There still isn’t any new information to come out of Nintendo regarding the sequel to The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, but that hasn’t stopped new rumors from popping up over the months since its announcement at E3 2019. From story details to Zelda gameplay, rumors have been claiming a lot of things that Nintendo has yet to confirm one way or another but there really hasn’t been any focus on the type of equipment Link will be sporting in the upcoming sequel.
Link has been known for his array of tools and weapons throughout the series’ history, but The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild is actually missing some significant items that were originally considered to be staples of the franchise before the game came out in 2017. Of course, every game in the series has its own differences, and Breath of the Wild is still the biggest Legend of Zelda game in the entire franchise, but one can’t help but hope that these iconic tools will reappear in the sequel whenever it comes out.
Link's Hookshot
The hookshot is a major item in the Legend of Zelda series. There are a few versions of it, such as the gripshot or the grappling hook, but they all ostensibly have the same function which is to either propel Link forward to cross large distances or to drag enemies toward him for a follow-up attack. This iconic tool from the series is missing entirely in Breath of the Wild which caused a minor uproar on the internet before the game’s release.
The reason why people didn’t really care about it after the game came out is because they found out that Link doesn’t even need it in the game as he’s able to climb on literally every surface (except when in shrines). For Breath of the Wild 2, it could still come back and be useful in certain ways. Even though Link can climb anywhere, there is still difficult terrain to maneuver and the hookshot could come in handy during scenarios like that. Presumably, there would have to be some kind of limitation on it.
If it needs to be limited in some capacity, maybe it can be treated the same way as arrows, as in single-use hooks will need to be acquired in order to use the shooter. Nintendo could also add various hookshot points for Link to attach to throughout the game world. BotW's Shrines would actually be a great place for the hookshot to flourish, as Nintendo could just design puzzles around the device just as it did with Link’s runes and such.
Ocarina
Ocarinas have a couple of uses in the Legend of Zelda series. There’s an ocarina in Link’s Awakening that is used to warp to places and to wake certain characters up. In Ocarina of Time, the titular item is used to not only warp to places but also to solve dungeon puzzles, initiate rainfall, change the time of day, and more. Clearly, many of these uses can just be recycled over into Breath of the Wild 2.
Link is able to fast travel to any shrine or tower in Breath of the Wild but for the sequel, the ocarina could be used to place custom travel points anywhere for example (which would replace the travel medallion). One idea that could be implemented with the ocarina that would change an entire gameplay mechanic would be to have Link use the ocarina to change the weather. Whenever it rains in Breath of the Wild, Link’s climbing abilities become significantly limited, so a quick ocarina recital of Song of Storms would actually go a long way.
Link's Boomerang
Although there are boomerang-like weapons in Breath of the Wild, Link doesn’t have a permanent one to keep with him like he does in most of the other games in the Legend of Zelda series. It could be argued that boomerangs do exist in the game based off of this technicality but the iconic boomerang that Link is known for is certainly not in the game. Link even has a boomerang in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which changed his character to resemble his appearance in Breath of the Wild (hence the fact that Link doesn’t grab with a hookshot when fighting).
For Breath of the Wild 2, Nintendo could honor its weapon durability system and Link’s iconic boomerang at the same time by making it another one of Link’s rune abilities (like the bombs, magnesis, stasis, etc.).
Fishing Rod
It's not a secret that Legend of Zelda fans love to fish. Surprisingly, there is no system dedicated to fishing in Breath of the Wild. This is even more surprising considering that the fish in the game have a lot of uses for Link. Different types of fish from different regions can be cooked into dishes that use the fish’s attributes to make weather resistant food, power-ups, etc. In previous games, there were mini-games that facilitated this pastime but that wasn’t carried over into Breath of the Wild.
Instead, players have to resort to using Link’s bombs, runes, and other creative ways in order to acquire fish. This would be a simple addition for the sequel (simple, as in, there is precedent for it and wouldn’t require new concepts for it to be implemented into the game). A fishing rod could also serve as a new weapon for Link, with durability and all. Imagine Link fishing for enemies.
Underwater Equipment
This would be an enormous undertaking but is definitely not out of the question for Breath of the Wild 2. In some of the previous Legend of Zelda games, Link is able to swim or travel underwater but this isn’t the case for Breath of the Wild. In Ocarina of Time, Link can use iron boots in order to weigh him down and allow for exploration at the bottom of bodies of water. In Majora's Mask, the Zora mask allows Link to swim underwater just like the Zora (complete with an underwater arsenal of weapons). In Breath of the Wild, once Link runs out of stamina, he just drowns (and respawns to the closest bit of land).
Underwater exploration would be a whole new frontier to explore in Breath of the Wild. With Breath of the Wild 2 using the same map as the original 2017 game, underwater sections could prove to be a refreshing change of pace for fans who are used to the original game map (even though Nintendo is bound to significantly alter it for the sequel).
Nintendo is keeping information on the sequel to The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild close to its chest for the time being. With an update on the game being a Nintendo Direct presentation away, it’s possible that some of these fan-favorite Legend of Zelda items will make a return to the newest game whenever it comes out.
A sequel to The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild is currently in development for the Nintendo Switch.