The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is a remaster of the 2011 original action-adventure game. Now that it has recently released on the Nintendo Switch, fans are getting to experience it again - or for the very first time. Set as the first game in the mainline series' timeline, Skyward Sword has a lot of repercussions for later entries, and this could have an impact on the upcoming Breath of the Wild 2 as well.
Skyward Sword’s rerelease during 2021 is exciting to many fans who are celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Legend of Zelda series. In addition to upgraded visuals, Skyward Sword HD improves on many features from the original. There are various quality-of-life updates, including advanced motion controls or the ability to use button controls, refined tutorials, and greater fluidity throughout the story.
In addition to The Legend of Zelda’s anniversary, there are other reasons why Skyward Sword’s release in 2021 is timely. Skyward Sword is the first game in the official Legend of Zelda timeline. BOTW is the best-selling game of the series, and BOTW2 is likely to have many people playing it as well. The release of the first game in the timeline prior to BOTW2 can prepare those for the upcoming sequel, especially when there are many elements from that game that may make a reappearance.
Skyward Sword May Foreshadow What Is To Come In BOTW2
Skyward Sword explains origins of some of the most important elements of the Legend of Zelda series that newer fans may have missed in BOTW, due in part to that game's intentionally ambiguous story. Skyward Sword explains in depth the Golden Goddesses’ relic, the Triforce, and how the goddess Hylia was tasked with protecting it. Hylia protected the Triforce from the evil Demise, whose plan was to own the world the goddesses had created. In Skyward Sword, Link uses the Master Sword- which also made an appearance in BOTW- to seal away Demise with the guidance of the reincarnated goddess Hylia, Zelda.
As seen throughout the series, Demise/Ganon, the goddess Hylia/Zelda, and the goddess’s chosen hero Link are reincarnated repeatedly to continue their battle over the power of the Golden Goddesses. BOTW discusses specifically one cycle occurring 10,000 years prior to the events of that game. The first teaser for BOTW2 shows Zelda, Link, and a version of Ganon that seems to awaken from his seal underground. This snippet alludes to an impending battle between the incarnations of the three characters much like in Skyward Sword. There is even speculation that BOTW2’s version of Ganon is Demise himself.
In addition to character and item lore, there are other clues that BOTW2 will build off of what Skyward Sword has established. The Nintendo E3 2021 teaser for BOTW2 showed sky islands and a skydiving scene that are undeniably reminiscent of Skyward Sword. Some have even speculated that the sky island first shown in the teaser is Skyloft, which is home to Link and Zelda at the beginning of Skyward Sword. If this is true, it is possible that BOTW2 will bring Link back to the skies to seal evil away once and for all. In this way, BOTW2 could effectively bring the timeline started by Skyward Sword to a final conclusion. Regardless of BOTW2’s story details, Skyward Sword HD is a must-play for new and veteran fans of the series in preparation of the upcoming Breath of the Wild sequel.