The folks at Nintendo always seems to save the best surprises for last, don’t they? Although Nintendo filled its E3 2019 Direct with several surprise announcements–like Dragon Quests’ The Hero and Banjo & Kazooie joining Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as playable fighters–the biggest reveal was right at the end. Nintendo reiterated that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild‘s sequel is already in development and revealed a brand-new trailer that teased further details for the spooky follow-up to the 2017 title.
When it comes to Breath of the Wild’s sequel, we know very little. Nintendo does a very good job of keeping its games under wraps, so the sequel’s name, story, setting, and characters are all still relatively unknown. Really, the only thing we know for sure is that the game is being made. This new trailer did give us a few new details though, and from there we can make some educated speculations as to what to expect.
Trailer Breakdown
The trailer begins with Link and Zelda exploring a dungeon-looking cave. Although Link’s rocking the same look he did in Breath of the Wild, Zelda has changed her wardrobe. Although her Breath of the Wild pants and blouse are still there, she’s adopted a cape and hood that’s similar to the one Link wears in his Hylian Armour Set. She’s also cut her hair, adopting a haircut that’s a lot closer to the one Link has.
What’s far more noticeable is the music that’s playing. The use of synth creates a much spookier atmosphere in comparison to Breath of the Wild’s soft strings. The sound, although slightly different, has been used for a Legend of Zelda game before: Twilight Princess. The comparisons to Twilight Princess continue throughout the trailer, as Link and Zelda delve deeper into the dungeon.
The duo encounters a dark energy that seems to almost be infecting the area and creatures around it and it’s coming from what appears to be the mummified corpse of Calamity Ganon (at the very least, it looks like a male Gerudo). The energy itself is only being channeled through Ganon though. It’s actually coming from a glowing arm clutching the mummy’s chest. The arm is wrapped in golden jewelry, with designs that closely resemble the twisting symbols of the Twili–a race of individuals who are trapped in the Twilight Realm after their ancestors (powerful sorcerers) arrogantly challenged the gods of Hyrule.
We then see a succession of quickly cutting scenes. The first shows Link’s seemingly attempting to channel and utilize the energy that is causing the glowing arm to glow. The next sees the dark energy careening into the ceiling. It’s followed by a shot of Link and Zelda reaching for each other before cutting to the opening of a crypt. We then see Zelda’s hand grabbed by the glowing arm and (perhaps) a flashback to Calamity Ganon first encountering the shadowy being that belongs to that arm. Link and Zelda’s presence then seems to awaken something in the tomb, as the floor begins to crumble and the mummified corpse turns to look at them and open its eyes with vehement hatred. The trailer ends with Hyrule Castle rising from the ground and a shot of glowing blue energy–which again looks a lot like the magic that the Twili (specifically Midna, Zant, and the other powerful leaders) uses.
What It Could Mean
Of course, all the comparisons to Twilight Princess could mean nothing. Some folks complained that Breath of the Wild simply wasn’t dark enough story-wise. A similar complaint was directed at The Wind Waker and Nintendo responded with Twilight Princess. Breath of the Wild’s sequel might simply look like Twilight Princess because Nintendo is just making an adjustment similar to what it did back in the mid-2000s.
That said, it’s a relatively plausible theory to speculate that the Twili and the Twilight Realm will be included in Breath of the Wild’s sequel. Early drafts of Breath of the Wild’s original story referenced alien involvement. Obviously, this was cut. However, the Twili are a sort of alien to the people of Hyrule. The dimension they live in might as well be on a different planet, and the last time they came to Hyrule (the events of Twilight Princess) it was as an invasive force.
The events of Twilight Princess are also directly referenced in Breath of the Wild. When Link is being knighted as the next Hero of Hyrule and being gifted the Master Sword, Zelda makes reference to the land’s previous heroes. “[Link, you] have proven yourself worthy of the blessings of the Goddess of Hylia,” Zelda says. “Whether skyward bound, adrift in time, or steeped in the glowing embers of twilight…The sacred blade is forever bound to the soul of the Hero.” If Twilight Princess, canonically, takes place prior to the events of Breath of the Wild, then the Twilight Realm exists in this Zelda’s game’s timeline.
A connection to Twilight Princess isn’t all the new trailer possibly implies, though. Zelda’s decision to adopt Link’s look, and decision to join him on his next adventure might imply a co-op element. If not co-op, then at least Zelda will be playable this time around. It would be pretty cool to finally play as the princess who’s in the title of the franchise.
