99 Fun Facts About Breath of the Wild

Breath of the Wild went on sale the same day as which Nintendo console?

Switch: first planned as a 2015 Wii U game, it slipped twice and ended up launching on both consoles in March 2017, the very day Nintendo's new machine went on sale.

Breath of the Wild's designers first tested their ideas in a 2D prototype styled after which 8-bit game?

The Legend of Zelda: in a mock-up drawn like the NES original, a pixel Link chopped down a tree to cross a river and set a forest ablaze, proving the ideas before anything was built in 3D.

How long had Link been asleep when Breath of the Wild begins?

100 years: gravely wounded in the Great Calamity, Link was placed in a healing sleep that saved his life but wiped his memory, so he wakes a stranger to his own story.

Breath of the Wild opens with Link inside which chamber on the Great Plateau?

Shrine of Resurrection: the healing chamber keeps a second secret, as the Champions' Ballad expansion sends Link back to find a whole Divine Beast hidden beneath it.

Which Champion was the Zora princess who piloted Vah Ruta?

Mipha made Link a suit of Zora Armor, the gift a Zora princess traditionally crafts for the man she hopes to marry; her father hands it over long after her death.

Which Sheikah Slate rune stores the force of Link's blows in an object, then releases it all at once?

Stasis locks an object in time while every hit adds stored energy, so a few hammer blows send a boulder, or a shrine's giant orb, flying once time resumes.

In Breath of the Wild, who has watched over the Master Sword while it waits for Link's return?

The Great Deku Tree took in the blade when Zelda brought it to his forest after Link fell, and he has kept watch over its pedestal ever since.

Breath of the Wild was the first mainline Zelda game to feature what in its cutscenes?

Voice acting came to the cutscenes but not to Link: the producer feared that if Link said something players disagreed with, their bond with him would be lost.

What is the vast underground region added in Tears of the Kingdom called?

The Depths mirror the surface: each lightroot sits directly beneath a shrine and bears that shrine's name spelled backwards, so players find them by diving under shrines.

In Breath of the Wild, which Zora prince asks Link to help stop the endless rain over his domain?

Sidon carries Link on his back around the reservoir so Link can hit the Divine Beast with shock arrows, which the Zora themselves cannot safely handle.

In Breath of the Wild, what happens when a Blood Moon rises at midnight?

Slain monsters return to life under a Blood Moon, and one hidden shrine rises only if Link stands on its pedestal that night wearing no clothes or gear at all.

How many Korok seeds are hidden across Hyrule in Breath of the Wild?

900 seeds, each the prize for a tiny puzzle: lift a lone rock on a hilltop, complete a circle of stones or pop a hidden balloon, and a Korok appears to hand one over.

In Breath of the Wild, what does the Old Man give Link so he can leave the Great Plateau?

The paraglider is the Old Man's price for the orbs from all four plateau shrines, and he hands it over on the roof of the ruined Temple of Time after revealing who he really is.

Unlike in earlier Zelda games, what happens to weapons and shields as Link uses them?

They degrade and eventually shatter, with one exception: the Master Sword never breaks, yet even it runs out of energy and must rest before Link can swing it again.

Breath of the Wild's director previously directed which Zelda?

Skyward Sword left some fans complaining that it was too linear, and the same director's next Zelda answered them with a world players can explore in any order.

Who produced Breath of the Wild?

Eiji Aonuma won his Nintendo job with the mechanical wooden dolls he had built at art college, which Shigeru Miyamoto loved when he saw them at the interview.

In Breath of the Wild, the Old Man on the Great Plateau turns out to be the spirit of whom?

King Rhoam was Hyrule's last king and Zelda's father, killed when Ganon turned the kingdom's own Guardians against it; his spirit lingers to tell Link what happened.

In Breath of the Wild, the Divine Beast Vah Rudania keeps which mountain erupting?

Death Mountain rains magma bombs while the beast stomps around its summit, which has shut the Gorons out of their mines; they keep driving it off with cannon fire, but it always comes back.

In Breath of the Wild, the Divine Beast Vah Medoh is built in the shape of which animal?

An eagle in shape, Vah Medoh fires on anything that flies near it, so the Rito warrior Teba carries Link up on his back to blast its cannons with bomb arrows.

In Breath of the Wild, what does pulling the Master Sword drain from Link?

His hearts drain away as he pulls, and the sword only comes free if Link has 13 full heart containers; the bonus hearts from food do not count.

Which other category did Breath of the Wild win at the 2017 ceremony where it took the top prize?

Best Game Direction went to Breath of the Wild at The Game Awards, but its celebrated painterly look lost the art direction prize to the hand-drawn cartoon Cuphead.

What was Breath of the Wild's first DLC pack, released in June 2017, called?

The Master Trials sent Link into the Trial of the Sword, a survival gauntlet he enters stripped of every weapon, meal and piece of armor; clearing it wakes the Master Sword's full power.

Completing The Champions' Ballad DLC rewards Link with which vehicle?

Master Cycle Zero is a motorcycle that Link summons with a rune, his prize for beating the monk Maz Koshia at the end of the expansion's quest line.

Which studio, best known for Dynasty Warriors, developed the spin-off Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity?

Omega Force, a Koei Tecmo team, got the job after Breath of the Wild's own director and art director pitched its Great Calamity backstory as the setting for a Warriors game.

In Breath of the Wild, the timid young Goron Yunobo is a descendant of which warrior?

He inherited Daruk's Protection, a shield of energy that Link exploits by firing Yunobo out of a cannon.

In Breath of the Wild, guards of the Yiga Clan can be lured out of position with which food?

Mighty Bananas are the clan's weakness: drop a bunch inside their hideout and a guard will wander off his patrol to grab it, letting Link slip past unseen.

After Link hands over every last Korok seed in Hyrule, what does Hestu give him?

A useless golden trophy called Hestu's Gift is all Link gets: it does nothing at all, though Hestu will now dance for him whenever he visits.

According to Breath of the Wild's director, what are Korok seeds actually?

Droppings: he confirmed the long-running fan theory in a 2017 interview, laughing that the team thought it would be funny to carry the joke through the whole game.

How many shrines are scattered across Hyrule in Breath of the Wild's base game?

120 shrines each pay out one Spirit Orb, and every four orbs buy Link an extra heart or a bigger stamina wheel, so clearing them is how he grows stronger.

In Breath of the Wild, which Divine Beast whips up an endless sandstorm over the Gerudo Desert?

Vah Naboris hurls lightning at anything that comes near, so Link rides in on a sand seal, sheltered by the Gerudo chief's Thunder Helm, and blasts its feet with bomb arrows.

What happens to the Master Sword near Guardians or Malice?

It doubles in power, from 30 to 60, and glows blue whenever evil is close; once its energy is spent, though, it needs 10 minutes of rest before Link can draw it again.

Breath of the Wild's physics run on a modified version of which middleware engine?

Havok proved hard to get right: the producer once loaded a new build and found an area stripped bare, because the game's wind had blown every object in it away.

Traditionally left-handed, Link became right-handed in Breath of the Wild to match what?

The Wii U GamePad's button layout puts the sword-swing buttons on the right side, so the producer reasoned that Link should hold his sword in the matching hand.

How does Link get into Breath of the Wild's Gerudo Town?

Disguised as a woman, because the town bars men: a stranger on a rooftop at Kara Kara Bazaar sells him a Gerudo outfit for 600 rupees, and in it he walks straight past the gate guards.

Breath of the Wild's Hyrule was laid out using which real Japanese city, the director's hometown?

Kyoto: he laid a map of the city over the game world and used the time real walks take between its landmarks to judge how far apart Hyrule's should sit.

Which feature was cut from Breath of the Wild because swinging 'like Spider-Man' broke the climbing mechanic?

Double hookshots made it into early tests, but they gave Link so much mobility that the series staple was left out of the finished game altogether.

In Age of Calamity, who escapes through a time portal and changes the course of history?

Terrako is a small Guardian that Zelda activated as a child, only for her father to take it away so she would focus on her training.

On her seventeenth birthday, Zelda climbed which mountain to awaken her sealing power?

Mount Lanayru is barred to anyone under seventeen, so she had to wait for that birthday to pray at the spring on its summit, and Ganon struck the same day.

Which color of Lynel appears only in Breath of the Wild's Master Mode?

Golden Lynels belong to a new enemy rank above silver, and the mode is cruel from the first minute: a Lynel prowls the Great Plateau, where Link starts out with a tree branch.

In Breath of the Wild, which enemy must Link defeat in Hyrule Castle's Lockup to win the Hylian Shield?

A Stalnox, the skeleton of a giant Hinox, attacks with its own bones, and Link beats it by shooting out its eye and striking that before the monster can put it back.

In Breath of the Wild, which Kakariko Village elder sends Link to find the places in Zelda's old photographs?

Impa recognizes the pictures stored on the Sheikah Slate as Zelda's own, and standing on the spot where each one was taken brings back one of Link's lost memories.

What happens when Link steps ashore on Breath of the Wild's Eventide Island?

All his gear is taken away the moment he lands, and the weapons, armor and food come back only after Link finds three orbs and sets each one on its pedestal.

In which Breath of the Wild village can Link buy a house of his own?

Hateno Village has an empty house that the builder Bolson is about to tear down, and he lets Link have it for 3,000 rupees and 30 bundles of wood.

Which prehistoric Japanese period did Breath of the Wild's art director cite as the inspiration for Sheikah technology?

Jōmon pottery shaped the look of the shrines and Guardians, and he chose the period because it is little known abroad and so much about it remains a mystery.

What does dying in the Trial of the Sword cost Link?

His progress in that set of rooms is wiped, because saving is locked until a set is cleared, and the last of the three sets runs 23 rooms deep.

The design of Breath of the Wild's Guardians was based on which classic Zelda enemy?

Octoroks looked huge next to Link in the 8-bit original, and the producer wanted that feeling back; a giant octopus seemed gross, so the many-legged enemy became a machine.

When Link first meets Hestu in Breath of the Wild, which of his belongings has been stolen?

His maracas are what Hestu needs for his magic: once Link wins them back, he shakes them in a dance that expands Link's weapon, bow or shield stash in exchange for Korok seeds.

How does Link earn Breath of the Wild's take on his classic green tunic and cap?

By completing every shrine in the base game, Link earns a summons from the last monk to the Forgotten Temple, where three stone chests hold the cap, tunic and trousers.

Which wandering Breath of the Wild bard sings riddles that point Link to hidden shrines?

Kass is a Rito bard whose ancient songs are riddles: solve what a verse describes and a hidden shrine is revealed, and his songs return to point the way in the Champions' Ballad expansion.

What color is the Champion's Tunic that Link wears in Breath of the Wild?

Blue cloth marks all of Hyrule's Champions, and Link's tunic carries the outline of the Master Sword. The game's producer said nobody on the team actually proposed the color; it just ended up that way.

Breath of the Wild's sparse, ambient soundtrack was written mainly for which instrument?

Piano was chosen for a quieter, ambient score, unlike the rousing melodies of earlier Zelda games. The sound team felt it made the environments seem more authentic.

Having never built so large an open world, Breath of the Wild's team studied which 2011 hit?

Skyrim was one of two games the team looked at before building Hyrule. Its later Nintendo port returned the compliment, adding Link's tunic, sword and shield as unlockable gear.

Hitting which farmyard bird too often in Breath of the Wild summons a vengeful flock?

Cucco revenge is triggered by the fourth blow, when the bird crows for backup. The swarm will also turn on any monster that attacks one of the birds just once.

In Breath of the Wild, what happens if Link keeps a metal sword equipped during a thunderstorm?

Lightning strikes him unless he puts the metal away, because the game gives materials realistic properties. Players can turn the rule around by throwing a metal weapon at enemies to draw the bolt onto them.

In Breath of the Wild, how can Link obtain Epona, the horse he rode in earlier Zelda games?

By scanning an amiibo of Link, players summon Epona ready to ride, with no taming needed. Once she has been registered, she cannot be summoned that way a second time.

Which 2020 free-to-play game did Zelda fans attack as a Breath of the Wild clone at its unveiling?

Genshin Impact was first shown at ChinaJoy 2019, where one protester destroyed his PlayStation 4. Its developers hold Nintendo's game in high regard and call it a main inspiration.

In Breath of the Wild, which gauge limits how long Link can climb, swim, sprint or glide?

Stamina wheel upgrades can extend it to three full rings. If it empties in deep water, Link sinks and reappears on nearby land.

In Breath of the Wild, what censored-looking mess results when Link cooks clashing ingredients?

Dubious Food is described in the game as too gross to look at, which is why it appears blurred. Eating it still restores a little of Link's health.

Which animal can Link rent in Gerudo Town to surf across Breath of the Wild's desert?

Sand seal surfing is the fastest way to cross the Gerudo Desert, with Link towed along on his shield. The Gerudo's trained ones are red and wait for their rider instead of fleeing.

In Breath of the Wild, where does Link pray to trade four Spirit Orbs for a permanent upgrade?

At a goddess statue, one of which stands in every major settlement. A horned statue in one village will even swap an upgrade for the other kind, for a fee.

Which beings, revived with offerings of rupees, upgrade Link's armor in Breath of the Wild?

Great Fairies wait inside giant flower buds until Link pays to restore them. Only four exist, and the more he revives, the further they can upgrade his gear.

Which birdlike people of Breath of the Wild live in Hyrule's cold northwestern Hebra region?

Rito here have a far more birdlike design than in their debut, where the young were wingless until a coming-of-age ceremony. They tolerate the cold of the far northwest well.

Which low-level, goblin-like monsters live in camps all across Hyrule in Breath of the Wild?

Bokoblins hunt animals and grill the meat, then sleep in their camps at night. A lookout who spots Link blows a horn to rouse the rest.

In Breath of the Wild, what must Link climb and activate to reveal each region on his map?

A tower stands in each region, built long ago to watch for Ganon's return. All of them rise from the ground at once when Link sets his Sheikah Slate into the first terminal.

In Breath of the Wild, wearing the Zora Armor gives Link which ability, handy for scaling cliffs?

Swimming up waterfalls comes from the chest piece alone. By Zora tradition, each generation's princess crafts the armor for the man she hopes to marry.

Cooking which ingredient, picked from bushes early in Breath of the Wild, helps Link withstand the cold?

Spicy Pepper dishes grant cold resistance, while one tossed on a fire chars into a snack instead. The peppers can also be turned into red dye for Link's clothes.

Which rare item streaks down from Breath of the Wild's night sky and vanishes at dawn?

Star Fragment landings are marked by a beam of light, but the prize disappears at 5 a.m. Cooking with one guarantees a bonus effect on the meal.

Recovering all of what unlocks an extra scene after the credits of Breath of the Wild?

Link's memories are scattered across Hyrule at spots shown in old photographs. With all of them restored, a final scene shows Zelda resolving to rebuild the kingdom with him.

Link's Breath of the Wild look replaced his Twilight Princess design in which 2018 fighting game?

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate updated several veterans to match their newest adventures. Mario, for one, arrived with the living cap from Super Mario Odyssey.

Breath of the Wild's developers studied which 2005 game for its similar climbing mechanics?

Shadow of the Colossus was made by Fumito Ueda, a friend of the Zelda series producer. Nintendo looked to it because it had never built an open world on this scale before.

Which studio, brought in for its open-world experience, helped design Breath of the Wild's landscapes?

Monolith Soft, maker of the vast Xenoblade role-playing games, assisted with the terrain and topography of Hyrule.

Beside its physics, Breath of the Wild runs a second rules engine named after which science?

Chemistry is the developers' own name for the rules that give objects physical properties and decide how they react to one another. The game leans on it as much as on physics.

Which ruin, home to the Master Sword in older games, stands near where Link wakes in Breath of the Wild?

Temple of Time ruins stand on the Great Plateau, with a crumbling roof and grass growing inside the walls. A small goddess statue still stands within.

In Breath of the Wild, which slow-motion counterattack rewards Link for a perfectly timed dodge?

Flurry Rush slows time so Link can land a burst of hits, and it can break through defenses such as shields. It ends early if his weapon breaks.

In Breath of the Wild, elixirs are brewed by cooking critters such as frogs and insects with what?

Monster parts are essential: critters cooked alone, or parts cooked alone, produce only a failed dish. Ingredients with the same effect combine into stronger, longer-lasting boosts.

Which travelling merchant turns up at stables across Breath of the Wild with a huge backpack?

Beedle has changed transport over the years: he once sold from a boat, then from a pedal-powered flying shop. Here he simply walks.

The Koroks hiding all over Breath of the Wild first appeared in which earlier Zelda game?

The Wind Waker introduced them as plant-like beings who fly using sprouts as propellers. That story says they were once the childlike Kokiri, transformed after a great flood.

Which headgear from an older Zelda game makes most monsters ignore Link in Breath of the Wild's DLC?

Majora's Mask offers almost no protection but works like every one of the game's monster disguises rolled into one. It waits in a chest among the ruins of a garrison.

Fans believe Breath of the Wild hides a tribute to which Nintendo president, who died in 2015?

Satoru Iwata is thought to be honored by a character who strongly resembles him and sends players off to find a guiding spirit. The game was still in development when he died.

Which game kept Breath of the Wild off the top of the UK retail chart in its launch week?

Horizon Zero Dawn took first place, though Nintendo's game still broke the company's launch records in several regions. In Japan it was the top-selling new release of its week.

Breath of the Wild's producer deliberately redesigned Link to appear more what?

Gender neutral was the aim, and nearly 100 designs were considered. The producer has said Link is definitely male, but he wanted a hero anyone could see themselves in.

Which Breath of the Wild DLC feature traces Link's past travels onto the map?

Hero's Path mode records every step from the last 200 hours of play and draws it as a green line. The playback can be sped up, paused or skipped.

Which rod-waving magician enemies in Breath of the Wild come in fire, ice and electric varieties?

Wizzrobes are series veterans, but the electric kind is new to this game. Stronger versions carry rods that call down meteors, blizzards and thunderstorms.

In Breath of the Wild, a dog fed three times while it is happy may lead Link to what?

Buried treasure chests lie near many stables and villages, and a contented dog will walk to the spot. A pink blush around its head shows it is happy enough to follow.

Which rare flower in Breath of the Wild, said to be Zelda's favorite, was once feared extinct?

Silent Princess plants could not be grown domestically a century earlier and thrived only out in the wild. Fittingly, cooking one gives Link a stealth boost.

Which glowing creature in Breath of the Wild can be ridden like a horse but never kept at a stable?

Lord of the Mountain, also called Satori, appears beneath a green glow on the peak that shares its name. It is said to be the reincarnation of a sage who died there.

In Breath of the Wild, photos of creatures, monsters and materials are stored in which album?

Hyrule Compendium entries are more than a scrapbook: once an item is photographed, the album can be used to help locate more of it.

Besides horses, which dangerous animal can a stealthy Link mount and ride in Breath of the Wild?

Bears can be tamed and ridden like a horse, though never registered at a stable. Some monsters in the Gerudo Highlands ride them too.

Which of Breath of the Wild's three dragons must Link free from Malice at the Spring of Wisdom?

Naydra is a spirit of ice in dragon form, and unlike the other two she does not roam the skies until Link has purified her. Her scale later opens a hidden shrine.

In Breath of the Wild, what currency does Kilton accept at his shop, the Fang and Bone?

Mon is a currency Kilton invented himself, earned only by trading him the spoils of slain enemies. It buys gear such as disguises that let Link pass for one of the creatures.

To help build Tarrey Town in Breath of the Wild, every worker Link recruits needs a name ending how?

Names ending in "-son" are policy at Bolson Construction, so Link recruits the likes of Greyson, Fyson and Rhondson. Staff who marry are expected to give their children such names too.

Which twin landmark in Breath of the Wild is said to have been one mountain until a dragon split it?

Dueling Peaks stand in West Necluda, with the Squabble River running through the gap between them. A shrine sits at the top of each peak.

Which seaside settlement in Breath of the Wild, ringed by palm trees, lives mainly off fishing?

Lurelin Village is a cluster of simple wooden huts beneath steep cliffs. Its fishermen pass the time gambling, and at least one has a habit of borrowing to fund it.

Which glowing, rabbit-like creature of Breath of the Wild's forests drops rupees when Link hits it?

Blupee sightings are brief: the owl-faced creatures flee and vanish in a flash of light, and they cannot be killed. One character wonders if they make all of Hyrule's rupees.

Breath of the Wild's Divine Beast Vah Ruta is named after which Zora princess from Ocarina of Time?

Ruto was the Sage of Water, and the Zora's own histories in the game record that the machine was named in her honor. A lake and a precipice nearby carry her name too.

Besides open-air landscape painting, which paint medium inspired Breath of the Wild's art design?

Gouache and outdoor landscape painting shaped the look, chosen to help players pick out features across a vast world. The team also drew on the anime they grew up watching.

When 50,000 people in Japan voted Breath of the Wild the best console game in 2021, which RPG came second?

Dragon Quest V was the runner-up in the TV Asahi poll. A 2023 GQ survey of games journalists also ranked Nintendo's adventure the best video game.

A rejected early concept for Breath of the Wild, titled Invasion, had Hyrule attacked by what?

Aliens featured in one abandoned pitch, and other sketches from the same stage showed Link in a tracksuit on a bike and as a musician with a guitar.

In Breath of the Wild, a grass fire creates what, letting a gliding Link soar straight up?

An updraft rises wherever fire catches on grass, and dragons generate them too as they fly. Natural vents in the ground do the same job in some places.