Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 teaser theories analysed
Linking it all together.
Earlier this week it was announced that the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has been delayed into next year. This was not exactly a surprise, but a shame, nonetheless. But, to soften this blow slightly, Nintendo also shared a new, very small, snippet from the game.
By snippet, I really do mean snippet. It was a "blink and you will miss it" situation. However, after playing it coy throughout Breath of the Wild 2's most recent trailer, this delay announcement did finally reveal the front of Link, and more of his corrupted arm (with said corruption looking like it is also starting to make its way across Link's chest).
It also showed the Master Sword looking a tad worse for wear. In fact, it looked downright ruined.
But this little nugget of newness was all it took. Now, the internet is once more awash with fresh theories and speculation about just what Nintendo's still yet to be officially named sequel will be about.
So, without further ado, let's dive on in.
First off, let's talk about the titular Princess. There have long been calls for playable Zelda, and when the sequel was first announced it looked like this was going to be the game to do it (I know you can play as Zelda in Hyrule Warriors, but I am talking about mainline Zelda games for the purpose of this article). But while the princess wasn't shown in the delay's announcement, a mysterious golden energy was.
This has led some to speculate that Zelda is that golden energy, as the light is very similar to the aura that glows around her during Breath of the Wild's final clash with Calamity Ganon. Perhaps, like in Spirit Tracks, Zelda will be part of this game as a corporal and spiritual figure, this time connected to the Master Sword.
As for the Master Sword, well, there are also now theories that Skyward Sword's Fi is ready for a second round at being Link's companion. This theory stems from the glowing blue pulse emitting from the sword during the new footage. I for one hope this theory turns out to be wrong, but we will see.
Meanwhile, the state the Master Sword is in has left many to surmise that fixing the legendary, darkness sealing, blade is going to be a large part of Breath of the Wild 2's story. Could it be shattered, with different pieces now lying scattered across the lands (and skies) of Hyrule?
Elsewhere, some have suggested the golden glow is not Zelda, but rather that it will be key to fixing the Master Sword. This theory works on the basis that the glow here will be similar to the sacred flames found in Skyward Sword. These pockets of golden 'energy' could therefore be dotted across the world's map, or at the end of previously unseen Hylian dungeons.
From the Master Sword, let's move up to Link's arm. We already knew it was corrupted thanks to the previous trailers, but we now have a closer look at it. This new clip gave us look not only at the corruption, but also at the way Link's hand is now formed. He now appears to have a more sinister and 'claw like' appendage, with sharp (and very well-manicured) nails.
This hand is remarkably similar to the hand on the Ganon corpse first seen in the sequel's announcement trailer. This makes it plausible that Ganon himself was trying to possess Link, but the mysterious green glowing hand also seen in the reveal prevented this transformation from happening fully.
This look at Link's arm also gives us another chance to admire the golden cuffs containing the corruption. As I just mentioned, the green hand appeared to stop the corruption / dark transformation from completely overtaking Link's body, but it could now be assumed that these cuffs are necessary to keep Ganon's evil at bay for long enough for Link to fix the Master Sword and finish off Ganon once more.
Something else that we hadn't seen before was the glowing symbol on the back of Link's hand. While it isn't particularly clear, this symbol is definitely not that of the Triforce, or even a piece of the Triforce.
Rather, it appears to glow in a shape more akin to the green lettering that was seen swirling in the sequel's announcement trailer, which many have guessed is linked to the lost Zonai tribe. This symbol appears to be the same golden glow that appeared when Link used a new Stasis like ability in the most recent gameplay trailer (without the use of the Sheikah slate).
This isn't the only symbol we see in the new clip. We also see some markings etched into the floor around the golden glow that could be Zelda or could be a Sacred Flame equivalent. As noted by CryZe on Twitter, these symbols match the markings found in the tomb under Hyrule Castle in the game's reveal trailer, suggesting a connection between this new place and the resting place of Ganon.
Finally, while this doesn't add anything to story theories, another little detail I would love to point out is the Triforce stitching on Link's new tunic. It is a really nice touch from Nintendo.
I would love to hear if you have of your own any theories on Breath of the Wild 2. I am head-over-heels for these games and will happily let myself get lost in any speculation while we all wait for more concrete news from the Legend of Zelda team at Nintendo.