You’ve probably beaten Ganon. Most people have by now. You watched the credits roll, felt that surge of pride, and then looked at your map screen only to realize you’ve barely scratched the surface of Hyrule. It’s a bit of a gut punch, honestly. Breath of the Wild is famously massive, but it’s the side content that actually gives the world its soul. If you aren't working through a BOTW side quests checklist, you’re missing out on the weird, quirky, and sometimes heartbreaking stories that make this version of Link’s journey feel human.
There are exactly 76 side quests in the base game. That doesn't count the 42 shrine quests or the main story beats. Tracking them is a nightmare because the game doesn't just hand them to you. You have to talk to specific NPCs at specific times of day, sometimes in weather conditions that make you want to hurl your controller.
The Logistics of the BOTW Side Quests Checklist
Tracking your progress is annoying. Link’s adventure log is fine for what it is, but it doesn't show you what you haven't found. It only lists what you’ve already triggered. This is why a manual checklist becomes essential for the completionists among us. You’ll find yourself wandering through Kakariko Village for the tenth time, wondering why that one exclamation point won't pop up. Hint: it’s usually because you haven't finished a prerequisite quest like "Flown the Coop" or "Find the Fairy Fountain."
Hyrule is divided into regions, and the side quests are spread out unevenly. Some areas, like Central Hyrule, are surprisingly sparse. Others, like Necluda or the Akkala region, are dense with errands.
Why the Necluda Region is Your Biggest Time Sink
Kakariko and Hateno are the heart of the game's early-to-mid-game content. You’ve got everything from catching runaway cuccos to playing matchmaker for a lonely shopkeeper.
"The Statue’s Bargain" is one of the most important ones here. It’s located in Hateno Village, near the entrance. Most players stumble upon it by accident. It’s that creepy horned statue that "steals" a heart container or stamina vessel. It’s not just a gimmick; it’s a vital mechanic for re-speccing your character. If you’re following a BOTW side quests checklist to max out your stats for the Master Sword, this is a non-negotiable stop.
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Then there's "A Gift for My Beloved." Poor Manny in Hateno wants to impress Prima, but he’s clueless. You end up hunting ten restless crickets. It sounds tedious. It kind of is. But it’s these mundane tasks that ground the high-fantasy stakes of Calamity Ganon in a reality that feels lived-in.
The Masterpiece: From Ground Up
If there is one quest that justifies the existence of a checklist, it’s "From Ground Up." It starts in Hateno after you buy your house (which is its own quest, "Hylian Homeowner," requiring 3,000 rupees and 30 bundles of wood).
Hudson moves to the Akkala region to build Tarrey Town. This isn't just a "go here, kill that" quest. It’s a massive, multi-stage recruitment drive. You have to find people from every race in Hyrule whose names end in "-son."
- Greyson the Goron (Southern Mine)
- Pelison the Goron (Southern Mine)
- Fyson the Rito (Rito Village)
- Kapson the Zora (Zora's Domain)
- Rhondson the Gerudo (Kara Kara Bazaar)
You also need a staggering amount of wood. 110 bundles in total. Go to the Rito Stable. There are logs everywhere. Use bombs to save your axe durability. By the time you finish this, you’ve basically built a new hub from scratch. It’s the most rewarding sequence in the game, providing you with a high-end ore shop and a way to replace the Hylian Shield if it ever breaks.
The Weird Ones You Probably Missed
The "Special Delivery" quest in the Zora region is a polarizing one. You have to follow a letter in a buoyant parcel down a river without it getting stuck or destroyed. It’s finicky. It’s slow. But it tells a story about a Zora girl and a Hylian man that is surprisingly sweet—or creepy, depending on how you view the age gap in Zora physiology.
Have you done "The Weapon Connoisseur"? Nebb in Hateno Village wants to see specific weapons. This quest is a slow burn. He starts simple with a Traveler’s Sword, but by the end, he’s asking for an Ancient Short Sword. If you’ve already cleared out certain enemy camps or advanced your "World Level" (the hidden scaling mechanic that turns red enemies into silver ones), finding low-level gear like a Moblin Club can actually become a massive headache.
The Hidden Quests of the Gerudo Desert
The Gerudo Wasteland is brutal. Not just because of the heat, but because the quest triggers are often locked behind the Divine Beast Vah Naboris.
"The Search for Barta" is a classic. Barta is always getting into trouble. You find her near the Gerudo Great Skeleton, way out in the sandstorms. You need a hearty durian to revive her. It’s a simple fetch quest, but the trek through the desert without a map (since sandstorms jam your Sheikah Slate) makes it an ordeal.
Then there’s "The Mystery Polluter." A little girl named Dalia wants to plant a garden, but trash is clogging the water flow. You have to climb the walls of Gerudo Town to find a woman eating melons and tossing the rinds into the canal. It’s a small, domestic problem, but resolving it feels just as important as reclaiming a Divine Beast in the grand scheme of the BOTW side quests checklist.
Dealing with the DLC Quests
If you have the Expansion Pass, your checklist just got a lot longer. The EX side quests are mostly treasure hunts. They point you toward chests containing outfits from previous Zelda games, like Majora’s Mask or Midna’s Helmet.
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The "Trial of the Sword" and "The Champions' Ballad" are technically categorized as side quests, but they are essentially mini-campaigns. The Champions' Ballad adds a significant amount of lore, giving you those beautiful cutscenes of the Champions before the Calamity. Plus, you get a motorcycle. A literal motorcycle in a fantasy game. It’s ridiculous and perfect.
Common Pitfalls and Misconceptions
A lot of players think they’ve finished all quests when their log hits a certain number, but they forget about the "Mini-Game" quests. For example, "The Royal White Stallion" isn't just about finding a horse; it’s about honoring the lineage of Zelda’s own mount.
Another one people miss is "A Rare Find." You talk to Trott at the Outskirt Stable. He just wants Raw Gourmet Meat. It’s forgettable, but it counts toward that 100% completion stat.
The Difficulty of "My Hero"
Near the Outskirt Stable, there’s an NPC named Aliza. She’s waiting for "the hero." If you talk to her while holding the Master Sword, the quest completes instantly. If you don't have it, she just keeps waiting. It’s a tiny detail, but it’s one of those things that can leave a hole in your BOTW side quests checklist for 80 hours if you don't know the trigger.
Practical Strategy for Completion
Don't try to do them all at once. You'll burn out. The best way to handle the side quest grind is to integrate it into your exploration.
- Talk to everyone with a red '!' bubble. This is obvious, but easy to skip when you're on a mission.
- Use the Sensor+ feature. Once you’ve taken a picture of an item (like a Sunshroom or a Rhino Beetle), you can set your Sheikah Sensor to track it. This is a godsend for quests like "Luminous Stone Gathering" or "Rushroom Rush!"
- Nighttime is for NPCs. Many quest-givers move to the inn or their homes at night. If a town feels empty, sit by a fire until morning or night to see who emerges.
- Check the Stables. Every stable in Hyrule has at least one side quest or hint toward a shrine quest. They are the social hubs of the wilderness.
The Philosophy of the 100% Run
Is it worth it? Honestly, the rewards for side quests are usually mediocre. A few silver rupees here, some cooked greens there. You aren't doing it for the loot. You’re doing it because Breath of the Wild’s Hyrule is a graveyard of a civilization, and every side quest is a way to help the survivors rebuild.
When you help a guy in Lurelin Village find his lost treasure, or you help a researcher in Akkala take a photo of a Guardian, you’re filling in the blanks of a world that was almost erased.
Final Checklist Review
Before you call it quits, make sure you've hit these easily missed markers:
- The Sheep Tucker: Highland Stable. Clearing out monsters to save a flock.
- A Parent’s Love: Tarrey Town. You have to overhear a conversation through a window at night.
- The Forgotten Sword: Gerudo Town. Finding the companion piece to the statue in the highlands.
- Sunken Treasure: Lurelin Village. A simple dive for chests that many people fly right over.
Completing the BOTW side quests checklist is less about the destination and more about forced observation. It makes you look at the architecture of the ruins. It makes you notice the way the wind moves the grass in the Faron Grasslands. It makes the game bigger, even when you thought it couldn't possibly hold any more.
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Go back to Hateno. Talk to the kids. Check the stables one more time. There is almost certainly someone standing under a tree waiting for a hero to bring them five fireflies or a specific type of shield. Being that hero is the whole point.
To finish your journey properly, open your adventure log right now and count. If it’s not 76, you have work to do. Start with the stables in the south—they’re usually where the most overlooked stories are hiding in plain sight.