The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has a sequel on the way, but the story of the sequel isn't entirely clear. Naturally it'll pit Link and Zelda against dark forces threatening Hyrule once again, but those forces haven't been clearly identified. Resurgent Malice and the potential corpse of Ganondorf suggest that Ganon seeks revenge, but Nintendo hasn't confirmed Ganon as the antagonist in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 just yet. What's more, Link himself seems to have mysteries of his own to solve. A strange magical force appears to have taken over one of his arms, raising a lot of questions about his condition and his destiny.
Odds are that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 will linger on all of these questions in their own ways. It's possible that the true antagonist of Breath of the Wild 2 will remain a mystery for some time, meaning Link will be forced to seek answers about his foe while trying to uncover the truth about his new arm. Ideally, though, these won't be the only things that Breath of the Wild 2 discusses. The original Breath of the Wild introduced a wealth of mysteries that haven't been answered just yet, and at least some of them ought to have a significant role in the sequel's plot, whatever the role may be.
Breath of the Wild's Remaining Mysteries
There are a lot of places in the Breath of the Wild world that raise questions. For instance, many fans wonder why Mount Agaat, a mountain to the west of the Gerudo Desert, appears on the world map even though Link can't travel to it. Some speculated that it would feature in a Breath of the Wild DLC, but it has yet to find a purpose. Typhlo Ruins also raises a lot of questions, thanks to its permanent shroud of darkness and iconography connecting it to the lost Zonai tribe. There's also Mekar Island, which has a variety of strange characteristics but doesn't serve any clear purpose aside from its name, which alludes to The Wind Waker's Korok character Makar.
Aside from places, there are also various possible characters who could have an impact on the game. The aforementioned Zonai tribe, also simply known as the barbarian tribe, belongs in this category. They may not appear in Breath of the Wild, but it's entirely possible that this lost civilization is in hiding, rather than destroyed. The leviathans seem like they could play a part in Breath of the Wild 2 as well. While it's unclear if these long-dead beasts were ever sentient, their past impact on Hyrule has yet to be explained. Breath of the Wild 2 could also tap into the mysterious eighth heroine of the Gerudo, who is separated from her seven peers for unknown reasons.
Besides these specific aspects of Breath of the Wild, the upcoming sequel has broader Zelda lore questions to address. For instance, one wonders if Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity will have any canonical impact on Breath of the Wild 2, considering how differently that game's plot goes from Breath of the Wild canon. BotW2 should also address the Triforce, which is mysteriously absent from th Zelda timeline, as well as why Hylia has returned to prominence as a Hylian god while the other gods of Hyrule have faded into the background. Breath of the Wild didn't just overhaul the gameplay formula of Zelda; it contributed a ton of new questions and mysteries to the franchise's lore too.
Breath of the Wild 2's Potential Storylines
All signs suggest that Link will be studying a new enemy while trying to gain new mastery over a mysterious new power in Breath of the Wild 2. That's great, but the BotW sequel shouldn't get too bogged down in its main narrative. The original BotW was a huge hit partially because there was so much to discover for fans who went off the beaten path. Players could wander in just about any direction and eventually find an Ancient Shrine, an NPC in need, or a powerful enemy to battle. Breath of the Wild 2 needs the same sense of discovery in order to live up to expectations, and it could struggle to capture that sensation if it focuses too much on its central plot.
Ideally Breath of the Wild 2's new floating islands will be full of side quests and boss battles to keep Zelda fans entertained, but beyond that, known landmarks and lore tidbits in Hyrule deserve a second chance. The physical upheaval that's coming to Hyrule is bound to literally unearth all kinds of secrets that shed light on the people and places that have yet to reveal their true purpose to Breath of the Wild players. The flying islands might be rich with records and relics that explain Hyrule's farthest corners, or at least give Link good reason to travel farther from Hyrule Castle than he ever has before.
Breath of the Wild 2 Should Provide Answers
Breath of the Wild definitely didn't give fans a perfect picture of why Calamity Ganon differs so drastically from previous incarnations of Ganon. Breath of the Wild 2 will undoubtedly address that topic, based on the prevalence of Malice and the implied importance of the Master Sword, which traditionally seals Ganon's fate. However, Breath of the Wild 2 will shine more brightly if it provides fans with quite a few additional mysteries that flesh out Hyrule as a whole. While Nintendo can still preserve a little mystery by leaving some questions unanswered, at least a few of Breath of the Wild's mysteries should get bigger roles in the sequel.
Even though Breath of the Wild 2 has been delayed, hopefully Nintendo still sheds more light on the game's narrative and other contents before the end of 2022. Fans are dying to know what the game has in store after a nearly three year wait. It'd be great if Nintendo's summer still featured a massive new trailer showcasing the power of Link's arm, new locations found in Hyrule's sky, and the mission that now lies before Link and Zelda. For now, though, fans will just have to keep investigating Breath of the Wild's mysteries on their own.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 releases spring 2023 for Nintendo Switch.
