Breath of the Wild changed up the Legend of Zelda format drastically. Instead of the traditional temples and dungeons, Link traversed the open fields of Hyrule along with discovering shrines and taking back the Divine Beasts. It also changed Zelda's character quite a bit; though she still supports Link on his current journey, her true potential against sinister forces is shown. Nintendo took many risks with Breath of the Wild, but both old and new fans loved it. And along with the initial trailer release of the sequel, fans are hoping the Japanese developer was pointing in the direction of a playable Princess Zelda.
However, some uncertainty is now bred following the recent announcement of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. Nintendo dropped the first official trailer along with the announcement that the game will release later this year, but fans were expecting to hear an update regarding Breath of the Wild 2. Still, many are excited about the lore that will come along with Age of Calamity. Unlike its predecessor, Age of Calamity will fall within the Zelda timeline and acts as a sequel to Breath of the Wild, and interestingly, the hack-and-slash features Zelda as a playable character.
Events of Breath of the Wild
In the early days of Legend of Zelda, the princess began as a simple damsel in distress, awaiting Link's arrival while sought out by Ganon, who needs the Triforce for epic power. But over time, Zelda gradually began evolving into a more mindful scholar and warrior, wielding enough power to stop Ganon herself. Since her appearance as Sheik, she's played a larger role in the series than more than just one-third of the Triforce.
Much of the history of Breath of the Wild is unveiled through discoverable memories. Through this, an amnesiac Link discovers Zelda was searching to unlock her sealing magic but was also a sophisticated scholar. The events in Breath of the Wild began thanks to Zelda herself when she took Link to safety, hid the Master Sword, and trapped Ganon in Hyrule Castle with her magic.
Later in BotW when Link is nearing the end of his journey, Zelda reprises her role as a catalyst to Link's adventure when she once again gives the warrior the Bow of Light. Zelda once again seals Ganon away with her powers, but in the secret ending of Breath of the Wild, she reveals that she may no longer possess any supernatural powers.
BotW 2 Speculation
It's uncertain whether or not Zelda will have special abilities in Breath of the Wild 2, but one might theorize that she could get her magic back at some point in the game. In between first looks and development updates featuring gameplay and cinematic footage, it can be concluded that Zelda will travel alongside Link in his adventures. Fans responded well to seeing Link and Zelda traveling together in memories throughout BotW, so instead of creating just DLC for the game, Nintendo decided to follow up with an entirely separate sequel instead. But whether or not Zelda will be playable or hold just another major role in the game will be a mystery for a bit longer.
The Great Calamity
If there's anything that was learned from Link's lost memories, it was that Zelda trained her powers and searched for a way to defeat Calamity Ganon. She's as much of a warrior as Link is, but rather than a master of a sword and shield, she wields knowledge and magic. As both a Breath of the Wild prequel and a Hyrule Warriors installment, it's only logical that Nintendo would make Zelda one of the several playable characters, an element many fans were missing from the franchise since Sheik.
In addition, via trailers it's confirmed that the game will expand on the events from 100 years ago, meaning it's more than likely Age of Calamity will overlap with Link's memories. The trailer opens up with words on "the history of the royal family" and relating it to Calamity Ganon, meaning the hack-and-slash might be more tied to Zelda this time around. Perhaps Nintendo is planning on using Age of Calamity to gauge player reaction to playing as Zelda and going from ther for Breath of the Wild 2.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity will release November 20, 2020 for Nintendo Switch.