Thursday, 17 June 2021 12:56

BOTW2 Has a Strange Connection to Dragon Age: Inquisition

Written by Charlie Stewart
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New information about The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 from E3 indicates the game has a strange connection to Dragon Age: Inquisition.

Fans waiting for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 got their first full update in two years at E3 2021, with Nintendo releasing a new trailer for the upcoming game. The teaser showed off some environments, powers, and seemed to suggest a big development coming Link's way as he tries to fight back the forces of Ganon and save Hyrule again.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2's trailer hints that the game's story will have a strange similarity with the plot of Dragon Age: Inquisition. Here's what connection fans might be able to expect from the story of Breath of the Wild 2.

RELATED: What Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2’s Release Window Could Mean for the Nintendo Switch Pro

At the end of the intro to Dragon Age: Inquisition, the protagonist is caught up in an event that changes their fate forever. After picking up Corypheus' Orb of Destruction and surviving the explosion at the Conclave, the player character wakes up to discover they have gained a magical mark known as the Anchor embedded in their hand. The Anchor turns out to be bound to the Inquisitor until Solas cuts their arm off at the end of Inquisition's Trespasser DLC.

The Anchor gives the Inquisitor the unique ability to defeat Dragon Age: Inquisition's villain. Only the Anchor can be used to seal the rifts created by Corypheus, one of the Magisters Sidereal of the Tevinter Imperium. As well as this main use, the Anchor gives the Inquisitor the ability to deal damage to regular enemies, create magical shields, and render them and their companions momentarily invulnerable.

The Inquisitor gets the Anchor embedded in their arm by accident, but they end up able to use it to undo all of Corypheus' plans. Not only does Link appear to go through something similar in Breath of the Wild 2, but the story of Dragon Age: Inquisition may give fans an idea of the role this development will play in the upcoming Zelda game.

At the start of the new Breath of the Wild 2 teaser, the evil force known as Malice can briefly be seen latching onto Link's right arm. This appears to happen after the events of the initial trailer, which showed Link and Zelda exploring the depths of Hyrule Castle and discovering the withered corpse of what appears to be Ganondorf.

The first BOTW2 trailer indicates Malice is somehow behind the resurrection of Ganon, with the substance moving over his corpse before it reanimates. Now, Malice has attached itself to Link's arm, and as with the Anchor it is likely to be both a blessing and a curse for Hyrule's hero. When Link is falling through the sky toward the start of the Breath of the Wild 2 trailer from E3 2021, his right arm appears to be withered in the same way as Ganondorf. It's possible the corruption is creeping up his arm and will eventually kill or transform him.

However, Link's arm also appears to be an important source of power. One moment in the trailer shows it being infused with what looks like Sheikah technology, possibly to stop its corruption from spreading. This also appears to give Link access to some powers similar to his Sheikah slate in the last game. This includes familiar powers like freezing and launching objects, as well as moving through solid walls, as seen in the trailer when Link teleports through a floating island.

RELATED: Nintendo Comments on Breath of the Wild 2 Being Compared to Majora's Mask

While it's unlikely the plot of Breath of the Wild 2 will follow the exact same beats as Inquisition, there will likely be some crossover based on the story tropes seen so far. It is likely Link will have gained his magical arm by accident, and that it will have some way prevented Ganon's resurrection from taking place as intended, opening the door for his eventual defeat at the end of the game.

It also seems likely that the magical arm will in some way connect Link and Ganon more directly. After Link's arm is attacked by Malice in the trailer, it shows a brief flash of Ganon's mummified body. It's possible that Ganon would have been brought back to life in a fully restored form if not for Link inadvertently getting in the way.

This could also mean that Ganon will be aware of Link's whereabouts, and will have some sort of mental connection to him. While the last game saw Link slowly building up to taking down Calamity Ganon, this game could see Ganon have a vested interest in hunting down Link so his resurrection can be completed.

It's also possible that Link's magical arm will not last beyond the end of the story. For a start, it could be part of the premise that Malice will kill Link if he doesn't defeat Ganon and turn back the clock. It's possible that Link will end up losing his arm at the end of the story, just like the Inquisitor in Trespasser. Since most Zelda games star a new version of Link, that loss would close the chapter on the Breath of the Wild timeline without being prohibitive for future games.

For now, it seems Link's magical arm will be connected to events kicking of the next game's plot, while giving Nintendo an excuse to give Link a new set of abilities and stakes. Just how similar the use of the arm ends up being with Dragon Age: Inquisition's Anchor story remains to be seen, but hopefully it will add a new layer to the next Legend of Zelda game that will keep the series feeling fresh. With some fans speculating BOTW2, like Inquisition, will also feature time travel, the connection between the two games may end up being deeper than most fans realized.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 is slated to release in 2022, exclusively on the Nintendo Switch.

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