Now today I have to pay to get content in the new Zelda game.
I don’t think Zelda is a fair comparison. To me, that’s like saying Dawnguard should have been released for free for Skyrim back when it was first released. And Breath of the Wild’s Normal Mode is already so much of a bigger game than any other Zelda that has a Hero Mode. Not to mention only half of the DLC has as yet been released, so an (optional) extra 20 bucks to extend BotW gameplay may very well be worth it.
Nintendo is not EA. They don’t force you to buy story-critical DLC in one game in a series in order for the prologue in the next game to make sense (see: Mass Effect 2: Arrival.)