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 like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2. Nintendo promised that fans would hear more about the sequel later in the year during February'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 how Breath of the Wild 2 will handle the Master Sword might make it even odder.
Link Doesn't Need the Master Sword to Beat Ganon
Breath of the Wild takes a relatively unique approach when it comes to acquiring 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. While Breath of the Wild isn't the first Zelda game 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, but Breath of the Wild doesn't really fall in line with a lot of other traditional Zelda tropes. One of the big selling points for Breath of the Wild is 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 to Breath of the Wild 2 and 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 for Breath of the Wild would have Link defeat Ganon with the Master Sword in his possession.
Link Has the Master Sword at the Start of Breath of the Wild 2
The Zelda series 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 sequel Zelda game has had Link acquire the Master Sword in it. In every sequel, he's usually moved on to other weapons and story beats, so Breath of the Wild 2 will be the first sequel to include the sword and also the first Zelda game where Link has the Master Sword from the very beginning.
As mentioned above, this means that the canonical ending for Breath of the Wild would have Link in possession of the sword, but it also means that the Link in Breath of the Wild 2 is the same character as in Breath 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 Wild was praised for its willingness to branch out from other established Zelda stories and do something new. Now that the handful of traditional Zelda elements Breath of the Wild included like finding the Master Sword and beating Ganon are 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 of defeating Ganon in Breath 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 newest Zelda big 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 with Skull Kid and the Ocarina in Majora's Mask or if it's broken requiring Link to explore the land looking for its pieces like the Triforce in Wind 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 how Breath of the Wild 2 handles the Master Sword in the actual gameplay, hopefully, the game will answer some questions regarding what the canonical ending is for Breath of the Wild. It's also possible that, like every other Zelda sequel, 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 until more information about the Breath of the Wild 2 is 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 2Â is in development for Nintendo Switch.
