What 2021 has given the Zelda community

While 2021 has come and (almost) gone with no main timeline releases for The Legend of Zelda, it has still given a lot to its Zelda community, not least of all included a remaster of Skyward Sword, two waves of DLC for Age of Calamity, and a teaser for the Breath of the Wild Sequel. In that respect, it’s safe to say that we haven’t been forgotten by Nintendo. So, while we wait patiently (or not-so-patiently) for the release of the Breath of the Wild sequel, we can bide our time by enjoying the content we’ve been given over the last 12 months.

Sequel News

Though thousands held their breath in anticipation for news about the Breath of the Wild sequel at the Game Awards earlier this month, we sadly did not receive any updates. As such, the name, release date, and details about the story all remain a mystery. On the bright side, we most definitely know a little more than we did this time last year.

Previously, all we really knew was that caves are to be explored, a corrupt-looking being is lurking, Link’s arm is about to undergo something intense, and Zelda’s had a haircut. Though short, the June teaser brought a flood of new information to light about what we can expect to see next year. For example, we saw Link’s arm in action, coupled with some new capabilities, including what appears to be an upgraded version of Stasis and a new ability to move through solid objects. New items are also very much on the table, with Link visibly brandishing a previously unseen shield (or shield attachment) in battle.

One big question is how Hyrule will look in the sequel, as well as how players who have already scoured every inch of the Breath of the Wild map will be motivated to explore again. While we didn’t see much of the overworld we’re familiar with, the teaser did show that Link will be both taking to the skies above and traversing the caverns below Hyrule. So, one thing we do know is that there will be plenty of new spots to both traverse and uncover secrets in.

Beyond the teaser and direct information about the sequel, other Zelda-related releases this year could well contain some hints as to the direction it could take. This has spurred no shortage of fan theories and content, while simultaneously providing a little bit of a distraction while we wait. We’ll take a look at these releases and what they could potentially indicate below.

Remasters and DLC

In the run-up to the Breath of the Wild sequel, Nintendo also dropped Skyward Sword HD in July. Countless seasoned Zelda players leaped at the chance to revisit Skyloft in its remastered glory alongside the new fans who got to experience the game for the first time. The re-release itself spurred plenty of chatter about why, exactly, Nintendo would decide to bring this game in particular back to attention.

In addition to it being its 10th anniversary, Skyward Sword tells the origin story of the timeline and establishes the creation of Hyrule. Therefore, to grasp a true understanding of the timeline, lore, and overall history of Zelda, an understandingof the game is essential. Beyond that, though, many theorize that the Breath of the Wild sequel will draw on many concepts from Skyward Sword; therefore remastering and rereleasing it nudges players into familiarizing (or refamiliarizing) themselves with it.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity might have been a 2020 release, it received two waves of DLC this year: Pulse of the Ancients in June and Guardian of Remembrance in October. Though Age of Calamity establishes a separate timeline that averts the Calamity, it is still threaded into the Breath of the Wild universe, and therefore may hold clues as to what we could see in the expansion of the world in the sequel.

Pulse of the Ancients saw the Battle-Tested Guardian added to the roster as another enemy-turned-ally (or ally-turned-enemy-turned-ally, if you really want to be specific), alongside additional side quests, challenges, and new Vicious Monster battles. The Apocalyptic Difficulty Level gave expert players the chance to put their honed skills to the test, while Link and Zelda both received new weapons: The Flail and the Master Cycle Zero, respectively.

Guardian of Remembrance expanded the catalog of weapons further, including the Soaring Champion’s Bow and Ultimate Sheikah Arms. With evidence that these weapons did indeed exist in Calamity-era Hyrule, there is a chance that they could resurface in the Breath of the Wild sequel, though naturally with adjustments to the fighting style. Similarly, fights such as the Battle for Kakariko Village and Battle of Goponga Village provided a little more insight into what the map was like 100 years previously. Purah and Robbie joined the roster as a duo, and, finally, Sooga completed the list of warriors battling for Hyrule’s safety. Again, these glimpses into the characters’ lives have established a more detailed background for the Sheikah and Yiga clans alike.

The completion of both waves of DLC also rewarded players with a secret ending and final cutscene documenting some scattered memories of Link, Zelda, the Champions, and their allies, with characters from both timelines interacting and bonding.

At the end of October, Nintendo also added a new tier to the Nintendo Switch Online subscription, in which users would be able to play Nintendo 64 games. Ocarina of Time was a release title for this, with Majora’s Mask said to be coming at a later date. Many were unsure about this addition to the subscription service and the additional cost, though it does provide an opportunity for the classic titles to be played by both older players who haven’t been able to hang onto their original consoles and newer players who never had them in the first place.

Theories and Fan Content

We absolutely can’t ignore the contributions that fans have made to the Zelda community in 2021. Even in a drought of canon content and news, fan creations showed no lack of inspiration with astonishing art, writing, video essays, animation, cosplay — the list goes on and on. From reimaginings of in-game content to concepts for the past or future, the sheer imagination exhibited is something to behold.

Looking back, it seems that the minimal Breath of the Wild sequel news across the year may have even driven more creativity and imagination to get that Zelda fix. One such example is the colossal amount of theories and predictions that have amassed from the fanbase. People have left no stone unturned as they collect evidence that might indicate the direction the sequel will take.

One incredibly popular and well-supported theory is that the Zonai will take on a prominent role. The tribe believed to be lost to time has left imprints across Hyrule, particularly their distinctive ruins. So distinctive, in fact, that their patterns have been noted appearing in other parts of the game, hinting that their connections run deeper than they first appear. It’s even theorized that the incarnation of Link that fought 10,000 years before the events of Breath of the Wild was a Zonai tribe member, given his fiery hair/headpiece in his illustration and matching patterns on the same tapestry.

People have also noted a likeness between the illustration and the Link we saw in the June teaser. This in turn has given rise to the idea that some form of time travel may be incorporated in the sequel. This theory has had some mixed responses; some are excited at the prospect, while others fear it may inevitably create new plot holes. Similarly, the fates of Hyrule and the Champions, both original and newfound, hang in the balance. 

All we can glean so far is that we’re going to see Link at two different points in his life (or lives): one that appears to be immediately after the events of Breath of the Wild, and another that is either a little while after, or much, much earlier. In the same vein, we’ve snuck a peek of Hyrule looking very different from the way we know it, with exploration both underground and skywards.

In essence, every frame of what we’ve seen so far has spurred endless discussion about potential antagonists, characters, creatures and species, locations, dungeons, playstyle (i.e. linear or open-world), storyline, and much more. Amongst new content, potential connections to older games have been proposed. While Breath of the Wild already drew on the existing Zelda lore, there’s certainly no scarcity of history to reference.

One of the most extreme theories that has circulated is that the Breath of the Wild sequel will see the end of the reincarnation cycle. With Link, Zelda, and Ganon living their lifetimes over and over, and Breath of the Wild showing evidence that it falls on the later side of the timeline, some are considering the idea that the main trio will recover their memories from across the timeline and bring it to a close, once and for all. Of course, this would raise questions about future games, whether they’d expand on the Breath of the Wild era further or simply be placed earlier, but it’s certainly an interesting thought.

Though it’s inevitable that Zelda players are feeling a little deflated by the minimal Breath of the Wild sequel news, especially since we’re wrapping up 2021 without a name or a release date, this year has at least brought us some things to stay entertained. Whether it was a remaster and DLC content, snapshots of the sequel, or an endless array of fan creations, the Zelda community is still alive, well, and thriving. As the anticipation builds while Nintendo perfects the Breath of the Wild sequel, at least we can remind ourselves that when we do get a substantial update, the wait will have been worth it.