Although Nintendo has released a couple major trailers for the sequel toThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, fans still know precious little about the plot. The major moments teased in these trailers only offer a handful of clues about the game’s plot. It seems likeThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2will involve the return of Ganondorf in some way, as well as a new tide of Malice and another threat separating Link and Zelda. Other than that, the game is mostly a mystery. New footage does confirm one specific thing, though: the Master Sword has very nearly been destroyed.
While announcingthe delay ofBreath of the Wild 2,Nintendo revealed a clip where Link holds the damaged sword up to a mysterious light. While it wouldn’t be surprising if the Master Sword’s state is a core part of the game, it also means that it’ll be much harder for Link to stop his nemesis. There may be another way, though: the Triforce. This relic of Hyrule is so iconic that it serves as theZeldafranchise’s logo, but it hasn’t been seen in a coreZeldagame for a little while.Breath of the Wild 2might bring the Triforce back to defeat Ganon in one way or another.
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Breath of the Wild’s Triforce Absence
Historically, the Triforce is one of the most important objects in theZeldafranchise. Anyone who possesses the holy relic can get a wish of just about any kind. Other than its wish-granting powers,the Triforce is importantsince its three pieces – the Triforces of Courage, Wisdom, and Power – tie Link, Zelda, and Ganon together. ManyZeldagames have led up to the Triforce somehow, whether it’s Link reconstructing the Triforce of Courage inThe Wind Wakeror Link discovering the complete artifact’s hiding place inSkyward Sword.It has helped defeat Ganon and save Hyrule many times over, making it crucial to the franchise’s eternal conflict.
Nevertheless,Breath of the Wildis extremely Triforce-light. Instead of sending Link on a journey for the Triforce,Breath of the Wildsimply sets Link loose in Hyrule and encourages him to get stronger in whatever way he likesbefore confronting Calamity Ganonwhenever he feels up for the task. As a fully open-worldZeldagame,Breath of the Wilddemands very little of Link, instead letting him choose his own destiny. Rather than being forced to seek out the Triforce, Link can learn from ancient technology and Sheikah wisdom scattered across Hyrule at his own pace.Breath of the Wild’s liberty is refreshing, but it does mean there’s little place for the traditionally all-important Triforce.
There’s only one major place for the Triforce inBreath of the Wild.At the end of the game, the entire symbol appearsas Zelda uses her divine powerto help defeat Calamity Ganon. While that implies that Zelda has the entire Triforce, her historic struggles to wield divinity suggest that she doesn’t carry the artifact after all. All in all, the Triforce is thoroughly unimportant inBreath of the Wild.That’s a shame, since it’s a staple of the franchise that has contributed to a lot of interesting stories. IdeallyBreath of the Wild 2will find a clever way to reintegrate the Triforce into the franchise. With the help of the Master Sword, it could be done.
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Using the Triforce in Breath of the Wild 2
Although the Master Sword isn’t a mandatory part ofBreath of the Wild,in mostZeldagames, its sealing power is extremely valuable in stopping Ganon. Link may struggle to put an end to Ganon’s reign of terror with the Master Sword in its current state. That may be where the Triforce comes in. With the guidance of the goddess Hylia, Link may go on a quest to find the Triforce inBreath of the Wild 2,hoping to use its power to fix his signature weapon so that Ganon can be slain once more.Repairing the Master Sworddefinitely seems within the Triforce’s capabilities; inA Link Between Worlds,it’s used to restore a second Triforce, which seems like a far greater task than fixing the sacred sword.
Alternatively, the Triforce may end up being the means by which Link and Zelda try to save Hyrule. Rather than trying to fix the Master Sword,Breath of the Wild 2’s narrative might revolve around using the Triforce itself to wish for Ganon’s defeat, whether that means sealing him away again or obliterating him once and for all. PastZeldagames have alsoused the Triforce to defeat Ganon, so it wouldn’t be unthinkable forBreath of the Wild 2to do so. It’s merely a matter of Nintendo reviving the concept in the next game.
The Mysterious Breath of the Wild Sequel
Nintendo has built up quite the air of mystery aroundBreath of the Wild 2so far. Many clues about the game don’t quite stitch together into a clear picture, meaning there are lots of things left to learn about the game. The Master Sword is clearly going to be more important inBreath of the Wild 2than it was in the first game, but the process of restoring it remains a mystery for now.Zelda’s place inBreath of the Wild 2is also unclear; while fans hope that she’ll have more agency this time, she may be a damsel in distress once again. On top of these things, it’s hard to say if the Triforce really has any place in the upcoming game. Its absence from the firstBotWmay mean that the Triforce will remain unimportant.
Until Nintendo confirms otherwise, though, hope remains that the Triforce will serve as some kind of motivation forBreath of the Wild’s plot. TheBreath of the Wildgames feel disconnected fromZeldatradition in a lot of ways, which makes sense, thanks toBotW’s place on theZeldatimeline. Still, the lore and history of theZeldafranchise is important;Breath of the Wildwouldn’t have been possible without the manyZeldanarratives leading up to it. Originality is good, butBreath of the Wild 2could stand to make more use out of franchise hallmarks like the Triforce. Maybe the Master Sword’s heightened role will lead to more references toZelda’s oldest lore.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2releases in spring 2023 for Nintendo Switch.
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