Amnesia was a funny thing. It strips you of all memories, both good and bad. But what it didn't take away from Link was his caring heart. He wasn't a man who had time to deal with or worry about things like memories anyway. All he cared about was doing what was right. But just because Link had no memories, or any interest to reclaim them, didn't mean they wouldn't return to haunt him.
Ever since Link woke up, strange things have been happening around the land. Horrific creatures, not quite monster and not quite human, begin appearing at night to terrorize the denizens of Hyrule. Link, not one to simply let such evils do as they please, decides to investigate into the matter as he travels across the land to find a way to destroy these creatures. It should've been just another job for him, just a problem the people needed solved, just another errand for the incarnation of Hylia's hero.
But as he investigates, he is haunted by his past. Link's mind cannot remember what happened. But his heart did. He still feels what he lost, what he failed to protect, even after one hundred years. That's what draws something toward Link, the very same evil that created the creatures he faces. It follows and watches him from the shadows, taunting him, waiting for him to remember the past he's forgotten, waiting for the pain to resurface, waiting for the time he can no longer carry the weight of it all.
As he journeys on his quest to defeat Ganon and save Princess Zelda, Link must learn to contend with another ancient evil that taints the land, all while facing the ghosts of his forgotten past. But how long can a disgraced hero last in the face of his failures?
Cover art designed by @DaybreakVision on Twitter.
Some themes may be upsetting to some readers. Viewer discretion advised.
Breath of the Wild and its characters are owned by Nintendo.
The legend of the hero, Link, the Goddess reborn, Zelda, and evil reincarnate, Ganon has been ingrained in the history of Hyrule from its very inception. Link, a young boy clad in green, is always destined to vanquish evil and save Hyrule, however, what if Link was betrayed by those he called allies?
Before Hyrule prospered, before Skyloft was created, a hero lived in the land of Hylia, and though his deeds earned him legendary status amongst the peoples of Hylia, there were those who resented the hero. Framed for a crime he did not commit, the young man was cast in chains, forever to be locked away.
That is, until the traitor's plot was uncovered. However, years had passed as the hero rotted away in a murky cellar. Could he truly forgive the people their sins? Could he accept their offer to save them once more from the encroaching armies of darkness? Could he take on that mantle once more and be the hero he had forged himself as?
Or would he leave them to burn...?