Many entries inThe Legend of Zeldaaren’t just defined by Link as a protagonist, but by some form of companion that travels with him.Twilight Princesshas Midna,Skyward Swordhas Fi,Ocarina of Timehas Navi, and so on.The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildis a little different. Aside from brief moments where he teams up with other characters or has flashbacks to his time with Zelda and the Champions, Link is pretty much always on his own. He doesn’t even have his trusty horse Epona; players gather their own horses from the wilderness. In that way,The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildcan be lonely.
Next year’sBreath of the Wildsequel should consider changing that, as Link deserves a friend at his side throughout the game. Since it seems like Link won’t meet many new characters in the sequel, and he might get separated from Zelda again, maybe a non-sentient companion is in order. Based on the first game’s version of Hyrule, Nintendo should consider giving Link a dog inBreath of the Wild 2.Link has never teamed up with a dog in the long-term before, butBreath of the Wildhas alreadybroken a lot ofZeldaprecedents.
RELATED:Predicting What the Rumored Game Awards Legend of Zelda Announcement Could Be
A Pet Dog Would Fit Breath of the Wild 2
Breath of the Wild’s context offers some valuable reasons Link should get a dog in the next game. For one, a dog would be an excellent new character to add toBreath of the Wild 2that doesn’t mess with the first game’s continuity. Although the sequel clearly has a different villain in mind, being set inthe Hyrule of the first gameit’ll likely feature many of the same NPCs. Since Link has explored Hyrule so thoroughly already, it’ll be hard for Nintendo to justify adding new characters. A dog that Link befriends could bring all the charm and personality of a new character without needing a complicated backstory.
The aforementioned lack of Epona is another reason a dog could be of value inBreath of the Wild 2.ManyZeldafans lamented that Epona didn’t make an appearance inBotW; unless players summonEpona using an amiibo. It seems likelyBotW2will reuse the first game’s horse taming system, meaning there’s no room for Epona.BotW2also probably won’t bringSkyward Sword’s Loftwings back, since they haven’t appeared in many thousands of years, which means Link is short on animal companions to have a real relationship with. A pet dog could bypass both horse taming and Loftwing lore issues to present a lovable new animal companion.
Beyond all that, fans really want to pet the dogs. WhenBreath of the Wildcame out, lots of players enjoyed the fact that dogs could take a liking to Link and find items for him, but lamented that dog interaction didn’t go any further.Link should be able to pet dogsin stables and towns, but he should also have his own dog that he can feed and play with. Hyrule is a vast place full of empty stretches of land, but it’d feel a lot less empty with a loyal dog at Link’s side.
RELATED:Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 - Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf Should All Be Playable
A Dog’s Potential Contributions to The Legend of Zelda
The mechanical applications of a dog inBreath of the Wildare obvious. For one thing, a dog could be a great help in combat, much likethe iconic Dogmeat inFallout.Link’s new dog could be largely invincible but reliant on Link for guidance, attacking whomever he attacks or responding to certain commands. A dog could also share certain meals with Link, benefitting from a boost to damage, speed, or stealth provided by whatever Link eats. A dog could pin down some ofBreath of the Wild 2’s enemies for Link, freeing up his attention to fight other enemies or giving Link new opportunities to score a killing blow.
Exploration could also be a lot richer inBreath of the Wild 2thanks to a dog. For instance, certain puzzles could be designed with a dog in mind; Link could command his sidekick to stand on pressure plates, push small objects into place, retrieve items, and so on. Certain segments could even see players take direct control of Link’s dog in order to explore places where Link won’t fit. As forBreath of the Wild’s sky islandsor other sections of the game where Link’s dog can’t go, it could find a place to wait until Link is on solid ground again.
Link’s New Best Friend
Interacting with a dog to such an extent would undoubtedly be a huge change of pace forThe Legend of Zelda,but theBreath of the Wildgames are already such a major shift that a dog following Link around wouldn’t be that strange. If anything, it only seems natural that someone else would explore alongside Link.If Link isn’t traveling with Zeldalike fans hope, then Nintendo would be wise to give Link a friendly dog as an ally who helps him along the way.
Breath of the Wild 2remains a mystery in spite of how long it’s been public knowledge.Nintendo seems very reticent to reveal informationso far, instead assemblinh the game behind closed doors potentially leading up to a major reveal in 2022. It’s hard to remain patient for aBreath of the Wild 2Nintendo Direct, but the wait will also make upcoming reveals and surprises more satisfying. For now, everything still seems possible - including a dog companion for Link.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2releases in 2022 for Nintendo Switch.
MORE:Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 Should Turn the Champions' Heirs Into Skyrim-Style Followers
