The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild completely remade the Zelda formula, and most of the changes were for the better. However, replacing the traditional dungeon design with Divine Beasts was a net loss for the series, and the Zelda team should consider going back to the old standard in Breath of the Wild 2.

Early signs indicate that Breath of the Wild 2 will feature the same Hyrule as its’ predecessor, at least in part. Even though the first installment didn’t have dungeons, this vast and expansive Hyrule has several locations that could be easily expanded to incorporate traditional dungeons.

Breath of the Wild 2: Possible Dungeon Locations

1. Forgotten Temple

Breath of the Wild’s Forgotten Temple is one of the most intriguing hidden secrets located within Hyrule. A long-forgotten structure, the temple resides within the Woodland Tower region at the end of a long, deep canyon. As the name suggests, the temple is long forgotten to the people of Hyrule, as it’s clear that nobody has stepped foot in the temple in countless years.

However, there was clearly something about this temple that made the Sheikah want to guard it. When entering the temple, Link is greeted by an army of decayed guardians – too many to possibly fight off. The only hope of making it to the end is riding the wind currents, and the slightest delay will almost certainly send Link to his death. If the player makes it to the end of the temple, they’re greeted by what is easily the largest Goddess statue in the game, as well as the Rona Kachta shrine.

The Forgotten Temple deserves a dungeon of its own in Breath of the Wild 2. Considering the size of the Goddess Statue as well as the abundance of Guardians, it’s obvious that this temple used to mean a lot to the residents of Hyrule. What purpose did this temple serve, and what happened to make everyone forget it?

2. Zonai Ruins

Breath of the Wild introduced a wide variety of lore to the Zelda series, but perhaps none is more open for interpretation than the Zonai. Like the Sheikah, the Zonai were an ancient tribe that once occupied Hyrule. However, unlike the Sheikah, the origins and history of the Zonai are a complete mystery. This mysterious tribe is never referred to before Breath of the Wild, and the only true evidence of their existence is the Zonai Ruins in the Faron Region.

Adding a dungeon to the Zonai Ruins is an absolute no-brainer. The Zelda put an absurd amount of work into Breath of the Wild’s world-building, and they wouldn’t have included the Zonai if they didn’t come up with a backstory for the mystifying tribe. Expanding upon the existing ruins would be a great way to further explore who the Zonai are while naturally incorporating a new dungeon into a familiar Hyrule.

3. Lake Hylia

Lake Hylia is one of the most iconic landmarks throughout the Zelda series. While it isn’t present in every game, the famous Lake typically plays a large role in the story when present. However, Breath of the Wild bucked that trend. Outside of the typical assortment of hidden chests and Korok seeds, Lake Hylia didn’t serve much of a purpose in the Link’s journey to defeat Calamity Ganon.

The developers have a chance to fix this in Breath of the Wild 2. Whether it’s by introducing an underwater swimming mechanic or simply having a temple emerge from the depths, Lake Hylia needs to play a bigger role in the upcoming release. The inevitable Water Temple might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but Lake Hylia simply cannot be overlooked for the second straight game.

4. Hyrule Castle Tunnels

Back in June of 2019, Nintendo dropped the first trailer for Breath of the Wild 2. In it, Link and Zelda appear to be traveling through a tunnel system underneath Hyrule Castle. At the end of the trailer, they run into a dark figure (presumably Ganondorf) that lifts Hyrule Castle straight into the sky. This presumably leaves our heroes trapped in the tunnels and needing a way out. This would be a great introductory dungeon that could also incorporate whatever happened to Link’s hand in the trailer.

5. Satori Mountain

Satori Mountain is one of the most spiritual locations in the original Breath of the Wild. If Link arrives at the right time, he can find the Lord of the Mountain, a spirit that watches over the forest animals. A deeper dive into the lore implies that the mountain sage, Satori, died on this mountain, and his spirit took the form of the mythical beast.

This is another example of Breath of the Wild doing a fantastic job at setting up lore for the sequel. Placing some type of spirit temple in this mountain, possibly with the Lord of the Mountain as your guide, makes all the sense in the world. Link obviously has a close connection with the sages, and the fact that you could interact with and even ride the Lord of the Mountain implies that this spirit would help you, under the right circumstances.

6. Mekar Island

Breath of the Wild has secrets around just about every corner. Whether it’s Korok seeds, sidequests, or even finding treasure chests, it’s rare to find a terrain that truly serves no purpose. Mekar Island is the exception to the rule, however, as the tiny archipelago doesn’t possess any of the aforementioned rewards. Aside from a campfire and nightly Stal enemies, this island serves no aid in Link’s quest to save the Kingdom of Hyrule.

Mekar Island is obviously a reference to Makar, the wind sage from The Wind Waker. However, the locale on the island seems to reference the first-ever Zelda dungeon in the 1986 classic. It’s hard to imagine that the developers would reference two heavy staples to the Zelda series without planning something for the island. Creating a Wind Temple with level inspiration from the original Zelda could be an interesting way to modify the dungeon formula.

7. Mount Agaat

Breath of the Wild gives unmatched freedom to the player, as the climbing mechanic allows Link to traverse every possible spot on the map…with one exception. Mount Agaat stands at the border of the Gerudo Highlands and the Risoka Snowfield. Despite being a named location on the map and being able to partially see the summit, Link cannot make it to the very top of the mountain.

This marks the only mapped location you cannot reach, which naturally creates a sense of curiosity. In a game designed around freedom of exploration, why can the player not make it to the summit? Are the developers intentionally hiding something for the sequel? Only time will tell for sure, but it’s hard to imagine Zelda team creating a location that you couldn’t get to at some point.

8. Lost Woods

The Lost Woods always carry a sense of mystery and intrigue, and Breath of the Wild was no exception. In the latest installment of the mainline Zelda series, Link must follow a specific path through the Lost Woods in order to make it to the Great Deku Tree. If he veers off this course, a wave of fog engulfs him and forces him to start over.

Breath of the Wild 2 has a chance to not only expand on the Korok Forest, but on the Lost Woods themselves. Perhaps, like in Ocarina of Time, Ganon infiltrates the Great Deku Tree and Link needs to rescue the massive sapling from the inside. Or, perhaps we can see what is in the hidden fog within the Lost Woods. Either way, there is tons of potential for this location in the sequel.

9. Eighth Heroine

Breath of the Wild excels in passive storytelling, and the Eighth Heroine sidequest is no exception. In the Gerudo Desert, Link can find seven massive statues that unlock a hidden shrine. However, for reasons never fully explained, an eighth heroine statue exists deep within the Risoka Snowfield. The other seven statues form a near-complete circle, and the eighth would have completed the shape. However, something happened where someone or something felt the need to completely isolate the eighth heroine from the rest of the group. Whether the new dungeon lies in the Risoka Snowfield or the Gerudo Desert, this is a story that deserves more explanation.

10. Leviathans

This might be cheating, as there are three separate Leviathan locations in Breath of the Wild. These massive skeletons are found throughout some of the most obscure terrains in Hyrule, and naturally leave the player wondering what happened to these massive beasts. The fact that only the skeletons remain implies that these Leviathans have not been alive in quite some time, but the manner in which they died and when they lived is a complete mystery.

The Leviathan in the Hebra Region, buried deep within a cave and with a shrine in the center, implies that these beasts died before the Sheika could even build the shrines. These beasts share a similar look to Stallord from Twilight Princess, and bringing them back in a similar nature could be a great final boss for a dungeon.