Of course, sky islands are nothing new in The Legend of Zelda; on the contrary, BotW2’s new sky features make it seem very similar to Skyward Sword, especially considering the skydiving elements that Nintendo has already teased and the focus on the Master Sword. If the BotW sequel really is some kind of spiritual successor to Skyward Sword, then Nintendo should double down on that angle by including Groose as a major character. Skyward Sword’s Groose went on a unique journey that was gratifying to watch, and he deserves a new incarnation with a similar arc in the next Zelda game.
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Remembering Groose’s Role in Skyward Sword
Link has had his fair share of rivals before. Breath of the Wild even featured such a character; flashbacks showed how the Champion Revali saw himself as greater than Link and constantly egged Link on to compete with him. When it comes to Link’s rivals, however, Groose is perhaps the most memorable. At the outset of Skyward Sword, Groose is presented as an airheaded, self-centered bully who clearly sees himself as an enemy to Link, due to his crush on Zelda and his jealousy over Link’s relationship with her. In the first several hours of the game, he harasses Link in a variety of ways, but once Groose reaches the surface, everything changes.
Groose gets a major reality check when he’s told that his destiny isn’t to save Zelda, as well as when he sees Link defeat the Imprisoned. Although sulkily, Groose accepts his relative inferiority to Link, rather than trying to frame himself as an adversary. After this, however, he transforms. While Link travels the surface world, Groose builds the Groosenator, which proves to be absolutely crucial in defeating the Imprisoned and shows much more cleverness and skill than his introduction suggested he had. He becomes much more humble and sensitive once he sheds his jealousy, he finds the courage to stand in the Demon Lord Ghirahim’s way, and he even rescues Zelda from a lethal fall after Demise awakens.
All in all, Groose manages to become a hero of Skyward Sword in ways that he seemingly never would’ve expected from himself. Not every Zelda game features impactful, detailed character arcs, so Groose’s journey through Skyward Sword definitely stands out as of the strongest arcs that Nintendo’s action-adventure franchise has presented. Fans remain fond of him, so it’s a little surprising that Nintendo hasn’t tried another take at Groose just yet. Breath of the Wild’s sequel could be the perfect time to revive him.
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How Groose Could Appear in Breath of the Wild 2
Reviving characters in new generations of games is a time-honored tradition in Zelda. The eccentric map merchant Tingle has appeared in a variety of Zelda games, as has Beedle, who sells Link items in Breath of the Wild. Groose may admittedly be more difficult to port over into another Zelda game, considering how important he was to Skyward Sword’s plot and his thematic roots in that game, but his charm as an overly confident but well-meaning foil to the quiet, capable Link make him more than worthy of revisiting.
Breath of the Wild’s sequel could reintroduce him in a variety of ways. For instance, rather than being Link’s classmate, Groose might be part of a newly reformed Royal Guard for Hyrule who desperately wants to prove himself to Link and Princess Zelda. His overeagerness could land him in the thick of Ganondorf’s schemes now and again, but eventually, his heroic side could shine through as he strikes a major blow against BotW2’s antagonist after learning to work with Link and Zelda, rather than doing their jobs for them.
Alternatively, Breath of the Wild 2 could present Groose as a persistent if bumbling adversary, not unlike how Skyward Sword uses him at first. Groose could be a member of the hostile Yiga Clan, for instance, pursuing Link around Hyrule but consistently failing to defeat him. Over the course of the game, Groose might get treated with unexpected kindness by Link and Zelda while learning more about the world beyond the Yiga Clan, eventually leading him to join the Sheikah instead and become an ally to Link and Zelda for the rest of the game.
Breath of the Wild 2 and Skyward Sword are Already Linked
There’s no denying the similarities between the upcoming BotW sequel and the high-flying Skyward Sword. Link will seemingly be on a quest to empower the Master Sword once again, and to do so, he’ll have to navigate islands in the sky. There is already quite a bit of evidence that Fi will be in Breath of the Wild 2, thanks to certain dialogue from Zelda and a familiar sound effect in a BotW DLC expansion. If Fi does return after all these years, then it may make sense to invite other Skyward Sword-exclusive characters like Groose back so that she’s not alone.
Fan theories state that Demise may rise again in the sequel, so it would be great to see Groose help Link face his ancient adversary again. Seeing lots of familiar faces from Skyward Sword return would also drive home just how far the franchise has come since Skyward Sword debuted in 2011. Overall, though, Groose earns a place in Breath of the Wild 2 on his own merit. He remains one of the franchise’s most well-rounded and thoroughly developed characters, and thanks to that special position, he ought to reappear. There’s no better place for that to happen than a game that already takes so much inspiration from Skyward Sword.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 releases in spring 2023 for Nintendo Switch.
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