The Major Plot Point BOTW Totally Missed Out On

Sure, Breath of the Wild is a great game. But aside from the looming overworld and heartfelt Champions, the story is lacking in a huge plot point central to most other Zelda games: the Triforce.

What Is the Triforce?

The Triforce is essentially what keeps Link, Zelda, and Ganon bound to each other by destiny. As its name suggests, the Triforce has three elements: Courage (Link), Wisdom (Zelda), and Power (Ganon). Many Zelda games such as Skyward Sword, Zelda I, and even Wind Waker deal with retrieving and assembling these three pieces. Once they are all assembled, big things can happen. Like, you know, granting whatever wish that comes to your mind, or sending a sonic boom across Hyrule. In other words, the Triforce is the center of The Legend of Zelda.

Power, wisdom, and courage are all important virtues of life and in-game that need to keep each other in balance. Ganon is most of the time after all three pieces so he can reap his deeply desired destruction of Hyrule, but in Breath of the Wild, he’s not seeking anything of this. As far as we’re concerned, he just wants to destroy Hyrule because he wants to. Link and Zelda aren’t doing anything to protect it, either, like they did in Ocarina of Time and Wind Waker. This means the Triforce is basically in the dark for the entirety of BOTW, and in the process, this absence is separating the game from Zelda‘s essence.

BOTW Basically Mocked the Triforce

Spoiler alert! Spoilers for BOTW’s main storyline below.

If you haven’t noticed already, the three Springs of Hyrule where Zelda once prayed for her sealing powers are huge disappointments. They seem like big deals at first, being the homes of the three omnipotent dragons and giant Hylia statues. That is, until you realize they’re just resting places for more hidden shrines. The springs basically hold no other purpose without the shrines. They have no greater significance in BOTW’s main story, really.

If you look at it this way, Breath of the Wild basically mocked the Triforce. Such important places that should have been important places are just taken up by more shrines. Zelda’s sealing power also didn’t awaken when she laboriously prayed in these springs, meaning that they weren’t strong enough to unlock the power. The springs were a waste both in the story before and during BOTW.

How BOTW 2 Can Add the Triforce Back

Spoiler alert! Spoilers for Breath of the Wild 2‘s trailer below.

With the mummified corpse’s close resemblance to Demise, the first Ganondorf who started the whole reincarnation cycle, it’s safe to assume BOTW 2 may add the Triforce back. The darker, more mysterious sequel may even bare Link, Zelda, and Ganon’s relations down to what binds them to each other. This game may even end the cycle so we can see villains other than Ganon starring in future Zelda games. Perhaps this corpse will explain why Ganon destroyed Hyrule in the first game, either in a hunt for the Triforce or another reason. Hopefully this new, sealing power-less Zelda will investigate the depths of the Triforce’s mysteries with Link by her side and a creepy new foe to face.