Can I Still Play Tears of the Kingdom After Beating the Game?

Yes, you absolutely can still play The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom after defeating the final boss, Ganondorf. However, it’s not a traditional post-game experience where the game world reflects your victory. Instead, the game cleverly allows you to continue your adventures by loading a save file from just before the final confrontation. Think of it as a time loop, preserving your progress, items, and map discoveries while resetting the main quest to give you ample opportunity to explore every nook and cranny of Hyrule.

This means that after witnessing the credits roll and receiving a well-deserved congratulations, you’ll be returned to the main menu. When you load your save, you’ll find yourself right before the point of no return, ready to face Ganondorf again if you wish. Your save file, however, will have a special indicator—a star— to show that you’ve successfully defeated the Demon King.

This system provides the best of both worlds: a satisfying conclusion to the main story and the freedom to continue exploring, completing side quests, and hunting down every last Korok Seed. The core gameplay loop remains intact, ensuring you can continue to enjoy all that Tears of the Kingdom has to offer even after experiencing the culmination of its central narrative.

How Does it Work?

When you initiate the final battle with Ganondorf, the game enters a unique state. There’s no actual post-game where Ganon has been defeated and the world reflects that change. Once you’ve seen the ending sequence and the credits have finished rolling, you’ll find yourself back at the main menu.

Loading your most recent save file, identifiable with the victory star, places you just before the final boss fight. All of your gear, map progress, completed shrines, side quests, and other discoveries are still intact. You can continue playing as though you never started the final battle, but now you have the assurance of knowing you’ve overcome the biggest challenge the game has to offer. This system enables you to dive back in and clean up any loose ends.

Why is it Designed This Way?

This design choice keeps the game’s world consistently interactive and filled with the same potential for adventure and discovery you experienced throughout your playthrough. It ensures that you don’t lose the dynamic and reactive state of the game. The game allows you to complete all the side activities you might have missed before focusing on the final battle. The game also tracks your progress with a completion percentage on your map, further encouraging exploration and item hunting.

This system also preserves the challenge and tension of the main story. The world remains as it was prior to defeating Ganon, with Blood Moons still occurring and enemies respawning. The goal here is clearly to maintain the core gameplay experience, giving players a seamless way to keep engaging with the world at their own pace.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Is there a true post-game world where Ganon is defeated?

No, there is no true post-game world. Loading a save after beating Ganondorf will return you to the game just before initiating the final battle, preserving all your progress.

2. What changes are there to the save file after beating Ganon?

Your save file will have a star indicator next to it to show that you have defeated Ganondorf. This visually signifies that you’ve completed the main story.

3. Can I still do side quests after beating Ganon?

Yes, you can absolutely continue to participate in all side quests, explore the world, complete shrines, and find collectibles. The game’s content remains fully accessible.

4. Does the map completion percentage reflect progress after defeating Ganon?

Yes, after beating the main quest, your map will now display a completion percentage that shows how much of Hyrule you’ve explored, collectibles you’ve found, and the shrines you’ve completed.

5. Is there a New Game Plus mode in Tears of the Kingdom?

No, there is no New Game Plus mode available in Tears of the Kingdom. The game is designed to allow continued play from the point before the final battle.

6. Will there be DLC for Tears of the Kingdom?

Nintendo has officially stated that there will not be any DLC for Tears of the Kingdom. The developers believe they have included all the elements they wanted to achieve in the game.

7. Does Hyrule Castle change after defeating Ganon?

No. Hyrule Castle remains unchanged; it is always in the state it is prior to the final battle.

8. Can I still get the Bow of Light after beating Ganon?

Yes, if you had the Bow of Light in your save file prior to battling the final boss, you will still have it after loading that saved game, even though the final battle has been completed in that save file.

9. What are some good things to do after beating Ganon?

You can focus on completing all shrines, side quests, exploring labyrinths, mastering cooking, upgrading your gear, completing the map, collecting all Korok Seeds, and hunting the Lynels.

10. Is Destroy Ganondorf the last quest in the game?

Yes, the “Destroy Ganondorf” quest is the final main quest in Tears of the Kingdom. Successfully completing this will lead to the credits rolling.

11. Does the defeat Ganon quest disappear after completing it?

Yes and no. The game returns you to a save state prior to the final battle and, as such, the quest is not technically ‘completed’ in the sense of the game world. You can always repeat the battle.

12. Do Blood Moons still occur after defeating Ganon?

Yes, Blood Moons will continue to happen in the game world since the world state is saved from just before the final boss encounter.

13. How many phases does Ganondorf have in the final battle?

Demon King Ganondorf has three phases in his final battle. Make sure you’re prepared for a challenging fight.

14. How many hours does it take to 100% complete Tears of the Kingdom?

Completing the game 100% can take around 236 hours. A dedicated player can do it in around 139 hours as demonstrated by a Twitch streamer, but it will still be a considerable undertaking.

15. What is the reward for completing all 152 shrines?

The reward for completing all 152 shrines is the Ancient Hero’s Aspect armor, a powerful set of gear inspired by a hero from the past.

Conclusion

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom provides a unique and satisfying post-game experience. By returning you to the moment before the final fight, the game ensures that the vast world of Hyrule remains yours to explore. The absence of a traditional post-game doesn’t diminish the fun; instead, it empowers you to complete any remaining tasks or begin your journey again with a well-earned star on your save file. So go forth, complete the main quest, and then embark on an epic adventure to finish everything else that awaits you!