Although you would have to go very far out of your way to avoidThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s gentle nudging for what direction you should take in your exploring, you may technically view everyDragon’s Tear memory and its associated Geoglyphout of order if you desired.
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Of course, doing so would diminish the impact of completing each main quest. Or, maybe you just want to know the plot of the game now and don’t want to run around the entirety of Hyrule to puzzle it all together. Whatever the case may be, knowing in what order the Dragon’s Tear memories are supposed to be viewed might help with putting together what happened to Zelda.
The following will containa lotof spoilers for the plot of The Legend of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom. Proceed at your own acknowledgment.
North Hyrule Plane
Rauru
In this memory, you finally discover what happened to Zelda after she disappeared when the Demon King reawakened. Here she meets her ancestors, the first king and queen of Hyrule, and slowly comes to the realization that she now exists in the past.
Rather than scoff at the proof right in front of her, you get to see that Zelda is a very logical person and can put two-and-two together quickly. Her new fate may be hard to accept emotionally, but logically, she already understands her current predicament.
Tabantha Hills
The Forgotten Temple
In the second memory, Zelda takes a moment to look over the landscape of Hyrule, almost completely different from the land she used to know like the back of her own hand. Rauru points out that with the Secret Stone Zelda carries, he is willing to believe her story about coming from the future, and Sonia teases Rauru for needing the Secret Stone as proof.
Queen Sonia makes her kind heart apparent when she readily offers to take Zelda in, reassuring her that things will come in due time. Both Sonia and Rauru offer their aid in helping Zelda figure out how to return to her time.
Trilby Valley
Purah Pad
Here is where we meet Mineru for the first time, and like Sonia, Mineru readily believes Zelda’s story. She reassures Zelda that they will do what they can to help her refine her Time powers but that it will take her learning to harness her abilities better and helps her by making the Purah Pad work in the current time.
Mineru also clarifies that both Light and Time powers are present in Zelda, though her Secret Stone amplifies her ability to control time, though it’s on Zelda to learn to master it. She also warns Zelda that swallowing a Secret Stone will turn you into a dragon, though the act of doing so is forbidden and dangerous, regardless of the power it gives you.
West Necluda
Molduga
This is your first introduction to the King of the Gerudo, Ganondorf. It’s an intense one, showcasing the presence and amount of power that Ganondorf readily wields and the strength that Rauru will tap into to protect his people and his kingdom.
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You also get to see the strength of Zelda’s powers, especially in comparison to Queen Sonia, though it’s clear that this shocks even Zelda, though sheer power does not amount to mastery of it. For a moment, you’re able to see Ganondorf begin to hatch a new plan, and it all relies on the Secret Stones of the Zonai, but all too soon, the memory is over.
Gerudo Highlands
The Gerudo King
With the fifth Dragon Tear memory, found in the Geoglyph of Ganondorf, the Gerudo King, you get another look at Ganondorf, and this time, he’s put his plan into action by “swearing” fealty to Rauru. It’s clear to Zelda, Rauru, and Sonia that Ganondorf has ulterior motives, though Rauru does not let himself be dissuaded by this.
Instead, Rauru makes it clear to Zelda that it is best to keep those you do not trust under a careful watch, and by letting Ganondorf do this, he can keep a careful eye on him. Although these are wise words, you’ll be left wondering if this cautious acceptance was really the right call to make.
Illumeni Plateau
Sonia
In the sixth Dragon Tear memory, we see the amount of control that Sonia exhibits over her Time powers and with a notably quick reaction time. Upon Zelda’s inquiry for aid, Sonia begins to explain that her time abilities work by recalling the memory of an object and then coaxing it back to its original point.
You’ll likely be familiar with the sound effect and the movement thanks toyour own Recall ability. This memory helps to demonstrate that, while kind, Sonia is incredibly perceptive, and little goes past her unnoticed. She reminds you and Zelda once more that Zelda has more than just Time powers and can use both to help protect her era.
Cape Cresia
Dagger
Finally, you have gained a clue just to whom the Zelda running around Hyrule is through this memory, and you’ve likely encountered or come close to one of Ganondorf’s puppets, just as Sonia and Zelda did in this memory. However, Ganondorf did not have only one trick up his sleeve and finally played his cards (right under the noses of some of the most perceptive people in Hyrule).
In a shocking burst of a moment, we see everything fall apart as Ganondorf strikes and takes out one of the very few people that stood in his way of conquering Hyrule, and the memory bursts before you have time to grieve. Queen Sonia is dead, and Ganondorf finally has a Secret Stone for himself.
Tabantha Tundra
The Demon King
Ganondorf walks away from the dead queen and the grieving Zelda, monologuing to himself about how his goal is finally within reach. He melds the Secret Stone into his crown and becomes consumed by it, his appearance changing and warping into the visage of the Demon King, and as the viewer, you finally get to see the god-like power that the Secret Stone has granted him.
He summons the blood moon, and monstrous servants rain down on Hyrule to do his bidding, just in time for Rauru to burst onto the scene filled with a righteous fury. Ganondorf would have taken Rauru and Zelda to the grave with Sonia, but thanks to the upgrades made on the Purah Pad thanks to Mineru, Zelda is able to warp them away from the scene just in time.
Talus Plateau
Secret Stone
Finally, we meet the Sages, who all vow their strength to Rauru to help defeat the Demon King. It’s clear that the Gerudo Sage of Lightning feels guilt for the Gerudo people’s hand in the ascent of Ganondorf, but she vows her blade and her power to Rauru regardless.
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He takes them into a private chamber in the Forgotten Temple and gifts them each a Secret Stone. Together they swear to bring down the Demon King, protect Hyrule, and free it from Ganondorf’s reign of terror.
Lake Hylia
Memorial Stone
The memory begins just before the Imprisoning War, with Rauru mourning at Sonia’s Memorial Stone. Zelda approaches and warns Rauru that things will not go as planned, and she feels that something horrible will happen - that Ganondorf will not be killed but will reawaken in later centuries.
Rauru listens carefully to what she says before reassuring Zelda - not that everything will go well, but that he has a duty to try. If he does not try to defeat Ganondorf, they will have already failed in their mission.
