With little more to go on than a handful of trailers and leaks, the anticipated sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is on everybody's minds. For now, many have had to make do with what little details they can glean from the available trailers, whether that's extrapolating on combat additions and new areas to the possible changes to runes via the Sheikah Slate.
One of the main points of interest surrounds Ganondorf, whose mummified corpse appears to come back to life in the first teaser for Breath of the Wild 2. Speculation has been rampant regarding what this could mean for Breath of the Wild 2's story and how this "new" version of Ganon will factor into things, but given what fans know so far about Breath of the Wild and Zelda lore overall, this could be Nintendo's greatest rug pull since The Wind Waker's announcement.
Ganon in Breath of the Wild's Canon
Breath of the Wild players pick up Link's journey after being in stasis for 100 years, and together they enter a world recovering from the Calamity. Unlike previous games, which always position Ganondorf as an individual man or beast with motives and intelligence, the version of Ganon in Breath of the Wild seemed more corrupted and altogether nebulous. Seemingly comprised of an ooze called Malice, Ganondorf had become less a man and more a beast, culminating in a climactic battle between him and Link on Hyrule Field. That was, as many players thought, the ultimate end of Ganon, since Nintendo has posited that Breath of the Wild exists somewhere at the end of the three Zelda branching timelines.
With what may be Ganon's corpse then taking center stage for the first look at Breath of the Wild 2, complimented by eerie reversed music and psychedelic visuals, many now wonder how the villain will fit into Breath of the Wild 2's story. An obvious guess many have reached is that players previously fought and defeated a manifestation of Ganon, but the Ganon expected to appear in Breath of the Wild 2 will be the real deal revived after being sealed away for who knows how long. Yet this could be Nintendo playing into fans' expectations, and instead the developer might be gearing up for a very different villain to take the spotlight in Breath of the Wild 2.
Other Villains Who Could Helm Breath of the Wild 2
An extravagant theory proposes the similarities in appearance between Sheikah technology and energy seen in the trailer could create a connection between Breath of the Wild 2 and the Twilight Realm from Twilight Princess. Ganondorf from the latter game was killed by Link striking the Master Sword straight through his chest, which appears similar to the strange hand grasping at that corpse beneath Hyrule Castle in the first teaser for Breath of the Wild 2. Many fans loved Twilight Princess, being one of the last great 3D Zelda games before the less beloved Skyward Sword, and would welcome its return. Breath of the Wild 2 has already been promised to build greater depth into its world than Breath of the Wild, so taking ideas from other games in the series would fit.
But Nintendo could still go further to surprise fans than just revisiting the Twili. Since Breath of the Wild has been positioned as the endpoint of all three branched timelines, it would make sense that Nintendo ends these timelines with something significant and impactful - possibly even going so far as to create new timelines altogether. With the HD remaster of Skyward Sword making its way to the Switch in 2021, the stage has possibly been set for Demise to return.
This theory born out of the coinciding Skyward Sword remaster, but is also seemingly hinted at through Ganon's appearance and behavior in the trailer. The corpse has parallels to Demise through jagged teeth and fiery eyes, and seemingly becomes possessed with jerky movements like a puppet. The Legend of Zelda timeline began with Demise, and it would be poignant for Nintendo to end it with Demise's return.
Waiting for New Information on Breath of the Wild 2
With the cloak-and-dagger secrecy of the development behind Breath of the Wild 2, Nintendo has been careful not to reveal too much about its upcoming sequel. The silence from Nintendo has left a void that many fans are all too happy to fill with all sorts of theories. As far as players are concerned, all things are possible for Breath of the Wild 2, whether the Ganon they'll see will be a resurrected corpse from Twilight Princess, a puppet for Demise from Skyward Sword, or something else entirely.
There is going to be a great deal of new lore added to the Zelda franchise with the eventual release of Breath of the Wild 2, and players will be awaiting a great epic to follow up the story of Breath of the Wild. Ganon will just be one part of a greater whole, so fans will have to wait and see what kind of role he will play in the sequel's story, and how it might impact the world of Breath of the Wild and beyond.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 releases in spring 2023 for Nintendo Switch.
