Before you press forward, please be aware that this post and the video above contain plot spoilers for the upcoming Nintendo Switch game The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, so know that before you click play or read further. And not only does the video contain spoilers, but spoilers are actually the point of it, as it talks about how a group of dedicated and smart fans managed to figure out the new game’s backstory thanks to a single frame of video (via Polygon).
In one of Nintendo’s Switch-centric livestream events last weekend, the company showed off some special editions of Breath of the Wild, and how the Special and Master editions come with extras like a parchment map. The map was only shown on screen for a brief moment, but YouTuber Zeltik, noticing that the map contained text written in the franchise’s “Sheikah” language, took a screenshot, and with the help of other fans, translated that text into Japanese, then translated the Japanese text into English.
So now, we have a much better idea about this game’s lore. If you ignored our spoiler warnings before, we’ll give you one last one… OK, this is what the text reads, translated:
“Hylians pass stories of a destined time long past where multiple races lived and worked together in harmony. The Sheikah Tribe’s blue aura breathed through the land and this mutual prosperity continued until a cataclysmic disaster stuck. The Hero and the Princess attempted to seal the terror which became known as the Calamity Ganon. Divine beasts awoke from four directions and deployed a mechanical army which made the King and his people fearful. They fractured Ganon’s power and sealed him, but the Sheikah were banished from the land ever since.”
The Sheikah previously appeared in Ocarina of Time and Skyward Sword, but as the story says, their race has become extinct. The video goes into greater depth, and speculates about what this backstory could mean for the game, so check it out above.
Featured Image: Nintendo