Zelda fans have spent years looking forward to the release of a new game, and while The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was meant to get a sequel this year, that's no longer the case. Nintendo had committed to a 2022 release date for the game for quite some time, but now it says the sequel won't release until spring 2023. That's not a tremendous delay for the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, since it was already aiming for a late 2022 release. Still, after so much time spent waiting for the game, a delay is a serious disappointment.
The delay announcement wasn't a total loss for Zelda fans, however. The Legend of Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma delivered Breath of the Wild 2's delay announcement alongside a tiny bit of new footage. In this clip, fans can see Link pulling a heavily damaged Master Sword off his back and holding it up to some kind of golden light. The significance of this scene isn't entirely clear, but it strongly implies that the Master Sword is at the heart of Breath of the Wild 2's plot. The upcoming Zelda game may take notes from Skyward Sword and Breath of the Wild DLC by structuring its plot around the remaking of the Master Sword.
The Master Sword's Status
Fans have known for some time that all is not well for the Master Sword. In the E3 2021 trailer for Breath of the Wild 2, there's a brief sequence in which a wave of Malice overtakes the Master Sword, strongly suggesting that the weapon had been damaged. Fans now know the extent of the damage. In the new Breath of the Wild clip, fans can see that the sword's blade has blackened and decayed, almost as if the sword has started to rot. About half of the blade is missing, and the remainder has lost much of its edge, meaning that Link's signature weapon looks completely useless right now.
It looks like the Master Sword isn't entirely drained of power, however. Fans might notice that, as Link pulls the Master Sword off his back, the blade glows faintly with a blue light, suggesting that some of its magical power remains. The cutscene doesn't clarify why Link draws the Master Sword here, but he may mean to absorb the ball of golden light in front of him. Notably, there's a glowing yellow mark on the back of Link's newly enchanted right arm, which implies that the arm has helped him look for this yellow orb. Link may spend the game searching ancient places for energy that'll rejuvenate the Master Sword, much like a previous incarnation has done before.
Replicating Skyward Sword's Master Sword Quest
Long before the Breath of the Wild sequel, Nintendo produced a Zelda game about empowering the Master Sword: Skyward Sword. For much of the game, Link has to seek out specific holy flames to bathe the Goddess Sword in, each of which transforms the Sword into a stronger form that approaches the final Master Sword. Link may be doing something very similar in Breath of the Wild 2. If the power of the gods can miraculously transform the Master Sword over time, then surely the gods can repair the broken blade too. Breath of the Wild's Link may find himself plunging the Master Sword into fonts of holy energy to empower the Master Sword just like his predecessor.
Link may have familiar guidance in his new Master Sword quest as well. Zelda fans have been wondering if the Master Sword spirit Fi will return to The Legend of Zelda soon, thanks to Breath of the Wild's Zelda mentioning a voice within the sword, as well as a certain Breath of the Wild DLC sound effect that hearkens back to Fi. This spirit was indispensable as a guide in Link's journey to forge the Master Sword in Skyward Sword; she could repeat that role in Breath of the Wild, especially since it looks like her life depends on it. The blue glow surrounding the Master Sword in the final trailer may imply that there's enough power remaining for Link to summon Fi for help in repairing the sword.
Breath of the Wild's Master Sword Tempering
It should be noted that Breath of the Wild has already dabbled in empowering the Master Sword. Fans that bought Breath of the Wild's Master Trials DLC could partake in the Trial of the Sword, a series of combat challenges meant to test Link's worthiness of the sword. When players completed the Trial of the Sword, seven Sheikah monks permanently empower the Master Sword. Breath of the Wild's monks usually only distribute the goddess Hylia's power through Spirit Orbs, but the Trial of the Sword implies that some monks are sufficiently connected to Hylia to change the Master Sword by hand.
The Trial of the Sword sets a precedent for altering the Master Sword within Breath of the Wild's Hyrule and suggests how it'll be repaired: Hylia's power, rather than that of other Zelda goddesses. Skyward Sword featured red, blue, and green Sacred Flames connected to Din, Nayru, and Farore that empowered the Goddess Sword, but these gods have little place in Breath of the Wild. The golden light's color implies Hylia will be responsible for repairing the sword, rather than the other trio of goddesses. Hylia has a very direct impact on Breath of the Wild through Goddess Statues and the Sheikah monks that serve her, so it wouldn't be so strange if Link is looking for tangible pieces of Hylia's power in Breath of the Wild's sequel in order to restore the Master Sword.
Breath of the Wild 2's Plot is Getting Clearer
Whatever route Link takes to fix the Master Sword in Breath of the Wild 2, it certainly looks like that's his main objective. The Master Sword is historically instrumental in sealing Ganon away from Hyrule. If Breath of the Wild 2 is all about Ganon's return from the dead, then Link may not be able to put an end to Ganon's reign of terror until the Master Sword is whole and hale again. Fans may have already gone on a similar journey in Skyward Sword, but as long as Nintendo leverages Breath of the Wild's landscape, characters, and lore in unique ways, it can make the new game's Master Sword quest feel like the first of its kind.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 releases in spring 2023 for Nintendo Switch.
