Look, we've all been there. You wake up in a dark cave, a disembodied voice tells you to save the world, and suddenly you're staring at a Sheikah Slate filled with blurry photos of trees and ruins. It's a bit of a mess, honestly. Link has amnesia, and Nintendo decided the best way to fix that was a glorified scavenger hunt across a map the size of a small country. Locating every memory locations breath of the wild provides is essentially the only way to understand why Zelda is so stressed out and why Link is... well, Link.
Most players just stumble onto them. That's fine for the first few hours. But if you're trying to actually finish the "Captured Memories" quest or unlock that "true" ending, you need a plan. You can't just wander around the Gerudo Highlands hoping for a golden glow. It doesn't work like that. The game expects you to recognize landmarks from 100 years ago, which is a big ask when a giant laser-spider is currently trying to melt your face off.
The Problem With Pikango
Let’s talk about Pikango. You know, the guy with the giant paintbrush and the questionable haircut? He’s your primary source for finding these spots. He hangs out at various stables and Kakariko Village. He’s helpful, sure, but he’s also a bit vague. He’ll tell you a memory is "near a forest" or "by a mountain." Thanks, Pikango. That covers about 90% of Hyrule.
If you’re serious about tracking down every single memory locations breath of the wild has hidden, you have to look at the backgrounds of the photos. It’s all about the geometry. See a specific peak of Dueling Peaks? Use it as a compass. Notice the specific way the ruins of the Gateway of Lanayru curve? That’s your golden ticket.
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Why Memory Locations Breath of the Wild Are So Easy to Miss
The scale of Hyrule is the biggest enemy here. You can walk right past a memory spot and never see it because the "glow" only appears when you're relatively close. It’s not like a Shrine where you can hear a sensor beeping from a mile away. You have to be on the ground, in the dirt, looking for a faint shimmering circle.
Take Memory #1 (Sacred Ground Ruins). It’s literally right in front of Hyrule Castle. You’d think it would be obvious, right? Wrong. It’s surrounded by Guardians. Most players spend their time sprinting away from this area, not casually strolling through the center of the ruins. To get it, you basically have to pull a stealth mission or be very good at parrying lasers with a pot lid.
Then there’s the weather. Hyrule loves to rain. When it’s pouring, visibility drops, and that shimmering gold light becomes almost invisible. If you’re hunting memories, do yourself a favor: sit by a fire and wait for morning. Or at least wait for the sun to come out so the lighting isn't working against you.
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The Tricky Spots You’ll Probably Hate
- Ancient Columns (Memory #3): This one is tucked away in the Tabantha region. It’s on a cliff overlooking the Piper Ridge. It’s not "hard" to find geographically, but the area is crawling with flying Guardians. If you aren't looking up, you’re dead.
- Kara Kara Bazaar (Memory #7): This is one of the easier ones, located at the oasis on the way to Gerudo Town. The catch? The heat. If you haven't bought the desert gear yet or cooked up some cooling melons, you’ll start losing health before the cutscene even triggers.
- Irchalm Knoll (Memory #9): This is arguably the most annoying one. It’s just a random hill north of Hyrule Castle. There are no major ruins nearby. No giant statues. Just a view of the castle. You have to rely entirely on the perspective of the towers in the distance to triangulate where Link was standing.
The Secret 13th Memory
Once you find the first twelve, you might think you’re done. Impa has other plans. She shows you a painting on her wall of a field filled with dead Guardians. This is the final piece of the puzzle. It’s located in Ash Swamp, right between the Blatchery Plain and the Dueling Peaks Stable.
This memory is the emotional gut-punch. It’s where everything went wrong 100 years ago. Finding it isn't just about completionism; it’s the climax of Link’s personal arc. Without this specific spot, the story feels unfinished. You get the Master Sword, sure, but you don't get the "why" behind Zelda’s powers until you stand in that muddy swamp surrounded by rusted metal shells.
Tips for the Memory Hunter
- Use the Sheikah Slate Zoom: Seriously. Open the photo, then zoom in on the background. Look for specific mountain silhouettes.
- Follow the Water: A lot of memories are near bodies of water. Sanadin Park, Lake Kolomo, Kara Kara Bazaar—they all have that watery connection.
- Talk to Everyone: Pikango is the main guy, but NPCs at stables often drop hints about local landmarks that happen to be memory spots.
- Get High Ground: Use the Sheikah Towers to scout the general layout of the photo. If the photo shows a view from above, you know you need to start climbing.
The Real Value of Hunting Memories
Some people argue that hunting for memory locations breath of the wild offers is a waste of time. "Just go fight Ganon," they say. They’re wrong. The gameplay is great, but the heart of this game is the relationship between the silent protagonist and the princess who felt like a failure. Every memory you find adds a layer of guilt, determination, or tragedy to the world.
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When you finally walk into the Sanctum to face Calamity Ganon, it hits different if you’ve seen Zelda crying in the rain at West Necluda. It’s not just a boss fight anymore; it’s a rescue mission a century in the making.
Actionable Next Steps
Stop aimlessly wandering. If you want to wrap this up, pick one region and clear it. Start with the Central Hyrule area because it has the highest density of memories. Head to the Outskirt Stable and find Pikango; he’ll point you toward the Sanadin Park Ruins. From there, it’s a short ride to the memory near the Bottomless Swamp.
Once you have those, move to the Akkala region. The memory there is at the Spring of Power. It’s unmistakable—a giant statue of Hylia in a deep pit. It’s one of the most beautiful spots in the game, and honestly, even if there wasn't a memory there, it’s worth the trip just for the vibes.
Go get your memories. Link’s brain is a sieve, and you’re the only one who can fix it. Just watch out for the Lynel near the Lanayru Gate—he doesn't care about your emotional journey. He just wants to turn you into a pancake.
To finish the quest line properly, make sure you return to Impa after every few memories. She provides more context than the Slate ever could. After the 12th memory is found, your final destination is the Ash Swamp. Bring some stamina food—you’re going to be doing a lot of running across those wetlands to find the exact patch of grass where the world ended. Once you see the golden glow, you're home free. The true ending of Breath of the Wild is now within your reach.