The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has Link receive help from some old allies in a way that's incredibly similar to the Sages in Ocarina of Time. It isn't unusual for Link to have some form of help from others during his journey to save Hyrule, or another land depending on the game. However, Ocarina of Time's Sages offer Link aid in a more memorable manner and feel more present throughout the game than their BOTW equivalents.
Breath of the Wild has Link receive help from the memories and ghosts of some former friends who became Champions to try fighting off Calamity Ganon, making them similar in purpose to the Seven Sages in Ocarina of Time. The Champions in BOTW's Divine Beasts give Link abilities such as Mipha's Grace, which revives Link once every 24 hours within the game if his heart containers are emptied. In terms of mechanics, Champions in BOTW can seem like a mix of OOT's Sages and Great Fairies.
Breath Of The Wild's Champions Feel Distant
The Seven Sages in Ocarina of Time have a stronger presence in the game, and part of what keeps the Champions in BOTW from mimicking that feeling is the one-hundred-year time-lapse in the story. By the time players meet the Champions, they're dead, living on through the abilities Link gains after cleansing Divine Beasts and in his memories. Even Link's romantic feelings for Mipha in BOTW fall flat when interacting with her only in memories.
Ocarina Of Time's Sages Set The Example For Tears Of The Kingdom To Follow
Almost all the Sages in Ocarina of Time are characters that Link knew as a child, whether they were a friend or otherwise, such as Impa who Link knew as Princess Zelda's guard. Link has more direct interactions with the Sages while they're alive, and before they awaken to fulfill their duty to help seal Ganondorf, such as Princess Ruto who Link rescues as a child, or Darunia who becomes Link's sworn brother. If Tears of the Kingdom uses a new version of the Sages in its game, then they need to be more present throughout the story, like the Sages of OOT rather than another set of Champions from BOTW.
There are plenty of elements introduced in Zelda: BOTW, like the biggest map size of the series, that makes it an expansive world for players to immerse themselves in, but there's room for improvement for its sequel. The Champions are useful in terms of mechanics, but they feel lackluster in the story, especially compared to OOT's Sages who have a stronger presence throughout the game. For a more impactful set of Champions, Nintendo would have needed to look at Ocarina of Time and use characters who are alive and active during the time in which the player takes the role of Link in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Source: Nintendo of America/YouTube