As E3 2021 draws ever closer, there has been plenty of talk about what Nintendo is bringing to the event in terms of games. While there are many upcoming titles to be excited for, nothing has quite grabbed fans likeThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2. Nintendo promised that fans would hear more about the sequel later in the year duringFebruary’s Nintendo Direct, so it seems likely that the next look at the game will happen at E3.
While there’s still very little information available about the game,The Legend of Zelda:Breath of the Wild 2’s announcement trailer introduced interesting questions about the game’s plot regarding the Master Sword. The game’s status as a direct sequel makes it something of an oddity in the series and howBreath of the Wild 2will handle the Master Sword might make it even odder.
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Link Doesn’t Need the Master Sword to Beat Ganon
Breath of the Wildtakes a relatively unique approach when it comes toacquiring the Master Sword. It’s a completely optional weapon that isn’t needed to complete the game, but it certainly can help as it has high weapon stats and can’t break. WhileBreath of the Wildisn’t the firstZeldagame to make the legendary sword an optional item, it’s more common than not for part of Link’s journey to be about finding the blade.
Usually, the Master Sword is the only thing that can defeat Ganon, butBreath of the Wilddoesn’t really fall in line with a lot of othertraditionalZeldatropes. One of the big selling points forBreath of the Wildis that the player can go directly to Ganon and fight him as soon as they’re done with the tutorial. Because of this laissez-faire approach to the game’s structure, it’s entirely possible that some players might have missed the Master Sword completely in their playthrough, or at least one playthrough, of the game.
This only starts to be an issue when it comes toBreath of the Wild 2and its canon. In the announcement trailer for the game, Link has the Master Sword in his possession for the brief moments he’s seen on screen, but depending on how certain players completed the game, he might not have ever encountered it. That might mean that regardless of whether the player found the sword or not, the canonical ending forBreath of the Wildwould haveLink defeat Ganon with the Master Swordin his possession.
Link Has the Master Sword at the Start of Breath of the Wild 2
TheZeldaseries is notoriously known for having a confusing canon that’s at times conflicting with itself, but usually, the games that are direct sequels to each other keep things pretty straightforward and are relatively easy to follow. Up to this point, not a single sequelZeldagame has had Link acquire the Master Sword in it. In every sequel, he’s usually moved on to other weapons and story beats, soBreath of the Wild 2will be the first sequel to include the sword and alsothe firstZeldagamewhere Link has the Master Sword from the very beginning.
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As mentioned above, this means that thecanonical ending forBreath of the Wildwould have Link in possession of the sword, but it also means that the Link inBreath of the Wild 2is the same character as inBreath of the Wild. It might feel odd to have to specify that, but just about every new game in the series introduces a new incarnation of Hyrule’s chosen hero, so it’s good to nail down that detail.
What Does the Master Sword Mean for Breath of the Wild 2’s Story?
Luckily, Link having the sword from the start leaves the story really open-ended.Breath of the Wildwas praised for its willingness to branch out from other establishedZeldastories and do something new. Now that the handful of traditionalZeldaelementsBreath of the Wildincluded likefinding the Master Sword and beating Ganonare out of the way, the story can open up even more.
Because this will be the first sequel game to include the Master Sword, it’s unclear how much of the game’s story will revolve around it. It could just be established as Link’s sword throughout the game, but it also could have larger spanning story elements tied to it. The Master Sword was already established to not be a necessary part ofdefeating Ganon inBreath of the Wild, so it might make sense that it won’t be a tool central to taking down whatever new threat Link and Zelda face in the sequel.
If it is important for dealing with the newestZeldabig bad, something is going to need to happen to take it out of Link’s hands. Whether it’s stolen by someone requiring Link to get it back like withSkull Kid and the Ocarina inMajora’s Maskor if it’s broken requiring Link to explore the land looking for its pieces like the Triforce inWind Waker, it should be an important part of the game and its plot. After all, this is the sword that can seal the darkness, so it shouldn’t just be treated as just another tool at Link’s disposal.
The Sword is Still in the Stone
Regardless of howBreath of the Wild 2handles the Master Sword in the actual gameplay, hopefully, the game will answer some questions regarding what the canonical ending is forBreath of the Wild. It’s also possible that, like every otherZeldasequel, the Master Sword won’t even be in the game and its inclusion in the announcement trailer was just there to keep the game’s plot and Link’s arsenal a mystery. There’s just no way to know untilmore information about theBreath of the Wild 2is revealed, however, if the footage in the announcement trailer is all straight from the actual game, then it has some answering to do about the legendary blade.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2is in development for Nintendo Switch.
