A barely noticeable (but thought-provoking) character design in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild may have a much deeper explanation. TOTK and BOTW share many things: a common map, a closely related final boss, and, most obviously, an identical art style. It’s rare for two consecutive Zelda games to look so similar, as the design principles change to fit its shifting settings. Characters who were once young may suddenly appear old, ancient ruins may suddenly appear new, and cartoonish faces may suddenly appear realistic.
https://screenrant.com/zelda-totk-botw-why-sheikah-shorter-older-impa/