What is the fate of the Master Sword in the Breath of the Wild sequel?

Zelda players are certainly no strangers to the necessity for patience. And due to the announcement that the Breath of the Wild sequel’s release is being pushed back to Spring 2023, we’re settling back to wait a little longer yet. The update naturally brought disappointment, but it also gifted us with a few seconds of new footage from the game. In true Zelda tradition, fans have leaped upon and analyzed the video frame by frame — but the most startling reveal from the footage was the state of the Master Sword.

Though the sword had seen better days during its 100-year slumber in Korok Forest, its glory returned when it reunited with Hyrule’s champion. However, it seems the sword’s fate may take a turn for the worst in the upcoming sequel, with its blade broken off and corrupted with what could be some sort of Malice. Despite its condition, the sword still beams with power, hinting that perhaps all is not lost.

The Forces of Good and Evil

We don’t know much about when, how, or why the Master Sword fell into this condition. What we can assume is that it was damaged in an altercation with a foe, where Link escaped with his life but the sword itself was bested.

In the 2019 teaser, which provided the very first look at the Breath of the Wild sequel, Link is struck by a force that overcomes his right arm — the same arm that the E3 2021 teaser later showed to have become dark-gray in color with golden adornments. It did not take long for fans to point out that this arm bears a strong resemblance to the being beneath Hyrule Castle, who most people widely assume to be Ganon’s true form. A similar Malice seems to have corroded the Master Sword, leaving both it and its wielder with the mark of the Scourge of Hyrule.

One curiosity (and possible conflict) regarding such a theory is that Link appears to be able to command his arm in a similar manner to the Sheikah Slate, implying that the technology has somehow bonded to his organic matter. It is unlikely that Ganon would bestow such gifts upon the one destined to be his undoing, so the question is how these implications of good and evil are at odds with one another but somehow related.

One possible explanation is that Link’s arm is the result of an attack meant to corrupt and destroy his entire body. However, through the aid of Sheikah technology, the damage was confined to just one part of him. The ability to wield Stasis and other runes is simply a side effect (or bonus) of this process. Another idea is that we might see something similar to the Grass Sword from Pendleton Ward’s Adventure Time, which is initially bound to the protagonist Finn as a curse, but later becomes something of which he achieves mastery. Finally, the fact that Link’s arm resembles a combination of both the Ganon-assumed being and the glowing hand holding on to him (pulling him up or holding him down, we don’t know), could suggest that the conflict between good and evil was already tangled in the initial attack.

Arm aside, the Master Sword itself is indisputably damaged. It seems that Ganon (or, perhaps, a different opponent) has taken an alternate approach to the tradition of targeting the hero, instead seeking to destroy the legendary weapon said to seal the darkness itself. After all, to them, what is a knight without his sword?

This attempt to destroy the sword has only partially been successful, though. The hilt and upper part of the blade seem untroubled, and the sword still glows with energy. This suggests that its power and, presumably, its Sword Spirit (aka Fi) still reside within. Moreover, Link has held onto it rather than leaving it behind with the Sheikah or Great Deku Tree, implying that it still holds some use (or hope thereof) to him. Though it cannot be brandished in its traditional sense, its strength of legend still stirs beneath the metal, with good combatting evil even within the hands of the hero.

Weapons Old and New

With the Master Sword out of commission, other weapons will have to suffice in Link’s battles. Fortunately, the Breath of the Wild 2 hero is well-equipped for this, having already fought with a multitude of melee weapons, from Hylian blades to Gerudo Scimitars to Lizal Boomerangs (and even the odd tree branch). This is also true from the player’s perspective, already being used to having a wide range of weapons at their disposal aside from the Master Sword. In this sense, using weapons other than the divine blade will be nothing new.

The unfamiliarity will come from not having the Master Sword as a weapon option. Whether it will still take up inventory space is unknown, as this hinges on the question of if it can be used at all in this state. Perhaps it will unleash some new power, striking with energy instead of steel in the same way that Zelda can wield her powers. In that vein of thought, while the natural progression of a Legend of Zelda story suggests that the Master Sword will be restored by the end of the game, Nintendo may have other plans in mind that see it shift to being a different type of weapon altogether. Could it, like Link’s arm, end up bound to Sheikah technology?

Regardless, many of us expect to see new weapons aside from those of legend. With hints that the Breath of the Wild terrain is expanding significantly, a growing list of weapons also seems imminent. Perhaps we’ll see a combination of entirely new gear and some additions from the Age of Calamity armory. Truly, though, only time will tell with this game.

The Skyward Sword Element

Of course, fans also widely anticipate that Breath of the Wild 2 will draw heavily on the lore established in Skyward Sword. Between knowing that Link will take to the skies again, the intriguing timing of the Skyward Sword HD release, and the connections that are already threaded all throughout the two games, many believe that the origin story told in the 2011 release will be greatly important to the Breath of the Wild sequel.

Unlike many Zelda games where Link spends a short while using a practice sword before obtaining the true Master Sword, Skyward Sword saw the young hero carry the sword through a number of different forms. After retrieving the Goddess Sword from inside the Statue of the Goddess, Link’s mission to save Zelda leads him to imbue the Master Sword with the Sacred Flames. Each of the three flames powered and transformed the sword: Farore’s Flame creates the Goddess Longsword, Nayru’s Flame creates the Goddess White Sword, and Din’s Flame creates the Master Sword. Though, it only becomes the True Master Sword later once Zelda, now aware that she is the Goddess Hylia reborn, blesses it at the Sealed Temple.

With this in mind, it’s possible that the corrupted blade that Link draws in Breath of the Wild 2 is not the final Master Sword, but an earlier form that’s true power is yet to be drawn out. Furthermore, if Zelda’s blessing is needed to complete its transformation, it would explain why it wasn’t reached in the first game as she was trapped in Hyrule Castle until the very last few moments.

All in all, it seems Link may be separated from the princess once again in the Breath of the Wild sequel. The encounter that casts Zelda into darkness could be the same force that overtakes Link’s arm and corrodes the Master Sword, plotting out the rest of the game for Link to traverse an extended Hyrule to stop himself from being overcome by Malice, save the Princess, and finally, have her bless what remains of the Master Sword to restore it to its true form.

Though we have a while yet before Breath of the Wild 2 drops, and therefore a little longer to wait for more news, teasers, and trailers, we do know that this is an ambitious sequel that will not only turn some of what we knew in Breath of the Wild on its head but will also step a little further away from that classic Zelda formula of the past few decades. To see the Master Sword — a staple of the games and symbol of light prevailing over darkness — broken and decayed, was a surprise that embodies how this new game will shake up those key Zelda elements. Even with very limited updates, Nintendo has been keeping fans on their toes and giving them minimal clues as to what direction we are headed. With the Sword that Seals the Darkness cast aside, there is no telling what our hero and princess will face next year.