Fans haven't received many updates about The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 since its teaser trailer dropped back at E3 2019. Though it has been confirmed that the upcoming title will use the same basic map as the original, the premise of the next game's story has mostly remained a mystery.
The teaser trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 seemed to contain one major reveal, hinting at Ganon's resurrection and return as the main villain, and that could be a great thing.
From Calamity Ganon To Ganondorf
The trailer for Breath of the Wild 2 shows Link and Zelda exploring the depths of Hyrule Castle before a corpse which appears to be Ganon suddenly reanimates, and the castle itself seems to begin taking off. The corpse looks like a mummified version of Ganon's Gerudo form, also known as Ganondorf.
Bringing back Ganon's human form could allow Nintendo to explore a very different perspective on the character in the next game. In the original Breath of the Wild, Ganon was totally inhuman. He appeared only as Calamity Ganon, and looked something like a demonic boar made of billowing red smoke. If he was ever a human, this Ganon appeared to have surrendered his humanity entirely to Malice, the evil substance found throughout the first Breath of the Wild.
The final boss fight of Breath of the Wild hinted that Ganon may have been a different kind of being in the past. Calamity Ganon appeared to be partway through regaining a physical form when Link defeated him in the first game. Now, the trailer for Breath of the Wild 2 appears to have revealed that somewhere deep beneath Hyrule Castle the corpse of the original Ganondorf was dormant, and has come back to life.
A more humanoid version of Ganon may be a way for Breath of the Wild 2 to reveal the character's underlying motivations in a way Calamity Ganon was too monstrous to explore. If the body that appeared in the E3 trailer really was Ganon, his form appears to have been ravaged by Malice, even if that's also the only thing that's keeping him alive. This may allow for a portrayal of Ganon which is distinct both from his appearance as a Gerudo King in previous games in the series and the first Breath of the Wild's totally inhuman take on the character.
Ganondorf's Potential In BOTW2
Calamity Ganon appears to be one of the most individually powerful forms Ganon has ever taken across the different Zelda timelines. If he was once a Gerudo, this would suggest that he achieved this powerful form by totally surrendering to the power of Malice. Now, Nintendo has the opportunity to present a version of Ganondorf which has returned to a more human state after becoming a being of pure evil. This version has the potential to be monstrous like Calamity Ganon, but to reflect more of the humanity that existed before that transformation.
This doesn't necessarily mean that the next game's version of Ganon has to be more sympathetic. The echoes of Ganondorf's humanity could reflect his fear, ruthlessness, and ambition. Nonetheless, it could prove to be a more balanced version of the character than the purely rage-fueled Calamity Ganon seen in the first Breath of the Wild, which seemed to want to destroy Hyrule for the sake of destruction itself.
The trailer also seems to hint at some form of time manipulation, already another staple of the series. When the teaser shows Link and Zelda exploring the castle noises can be heard which sound as if they are being played backwards, perhaps suggesting that Ganon is being brought back to life using some kind of time magic.
The silhouette of a clawed hand reaching out to a shadow that looks like Ganondorf could also be the moment of his corruption. This could suggest that Breath of the Wild 2 will explore a force greater and more evil than Ganon. It may explore the origins of Breath of the Wild's Malice itself.
This could mean that Link and Zelda will be facing down a version of Ganon from deep in the distant past, or possibly the future. While Calamity Ganon sought only to destroy Hyrule, Ganondorf may be more interested in ruling it like the king he once was. If Link and Zelda are flung into the distant future they may even see what Hyrule looks like after years of Ganondorf's reign.
The return of Ganondorf and the possibilities of time magic open up many new stories that Nintendo could tell with some of its best known characters. For now, however, fans have no choice but to wait for news from Nintendo to see which opportunities the studio will be running with, and which will fall to the wayside in Breath of the Wild 2.
The Legend of Zelda:Â Breath of the Wild 2Â has no release date yet but will be available for Switch.
