The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 may still be some way off – it’s now “aiming” for a 2022 launch – but Nintendo has given fans plenty to pick over in its E3 Direct trailer.
Now the dust has settled, some excellent fan theories have emerged about what’s going on – especially regarding Link’s seemingly-corrupted arm.
Sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – E3 2021 Teaser – Nintendo Direct Watch on YouTube
In a thread on Twitter about Link’s appendage, freelance writer and Eurogamer contributor Jordan Oloman highlighted how Link appears to lose his arm at the beginning of the trailer, before it appears to be restored with Sheikah technology.
Just went back and watched the OG trailer, and you can see in the shadow (pic 3) another force taking down Ganon with the weird arm. I think there is a bigger antagonist at play here, and Link may have been grabbed by it, corrupting him! #E32021 #NintendoDirect #BreathoftheWild2 pic.twitter.com/vgQAKd1EXV
— Jordan Oloman (@JordanOloman) June 15, 2021
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Intriguingly, this ties into a concept cut from the original Breath of the Wild where an armless Link was infused with the power to turn his limb into various tools. Back in 2019, Polygon pondered whether this concept – shown in a GDC 2017 presentation on Breath of the Wild’s development – might return in the sequel. That presentation is well worth a watch, by the way, and includes other cut concepts (like Link’s motorcycle) which did later become a reality in DLC.
Another big point of discussion is the difference in appearance between the two versions of Link shown in the new Breath of the Wild 2 trailer. When Link falls through the sky, his corrupted arm is clearly visible. Meanwhile, gameplay set on the surface of Hyrule shows the Breath of the Wild 1 Link in a more familiar blue tunic and hairstyle.