Okay this isn't really any of the kinds of AU you mentioned in your post, but I did a vague ideas for a sci-fi AU/retelling of BotW
I think it would be interesting to explore a relationship between Link and Revali in that context because the obvious sci-fi equivalent of the Champions' spirits would be some kind of brain-upload/AI copy situation. You could have some interesting themes of identity and consciousness with the contrast between Link (physically the same person he was 100 years ago, but lacking all memories) and AI!Revali (has all of the memories and personality of the original, but physically just a virtual copy of him). They could both be having their own identity crises coming from basically opposite directions, and help each other through it.
It's especially interesting seeing as one of Revali's defining characteristics is pride in his accomplishments. If he believes that they're different people, a huge part of his personal identity and how he thinks of himself just doesn't apply even since even though he's psychologically identical to the original, he didn't achieve any of the OG's accomplishments. At the same time, believing that he's a separate individual would to some extent free him from the guilt of failing against the calamity in the first place since it wasn't "him" who died, so it might be tempting to think of himself like that regardless. You could have some really interesting inner turmoil of pride and guilt and shame and identity.
Also Revali being an AI instead of a ghost has the obvious happy ending of him being transferred to a robot/cyborg body to be with Link instead of passing on to the afterlife or a Deus Ex Machina resurrection like what would happen in pretty much any other version of this story where Revali's dead.
YOOOOOO THANK YOU FOR SENDING SOMETHING!!!!!!!!!!
I actually yelled when I read this because Iâve had an au similar to this for like a few years now floating around in my head but itâs a pre-calamity sci-fi au, basically itâs if totk never happened (bc I came up with this before totk and it would make more sense if it hadnât happened in this universe) and itâs the next Calamity in the cycle- like there was the first calamity 10,000 years before botw, then botw, and now itâs the next calamity 10,000 years after botw ( Iâve been calling it the 10,000 years in the future au)
But in my au I only have the pre-calam worked out and was kinda stuck on what botw would be like in a futuristic hyrule but you seem to have it figured out đ
but itâs not a retelling of botw itâs the next re-sealing of ganon in the cycle, so things would be different, like botw characters are the ancestors of 10,000 yitf Link, Zelda etc
Zelda and sci-fi are like my two favorite things and i jump for joy when people combine them!! The contract between Link and Revali in this au is almost perfect because, like you said, they are opposites in the sense that Linkâs physically the same and Revali is mentally the same but they are each lacking what the other has ( links memories and revalis âbodyâ in a way) but itâs cool to think about what you said about AI!Revali being a virtual copy is a good and bad thing for him, good in the sense that itâs wasnât âhimâ who died and failed, but bad because it wasnât âhimâ who accomplished greatness either. But itâs funny to think how itâs once again sort of the opposite for Link, because since he still exists physically it was âhimâ that died in the end and ultimately âfailedâ hyrule.
Itâs good for the two of them because they sort of meet halfway and would be able help and learn from one another. AI!Revali makes me giggle so much because imagine how insufferable he would be like- âintelligence is in the nameâ and of course he would be put into some sort of body at the end that is a must âď¸âď¸
Thanks again for sending this it was so fun to think aboutttt and I would love love love to hear more about it
Maybe Iâll draw something for this later if thatâs ok with you bc sci-fi loz has been running rampant in my head for YEARS
