Fans waiting forThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2got their first full update in two years at E3 2021, with Nintendo releasing a new trailer for the upcoming game. The teaser showed off some environments, powers, and seemed to suggest a big development coming Link’s way as he tries to fight back the forces of Ganon and save Hyrule again.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2’s trailer hints that the game’s story will have a strange similarity with the plot ofDragon Age: Inquisition. Here’s what connection fans might be able to expect from the story ofBreath of the Wild 2.
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The Anchor In Dragon Age: Inquisition
At the end of the intro toDragon Age: Inquisition,the protagonist is caught up in an event that changes their fate forever. After picking up Corypheus' Orb of Destruction and surviving the explosion at the Conclave, the player character wakes up to discover they have gained a magical mark known as the Anchor embedded in their hand. The Anchor turns out to be bound tothe Inquisitoruntil Solas cuts their arm off at the end ofInquisition’s Trespasser DLC.
The Anchor gives the Inquisitor the unique ability to defeatDragon Age: Inquisition’s villain. Only the Anchor can be used to seal the rifts created by Corypheus, one of the Magisters Sidereal of the Tevinter Imperium. As well as this main use, the Anchor gives the Inquisitor the ability to deal damage to regular enemies, create magical shields, and render them and their companions momentarily invulnerable.
The Inquisitor gets the Anchor embedded in their arm by accident, but they end up able to use it to undo all of Corypheus' plans. Not only does Link appear to go through something similar inBreath of the Wild 2, but thestory ofDragon Age: Inquisitionmay give fans an idea of the role this development will play in the upcomingZeldagame.
Link’s Magic Hand
At the start of thenewBreath of the Wild 2teaser, the evil force known as Malice can briefly be seen latching onto Link’s right arm. This appears to happen after the events of the initial trailer, which showed Link and Zelda exploring the depths of Hyrule Castle and discovering the withered corpse of what appears to be Ganondorf.
The firstBOTW2trailer indicates Malice is somehow behind theresurrection of Ganon, with the substance moving over his corpse before it reanimates. Now, Malice has attached itself to Link’s arm, and as with the Anchor it is likely to be both a blessing and a curse for Hyrule’s hero. When Link is falling through the sky toward the start of theBreath of the Wild 2trailer from E3 2021, his right arm appears to be withered in the same way as Ganondorf. It’s possible the corruption is creeping up his arm and will eventually kill or transform him.
However, Link’s arm also appears to be an important source of power. One moment in the trailer shows it being infused with what looks likeSheikah technology, possibly to stop its corruption from spreading. This also appears to give Link access to some powers similar to his Sheikah slate in the last game. This includes familiar powers like freezing and launching objects, as well as moving through solid walls, as seen in the trailer when Link teleports through a floating island.
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Breath Of The Wild 2’s Story
While it’s unlikely theplot ofBreath of the Wild 2will follow the exact same beats asInquisition, there will likely be some crossover based on the story tropes seen so far. It is likely Link will have gained his magical arm by accident, and that it will have some way prevented Ganon’s resurrection from taking place as intended, opening the door for his eventual defeat at the end of the game.
It also seems likely that the magical arm will in some way connect Link and Ganon more directly. AfterLink’s armis attacked by Malice in the trailer, it shows a brief flash of Ganon’s mummified body. It’s possible that Ganon would have been brought back to life in a fully restored form if not for Link inadvertently getting in the way.
This could also mean that Ganon will be aware of Link’s whereabouts, and will have some sort of mental connection to him. While the last game saw Link slowly building up to taking downCalamity Ganon, this game could see Ganon have a vested interest in hunting down Link so his resurrection can be completed.
It’s also possible that Link’s magical arm will not last beyond the end of the story. For a start, it could be part of the premise that Malice will kill Link if he doesn’t defeat Ganon and turn back the clock. It’s possible that Link will end up losing his arm at the end of the story, just like the Inquisitor inTrespasser. Since mostZeldagames star a new version of Link, that loss would close the chapter on theBreath of the Wildtimeline without being prohibitive for future games.
For now, it seems Link’s magical arm will be connected to events kicking of the next game’s plot, while giving Nintendo an excuse to give Link a new set of abilities and stakes. Just how similar the use of the arm ends up being withDragon Age: Inquisition’s Anchor story remains to be seen, but hopefully it will add a new layer to the nextLegend of Zeldagame that will keep the series feeling fresh. With some fans speculatingBOTW2,likeInquisition, will also feature time travel, the connection between the two games may end up being deeper than most fans realized.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2is slated to release in 2022, exclusively on the Nintendo Switch.
