Zeldafans are eagerly waiting for the next news drop forThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2. This game will take place immediately after the ending of the firstBreath of the Wild, and is set to continue the adventures of Link and Zelda as they uncover new parts of Hyrule and face a new threat. Everything that fans loved about the original game is back for the sequel, and there definitely seems to be plenty of innovation happening too. With added abilities and seemingly a new lease onHyrule in the sky,BotW’s Link will tackle his next adventure head-on in the next year or so.
Despite the first game’s success, it still came as a surprise to many thatBreath of the Wild 2was actually happening. Each mainlineZeldagame is set in a distinct version of the setting, so most don’t really expect the various takes on Hyrule to be visited more than once. However, this has happened many times before. Most of the big, commonly thought-ofZeldagames either have or are direct sequels to other games. Only Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword are really exceptions to this rule, and even they were written with otherZeldagames in mind. There’s a surprising amount of ground to cover, so it’s best to start at the beginning.
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Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link
The Legend of Zelda 2: The Adventure of Linkis directly linked to the firstZelda, and features the Link players knew battling to keep Ganon from returning. Taking place six years after the original game,Zelda 2follows a sixteen-year old Link who, after waking up with a strange mark on his left hand, is taken to a sealed door in the North Castle by Impa. A sleeping maiden is behind the door, who Impa explains is the original Princess Zelda. A long time ago,Zelda was put into an irreversible magic slumber, and her grieving brother decreed that all princesses born to the royal family from that point on would be named Zelda (explaining the first game’s Zelda). Link sets out to fully assemble the Triforce, rescue Zelda, and perhaps become the new king of Hyrule in the process.
Link’s Awakening
The next sequel’s plot isn’t so complicated.Link’s AwakeningfeaturesA Link to the Past’s Link out on a seafaring adventure. His ship is caught in a storm, and he washes up on the island of Koholint, where he must awaken the Wind Fish to leave. Fans of the game will know that this is because Koholint is a shared dream between Link and the Wind Fish, isolating this game’s events. Still, it was very popular on the Game Boy, enough to get two re-releases and an appearance fromMarin in the firstHyrule Warriors.
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Majora’s Mask
Majora’s Maskis the first direct sequel that the gaming public really became aware of. Set only two months after the end ofOcarina of Time, a young Link has set off with Epona to find Navi, his fairy companion who departed at the end ofOcarina. On his way, he’s beset by the mask-wearing Skull Kid, who uses his mask’s strange power to turn Link into a Deku Scrub and trap him in the land of Termina. Termina is an odd place, with many people using the same character models asOoTNPCs. Fans have taken this to mean many things, but the game is content to let them wonder. Otherwise, it’s a straightforward but well-realized plot of Link saving this new world, all while making friends along the way.Majora’s Maskhas been compared toBotW 2a fair bit, but it remains to be seen whether those comparisons hold any water.
Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons
Oracle of AgesandOracle of Seasonsare unique, as they’re technically sequels to each other, as well asA Link to the Past. These two titles are meant to be connected, as Ganon is the secret villain behind both of their individual stories. After transferring completed save data from one game to the other, the ending will change to include Ganon’s revival at the hands of the Twinrova. At that point, it’s up to Link and whatever tools the second game has provided to save the day.
Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks
The handheldZeldatitles have a higher tendency of being sequels to major console games, and the next twoZeldasequels are on the original DS.Phantom Hourglasstakes place shortly afterThe Wind Waker, and sees Link team up with Captain Linebeck and a fairy to rescue Tetra from a powerful monster.Spirit Trackscontinues this story by taking place in the distant future of the kingdom Link and Tetra end up creating. It’s interesting to see a story-heavyZeldaentry have its plot continued over several larger games like this, andBreath of the Wild 2may inspire a similar feeling.
A Link Between Worlds
While this stretches the definition of “direct,” in the same waySpirit TracksadaptsPhantom Hourglass' future, so too doesA Link Between Worldsfollow upA Link to the Past. The games share the same Hyrule, separated by several generations. The Japanese titles for the two games are evenThe Legend of Zelda: Triforce of the GodsandTriforce of the Gods 2, just to hammer in the connection. There’s also a fan theory aboutLink Between Worlds' character Gramps being the very same Link fromA Link to the Past, but nothing on that front has been confirmed.
Tri Force Heroes
The most recent direct sequel beforeBreath of the Wild 2will come as a surprise to many, as it happens to beThe Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes. This 3DS spin-off actually stars the same Link fromA Link Between Worlds, just rendered inWind Waker’s art style instead of his own. Joining together with two other Links, he sets off to save the princess of Hytopia from a curse placed by the Drablands witch. It’s a lighthearted game, but it remains a canonical entry inThe Legend of Zeldalike any other.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2is set to release in 2022 for Nintendo Switch.
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