Nintendo has yet to reveal the overarching plot of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's sequel, but over the last few years, it has dropped enough hints to piece together a general picture of the story. From the looks of things, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 is all about buried secrets that come to light when Hyrule undergoes a physical upheaval, forcing Link and Zelda to investigate these secrets in the hopes of stopping a resurrected Ganondorf. Aside from that, though, the story is unclear. Nintendo hasn't shed much light on which other Breath of the Wild characters might play a part in saving Hyrule this time.
If any minor NPC deserves to get a bigger part in Breath of the Wild 2, it's Kass. Fans of Breath of the Wild will remember Kass the wandering Rito bard through the various Shrine Quests that could only be completed with the help of Kass' songs. The riddles hidden in his songs tell Link where to find all kinds of valuable buried secrets. Kass' place as a scholar of ancient songs seems like it would be a perfect way to integrate him into the new game's plot. His experience in studying ancient culture could give him special insight into Breath of the Wild 2's key mysteries.
Studying Ganondorf's Past
Breath of the Wild 2's antagonist appears to be an undead version of Ganondorf. While this hasn't been confirmed yet, the figure's connection to Calamity Ganon's Malice and general appearance strongly suggests that Ganondorf will have an antagonistic role. Link has fought Ganondorf many times before in many different forms, but this version of his nemesis seems entirely different from the others. Ganondorf usually appears as a cunning, verbose Gerudo man of great power, but this lich-like undead Ganondorf may be far less subtle, reasonable, or mortal than Ganondorf usually is, potentially putting Link at a disadvantage.
Kass might be able to help Link figure out a way to stop this new version of Ganondorf. The mysterious force of Malice suggests that something has changed Ganondorf between Breath of the Wild and the previous Zelda games, and it could be key to defeating the undead Ganondorf. Kass may know some stories or songs about how Ganondorf last died and where his connection to Malice comes from. If Link and Zelda can figure out how Ganondorf was stopped last time and what will keep the resurgent Malice at bay through these stories, then they'll be much closer to saving Hyrule.
Restoring the Master Sword
Ganondorf isn't the only important objective in Breath of the Wild 2. A newly released Breath of the Wild 2 clip shows that the Master Sword is in dire straits, with about half of its blade eaten away by Malice. Link will probably have to spend much of the game repairing it. That's hardly a task that any old blacksmith could complete, though. As a weapon blessed by the gods of Hyrule, the Master Sword will need a great deal of holy influence in order to achieve its former glory.
Kass' ancient stories could be pivotal in repairing the Master Sword. In Skyward Sword, Link followed ancient clues and Fi's guidance to find the necessary power to forge the Master Sword. Fi's odds of appearing in BotW2 are unclear, but if she doesn't appear, then Kass could serve as Link's guide instead. He may know some ancient songs about hidden holy sites where Link can commune with Hylia and Hyrule's other gods in order to miraculously fix the Master Sword. Historically, the sword is key to defeating Ganon, so Ganondorf's second coming may only be prevented if Link and his friends can figure out how to get the Master Sword back in shape.
Further Mysteries of Hyrule
Even if Kass isn't crucial to Breath of the Wild 2's core plot, he could still help Link explore other places. For example, Breath of the Wild 2's world map will feature some number of floating islands filled with new ruins to explore and enemies to battle. BotW's Hyrule hasn't had ties to floating islands like these in a long time, but Kass may know some ancient legends about flying islands in the skies of Hyrule, like where some valuable treasures or mystical places were once hidden. The stories that Kass tells could point Link in important new directions.
At the moment, it's not entirely clear where all of Breath of the Wild 2's floating islands come from. Hyrule Castle will clearly be lifted directly into the sky, but some seem to feature unfamiliar structures, suggesting that some islands will come from unexpected places. They may have still been in Hyrule's sky all along. If these islands have anything to do with Skyloft from Skyward Sword or Twilight Princess' City in the Sky, then Kass will have particularly good reason to share ancient stories about past Zelda games that compel Link to follow the footsteps of his past incarnations.
Hyrule is Full of History
Breath of the Wild was an enchanting game for a lot of reasons, and its sense of discovery was one of them. Hyrule was simply littered with Koroks, Shrines, and quests to discover, as well as ruins worth exploring. Breath of the Wild 2 will likely try to double down on that structure, adding some new features to the ground level of Hyrule while putting tons of new locations in the sky. With the help of its expanded map, Breath of the Wild 2 may have even more to discover than its predecessor, meaning Link may need a little help if he intends to cover all the potential ground.
Luckily, the sequel already has characters like Kass to work with. Breath of the Wild established that Link isn't the only person interested in learning about the past; on the contrary, tons of Hyrule's denizens ask questions about the world around them every day. Hopefully the Breath of the Wild sequel capitalizes on Kass' skills and knowledge to an even greater extent than the first game. Breath of the Wild 2 may be delayed, but Nintendo could still share information about the game in coming months. Maybe Nintendo will spotlight Link's major allies and supporters in the BotW sequel soon.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 releases in spring 2023 for Switch.
