When it comes to characters in Tears of the Kingdom, almost everyone returned from the last game. Indeed, whether it’s the future champions or village elders, Hudson Construction staff or tech lab managers, just about everyone you can think of from Breath of the Wild makes an appearance in Tears of the Kingdom as well.

But there are a few exceptions. There are the champions and King Rhoam, who left this mortal realm at the end of the previous game. There are the Sheikah monks, who faded away after their shrines were completed.

And then there are the three mystery cases with no great explanation. Like Kass, Vilia and Maz Koshia.

With the former being the one that raised the most questions from fans. After all, Kass was a huge part of Breath of the Wild, being host to almost every sidequest and shrine quest you can think of. He was at every stable, hosted much of the Champion’s Ballad DLC, and even gave you the picture of the Champions that can be found on the wall of Link’s House in the sequel.

Have you seen this Rito?

So, to see him just gone made no sense here. Did the team just forget about him altogether?

Well as it turns out, the answer is no. Because as YouTuber Zelda Lore has found out, there’s a section about Kass and his possible whereabouts in the Masterworks book for Tears of the Kingdom.

With the answer to his presence being left kinda vague. Put simply, the creators presented two possibilities for where he went. That he either left Hyrule to learn new things, or that he’s just flying around Hyrule somewhere and we just happen to never see him in game.

Segment about Kass (rough translation)

Either he is flying around Hyrule and we never see him in a game about flying around Hyrule (TF?), or he left Hyrule and abandoned his family.

Choose your favourite. pic.twitter.com/AYLdpIL5oi

— Zelda Lore (@ZeldaLoreYT) August 30, 2024

So, which one’s more likely?

Well to be honest, it’s kinda hard to tell.

On the one hand, it’d make more sense that Kass left Hyrule. After all, we explore the place from top to bottom, with the Sky, Surface and Depths all being thoroughly investigated in Link’s quest.

So, to just not see Kass despite being in the same country feels weird to us. Like, we somehow encountered him everywhere in the last game, yet not at all in this one? How does that even work? Is he deliberately avoiding Link this time around? Or is it a wacky string of coincidences straight out of a sitcom?

Add this to how few other characters mention him, or how few sightings of him have happened around Hyrule, and it seems very unlikely he’d still be in the area.

But we can’t rule it out either. Since well, Nintendo kinda loves the idea of characters somehow missing each other despite supposedly being in the same place at the same time.

Most notably with the Mario & Luigi series and their remakes. In the remakes of Superstar Saga and Bowser’s Inside Story, there are these side games featuring the Elite Captain Quartet and Bowser Jr respectively, where they end up journeying around their games’ worlds fighting various villains and trying to rescue their comrades from Fawful and the Best Fitness Friends respectively.

Yet despite this, the groups rarely encounter each other, and their paths almost never cross. In fact, the bros have no idea the Koopalings are around prior to Bowser’s Castle in Bowser’s Minions, never see the Elite Captain Quartet in either game, and never meet the Best Fitness Friends or deal with their schemes. You know, despite the latter brainwashing half the population and the former ending up in every location under the sun.

So, we’re not shocked by the idea that Kass might never meet Link in Tears of the Kingdom’s story, or that Nintendo might want us to believe he’s still hanging around in Hyrule. Hell, perhaps he’s off on an epic quest of his own. Perhaps the inevitable Tears of the Kingdom remaster will give us a Kass focused side story where he fights off the minions of Astor from Age of Calamity. Or something similar.

But on a more serious note, that’s what happened to Kass in Tears of the Kingdom. Either he left Hyrule to train his skills as a musician, or Link missed him every time. Take your pick!

Still, what are your thoughts on these explanations? Which one do you think explains Kass’ absence in Tears of the Kingdom? And how did everyone seemingly forget about him?

Leave your thoughts in the comments below, or on our Discord server today!

Source:

An Explanation of Kass’ Absence in Tears of the Kingdom from Masterworks (Zelda Lore)