it is unlikely this link is the Hero's shade.
The TP (both original and HD version), OoT (both versions), the absence of the Hero's Tunic, the two recent trailers, and Aonuma confirming the heavy connections to OoT (at E3) and TP (in March 2016) all say otherwise. BotW Link IS OoT Link and is the Hero's Shade. It is HIGHLY likely to be officially confirmed in near future. I can imagine next month they will come out and say that the game is in the Child Timeline before TP and that it's the story that explains why OoT Link becomes the Hero's Shade in TP.
We never knew why OoT Link became the Hero's Shade or why he could not convey the ways of the Hero to his descendants, up until TP. Or why TP sort just got the Hero's Tunic straight out nowhere, without anyone simply handing it to him. Not to mention, why OoT Link's ghost isn't wearing the Hero's Tunic (gee, this sounds familiar) and instead, we he's wearing this strange armor that we never knew anything about, holding an unfamiliar sword, and a unfamiliar shield. There's clearly a lot that we haven't seen before with Hero of Time's life. We never knew how he ended up the way he was before. And this game is clearly meant to fill those blanks. Similar to what SS did with the whole Master Sword backstory. BotW is literally to TP what SS was to OoT.
They are clearly doing the same thing with TP HD and BotW that they did with OoT 3D and SS. Seriously, what part of when Aonuma said there will be "Oh, I see" moments didn't you understand? They literally have done this before with OoT 3D and SS. And now they are doing it again with TP HD and BotW, whether you like it or not. I have done my research. And the only logical possible placement that stands tall at all now is between MM and TP. Deal with it!
I've seen the new trailer.. A bunch of times. Also, if your "proof" is the Deku Tree here's my rebuttal:
he's healed in all three timelines.
Also,
Nintendo Treehouse people don't know about the games.. They just play them..
1) Only the Deku Tree sprout exists alive in the Adult and Downfall Timelines. The Deku Tree sprout is a completely different incarnation of the Deku Tree, same mind but different body. This Deku Tree is the SAME EXACT incarnation as the one who died in OoT, but ALIVE! So this IS the CHILD TIMELINE because of both him and OoT Link are existing together as if OoT never happened. And which timeline was that? Oh, right, the CHILD TIMELINE! So yeah, this has to be the Child Timeline.
2) Um, the Nintendo Treehouse people are the ones who are responsible for the LOCALIZATION of the game for the English language dominate regions. So they've seen, heard, and read enough to know the plot, story, and lore behind the game. That said, yes they DO know that BotW Link IS the Hero of Time. And the Great Deku Tree's words to Link from the recent just even further PROVED that those Nintendo Treehouse girls were NOT just kidding around when they mentioned the HERO OF TIME!
We can't logically say anything is really confirmed at this point. Even with the new trailer, we still know very little about this game overall. I don't see how it was hinted that Link is the same Link from OoT. Perhaps you can tell us exactly what the hints and references are instead of just calling us stupid for not noticing them?
He literally said "The look on your face tells me, that you have no recollection of me however."! If you have ever watched anything where a character has been experiencing some sort of amnesia and a close family member or close friend of the character shows up, you'd know that's one of the kinds of things they usually say to the person who normally should recognize them but doesn't.
So clearly BotW Link did, in fact know this incarnation of the Great Deku Tree before. The ONLY Link we know who knows the Great Deku Tree very well is OoT Link. And based on what has been shown so far of this game and what other games say (as I explained above in response to Deus), he's the ONLY logical candidate we have here who BotW Link could possibly be.
