You just woke up in a cave. You have no clothes, a glowing tablet, and a massive world that wants you dead. Then, a ghost tells you that you’ve forgotten everything—including the princess you were supposed to protect. It’s a rough start. Breath of the Wild doesn't give you a quest marker for your own past. Instead, Impa hands you a Sheikah Slate full of old photos and basically says, "Good luck finding where these were taken."
It’s daunting. Honestly, the BOTW captured memories map is less of a map and more of a massive scavenger hunt across a ruined kingdom. You’re looking for tiny patches of glowing light on the ground that trigger a cutscene. Without a guide, you’re just staring at a pixelated photo of a generic-looking pond or a random mountain peak, trying to triangulate its position while dodging Guardians. Some people love the blind exploration. Most of us just want to know why Link looks so stressed in that one photo near the volcano.
Why the BOTW Captured Memories Map is So Frustratingly Brilliant
Nintendo did something risky here. They tied the entire emotional core of the game to an optional fetch quest. If you never find the memories, the story stays flat. You’re just a guy in green shorts hitting goblins with a stick. But when you start tracing the locations on the BOTW captured memories map, the world changes. Suddenly, that pile of rocks isn't just landscape; it’s where Zelda had a mental breakdown.
The map itself isn't a physical item you hold. It’s your ability to recognize landmarks. The game forces you to look at the horizon. You see the Dueling Peaks? Okay, Memory 2 is somewhere near there. You see a specific gateway? That’s Lanayru. It builds a mental map of Hyrule that most games skip by giving you a GPS line on the floor.
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But let's be real. Some of these are nightmare-tier. Memory #8 (Father and Daughter) is tucked away in a spot that makes zero sense unless you’ve spent hours scaling the castle walls. It’s not just about "finding a spot." It’s about survival. You’re often trekking through high-level areas with nothing but a pot lid and a dream just to see a 30-second clip of a girl crying over a flower.
Finding the Early Memories Without Losing Your Mind
If you’re starting out, don't just wander aimlessly. Talk to Pikango. He’s the traveling artist you find at various stables and villages. He is the unofficial BOTW captured memories map guide. If you show him a picture, he’ll tell you exactly where it is. Usually. Sometimes he’s a bit vague, but he’s better than nothing.
Sacred Ground Ruins (Memory 1)
This is the big one in the middle of Central Hyrule. It’s right in front of Hyrule Castle. It’s also crawling with Guardians. If you try to get this too early, you will be exploded. Period. Approach from the south, use the trees for cover, and be ready to run. It’s a ceremonial spot, and the memory here sets the tone for Zelda and Link’s entire relationship. It’s awkward. It’s stiff. It’s perfect.
Lake Kolomo (Memory 2)
This one is actually pretty easy to miss because it’s so close to the Great Plateau. Most players walk right past it. It’s on the northern shore of Lake Kolomo. Look for a spot where the trees frame the Twin Peaks in the distance. It’s a quiet moment, focusing on Zelda’s frustration with her lack of "sealing power."
Ancient Columns (Memory 3)
Head to the Tabantha frontier. There’s a shrine (Tena Ko'sah) right next to it. This memory is great because it overlooks the ruins of a massive gateway. You get a real sense of the scale of the world here.
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Kara Kara Bazaar (Memory 4)
Gerudo Desert. This is one of the few memories that isn't just "Zelda is sad." It actually has some action. It’s located right outside the bazaar, near the water. If you’re following the main quest to get into Gerudo Town, you’ll stumble over this one naturally.
The Mid-Game Grind: Mountains and Forests
Once you leave the central plains, the BOTW captured memories map gets a lot more vertical.
Memory 5, located at Eldin Canyon, is a pain. You have to climb a specific ridge that looks like every other ridge in the Death Mountain region. Look for the circle of stones. The view from here is incredible, showing the vastness of the Akkala region below. It’s where Zelda watches Link practice his swordplay, and you start to see their bond actually forming.
Then there's the Sanidin Park Ruins (Memory 7). It’s on a hill in the Ridgeland region. There’s a giant horse statue. You can’t miss it. Or, well, you can if you stay on the main roads. This spot is significant because it's where Zelda talks about the "ancient trials." It’s one of the most scenic spots in the game, especially at sunset.
The "Secret" 13th Memory
Most people think there are only 12 memories because that’s what the Sheikah Slate shows. Wrong. Once you find all 12, you have to go back to Impa. She’ll show you a painting on her wall that reveals the final location.
This isn't just a bonus. It’s the ending. If you want the "true" ending of Breath of the Wild, you must find this spot. It’s in the Ash Swamp, near Blatchery Plain. It’s a graveyard of Guardians. Seeing this location in the present day—rusted, moss-covered husks of killing machines—compared to the memory of the final battle is heavy. It’s the spot where Link finally fell, 100 years ago.
Why Some Players Hate This Quest (And Why They’re Wrong)
There is a common complaint that the memories are "fragmented." People say the story feels disjointed.
That’s the point.
Link has amnesia. His brain is a shattered mirror. Finding the spots on the BOTW captured memories map is like gluing those shards back together. You aren't watching a movie; you’re reconstructing a tragedy. If you find them out of order, you get bits of the middle before the beginning. It forces your brain to engage with the narrative in a way that linear cutscenes never could.
The struggle to find the locations makes the payoff better. When you finally stand where Zelda stood, looking at the same mountain she looked at, you feel a connection to a character who isn't even on screen.
Practical Tips for Your Memory Hunt
If you're tired of squinting at your screen, keep these things in mind:
- Climb high. Most photos were taken from elevated positions or have a clear line of sight to a major landmark (like a tower or a mountain peak).
- The glowing light. You don’t have to "activate" anything. Look for a shimmering yellow circle on the ground. It’s visible from a decent distance, especially at night.
- Check the flora. Sometimes the type of trees or flowers in the photo is the biggest clue. Silent Princess flowers are a dead giveaway for Zelda-related locations.
- Ignore the castle. Don't try to get the Hyrule Castle memory (Memory 8) until you have at least two circles of stamina or a lot of stamina food. It’s in Zelda's Study, which is a literal fortress.
The BOTW captured memories map is essentially a love letter to the game's world design. Every location was chosen because it tells a story about the geography. The ruins aren't just assets; they’re corpses of a civilization. By the time you find the last memory, you don't just know where Zelda went—you know why she cared about the kingdom enough to hold Ganon back for a century.
Next Steps for Your Journey
Open your map and look at the area between the Dueling Peaks and Hateno Village. If you haven't explored the Ash Swamp yet, go there after you've collected the initial 12. Make sure you have plenty of arrows and at least one decent shield, as the walk to some of these spots—especially those near the castle or in the north—is littered with Lynels and Stalkers that don't care about your nostalgia trip.