Tears of the Kingdom is getting a 472-page art and lore book

Dark Horse Comics has announced The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Secrets of the Zonai, a 472-page hardcover art and history book that launches on October 20, 2026. The publisher is teaming up with Nintendo once again to localize the massive Japanese Master Works book. This volume contains the development history, artwork, and lore of the 2023 Switch game. It finally brings the highly requested translation to Western audiences.

Breaking down the 472 pages

The 9x12 inch volume is split into several distinct sections. It opens with 50 pages of promotional illustrations and character art used during the game's marketing cycle. The bulk of the book is a 300-page deep dive into the actual development process. Readers will find rough sketches, storyboards, and early concept art showing how the team designed the sky islands, the underground Depths, and the new vehicle-building mechanics.

Another 80 pages are dedicated entirely to in-universe history. This portion explores the mysterious past of the Zonai people and the founding of Hyrule before the events of the game. Tears of the Kingdom introduced a massive new layer of ancient history to the franchise, complete with a past version of Princess Zelda and the original Imprisoning War. Fans have spent the last few years trying to piece together how these events align with the rest of the series. This dedicated lore section might finally provide some concrete answers.

Interviews with the core development team are also included. Producer Eiji Aonuma, Director Hidemaro Fujibayashi, and Art Director Satoru Takizawa all provide commentary on how they built a direct sequel to Breath of the Wild. According to Dark Horse senior editor Patrick Thorpe, the book is a "peek behind the curtain" that covers everything from the birth of the Zonai to the resurrection of the Demon King.

A cloth map of the Depths

Dark Horse is offering two versions of the book. The standard hardcover costs $59.99 and is available at most major book retailers. A premium Hero's Edition is also available for $119.99. This version bundles the book inside a green slipcase decorated with Zonai patterns. The more expensive tier includes an exclusive cover, an art print of Link and the Sages, a cloth map of the Depths, and a physical replica of the Secret Stone of Time.

A decade of Zelda books

This release continues a long-running partnership between Nintendo and Dark Horse. The publisher kicked off the current era of premium Zelda reference books back in 2013 with the English release of Hyrule Historia. That release famously contained the official Zelda timeline for the very first time. It settled decades of fan debates. They followed that up with Art & Artifacts, the Zelda Encyclopedia, and Creating a Champion, which was the companion book for Breath of the Wild.

Tears of the Kingdom left players with a lot of unanswered questions about the ancient Zonai and how exactly the game's backstory fits into the wider franchise timeline. Nintendo usually prefers to keep its lore vague. The sheer volume of information promised in this release suggests they are ready to put some of those mysteries to rest.