The Nintendo Direct on 15 June brought us a spectacular trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2. And, unsurprisingly, it didn’t take long for theories of all kinds to emerge.
These include claims that we could control Zelda in the game, or even that Ganon could be playable. However, the most likely scenario is that once again only Link will be playable, but will it really be just one Link or will there be more?
This time a new theory has been shared suggesting that Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 could feature two Links. Here are the details that have been shared:
- As you may recall, at some points in the trailer, Link is sporting a toga-like top and flowing long hair, rather than tied-back hair and armour as players saw in the first game. Interestingly, there are shots in the trailer that show both versions of this drastically different Link, where the only resemblance they have is an altered right arm. This is the first of many clues suggesting that Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 will feature two Links.
While there is no direct indication of the time period in which this title takes place, there are hints in both the Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 trailer and the first Zelda: Breath of the Wild game that suggest this is a time period, and the Link, that players have already experienced. One example is the ruins of the Temple of Time, which show that the events that unfolded in Ocarina of Time happened a long time ago, long enough ago that there are no more stories about the Hero of Time. However, time still plays an important role, as evidenced by Link using his arm to manipulate time, and that detail is the key to understanding that Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 will feature two Links and what that means for the story. - Since the release of Breath of the Wild, fans have been trying to figure out where the game fits into the official Legend of Zelda timeline. This has been a rather complicated task due to the fact that this Hyrule has features from all three timelines, which has ultimately led most to agree that Zelda: Breath of the Wild represents the unification of all three timelines, even if it is not yet complete. This is clear when Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity split the timeline by changing the events of the Great Cataclysm; however, that split made it easier than ever to resolve the timeline. This is thanks to the time manipulation that occurred in the original Hyrule Warriors.
Ganondorf’s appearance in the first trailer for Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 led many to believe it was the Ganondorf from Twilight Princess due to the sealing hand being centred on the spot where Link stabbed him in the chest, but this spot is also where the Triforce unleashed its power on the Ganondorf from Hyrule Warriors (they even have the same long hair and jewels). While they are likely the same Ganondorf, Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 will not feature the same Link. Instead, the second Link featured in the new trailer could be the - Skyward Sword Hero of Skyward Sword.
Obviously, this is just a theory and there’s no real indication that it’s going to happen, so it has to be taken as such. To really know what the sequel to Breath of the Wild has in store for us, we’ll have to wait and see what Nintendo surprises us with between now and next year, which is when this highly anticipated title is scheduled to be released.