From the moment Nintendo revealed The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s building mechanics, we knew things were going to get wild. And now, just a handful of days after the sequel’s release, people are already unleashing their creativity in ways that make my vehicles look like preschool building blocks. But hey, that’s what the internet’s for!
Here are some of the craziest, funniest, and cruelest creations Tears of the Kingdom players have come up with so far. Whether they inspire an idea for what you want to build, or just make you wonder, “How the heck did they do that?”, you’ll want to check these out.
Spoiler warning: This article contains videos of enemies, locations, and game mechanics you may not have discovered for yourself in Tears of the Kingdom’s enormous land of Hyrule. If you want to stumble across everything for yourself, turn back now!
Link Goes Full Gundam
It was only a matter of time until someone used all of Tears of the Kingdom’s Zonai technology to create a fully-functioning mech, and TikTok user SoulBanana did just that. The gameplay shows Link using Ascend to reach the pilot controls of a giant mech, before laying waste to a number of Bokoblin camps. This mech is complete with a shield to protect Link from enemies, and two fully decked-out laser arms.
New Armored Core 6 gameplay looking great! #TearsOfTheKingdom pic.twitter.com/AQVr9lnDsd
— Kami. (@Okami13_) May 13, 2023
The same player also created a flying mech based around a Zonai wing. This lets Link take to the skies above Hyrule, obliterating flying enemies with laser beams. How people have figured all this stuff out in just a few days is beyond me.
I see your Tears of the Kingdom: Gundam and raise you Macross Frontier https://t.co/DNTOvkVO5s pic.twitter.com/l5sbMy2J3L
— Josh Withey ❀ (@josh_withey) May 15, 2023
Look Out From Above
Another creative Tears of the Kingdom player created a satellite laser cannon that does all the dirty work for Link while the hero just stands by and watches. In the video below, you can see Link activate the contraption, causing it to immediately take off into the sky and start annihilating a Flame Gleeok. It’s only a matter of seconds before the Gleeok is defeated by this Death Star-like creation.
I knew someone was gonna do something insane… and they did… ORBITAL STRIKE SATELLITE LASER CANNON! lmfao #TearsofTheKingdom #TOTK #Zelda #WarCrimes pic.twitter.com/S7GyKnTfwS
— HighTierDeity (@StickydrawzG) May 15, 2023
A Hylian Trojan Horse
These next few creations aren’t quite as complicated as the epic robots seen above, but they’re still a lot of fun to look at. First, a video on TikTok from @videogametrailers_ shows Link using Ascend to hop into a makeshift Trojan Horse. The video is captioned, “Ganondorf won’t know what hit him”, as Link rides inside the horse and eventually slams into a wall.
RIP Homer, you would have loved Tears of The Kingdom pic.twitter.com/YSNS7voBja
— vari (@varivarivari) May 14, 2023
Tank! Tank! Tank!
Wait… I thought Advance Wars was the Nintendo game with the tanks. Well, Twitter user @idonum has changed Hylian warfare for good with the introduction of the battle tank, which they use to rampage through an enemy base and rip through a Hinox’s health bar. This tank may just be a bunch of wooden planks glued together, but it actually seems to be pretty durable. It’s also pretty tough for enemies to get anywhere near it, as it’s constantly shooting cannonballs from the front.
ハイラルの戦いは変わった───#ゼルダの伝説 pic.twitter.com/BVDSRFFk7f
— いど (@idonum) May 13, 2023
An Oil Rig Machine
Twitter user @Liz_Caingcoy used Tears of the Kingdom’s building tools to recreate a 20th century oil engine. The video shows this engine being used in a handful of practical ways, like defeating enemies or roasting a fish over a campfire.
My rigging experience literally plays into my TotK gameplay I had to try this in game as well https://t.co/iIvGq5ox5i pic.twitter.com/CVDeVUrYUD
— Liz (@Liz_Caingcoy) May 15, 2023
Sail Around with a Paddle Boat
The same player also shared their creation of a functioning paddleboat Link was using to sail around the ocean on the edge of Hyrule. It looks pretty funny in motion, as four giant wooden planks power the boat, making a big splash along the way. The paddle boat is a great way to get out on the water for some fishing, or for just taking in that ocean breeze. And yes, the gameplay video is set to the soundtrack of The Wind Waker, which is very fitting.
[ TotK ]
Last Zelda post I promise but I’m so happy you can do this pic.twitter.com/kEAJL7ksQE
— Liz (@Liz_Caingcoy) May 13, 2023
Reinventing the Wheel
An enormous wheel? Sure, why not. This video has Link tearing through Hyrule on a huge, spinning wheel. He can even ride it through rivers, making it a great choice for covering all types of ground quickly. Link gets into a sticky situation when he gets caught in a tree while a Hinox chases him, forcing him to abandon the contraption.
Travelling by horseback in Tears of the Kingdom?
Nah fam, big wheel 🤝🛞 pic.twitter.com/2YILtgUs10
— liccnuke (@liccnuke) May 16, 2023
The Creepiest Stick Figure You’ll Ever See
If you’ve been on social media since Friday, you’ve probably seen some variation of this next creation… Probably a NSFW version, if we’re being honest. This video posted to Reddit shows a giant stick figure made out of wood. He’s got arms, legs, and a face, and is gliding around Hyrule essentially on roller skates. Practical for moment-to-moment gameplay? Maybe not. But it’s absolutely hilarious.
Just a Guy Delivering Timber
Link needs to find Zelda and save Hyrule in Tears of the Kingdom, but some players are ditching those responsibilities in favor of a more peaceful life. On Twitter, @lhcarpenter shared a new career path for Link as a truck driver, saying Link has “a load of timber that needs to be in Butte, Montana by the 18th, or i’m out of a job”. That’s Hyrule slice of life taken to a whole new level.
zelda? upheaval? ganondorf? not my problem. i’ve got a load of timber that needs to be in Butte, Montana by the 18th, or i’m out of a job #TearsOfTheKingdom pic.twitter.com/U5wXANUxqs
— lincoln (@lhcarpenter) May 14, 2023
A Bokoblin Death Trap
These next two creations are a touch on the brutal side. Posted to Reddit by user nintenglo, this first creation shows Link trapping a Bokoblin in a wooden cage, and then proceeding to torch the Bokoblin with Zonai Flame Emitters. Ouch.
Koroks Roasting On an Open Fire
People have been doing awful, terrible things to Tears of the Kingdom’s Koroks thanks to Link’s new Ultrahand power. One such example of this is roasting an entire group of Koroks over an open flame, as they all helplessly panic. Why would you make Link act this way?
Someone made a Korok rotisserie in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom 🤣 #Zelda pic.twitter.com/s3Q9MEdTUS
— Rebs Gaming (@Mr_Rebs_) May 14, 2023
Now, You Can Pet the Dog
After a couple brutal creations, we’ll end on something a bit more wholesome. When popular Twitter account @CanYouPetTheDog revealed that you can’t pet the various dogs in Tears of the Kingdom, Good Vibes Gaming’s Jon Cartwright took matters into his own hands. On Twitter, you can check out a picture of Link’s dog-petting machine, which has a Bokoblin Arm outstretched to give the pup the pats it deserves.
I became the change I wanted to see https://t.co/voPwbEQQA6 pic.twitter.com/yb16jZ0V2g
— Jon Cartwright (@JonComms) May 16, 2023
You know the most exciting part about all of this? The fact that Tears of the Kingdom is less than a week old. Breath of the Wild stunts and trick shots kept getting better and better throughout the years, and the same is certainly going to happen here. I can’t even imagine what kinds of vehicles, weapons, and contraptions players far more creative than I will be building a week, a month, or a year from now.
While we can’t help you become an expert Tears of the Kingdom engineering wizard, there’s a ton of things we can do for you. Be sure to take a look at our Tears of the Kingdom Walkthrough and Guide about making your way through Hyrule. In fact, you can start here:
Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN covering video game and entertainment news. He has over seven years of experience in the gaming industry with bylines at IGN, Nintendo Wire, Switch Player Magazine, and Lifewire. Find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.