Ever since The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Nintendo has been adamant about the importance of time as a force of nature in the critically acclaimed franchise. Based on the latest trailer, it seems that this will extend to the upcoming The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2, as numerous fan theories assume a time skip is afoot.

The discussion has opened up about Breath of the Wild 2 and its plot, since there still is not much to go on with the new gameplay trailer presented at E3 2021. Time and the Goddess of Time, Hylia, have been a staple part of the franchise ever since the lore split the Zelda timeline in two after Ocarina of Time's ending. Additionally, Nintendo has been quick to retcon the lore of Link, Zelda, and their reincarnations throughout time and space, giving the franchise some space to innovate and expand.

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Since the release of the Breath of the Wild 2 teaser in 2019 and the most recent E3 trailer, one theory worth considering is how the highly anticipated sequel will find itself in the greater timeline of the Zelda franchise. Nintendo has confirmed that its critically acclaimed game Breath of the Wild finds itself at the very end of the Zelda timeline. Fans of the series are used to the retcons to the official Zelda timeline, despite the fact that the newest games are placed at the convergence of the three timelines, yet exist outside of those timelines as well.

The placement of Breath of the Wild in a period long after any other entry in the series leaves players to discover and speculate what they want with any findings from the game, then apply it to their own theories. Some fans have taken issue with the constant retcons in each mainline Zelda title, some going as far as to say that Nintendo has been making up the timeline as a way to keep fans engaged. The missing time in Breath of the Wild's story is also a narrative device for the three iconic characters that keep the series alive: Link, Zelda, and of course Ganon and Ganondorf.

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It may not come as a surprise to many, but time is both a narrative function in the Zelda franchise, as well as a force of nature that can be manipulated. Quantum physics aside, to understand time in the Zelda series, they need to look toward the driving force behind all time manipulation in Zelda: the divine goddess Hylia herself. As the literal goddess of time, it would make sense to say that she is omnipresent over the whole timeline, meaning she has knowledge of what is, has, and will come to pass. It makes the use of time in games such as Ocarina of Time, and other instances of time travel, have more narrative weight than just general retconning.

Applying this info, it comes as no surprise that she would have manipulation over the Zelda timeline to help Link and Zelda through their many battles. The importance of time travel became a staple of the series since Ocarina of Time, and subsequently the uncanny cult-classic sequel Majora's Mask. That version of Link held mastery over time manipulation and caused the split timeline in subsequent The Legend of Zelda games. Those who have been blessed with a divine item such as the Ocarina of Time and the Master Sword that holds the goddess' powers can be used to defeat evil across several different timelines.

Not much can be said about what the overarching plot of Breath of the Wild 2 will be. What is known, however, is that Nintendo will not be dropping the time travel mechanics in gameplay alone. In the trailer showcased at E3 2021, Link's arm is embedded with a new power that allows him to completely stop time all around him momentarily, as well as other time trickery mechanics that seem to function similarly to Stasis in Breath of the Wild. This has led fans to speculate that time travel will be prominently featured in the game's story as well, the claim being backed by the fact that Skyward Sword HD is being released shortly beforehand.

Breath of the Wild 2's trailer also features some cutscenes with the mummified Ganon, and with Zelda having awoken to the powers of the goddess Hylia, it's possible that she will also have some time manipulation powers like in other titles. There are no clear signs that time travel will be featured in the game's story. However, we do know that Link is equipped with a new arsenal of time manipulation powers, Zelda has all of her powers at her disposal, and one final nail in this theory.

Nintendo chooses to withhold the official title of Breath of the Wild 2 because it will spoil major story elements. It's possible that the title leads to beginning spoilers, which in that case, it's entirely possible the game will end with the Zelda timeline ending or splitting once again.

Breath of the Wild 2 is set to release in 2022 for Nintendo Switch.

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