Walkthrough

    
                               

This walkthrough covers the main quest of Breath of the Wild: the Great Plateau, the four Divine Beasts, the Master Sword, Link's lost memories and the final battle at Hyrule Castle. Once you leave the Great Plateau, you can tackle everything else in any order, or head straight for Calamity Ganon if you're brave enough. For the locations of every shrine, Korok seed and tower, see our interactive map and the Shrines page.

A few basics before you start:

  • Towers: climb each region's Sheikah Tower and activate it to fill in that part of your map. Towers and shrines are also fast-travel points.
  • Shrines and Spirit Orbs: each shrine gives a Spirit Orb. Trade four at any Goddess Statue for a Heart Container or a Stamina Vessel.
  • Weapons break: weapons, bows and shields wear out with use, so pick up everything and don't get attached.
  • Weather and temperature: cold, heat and lightning are all dangers. Wear the right clothing or eat the right food before you travel.

1. The Great Plateau

  1. Link wakes in the Shrine of Resurrection. Take the Sheikah Slate from the pedestal, open the chests for some clothes, and step out onto the Great Plateau.
  2. Follow the path to the old man by his campfire, then place the Sheikah Slate in the pedestal of the nearby tower. The Great Plateau Tower rises out of the ground, and you see Calamity Ganon circling Hyrule Castle.
  3. The old man offers you his paraglider in exchange for the treasure inside the plateau's shrines. Clear all four. Each one gives you a new rune for the Sheikah Slate:
    • Oman Au Shrine (Magnesis Trial): Magnesis lifts and moves metal objects.
    • Ja Baij Shrine (Bomb Trial): Remote Bombs, round and square, which you can set off whenever you like.
    • Owa Daim Shrine (Stasis Trial): Stasis freezes an object in time. Hit it while frozen to build up force.
    • Keh Namut Shrine (Cryonis Trial): Cryonis raises pillars of ice from water. Keh Namut is up in the cold, so cook warming food or find warm clothing first.
  4. With all four shrines done, meet the old man at the Temple of Time. He reveals that he's the spirit of the late King of Hyrule, and gives you the Paraglider. Glide off the plateau to begin your journey.

2. Impa and Hateno Village

  1. The king asks you to find Impa in Kakariko Village, east past the Dueling Peaks. She tells you that the four Divine Beasts must be freed from Ganon before you face him, and gives you the main quests to do so.
  2. Impa also sends you to Hateno Village to see Purah at the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab. Carry the blue flame from the village's furnace to light the lab's lantern, and Purah restores more of the Sheikah Slate, including the camera. This unlocks the hunt for Link's memories (see chapter 8).
  3. From here, take on the four Divine Beasts in any order. Each one has five terminals to activate, and is guarded by a "Blight Ganon". Freeing a beast earns you a Heart Container and its Champion's power, and weakens Calamity Ganon for the final battle.

3. Divine Beast Vah Ruta (Zora's Domain)

  1. Travel to Zora's Domain in Lanayru, where Vah Ruta is flooding the region with endless rain. Prince Sidon meets you on the way. The Zora ask you to stop the beast with Shock Arrows, the one thing that can harm it, and King Dorephan gives you the Zora Armor, which lets you swim up waterfalls.
  2. Ride on Sidon's back across the reservoir and shoot Shock Arrows at the glowing orbs on Vah Ruta to stop it.
  3. Inside, the dungeon map lets you raise and lower Vah Ruta's trunk, which pours water into different parts of the beast and turns its water wheels. Use this, along with Magnesis, Cryonis and Stasis, to reach and activate all five terminals.
  4. Activate the main control unit to face Waterblight Ganon. Its eye is its weak spot, and it's weak to Shock Arrows. In the first phase it attacks with a spear; dodge or perfect-guard to create openings. At half health the room floods, leaving you on four small platforms. Smash the ice blocks it throws with Cryonis, and keep shooting the eye.
  5. Reward: a Heart Container and Mipha's Grace, which revives you automatically when you fall in battle and then recharges.

4. Divine Beast Vah Medoh (Rito Village)

  1. Head to Rito Village in Tabantha. It's cold, so buy warm clothing in the village. Vah Medoh circles high above the village, protected by cannons. The warrior Teba takes you to the Flight Range to test your archery and gliding.
  2. Ride with Teba to Vah Medoh and destroy the cannons on its back with Bomb Arrows to let you land.
  3. Inside, the dungeon map lets you tilt Vah Medoh's wings. Tilting them slides the platforms and lets you glide on the wind to reach all five terminals.
  4. Windblight Ganon fights mostly from a distance with its arm cannon and tornadoes. Ride the updrafts and shoot its eye with arrows; two hits to the eye stun it. At half health it summons drones that make its attacks harder to avoid.
  5. Reward: a Heart Container and Revali's Gale, which lifts you high into the air on an updraft whenever you need one.

5. Divine Beast Vah Rudania (Death Mountain)

  1. Go to Goron City on Death Mountain. The heat is deadly: you need fireproof gear or Fireproof Elixirs to go near the volcano without catching fire. Boss Bludo sends you with the young Goron Yunobo, who helps you reach the beast using the cannons.
  2. Inside, the dungeon map lets you tilt Vah Rudania onto its side, which turns walls into floors. Use this, along with fire to burn through vines and bars, to reach all five terminals. Some parts of the beast are outside in the heat, so keep your fire protection.
  3. Fireblight Ganon swings a huge sword and throws fire. Its eye is its weak point; Ice Arrows work well. At half health it surrounds itself with a shield. Let a bomb drift into the shield and set it off to break the shield and stun it.
  4. Reward: a Heart Container and Daruk's Protection, a shield that blocks attacks for you.

6. Divine Beast Vah Naboris (Gerudo Desert)

  1. Only women are allowed into Gerudo Town, so Link needs a disguise. Buy the Gerudo outfit from Vilia in Kara Kara Bazaar to get in, then meet the young chief, Riju.
  2. Riju needs the Thunder Helm, which has been stolen by the Yiga Clan. Infiltrate the Yiga Clan Hideout in the Gerudo Highlands and defeat their leader, Master Kohga, to get it back.
  3. Riju rides with you into the sandstorm around Vah Naboris and protects you from its lightning with the Thunder Helm. Shoot the glowing parts of its legs with Bomb Arrows to stop it.
  4. Inside, the dungeon map lets you rotate the beast's three sections. Turning them lines up the electrical connections, which power the doors and lifts on the way to all five terminals.
  5. Thunderblight Ganon is fast, teleporting in and slashing. Time your dodges to trigger a Flurry Rush, or break its shield and stun it. At half health it electrifies its weapon and drives metal spikes into the floor that conduct its lightning; move them away with Magnesis. Shock-resistant gear or food helps.
  6. Reward: a Heart Container and Urbosa's Fury, a powerful lightning strike.

7. The Master Sword

  1. The Master Sword rests in Korok Forest, deep in the Lost Woods north of the Woodland Tower. The fog in the Lost Woods sends you back to the start if you wander off the path. Follow the torches and watch which way their embers blow.
  2. In Korok Forest, the Great Deku Tree guards the sword. You need 13 full heart containers to pull it out; temporary hearts from food don't count. If you aren't strong enough yet, the first attempt is safe, but don't keep trying.
  3. The Master Sword is twice as strong against Ganon and his corrupted creatures. Instead of breaking, it runs out of power and recharges after a while.

8. Captured Memories

Once Purah restores the Sheikah Slate's camera, its album holds 12 pictures Princess Zelda took 100 years ago. Impa asks you to visit the places in the pictures; standing at each spot recovers a memory. Recover one and Impa gives you the Champion's Tunic. Pikango, a painter you meet in Kakariko and later at the stables, gives hints if you're stuck. The memories can be recovered in any order:

  1. Lake Kolomo, on its western shore.
  2. Sacred Ground Ruins, south of Hyrule Castle Town.
  3. The Ancient Columns, near Tena Ko'sah Shrine in Tabantha.
  4. Kara Kara Bazaar, by the oasis in the Gerudo Desert.
  5. Eldin Canyon, in the mountains near the Woodland Tower.
  6. Irch Plain, by a lone tree between the Ridgeland Tower and the Great Hyrule Forest.
  7. West Necluda, on a hill near Lake Hylia and the Bridge of Hylia.
  8. Hyrule Castle, inside the castle grounds.
  9. The Spring of Power, in Akkala.
  10. Sanidin Park Ruins, by the horse statue.
  11. Lanayru Road (East Gate), on the side of Mount Lanayru.
  12. Hyrule Field, by the Hylia River northeast of the Bottomless Swamp.

After all 12, Impa's painting reveals a 13th memory, in Ash Swamp near the Dueling Peaks. Recovering every memory unlocks a slightly different ending.

9. Hyrule Castle and Calamity Ganon

  1. Hyrule Castle is heavily guarded by Guardians and Lynels, but you can find your way in from several directions. If you haven't freed a Divine Beast, you'll fight its Blight Ganon again on the way.
  2. Calamity Ganon: each freed Divine Beast fires on Ganon at the start of the fight, taking away an eighth of his health; free all four and he starts at half. Dodge his attacks to trigger Flurry Rushes. Later he raises a shield and fires lasers; perfect-guard the lasers back at him to stun him and break through.
  3. Dark Beast Ganon: on Hyrule Field, Zelda gives you the Bow of Light. Ride your horse alongside the beast and shoot the glowing weak points on its sides and belly with Light Arrows. Then leap off your horse and shoot the eye on its forehead in slow motion to finish it.

Congratulations, you've finished Breath of the Wild! When you next load your game, you return to just before the final battle, with a star marking your cleared file.