Last week, Nintendo finally released a brand-new trailer for the upcoming sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild during their most recent Nintendo Direct showcase. Although the video proved to be only about a minute and a half long, fans ultimately rejoiced and many have already concocted a number of speculations and observations.
The first trailer, which was released back in June 2019, seemed to inspire more questions than answers by building up an eerie tone throughout the video while quickly cutting through images of the main characters: Zelda, Link and a skeletal Ganon.
While the earlier teaser seemed to follow up on the events happening almost immediately after the ending of the first Breath of the Wild game, the recently released trailer primarily unraveled the sequel’s additional features and new gameplay settings.
Although there are not too many established details to pore over in terms of the game’s story, here is what most fans can possibly look forward to in the upcoming, long-anticipated Breath of the Wild sequel.
New Setting, Monsters and Abilities
The first Breath of the Wild game captured many fans’ hearts through its open-air system that predominantly focused on the naturalistic setting of the game, encompassing the concept of a “breath of an open world” where players try to creatively survive in the wild. Because the upcoming game is a direct sequel to Breath of the Wild, fans can anticipate something similar.
While past players can expect to revisit the same version of Hyrule they were accustomed to in the first game, there is also a whole new world to explore among the clouds. At the beginning of the new trailer, Link proceeds to soar through the sky with a familiar paraglider where numerous floating islands are visible, and possibly the location to a few more shrines to explore before rescuing Princess Zelda.
This emergence of the floating islands is most likely related to the “dark rising” of Hyrule Castle that is illustrated in both the first trailer and toward the end of the second trailer.
Along with the new aerial setting, there are also a number of formidable enemies that have yet to make their official debut. The second trailer not only reveals a new type of Guardian that Link can expect to face in the sky, but the creators seem to have merged old enemies together, evident from a group of Bokoblins placed upon a moving fortress over a Stone Talus.
To help fight the unfamiliar enemies, additional armor and weapons — including a flamethrower — appear in the new teaser. There also seems to be a number of newly acquired abilities and runes that are now accessible to Link.
The new gameplay teaser illustrates Link shooting up and physically passing through the staircase of a floating island via some kind of watery portal. It’s safe to say that this unfamiliar power ultimately stems from Link’s right arm, which is shown to have been consumed by Ganon’s malice and eventually repaired in the midst of the trailer.
Along with intangibility, the hero is also shown to be able to maneuver objects or even possibly manipulate time and gravity. Although the Sheikah Slate proved to be the source of most of Link’s abilities and runes in the first Breath of the Wild game, it is currently unclear whether the object will make a comeback in the sequel.
Overall, the newly released trailer undoubtedly manages to reignite many fans’ anticipation of the new Breath of the Wild sequel. Although the teaser undoubtedly answers several disputes about the sequel’s gameplay, there are still many questions regarding the game’s main storyline that continue to plague many fans’ thoughts.
Parallels to Skyward Sword
Immediately after the release of the second trailer, many were quick to point out the obvious parallels between the teasers for the soon-to-be-released The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword remake and the Breath of the Wild sequel.
Numerous sites and fans noted the uncanny similarities between the images of Link falling from the sky during both of the trailers. Interestingly enough, the new aerial setting for the Breath of the Wild sequel also closely resembles that of the main setting in Skyward Sword — the Skyloft.
For the most part, it wouldn’t be completely preposterous to assume that the Skyward Sword remake may directly affect or be closely related to the storyline of the Breath of the Wild sequel due to the two games being released one after the other.
Many fans are also wondering about the possibility of past characters from Skyward Sword making an appearance in the sequel, such as Batreaux and Levias. With the appearance of both new and old enemies in the upcoming Breath of the Wild sequel, Batreaux’s demon form may be included in the game, as it is strongly connected to the enemies Link encounters in the Skyloft.
On the other hand, Levias — who is known as the guardian of the skies in Skyward Sword — is also incredibly likely to be referred to in some manner throughout the Breath of the Wild sequel.
Although the previous games in The Legend of Zelda series managed to obliquely touch upon each other’s storylines, this may be the first time that fans have the chance to witness a direct interaction between games within the Zelda franchise.
Fan Theories and Other Expectations
Now that Nintendo has finally dropped the second trailer and release date for the Breath of the Wild sequel, many thought-provoking fan theories are currently in circulation.
One of the most notable assumptions is the ability to play as Zelda or even Ganondorf in the upcoming sequel. Some are claiming that the “ragged” or “barbarian” Link that is first shown in the opening of the new trailer is the character players will command in the sky, while Zelda is the main character that players will use to fight against enemies on the ground. Although it seems somewhat unlikely, it is not completely impossible, as the recent prequel — Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity — allowed players to fight enemies as both Zelda and Link.
Another interesting theory that fans are currently debating is the possibility of two Links and two separate timelines or time periods in the Breath of the Wild sequel. Some speculate that the Link roaming the sky will be the one from the Skyward Sword timeline while the other Link that explores the ground is possibly from the Twilight Princess timeline.
Until Nintendo gives us another hint by releasing the game’s title, there will continue to be questions. The unnamed sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is now available for pre-order on the likes of Amazon and Best Buy.
