From the first trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2, it was clear that something fishy was happening with Link's right arm. He could clearly be seen wielding some sort of strange, green magic. However, this could just be written off as some effect of the crypt they were in. The new The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 gameplay trailer from E3 2021 sheds a different light on Link's arm, and it appears that may be a bigger part the game than fans were anticipating.
The structure of the E3 2019 reveal trailer was all over the place, and individual scenes lasted no more than a few frames each. It served as more of a teaser than anything. In a few of the scenes that were flashed, some tied into Link's new hand. In one shot that lasts only a few frames, Link's right hand can be seen glowing, surrounded by the green magic tendrils. The shots in this trailer are too disjointed to really tell what caused his hand to glow, but clearly it is important.
While possibly unrelated, there are a few shots of another green, glowing hand wearing metallic bands that is holding (presumably) Ganondorf's body aloft in the crypt. It's hard to say what the disembodied green hand is doing, whether it be keeping Ganondorf sealed or otherwise, but it certainly shares the same mysterious green glow that Link's hand has in this trailer.
The bands share a similar theme to the Gerudo wraps that several characters in-game wear, as well as the ones Link wears with his Champion's Attire. One thing is for sure, the disembodied glowing hand is far more decrepit and aged than Link's hand, so while they might share similar magical properties, they are at least of different origin. Perhaps this will tie in to help explain the lore behind Ganondorf and Calamity Ganon that the first game did not elaborate on.
E3 2021 Gameplay Trailer Details
In the recent E3 2021 gameplay trailer, fans see a lot more of Link and his arm. Starting with what is believed to be earliest point in chronological order, Zelda and Link delve into the crypt where (presumably) Ganondorf's body hangs suspended. After something causes the Malice to awaken, Link's right arm get overtaken by Malice. Viewers also see what appears to be Link lying on a table not unlike the Shrine of Resurrection - and it appears he's wearing similar shorts to those he is wearing at the start of Breath of the Wild. Similar metallic bands can be seen around Link's arm and hand as those of the disembodied arm that was holding Ganondorf, though it's unclear if they were transferred from one to the other.
Things get interesting when looking at Link in the actual gameplay sections. Link's entire right arm appears to be covered in those metallic bands, with grey markings carrying up from his arm to shoulder. Whether this was done to save link from the Malice, or it was done by the Malice is unclear, but it seems this newfound addition to Link's arm allows him to do some interesting things. If it's tied to Malice, it could be an interesting way to reincorporate Malice into Breath of the Wild 2.
Clearly his right arm can channel whatever the green energy is, as seen in the first trailer, but while Link is flying toward one of the new floating islands in Hyrule in the E3 2021 trailer, his right arm is glowing with the same energy, meaning it has some correlation to that ability. Additionally, in another part of the trailer, Link is seen using what appears to be the Stasis rune ability from Breath of the Wild, or a new version of it. However, he does not use a Sheikah Slate to activate it, it is instead activated by his newly mechanized arm. Clearly this arm has some ties to the Sheikah and their technology, but fans will have to wait until the next trailer releases to potentially glean more about what this arm can do.
Breath of the Wild Concept Art
At a GDC 2017 panel, as well as in a "The Making of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" series of videos, Nintendo shared concept art of Link from the early, experimental stages of development for Breath of the Wild. When first revealed, nearly all of the concept art seemed outlandish and silly, save for a few pieces that depicted Link with Guardian-styled equipment and a Guardian-tech arm. While this did not make the cut for the first game, perhaps Nintendo is bringing this concept back for the sequel. Perhaps it may be tied to the possible time travel abilities fans seem to think will be appearing in the sequel.
If Link's new arm can transform like it does in the concept art, perhaps it plays a much larger role than fans are anticipating. In the art, the arm acts as a grappling hook, bow, flying beetle, and hammer. Fans also see it shooting a bomb, but if the arm can use Sheikah Slate runs, it should be able to do that already. If the technology-driven arm is a key component to gameplay, perhaps fans won't be getting Zelda as a playable character, unless her sections of the game are completely different. Or, perhaps Zelda is also getting a fancy new Guardian tech arm. Only time will tell.
What It All Means
Clearly there is more to Link's arm than it simply being an artistic design choice. Whether it is a vessel for the new magic powers Link may be getting in Breath of the Wild 2, or something more interesting like a transforming Guardian tool, Link's arm may play a major roll in Breath of the Wild 2's gameplay. Perhaps in future trailers, Nintendo will reveal more about Link's mysterious new arm. Or, perhaps it will leave the arm shrouded in mystery for players to discover when the sequel, with its proper name still being kept under wraps, launches in 2022.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 will release in 2022 for Nintendo Switch.
