In spite of how large and full of elements it is, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has incredible attention to detail, proven by one single item in the game. The recent Nintendo Switch title, a direct sequel to Zelda: Breath of the Wild, was received with critical acclaim. The game is set in a new interpretation of Hyrule after Ganondorf’s seal is broken beneath the region’s main castle. His release shatters the continent and not only raises many areas, transforming them into sky islands but also opened up a pit beneath Hyrule called the Depths, which are plagued by darkness and the Gloom blight.

Warning: This article contains a few spoilers for Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

TOTK also features many new gameplay mechanics, designed to interact with the new world posed by Ganondorf’s escape from prison. Even though the map is extremely large and there are several elements filling the entire region, there are smaller elements that show just how much Tears of the Kingdom pays attention to detail. One particular item is proof of how careful the title is when creating the setting for Link’s new adventure.

Zelda Drops Her Torch At The Start Of Tears Of The Kingdom

Zelda falls into an abyss in the trailer for Tears of the Kingdom.

During the game’s initial moments, Zelda and Link explore the underbelly of Hyrule Castle, and there they encounter a mummified corpse sealing away Ganondorf’s malicious life force. While they are there, Rauru’s seal over Ganondorf is shattered, sending the region into a collapsed state. This makes the ground crumble and Zelda falls – Link immediately reacts, jumping after her to catch her, though she is teleported into the past. While she plummets, the princess drops her torch in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and then the game starts.

Ganondorf from Zelda Tears of the Kingdom standing in front of the blood moon

Players can notice how much TOTK pays attention to details when they revisit the Imprisoning Chamber underneath Hyrule Castle. This should happen by the time they start proceeding to the final encounter. The ending of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom sends players back into the area to finally face Ganondorf and there, lying on the ground, is the torch Zelda was carrying when she was exploring the castle with Link.

This is an insignificant detail in TOTK when it comes to gameplay, but it shows how much attention to detail the game developers put when designing the title. The presence of the torch there shows that the location Link is exploring is exactly the same as the one from the start of the game, completing a full-cycle type of story. By the time players find it, they should have already figured out what happens to Zelda in Tears of the Kingdom, though it is a great reminder of what Link is actually fighting for.