Okay, I am having a really hard time containing myself. There have been a few allusions to Zelda having a more integral role in Breath of the Wild other than being a piece of the narrative and this week Game Informer released their cover art for their March issue that has my mind doing barrel rolls.
WARNING: Though nothing I am about to say is proven true, if you would prefer to not read theories on the plot of the game, turn back now!
Let’s start with the hints that have been sprinkled throughout the past few trailers. If you have been riding along with every bit of news that rolls out when the Zelda hype train pulls into the station you may have questioned what Zelda’s role would be in BOTW. Is she merely going to be a companion on your journey and come alive during cutscenes? Though that’s an option, I feel really strongly that the princess has her own adventure ahead of her. Not only have we have seen her in a more traditional princess attire, we have seen her donning a tunic akin to what BOTW Link wears.
Aside from the obvious outfit differences, smaller cues within the trailers hint at something more. Is Zelda the actual hero of this game? There are a few different scenes in the trailers where it seems as though Zelda is the one saving Link from peril or defending him.
Another tidbit that may have slipped under your radar involved the Zelda amiibo for BOTW. During the Treehouse event where Nintendo was streaming live gameplay of all of the Switch titles, Shigeru Miyamoto and Eiji Aonuma were both on camera talking about BOTW while members of the Treehouse team played. When Miyamoto was displaying the new BOTW amiibo, he refused to answer what the new Zelda amiibo does when activated in game. Rather suspicious if you ask me, since all of the other Zelda family amiibo simply offer up health, items, or treasure chests.
Finally, let’s talk about the cover of March’s Game Informer magazine. If you’ve seen the picture, it shows both Link and Zelda holding the Master Sword. It looks as though they are pulling it out of the pedestal together. If my memory serves me correctly, only the chosen hero can wield the Blade of Evil’s Bane. So is there a part of the game where Zelda is playable? Is Zelda the one who saves Hyrule in the end? (Plus, imagine the move-set possibilities she’ll have in Smash 5!)
I’m not sure whether or not Zelda may actually be playable in BOTW and it is yet to be confirmed or denied, but I do think that she will be more than just a damsel in need of saving. Eiji Aonuma also went on record to say that BOTW has at least one alternate ending. Could one of those endings be Zelda wielding the only weapon that can truly defeat Gannon? I guess we’ll find out March 3rd.
Pass The Controller 