In the little promotional materials released for secrets being discovered by players in BOTW, mostly due to how the open world gives players so much freedom to experiment with gameplay systems. However, that hasn't stopped The Legend of Zelda fans from speculating on the next game.
Link's new arm was initially shown in the very first trailer for the game, during Nintendo's E3 2019 presentation. This trailer created excitement for fans for reasons even beyond the unique addition of the new arm, though. The trailer was praised for its darker tone and got The Legend of Zelda fans excited for a Zelda game with a darker tone and the possibility of a more engrossing narrative than Breath of the Wild. Although Breath of the Wild is beloved and celebrated as one of the greatest Zelda games in the franchise, fans were left wanting more from the game's characters. But, one theory may suggest that Breath of the Wild's sequel may be bringing back characters from one of the game's more maligned games.
According to some fan theories, Link's new arm could be due to either Ghirahim or Fi. Both of these theories are more plausible than previously thought, especially with the last year's release of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD. Even though this game is one of the less popular entries in the franchise, Nintendo still decided to bring it to the Switch. It could be to bring context to these two characters for BOTW 2.
Ghirahim Could Be The Arm's Corruption In BOTW 2
Making his first appearance in Skyward Sword, Ghirahim is a villain from that game that is beloved by fans, even earning a spot in Smash Bros. Ultimate as an assist trophy. His eccentricity and cockiness made him a worthy adversary and made him much more fun to battle and best than some of the other mainstay villains in the franchise. Despite all that, as of right now, Ghirahim is still relegated to his spot in Skyward Sword.
Connecting Ghirahim to Link's arm in BOTW 2 makes more sense than it may seem like a bit of a stretch at first, but some parts of Ghirahim's appearance align closely with the arm. The new arm seems to be all black, and occasionally has tendrils that seem to be coming out of the arm. This black color is similar to one of Ghirahim's many forms, and the tendrils are similar to the ones he uses throughout Skyward Sword. This incarnation of Link also seems to be sporting some sort of tattoo. While not similar in look to those of Ghirahim, the Breath of the Wild 2 incarnation of Link does have tattoos in roughly the same location as Ghirahim's making a connection more likely.
Another feature that makes a Ghirahim connection possible is the new condition of the Master Sword in the Breath of the Wild sequel's trailers. This new decayed condition could relate to Ghirahim's fate at the end of Skyward Sword. Compared to the usual pristine condition that Link's signature weapon is seen in, this sword seems to have a look of decay or corruption on it. Ghirahim was last seen in the form of Demise's sword, so perhaps that blade could make a comeback and somehow corrupt the Master Sword. Besides Ghirahim, there's one more sword spirit who could be on Link's arm in BOTW 2 instead.
Fi Could Be A Force For Good On The New Arm In BOTW 2
On the other hand, Fi also made her first appearance in Skyward Sword but wasn't as beloved by fans. She was met with a lot of backlash for being annoying like Ocarina of Time's assistant character, Navi. She was also the target of many jokes from fans, joking about some of her commonly repeated phrases, such as reminding the player the batteries in their Wii Remote were low in the original Wii version of the Skyward Sword. However, Fi was less annoying in Skyward Sword HD, so this opinion among fans might be different from more modern players.
This new arm, like Ghirahim, could have a spirit of Fi. At the beginning of the game's E3 2019 trailer, we see an evil force with Breath of the Wild's Malice emerging from it, with an arm holding down the evil force. This version of the arm bears a resemblance to Fi, especially in the color scheme. It's possible that Fi's energy gets drained, thus leading the arm to release the evil force, presumed to be Ganon in BOTW 2, and set forth the events of the Breath of the Wild sequel.
This would also explain the appearance of the Master Sword. At the end of Skyward Sword's story, Fi is sealed in the Master Sword and never heard from again. Perhaps she was still giving the sword its power, and her seal on Ganon being broken weakened herself and the Master Sword.
Expect A Skyward Sword Connection In Breath Of The Wild 2
Whether either of these two shows up, fans can likely expect some sort of narrative connection to Skyward Sword in Breath of the Wild 2. Skyward Sword making its way to the Switch for an HD remaster, despite many more beloved games like Wind Waker being perfect for Switch, it makes sense for Skyward Sword to somehow tie into the new game. There's also BOTW 2's new setting that's been shown off in more recent trailers, showing Link taking to the sky and discovering new locations in the sky above Hyrule. With this increased verticality being introduced, it's hard to believe that Skyward Sword's narrative threads won't come into play at least a little in the Breath of the Wild sequel.
Link's arm possibly has a connection with two main characters from Skyward Sword, Ghirahim and Fi. But even if Link's new arm isn't connected to either of these characters, with the reveal of increased verticality, Skyward Sword and BOTW 2 are likely connected. Players will get to find out for themselves when Breath Of The Wild 2 releases in its new release window of Spring 2022.
