You’re standing on the Great Plateau, the wind is whistling through your ragged clothes, and King Rhoam—disguised as a grumpy old man—is telling you to go save the world. It’s overwhelming. Most people looking for a Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild walkthrough expect a linear A-to-B path, but let's be real: that’s exactly how you ruin this game. Breath of the Wild (BotW) isn't about following a checklist. It's about systemic chaos.
I remember my first playthrough. I tried to rush the Dueling Peaks because the map told me to. I died to a Guardian Stalker because I didn't realize you could just... walk around it. This game doesn't care about your traditional RPG progression. It cares about how well you understand physics and chemistry. If you want to actually beat Calamity Ganon without losing your mind, you have to stop playing it like a standard Zelda game and start playing it like a survival sandbox.
The Great Plateau is a Lie (But a Necessary One)
The opening hour is basically a giant tutorial disguised as a tragedy. You need those four Runes: Magnesis, Remote Bombs, Stasis, and Cryonis. Don't just breeze through these shrines. Pay attention to the "Trial of Power" or the "Oman Au Shrine" mechanics. These aren't just puzzles; they’re the only weapons that won't break on you.
When you finally get the Paraglider, the world opens up. Most guides suggest heading straight to Kakariko Village. Sure. Do that. Talk to Impa. But honestly? The moment you leave the Plateau, head south toward the Faron region if you want to make your life easier. Why? Durians. "Hearty Durians" are the literal cheat code of BotW. Cook five of them together, and you get twenty extra yellow hearts. You can basically face-tank a Hinox with that kind of health boost.
Shifting Your Early Game Priorities
Instead of worrying about the Master Sword (you need 13 red hearts for that, by the way), focus on Stamina. You'll spend 70% of this game climbing or sprinting. If you put all your Spirit Orbs into hearts early on, you're going to get stuck at the bottom of every rain-slicked cliff in Akkala. It’s frustrating. It’s tedious.
- Aim for at least two full stamina wheels before pivoting back to health.
- Learn the "Whistle Sprint" glitch if you're impatient, though Nintendo tried to patch some of the movement tech.
- Always carry a wooden weapon and a metal weapon. You'll thank me when the first lightning storm hits and your metal sword starts sparking.
Tackling the Divine Beasts Without the Headache
There is a "correct" order for the Divine Beasts, even if the game says "go anywhere." If you follow a Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild walkthrough that tells you to go to Vah Naboris (the desert camel) first, they are leading you to slaughter. Thunderblight Ganon is the hardest boss in the game. Period. His speed is insane, and his lightning attacks will make you drop your shield constantly.
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Go to Vah Ruta in Zora's Domain first. Mipha’s Grace is the reward, and it’s a literal second life. It’s the ultimate safety net.
After the Zora, head north to the Rito. Vah Medoh is arguably the easiest beast, and Revali’s Gale is the best exploration tool. It lets you skip 90% of the annoying climbing puzzles. By the time you reach the Gorons at Vah Rudania, you’ll have enough gear to survive the heat. Save the Gerudo desert for last. You want those upgraded "Rubber Armor" pieces or at least a few "Topaz" earrings before you try to fight the lightning boss.
Dealing with the Blights
The bosses inside these beasts scale. The first one you fight has roughly 800 HP. The last one? It’s rocking 2,000 HP. This is why the order matters. If you save the easiest boss for last, it won't be easy anymore. Use "Ancient Arrows" if you're struggling, but save them for the eyes. They’re expensive. Robbie at the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab sells them, but you’ll need to farm Guardian parts first.
The Combat Mechanics Nobody Explains Properly
Perfect Guards and Flurry Rushes. You’ve seen the clips on YouTube. Someone parries a Guardian beam and it looks cool. It’s actually not that hard once you realize the visual cue is a trap. Don't look at the laser; listen for the beep. The moment the high-pitched "ping" happens, hit A.
For Flurry Rushes, it’s all about the direction of the enemy's swing. If they swing horizontally, jump back. If they stab or swing vertically, side-hop. If you master this, Lynels—the big lion-centaur monsters—become your primary source of high-end gear instead of terrifying roadblocks.
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- Sneakstriking: This deals 8x damage. Use a "Sneaky Snail" or "Silent Shroom" meal, crouch-walk behind a sleeping Moblin, and hit Y. It saves your weapon durability.
- Elemental RPS: Fire kills ice enemies instantly. Ice freezes fire enemies. It sounds obvious, but using a Fire Arrow on a Frost Talus makes the fight last ten seconds instead of ten minutes.
Breaking the Durability Curse
Weapon durability is the most controversial part of this game. It sucks when your favorite Royal Broadsword shatters. But here’s the secret: the game showers you with weapons if you know where to look. Behind the waterfall in the Kakariko area, or the top of the Woodland Stable (there's a Forest Dweller's Sword there).
The Master Sword is the only thing that doesn't "break," but it does need to recharge. If you have the Trial of the Sword DLC, finish it. It upgrades the blade from 30 damage to 60 permanently. Without it, the Master Sword is honestly kind of mid-tier unless you’re inside a Divine Beast or Hyrule Castle where it glows with holy light.
The Dragon Farm
You need money. Arrows are expensive. Great Fairies want thousands of Rupees to open their pods. Go to Riola Spring in the Faron region. Set up a campfire. Wait until morning. A dragon named Farosh will spawn from the water every single time. Shoot his horn with an arrow. A fragment falls. Pick it up. It sells for 300 Rupees. Repeat this for an hour, and you'll never be broke again. This is the single most efficient way to fund your adventure.
Why the "True Ending" Matters
If you want the secret ending, you have to find all 12 Captured Memories. This is the "lore" part of the Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild walkthrough. Without these, the ending is abrupt and honestly a bit unsatisfying. Talk to Pikango, the painter. He’s at almost every stable. He will show you exactly where those photos were taken.
The memory in Ash Swamp (with all the dead Guardians) is the most important one. It bridges the gap between the 100-year-old war and Link’s current state. It’s also where you get the "Champion's Leathers," which is the best armor in the game because it shows you enemy HP numbers. Knowledge is power, literally.
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Final Preparations for Hyrule Castle
Don't just walk through the front gate. That’s suicide. Use the Zora Armor to swim up the waterfalls on the back side of the castle. You can skip almost every Guardian and enter through the Sanctum or the Library. The Library has the "Hylian Shield"—the best shield in the game with 800 durability. It’s hidden behind a Stalnox in the lockup.
If you’ve beaten all four Divine Beasts, Ganon starts at half health. The spirits of the Champions will blast him for 50% of his HP the moment the fight starts. It makes the final encounter significantly easier, maybe even too easy for some.
Critical Insights for Completionists
If you’re hunting for all 900 Korok seeds, stop. Just stop. You only need about 441 to max out your inventory slots. Beyond that, the reward is literally a golden piece of poop. It’s a joke from the developers. Focus on the Shrines instead. There are 120 in the base game. Each one is a fast-travel point, and travel is the real endgame.
- The Map: It only shows a percentage once you beat Ganon. Don't freak out if you can't see your progress before then.
- The Blood Moon: It resets all enemies and weapons on the ground. It’s not a threat; it’s a restock. If you’re cooking during a Blood Moon (between 11:35 PM and 12:00 AM), every meal gets a "critical" bonus, meaning extra hearts or longer duration.
Actionable Next Steps
To dominate your playthrough right now, stop wandering aimlessly and execute these three things:
- Head to Satori Mountain. It’s west of Central Hyrule. It’s the single most resource-rich spot on the map. You can find hundreds of materials, Endura Carrots, and the Lord of the Mountain there.
- Upgrade your Stasis Rune. Go to the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab and give Purah three Ancient Cores. Stasis+ allows you to freeze enemies in time. This is the biggest game-changer for combat.
- Find the Climbing Gear. It’s split between three Shrines (Ree Dahee, Chaas Qeta, and Tahno O'ah). Having the full set increases your climbing speed by significantly, which changes how you interact with the verticality of the world.
Forget the quest markers for a second. The best part of any walkthrough is the part where you stop reading it and find something weird on a mountain top. Hyrule is designed to reward curiosity, not just completion.