You finally reach Hateno Village. You’ve climbed through freezing peaks and dodged a few too many Bokoblins, and what do you find at the top of the hill? A child. Except, she isn’t a child. She’s over a hundred years old, she’s the lead researcher for the Sheikah, and she’s probably the smartest person in Hyrule. Purah in Breath of the Wild is one of those characters that seems like a total gag at first—the "classic" anime trope of an old person in a young body—but when you actually dig into her diaries and the lore of the Sheikah Slate, she’s actually the most tragic and brilliant figure in the game’s backstory.
Honestly, without her, Link wouldn't have a chance.
Most people just run into the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab, grab the camera upgrade, and dash off to find the next shrine. But if you stop and read the journals, the story of how Purah ended up looking like a six-year-old is actually a wild tale of reckless scientific ambition and a desperate attempt to save a dying kingdom.
The Science of De-Aging: What Really Happened to Purah?
Let’s get the obvious stuff out of the way. Purah is Princess Zelda's mentor and the older sister of Impa. While Impa chose to age gracefully (and significantly) over the century Link spent in the Slumber of Restoration, Purah went the other direction. Literally.
She developed a "de-aging" rune.
It wasn't a mistake, per se. It was an experiment. Purah was obsessed with the idea of making the Sheikah stronger, and she figured that if she could reverse the aging process, she could effectively create an immortal army or at least extend the lives of the researchers tasked with stopping Calamity Ganon. She tested it on herself.
It worked too well.
According to her diary—which you can find tucked away in the lab—the process didn't just make her feel younger; it started a countdown. She woke up one day as a young woman, then a teenager, then a child. If Symin hadn't helped her stabilize the process, she might have blinked out of existence entirely. It’s a quirky bit of dialogue in the game, sure, but imagine the existential dread of watching yourself disappear into childhood while the world outside is literally rotting under the influence of ancient malice.
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Why Purah in Breath of the Wild is Essential for Gameplay
Purah isn't just there for flavor text. She’s the gatekeeper for some of the most important mechanics in the game.
Think about the Sheikah Slate. When Link wakes up, it’s basically a broken iPad. It has the basic runes, but the "good stuff" is locked away. Purah is the one who restores the functionality of the Camera, the Hyrule Compendium, and the Sensor.
- The Camera: This seems like a minor addition, but it's the key to the "Captured Memories" quest. Without Purah fixing the camera, Link never remembers his relationship with Zelda. The entire emotional core of the game stays locked away.
- The Sheikah Sensor+: If you give her enough Ancient Screws and Shafts, she upgrades your sensor. This is arguably the most powerful tool for completionists. Want to find every Hearty Durian in the Faron region? Purah makes that possible.
- The Anti-Calamity Research: While Robbie (her eccentric counterpart in Akkala) focuses on weaponry and armor, Purah focuses on the software. She is the reason the runes work as efficiently as they do.
She’s basically the CTO of Hyrule. While the King was busy being a ghost and Link was busy sleeping, Purah was in a cramped lab for 100 years trying to figure out how to make a blue rock talk to ancient towers.
The Connection Between Purah and the Sheikah Legacy
If you look at the architecture of the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab, it’s a mess. It’s cluttered with papers, books, and telescopes. This tells you everything you need to know about Purah’s character versus Impa’s. Impa is traditional. She stays in Kakariko Village, surrounded by guards, maintaining the "old ways."
Purah? She’s a rebel.
She moved to Hateno to be away from the prying eyes of the Sheikah elders. She wanted results. This divide in the Sheikah tribe is subtle but important. It explains why the technology in Breath of the Wild feels so fragmented. You have the Yiga Clan who turned the tech into weapons of terror, Impa who treats it as a sacred relic, and Purah who treats it like a playground.
She’s also the one who gives Link the lead on the Blue Flame. This mini-quest is a recurring theme in the game, requiring the player to carry a torch across long distances to light the furnaces. It’s a metaphor for the Sheikah knowledge—it’s a flickering light that has to be manually carried from the past into the present. Purah is the guardian of that flame.
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Hidden Details You Probably Missed
Most players don't realize that Purah's height actually changes if you look closely at her character model compared to the furniture. She’s tiny. She has to stand on stools just to see her own equipment.
Also, her catchphrase—"Checky!"—isn't just a cute quirk. In the Japanese version, she uses "C-check it out!" which is a common trope for energetic researchers. It’s meant to contrast heavily with the somber tone of the rest of the game. When everyone else is crying about the end of the world, Purah is doing poses and taking selfies. It’s a coping mechanism. She’s been stuck in that body for years, unable to leave the lab because people would think she’s just a random kid.
Then there's the relationship with Symin. Symin is her assistant, but he’s also her caretaker. He’s the one who has to deal with her tantrums and her brilliance. If you talk to him after hours, you get a sense of the sheer workload they’re under. They aren't just "playing" with tech; they are trying to reverse-engineer a god-like power before Ganon breaks free from the castle.
Comparison: Purah vs. Robbie
It’s worth noting the dynamic between the two remaining Sheikah researchers.
- Purah: Specializes in Slate Runes and biological experiments. She stays in the relatively safe Hateno Village. Her vibe is "chaotic genius child."
- Robbie: Specializes in "Cherry," the ancient oven that crafts Guardian-slaying gear. He lives in the most dangerous corner of the map. His vibe is "80s rockstar scientist."
They used to work together at the Royal Ancient Lab before the Great Calamity. When the Guardians turned, they split up to increase the chances of at least one of them surviving to help the Hero. Purah took the Slate because she was the only one smart enough to fix the software.
How to Maximize Your Time with Purah
If you want to get the most out of your interaction with Purah, don't just rush the main quest.
First, read the diary on the top floor. It’s located behind a screen and details her transformation day by day. It’s genuinely funny and a bit sad. Second, make sure you bring her the materials for the upgrades early. The Sheikah Sensor+ is a game-changer for finding shrines that are hidden behind breakable walls or inside caves.
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Third, pay attention to her poses. She has several different animations depending on what part of the quest you are on. It shows the level of detail Nintendo put into a character that many people only talk to twice in a 100-hour playthrough.
Why She Still Matters in the Zelda Timeline
Purah represents the bridge between the high-fantasy world of Zelda and the sci-fi elements that Breath of the Wild introduced. She is the explanation for why Link has a "phone." She justifies the existence of the UI. Without her, the Sheikah Slate is just a lore object; with her, it’s a tool.
She also serves as a reminder that the people of Hyrule didn't just give up. While Link was in a coma, the "regular" people were doing the heavy lifting. They were studying, researching, and failing—but they kept going. Purah’s de-aging was a failure in her eyes because it made her look like a child, but it was a success because it kept her alive long enough to see Link wake up.
If she had died of old age like a normal person, Link would have woken up to a broken Slate with no way to fix it. The quest would have ended before it even began.
Actionable Steps for Players
- Priority 1: Reach Hateno Village as soon as you leave the Great Plateau. The upgrades Purah provides are more valuable than almost any early-game weapon.
- Material Gathering: Save every Ancient Screw, Spring, and Gear you find from dead Guardians. You'll need them for her upgrades. Do not sell them to Beedle!
- The Blue Flame: Practice your path before lighting the torch. Rain will put it out, and Hateno is notorious for sudden thunderstorms. Check the weather dial in the bottom right of your HUD.
- Exploration: Use the upgraded Sensor+ to track "Treasure Chests" instead of Shrines once you have enough hearts. It’s the best way to find rare ores and arrows.
Purah is the unsung hero of the Wild era. She’s loud, she’s eccentric, and she’s a hundred-year-old toddler, but she is the only reason Hyrule has a future. Next time you’re in Hateno, don't just skip the dialogue. Give the director the respect she’s earned.
Snap! Checky!