers (for flavor).

She also has the longest hair, like a waterfall, and white/light blue in color.

Prefers bows and wands/staves.

He initially patrols Mount Lanayru and slowly starts interacting with Kakariko, Hateno, and the Zora as a 'lone wolf monster exterminator'.

I think she would be the first one that Link & Zelda would learn about, and the least cooperative (they don't want to leave their territory.)

I think that their horns would look a bit different than the frostbite headdress, having three large separate spikes with smaller shards in between.

DINRAAL:

Poor Dinraal got their legs while they were in the Depths, and being unable to fly means that he's just kinda stuck down there-- not like she's complaining!

Dinraal is the most muscular of the dragons, and his skin has a rocky texture where it's not covered by scales. Their skin tone is also notably grayer than a normal Hylian.

His hair is very curly, in red/orange/yellow hues, and she keeps it tied back with a metal band.

Prefers two-handed weapons and hammers.

They are the one who finds the returned Ganondorf, who is stumbling through the Depths trying to avoid dying (he is bad at it, because he's lost most of his memories: Dinraal saves him.) She takes him under their metaphorical wing, and tries to teach him how to be the wielder of the triforce of power *without* becoming corrupted by Demise.

thank you for coming to my ted talk. if you want to write/draw anything from this, just tag me because i wanna see 🥺

[uncleskyrule]

Plot of The Legend of Zelda: Missing Link?

Yay, that's my favorite title from that list! If anyone sees this and is inspired to write/draw something based on this, be my guest! And tag me so I can see it :)

After the defeat of Calamity Ganon, peace reigns in Hyrule. With the help of her loyal knight who never leaves her side, Zelda works to rebuild the fallen kingdom and strengthen ties between the peoples. Though her heart lies in research, she is dedicated to fulfilling her duty as heir to the kingdom, with grief for the past and hope for the future spurring her on. However, as she and Link move throughout Hyrule, they notice something alarming: the monsters that should have disappeared once Ganon was destroyed are still there. In fact, new types of monsters have sprung up: gibdos in Gerudo Desert, horroblins in the Hyrule caves, like-likes around Death Mountain, gleeoks near Zora's Domain, and aerocudas flying over Rito Village. The townspeople who were expected to welcome Zelda and Link with open arms are now a cold and withdrawn few. Those that they meet in the street only spit angry words at the so-called saviors of Hyrule. Windows are shuttered and few houses have light shining through the cracks. Barely anyone lives there now, but with so many monsters about, the idea that someone would voluntarily leave the safety of their town is strange. They decide to camp on the outskirts, close enough to be sheltered by the houses but not too close in order to avoid more harassment. Zelda is tempted to feel uneasy, but Link's steady presence quells her fears, so she is able to fall asleep. When she awakens, Link is gone. Zelda never imagined her return to research would be like this. Hunted by monsters and shunned by her own people, she searches for answers while the sensation that she is running out of time hangs over her head. Why are there new monsters? Why are so many people missing? Where is Link? And why does it feel like she is always being watched?

Send me one of these BotW 2 speculative titles and I'll write a plot!

[foxyfrolic]

// gently prodding my Zelda moots……

[proxycrit]

LINKTOBER DAY 17– Zora River

The duo meet a new… friend? She has quite the melancholy air to her. Though maybe it has something to do with moving into Zora’s Domain while it’s actively falling apart.

(This is a totk reimagined au where zelda doesn’t get sent back in time! Crimes are to be had. Check out the master post here:

And if you want to support me and my cats, here’s my patreon!)

[scenicphoenix]

I've seen people make art and aus for the concept so I thought I would ramble a bit about it myself as well....Gloom Link

Instead of Raru's arm saving him, he falls into the depths and gets further covered and surrounded by Gloom. However Link is stubborn, very stubborn, he adapts. Like many of the monsters in the depths he instead gets stronger, however he refuses to listen to Ganon's attempts to control him. It makes him angry, he sees Ganon and the Yigas attempts to pretend to be Zelda to trick him and it only pisses him off. Due to having the spirit of the hero within him, he isn't just able to adapt to the Gloom, he's learning how to wrestle control of it out of Ganons hands.

Blood Moons make him stronger now, and he's able to use gloom based weaponry without consequence. However he needs to cover up heavily if he plans on going up to the surface, the sun now hurts. And using the Master sword is painful. His eyes glow sometimes. Getting the Master sword from the dragon of light (zelda) nearly killed him. The dragons tears weakened him whenever he found them, but he needed to know what happened to her. He makes deals with the Bargainer statues in the depths and the Horned God statue in the hidden castle passage ways. He fears approaching Hylia statues right now, especially after what happened with the dragon of light.

It took him some time to get the broken master sword to the temple of time. He gained the Pruha pad later than intended. He is unable to enter Zonai shrines at all, and if he could activate them entering them would likely harm him. I doubt the shrines programming could tell the difference between him and Ganon at this point.

Link spends most of his time in the depths, not wanting to hurt those on the Surface with him being a walking source of gloom. He can basically see in the dark at this point.

I like the trope of someone creating the being who seeks out to destroy them, and in Ganons case the longer he exists and spreads more gloom the stronger Link gets

Link can fucking teleport through gloom puddles like a splatoon character. He can, in late game, take control of gloom covered enemies or gloom created enemies like the hands. Why not ride a Lynle?

He becomes a sort of camp fire horror story for those on the Surface who weren't made aware of his situation. The Yiga however always seem to know about his status at all times, oh he's covered in gloom now you would think that would make him easier to find in a crowd.

He tends to wear the depths set when on the Surface. While it was originally designed to resist gloom it works well for resisting the sun as well. And that's because it covers him up completely. Keeps others from being affected by his gloom immediately as well. He tries and avoids entering settlements, because of the gloom. When finally getting into contact with Pruha he was mortified at the concept of entering larger busy towns and villages. But if he can help people he will. Like many chosen heroes before him, he's willing to destroy himself if it means the safety of those around him.

He only tells/shows his close friends what happened to him. Like Pruha, Robbie, Impa, and the sages. And of course after everything is said and done with, Zelda. If he remains gloom covered after defeating Ganon he will probably retire to the depths. He has a feeling that will be what happens.

He becomes a bit bitter from his situation. He becomes extremely stubborn and spiteful. Extremely angry towards a certain person. Feelings isolation and questioning reality. He's not angry or bitter at Hylia, only Ganon and what fate decided. He's not angry at how people on the Surface see him, maybe sad perhaps.

I think it would be interesting if Link managed to befriend some of the Yiga. I also think it would be funny if he accidentally got a small following because of this. Not what he wanted at all when he helped by giving people bright bloom seeds and stopping them getting attacked by gloom covered monsters by just making them freeze in place. He kinda see why that happened now actually, the freezing gloom covered monsters in place probably did that. They've seen him ride a gloom covered Lynle he's not convincing them to stop following him around like lost puppies is he?

He can still fuse things, it's just a different process and he has to be near gloom. He can descend, ascend, and go just about anywhere as long as there is gloom nearby. The lifting things and creating objects is something he invented himself with the use of gloom, using gloom hands to lift things and using gloom like glue to create things, gloom needs to be nearby for this to work effectively.

Even if he's covered in gloom, and his mind is cloudy and his emotions and mood changing because of it, he would still be Link. And he is inherently a self sacrificing guy, who would destroy himself to save hyrule and Zelda. He would be able to tell a fake Zelda from the real one, and he would be more easily upset at them trying to trick him and those he cares about. He probably zones out easier, takes him a bit to come back down to reality. He can easily go into auto pilot while traveling and just wander. His usual strategy of bottling up his emotions isn't quite working as well as it used to. He battles stronger monsters like Lynles just to calm himself down at this point.

[aberrantcreature]

More Tears of the Kingdom AU doodles requested by @yatsukisakura !

We have Knight Ani and Prince Obi exploring under Hyrule Castle, investigating the gloom.

We have Sheikah Ahsoka! I think she’d be a perfect bab with the white hair and what not.

Obi in one of the ‘flashbacks’ gushing about Ani.

And my design of the Light Dragon.

[waytoomanyaustbh]

I have an EXTREMELY cracky legend of zelda au that I need to talk about rn.

the gist is, time travel, ocarina of time to totk-ancient hyrule. except the one doing the traveling is ganondorf, from in the middle of the seven year timeskip.

I'm going with the theory that the Koume and Kotake you get glimpses of in the totk flashbacks are the same ones from OOT. Which means OOT takes place about 400 years after TOTK's backstory, and also means that OOT!Ganondorf was named after TOTK!Ganondorf. Just to be clear. They're happening in the same timeline branch in this.

OOT!Ganondorf is pretty upfront about the fact that he's from the future. Like, publicly to everyone, he says he comes from the future.

(Oh, also, in this Koume and Kotake are TOTK!Ganon's sisters bc I like this exchange: "You were trained by my sisters?" "I was raised by your sisters.")

He also very plainly states that he's the ruler of Hyrule in his time! But neglects to mention why. So the entire time he's there he's just like

While everyone from the past (including Zelda AND TOTK!Ganondorf mind you) assumes he got it the legit way (either married into it or was born into it) (TOTK!G assumes this means his plans to conquer hyrule himself will be fruitful)

Meanwhile, OOT!Ganondorf has no idea how time travel works. He has a few ideas bc some of the books he's read had hypotheses about it. But he doesn't know which one is accurate, so he's playing it safe, playing the diplomatic time travelling king, and just trying to not change anything.

This means he is actually very concerned about TOTK!Ganondorf's attempts to conquer/destroy Hyrule. Like... no, you can't do that, I need this place intact for when I conquer it. Sooo this leads to him siding against Demon King Ganondorf later.

...This au is basically me setting up a brainspace for a Ganondorf VS Ganondorf fight lmao

OOT!Ganondorf does not get a Secret Stone when he teams up with Rauru eventually, bc there aren't enough. Also he doesn't need one. But I want to note that if he did it would link to and power up his light magic bc I think that's ironic.

(OOT Ganondorf is a warlock if you'll recall. He can use the three elemental magics, + light and dark)

anyway I think I'm done rambling for now and I need to go to bed. feel free to ask questions. bye.

[ickymakesart]

ugh god i'm in love with these two besties