The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was defined by a few key attributes. An obvious one was the sense of exploration as players took Link through the post-apocalyptic land of Hyrule, taking in the sights and stumbling across many situations. Another aspect was those situations themselves, which ranged from isolated puzzles to unique landmarks and environments that encourage problem-solving. Tying all this together were Link’s Sheikah Slate powers and the many items he could find on his journey.
Link’s inventory in Breath of the Wild has been a source of debate since the game launched. The main topic of debate has been weapon durability, which is both too integrated into the game's main loop to remove entirely and a constant annoyance vying for the player's attention. Even the Master Sword was shackled with an energy system, which some fans thought went too far. It remains to be seen how Breath of the Wild 2 will handle this, but a recent trailer has revealed that the Master Sword won't be available right away. That accounts for one weapon that Link canonically has at the end of BotW, but it doesn’t explain what’s happening with the Bow of Light.
Arrows of Light Have Been A Zelda Staple Since the Beginning
The Bow of Light, Light Arrows, and Silver Arrows have all been interchangeable parts of The Legend of Zelda franchise for a very long time. With Silver Arrows introduced in the NES Legend of Zelda, these tools are usually instrumental in defeating Ganon. Time and time again, they show up as ways to paralyze Ganon or Ganondorf during their final battles and can be used to instantly destroy most enemies. Link tends to be the one who mixes special arrows into his repertoire, but sometimes Princess Zelda herself is present to fire the arrows instead. Sometimes she picks up Link's bow, while other times she creates the Light Arrows herself. Breath of the Wild mixes these methods together by having Zelda produce the Bow of Light for Link as a boon from the goddess Hylia.
It makes for a cinematic final battle against Calamity Ganon in his full boar form, but there is no way besides hacking to bring the Bow outside of Ganon's fight. This is where uncertainties begin to appear, as it's not clear what happens to the Bow after the events of the game. Both the true ending where Link regains his memory and the sequel's trailers assume that Link has collected the Master Sword, and little else. It makes sense that there is no canonical explanation for what items Link kept, and one could surmise that the Master Sword was simply more useful than any of them. However, it is also certain that Link will have had the Bow of Light in his possession at the end of the game. As such, it feels strange that it has not been brought up yet in the sequel.
What Happened to Breath of the Wild’s Bow of Light
There are a few potential reasons for this. Nintendo may not want to draw attention to such a powerful item in the player's possession, and it appears that Breath of the Wild 2 will be refreshing Link’s abilities once again. The picture painted by marketing is that Link will be granted powers by his new arm instead of the Sheikah Slate, and will go on a quest to reforge the Master Sword. If the second game holds any parts of the loot system from the first, it would be ideal to not have Link start with endgame weapons that overshadow things he'll pick up throughout his journey.
That's a reason for the Bow of Light to be gone, but not a reason for its disappearance in the first place. It may be that as a sacred tool of the goddess Hylia, the Bow only manifests for as long as Zelda wills it. Zelda is promptly separated from Link at the beginning of the sequel, so it is once again out of his hands. It could be regained during the ending sequence as a callback to the first game, and there are plenty of ways Nintendo could incorporate Zelda into the situation. That said, it's also not impossible that Link will find the magical equivalent to Ancient Arrows at some point in his journey, which could render the Bow of Light obsolete.
The Bow of Light Could Be Princess Zelda’s Master Sword
Speaking of incorporating Zelda into the fight with Ganondorf, there is one other option for adding the Bow of Light to Breath of the Wild 2. The weapon is symbolic of the power Zelda has inherited from the goddess and is more associated with her than Link. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity went as far as giving Zelda the Bow of Light for her second weapon type. As Zelda may be holding the first title’s Sheikah Slate as she once did, there is an opportunity for Zelda to become playable in a sequence paying homage to Breath of the Wild 1.
A special sequence where the player controls Zelda instead of Link would give them access to the Sheikah powers of the first game and would have a larger emphasis on ranged battles. Zelda could wield the Bow of Light as an equivalent to the Master Sword, with it having an infinite amount of powerful arrows that need recharging after certain intervals. With a bow, bombs, and the Sheikah Slate's other functions, Zelda would be perfect for a puzzle-heavy dungeon. She would also probably work well in the wider game, but it's up to Nintendo if that comes to pass. Either way, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 has left the Bow of Light sitting on a conspicuous table, but it ought to fire it at some point.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 releases in spring 2023 for Nintendo Switch.
