One essential aspect of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is also optional for the player - the divine beasts. In the hit 2017 game, the four divine beasts serve as the main dungeons for the player to go through, but they’re also not required of the player in order to finish the game. Still, they also serve as key elements of the backstory and main plot line. With the sequel to Breath of the Wild confirmed to be using the same map as its predecessor, these divine beasts will certainly see some changes be applied to them in the upcoming game.
After all, the divine beasts provided a significant chunk of gameplay in BotW so the sequel has to explain what happens to them. If the player does complete the divine beasts sections of BotW, they’re rewarded with special abilities, items, and the opportunity to damage Ganon before the final battle with it. Narratively, the divine beasts represent a long and dark history of Hyrule that goes back thousands of years. They were tools built by the ancient Sheikah people in order to aid the heroes, Link and Zelda, of that time in defeating Ganon.
Over 100 years before the events of Breath of the Wild, the divine beasts were then discovered and put into service to protect the domains of Hyrule from another inevitable attack by Ganon. Four champions, who appear in the majority of Link’s flashbacks in BotW, were chosen to pilot the beasts but all eventually succumbed to Ganon’s power and were locked away in those same beasts that then came under Ganon’s control. With Ganon possibly defeated, Nintendo now has to do something with these mechanical giants for Breath of the Wild 2.
Divine Beast Quests
In Breath of the Wild, it was never fully explained how each champion was able to pilot these giant machines. That could potentially be explored a little more in BotW 2, with quests that have Link pilot the beasts in order to complete objectives in the game’s world. Nintendo doesn’t have to go all out and allow the player to take the divine beasts for rides all around the map. The beasts could just be playable within proximity to their respective towns. Now that it seems that Link and Zelda are going to be working together to rebuild Hyrule, what better way to get the job done than with the help of these giant machines?
Using the divine beasts would also allow Link more opportunities to speak with his former comrades (and Mipha, his former love interest). The dungeons within the beasts would have to be altered or removed though. One possibility for new interiors in the divine beasts could be new mini-towns.
Mini-Towns in the Divine Beasts
The various in-game populations of Breath of the Wild have mixed reactions regarding the divine beasts. Older folk in the game, such as King Dorephan of Zora’s Domain, tend to have a more nostalgic view of the beasts as they were once protected by them. On the other hand, many other townsfolk hate the divine beasts for the damage and terror they have caused. With the beasts no longer under Ganon’s influence by the end of BotW, maybe the local towns reclaim the beasts for their own uses. This could work with or without quests designed for the beasts.
With the divine beasts as big as they are, it’s also possible that the local populations set up little towns inside them, replacing the now useless dungeons. This would expand the map in an indirect way but would benefit the game overall. After all, if the various peoples of Hyrule don’t take over the divine beasts, then what should happen to them in Breath of the Wild 2?
The Divine Beasts Disappear
This would be the simplest solution for Nintendo. The divine beasts served their narrative purpose in Breath of the Wild so it’s possible that Nintendo just ditches them altogether for the sequel. It’s also possible that the beasts remain as abandoned relics in BotW 2 but it seems weird to have these giant machines, that were so important in the first game, just end up being rubble in the second.
There was a BotW story concept released by Nintendo that showed off an alien ship once. The ship’s purpose was to steal cattle from Hyrule but this could easily be another quest-line for Link. It’s possible that Nintendo revisits this alien ship idea for the sequel. The ship could even abduct the divine beasts, forcing Link and Zelda to try and get them back. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that aliens become a thing in BotW 2, as the DLC motorcycle from the first game was also shown off as a concept but then became real.
A sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is currently in development for the Nintendo Switch.