The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom wraps up the main story by the end of the game, but that doesn’t mean every NPC was able to receive closure for their own issues. Naturally, it’ll take time for Hyrule to recover after the damage done by the Upheaval and Ganondorf’s forces. However, there are characters whose futures are more uncertain compared to Link and Zelda, who will have their hands full with repairing Castle Town.
There will officially be no DLC made for Zelda: TOTK, and that means that some characters with more minor roles won’t have their side quests expanded on to flesh out the world. After helping solve each regional phenomena and then facing Ganondorf and saving Princess Zelda, the game doesn’t necessarily feel lacking in terms of closure. But DLC being made for BOTW left some expectations that TOTK would receive the same treatment, and that led to speculation on what content could’ve been added.
Penn Is Left With An Existential Crisis Without Zelda: TOTK DLC
Penn is the companion for Lucky Clover Gazette quests in Zelda: TOTK, and his position as a journalist would’ve made him a good character to use as a lead into DLC. After completing the “Potential Princess Sightings!” quests, Penn is left at Washa’s Bluff. He tried his best to help find Zelda, but every lead was a bust for him, which had to be disappointing when he ran out of leads to pursue. DLC could’ve helped him redeem himself and give him a sense of purpose to help shake him out of the existential crisis he’s left having at Washa’s Bluff.
Zelda: TOTK DLC Could Have Shown The Restoration Of Hyrule
Penn isn’t the only character left without purpose from the lack of DLC, although his position isn’t in as much trouble as other characters’ after Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. But there’s plenty left unexplored for multiple characters in TOTK that could’ve been addressed in DLC, from the restoration of Castle Town to how Riju will handle a Gerudo male being born again now that the previous ones are dead. At the same time, none of the loose ends are substantial enough to make a full sequel out of, leaving them eternally unfinished in the absence of DLC.
While the announcement that there won’t be DLC for TOTK is no doubt disappointing, it’s unlikely to signal the end of the franchise. Instead, it might be better that Nintendo is putting its focus on the next full game rather than designing DLC for a game that’s complete. This chapter for Hyrule may be finished, but a new evil will likely surface that brings Link and Zelda, and maybe even other NPCs from the game, back after The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
