Over the past few decades, The Legend of Zelda has built up a strong stable of characters. Both allies and enemies have become iconic members of the Zelda mythos, and new games are happy to reinterpret them. After the success that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild had in modernizing various enemies like bokoblins, hinoxes, wizzrobes, and lynels, many are excited to see what Breath of the Wild 2 does with its new slate of enemies. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild may be fairly distinct from past Zelda entries, but it always finds room to call back to them.
Similarly, many are wondering what Breath of the Wild 2 will do with its characters. Link and Zelda are a given, and fans suspect that Ganondorf will make an appearance as the mysterious mummified body in the reveal trailer. Leaks have indicated that the modern Champions will probably return, as well as their ancestors from 100 years ago and a seemingly new set from even further in the past. While the cast will be divided between many areas and eras, it should still be as charismatic as the first game’s. Perhaps the most unclear part of all of this is Zelda's role in Breath of the Wild 2, something that could be addressed with the return of an old character who can keep her an active participant in the story.
Sheik Has Been Tragically Underused Across The Legend of Zelda
The Sheikah youth known as Sheik was initially introduced in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. This young man mysteriously appeared in front of Link after he awoke in the future. While Sheik is an enigmatic figure, he teaches Link useful songs for traveling around Hyrule, demonstrating them with his harp. He never stays around for very long, but players will eventually come to trust him as both an ally and an indicator of progress. Much to the surprise of many, this red-eyed ninja turns out to be a disguise for Princess Zelda, having been raised as a Sheikah warrior by Impa. Almost immediately after she reveals herself, Ganondorf detects her magic and steals her away.
Sheik proved to be a memorable part of Ocarina of Time, catching many players off-guard with the reveal of her true identity. Even so, it's hard to say how popular she would be without Smash Bros. keeping her legacy alive. Ever since Super Smash Bros. Melee, Sheik has been accessible as either Zelda's down-special or a character all on her own. Most of her assassin fighting style was made up for these games, but it has had a strong impact on how both Sheik and the Sheikah people have been portrayed in The Legend of Zelda. Sheik's only other appearance was as Princess Zelda's disguise in the first Hyrule Warriors, in which she traded some of her ninjutsu for magic attacks emanating from her harp. The result was one of the best characters in the game, so it’s hard to fault her even if she’s not quite the tricky warrior Smash fans know.
Breath of the Wild 2 Should be Sheik's Next Appearance
Unfortunately, that is the extent of Sheik's career. She appeared in a single canon Legend of Zelda title, one spin-off title, and Nintendo's crossover fighting game series. Breath of the Wild does feature Sheik's Mask as a bonus for the Sheik amiibo, and the Stealth Set is based on Sheik and influenced her Smash Ultimate design. This one recursive nod is all that exists in terms of Sheik references. Zelda's Sheikah alter ego is severely lacking in appearances, and Breath of the Wild 2 could remedy this.
The setup for Sheik’s return is about as ideal as it could be. While Zelda's fate after she and Link are separated in BotW2's opening is unknown, it leaves plenty of room for the princess to take an active role in saving her kingdom. Zelda could find a Sheikah Shrine hidden in the tunnels below Hyrule Castle, or deep within the castle itself. In it, she would find a traditional Sheikah garb from the distant past, giving her a bit of extra gear to escape the castle. This could take the form of anything from a cutscene to a playable sequence, and an alternate campaign with Zelda starting in a sequestered part of the final dungeon would be fascinating. Also, Zelda would primarily use the Sheikah Slate like she did in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, allowing Sheik to make full use of the ultimate Sheikah tool.
Other Ways for Breath of the Wild 2 to Introduce Sheik
There are other ways for Sheik to manifest in Breath of the Wild 2 than Zelda taking on the role. If the rumors of time travel to the original war against Calamity Ganon prove true, then another take on Sheik could be found in the past. This could be a girl or a boy, but it would be interesting to have them be a blond Hylian raised by the Sheikah civilization. They could serve as a sort of rival to Link, and could help or hinder him on his quest. They could even be connected to the Yiga clan, and could both justify its inclusion again and make it feel like a much more credible threat.
Breath of the Wild 2 holds untold possibilities, and there could be many applications of Sheik in a new setting. What was once a tool for stealthy rebellion could now become a force for good or evil, used in BotW's past or present. Sheik, regardless of who is holding that mantle, could even make for a co-op partner in the absence of Zelda herself. The Sheikah people’s prominence in Breath of the Wild's lore gives plenty of precedent for both a magical ninja Sheik and a technological Sheik, or any other take on the character. It seems like a wasted opportunity for the whole franchise to release another major entry without including such a popular character.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 releases in early 2023 for Nintendo Switch.
