Fans create a stylish animated short for Zelda’s Breath of the Wild

Back when the Nintendo Switch launched on March 3, 2017, it did so beside the flagship title, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, for the family-friendly portable gaming console. Unlike past iterations of the beloved, dungeon-crawling action RPG series, Breath of the Wild provided fans with a Zelda experience unlike any other, by expanding the Kingdom of Hyrule for as far as the eye could see. Suddenly, players felt as if they were transported into a universe on par with Bethesda's The Elder Scrolls series, an exploratory swords and sorcery role-playing game known for offering players an absurd amount of freedom within its vast framework. As word of Breath of the Wild's quality reached the masses, gamers flocked to the latest adventure starring Nintendo's iconic Link and Princess Zelda characters. Before long the game had inspired a raft of fan-related art, fan-fiction stories, remixes of the game's rapturous score, and for a time, there were even rumors that Netflix was lining up a deal to partner with Nintendo for a Legend of Zelda animated series. Alas, it wasn't long before the rumor began to circulate that Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata denied that any such project was in-the-works.

"As of now, I have nothing new to share with you in regard to the use of our IPs for any TV shows or films, but I can at least confirm that the article in question is not based on correct information," Iwata said.

Be that as it may, what would you say if I told you that because Nintendo hasn't licensed an official The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild animation, fans are able to do as they please with the fan-favorite property? That's sound pretty sweet, doesn't it? Well, guess what? A Breath of the Wild animated short film has recently surfaced on YouTube, complete with slick animation, inspired artwork, and a mighty fine action sequence.

You can watch the short for yourself below:

The short was made by Youyang Kong, who also credits Qianya Yin as someone who helped bring the animation to life. Providing music for the clip is Sihan Yuan, with sound design arranged by Doudou. In the clip, we find Link and a frightened Kurok creature locked in a heated battle with a Guardian, one of the game's more violent enemies. During the scuffle, Link is killed after being knocked to the ground and blasted with a powerful lazer. Before long, the fallen hero is visited by a fairy, who grants Link another chance at life, which he then uses to fell the mighty mechanical beast.

While the clip is short, perhaps it will give those who've been itching for a proper Zelda animation some semblance of relief. Personally, this short just makes me want a Legend of Zelda animated series that much more. Hell, get the people who made Netflix's CASTLEVANIA to do it. That show is flippin' awesome, after all.

Do you still want a proper Legend of Zelda animated or live-action series? Did you enjoy this animated short film? Let us know in the comments section below.