You’re standing on the edge of the Great Plateau, looking out at a horizon that feels impossible to map. It’s huge. Honestly, the first time I stepped out of the Shrine of Resurrection, I just stood there for five minutes. Most people do. You have this massive world, and the game basically tells you to go find a guy in a hut. But here’s the thing about a Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild walkthrough: if it tells you exactly where to go every second, it’s ruining the game.
Hyrule isn't a checklist. It’s a chemistry set.
The biggest mistake I see players make—and the mistake most guides encourage—is trying to play this like a traditional Zelda game. You know the drill. Dungeon A, Item B, Boss C. That’s gone. If you try to force that structure onto Breath of the Wild, you’re going to get frustrated when a lightning storm destroys your metal shield or a Lynel kills you in one hit because you wandered into the wrong neighborhood.
Getting Off the Plateau Without Losing Your Mind
The Great Plateau is the game's "tutorial," but it doesn’t feel like one. It’s a microcosm of the whole experience. You need four runes. Magnesis, Bombs, Stasis, and Cryonis.
Most people struggle with the cold. You’ll see walkthroughs telling you to cook Spicy Peppers, which is fine, but you can also just carry a lit torch. It’s simpler. Or, if you’re feeling clever, grab the Warm Doublet from the Old Man early by reading his diary in the cabin and finishing his recipe (Raw Meat, Hyrule Bass, and Spicy Pepper).
Don’t rush this.
I’ve seen speedrunners clear this section in minutes, but for a first-timer, this is where you learn that the environment is your biggest enemy and your best friend. Fire creates updrafts. Water freezes. Metal conducts electricity. If you don't internalize that now, the rest of the game will be a nightmare.
Once you get that paraglider, the world opens up. The game suggests you go to Kakariko Village. You should probably listen, but you don't have to. That’s the beauty of it. You could literally walk straight to Hyrule Castle and try to fight Ganon right now. You’ll die. Obviously. But the fact that you can is what makes this game a masterpiece.
The Nonlinear Path: Which Divine Beast First?
This is where every Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild walkthrough starts to diverge. There are four Divine Beasts: Vah Ruta (Zora’s Domain), Vah Naboris (Gerudo Desert), Vah Rudania (Death Mountain), and Vah Medoh (Rito Village).
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If you want my honest opinion? Go to the Rito first.
Vah Medoh is arguably the easiest, and the reward—Revali’s Gale—is a literal game-changer. It lets you create an upward gust of wind to fly into the air. In a game about climbing, being able to skip the climb is a godsend.
- Vah Medoh (Rito): Great for exploration. The boss, Windblight Ganon, is a joke if you have enough arrows.
- Vah Ruta (Zora): Usually the first one people find. Mipha’s Grace (the reward) brings you back to life when you die. It's a safety net.
- Vah Rudania (Goron): You need fireproof lizard armor. It's dark inside. It's atmospheric but clunky.
- Vah Naboris (Gerudo): Save this for last. Seriously. Thunderblight Ganon is the hardest boss in the game outside of the final encounter. His speed is insane. If you don't have the Master Sword or a lot of health, he will wreck you.
I remember my first run. I went to the desert second. I spent three hours dying to a boss because I didn't have enough hearts to survive his lightning attacks. Don't be like me.
The Master Sword Myth
You’ll hear people say you need the Master Sword as soon as possible. You need 13 permanent heart containers to pull it out of the stone in the Lost Woods. Not temporary hearts from food—permanent ones.
Is it good? Yeah. It’s the only weapon that doesn't "break" (it just needs to recharge). But you don't need it to beat the game. You can beat Ganon with a bunch of sturdy mop handles if you’re brave enough. The real value of the Master Sword is in the DLC "Trial of the Sword," which powers it up. Without that, it’s just a solid B-tier sword for most of the game until you enter Ganon-infested areas where it glows and doubles its damage.
Stamina vs. Hearts: The Eternal Debate
Every time you get four Spirit Orbs from Shrines, you have a choice. More life or more lung power.
A lot of guides tell you to pump everything into hearts so you don't get one-shotted. I disagree. Stamina is the currency of freedom. More stamina means you can climb higher mountains, swim across wider rivers, and tame better horses.
I usually go for a 2:1 ratio. Two stamina upgrades for every one heart upgrade. Once you get two full wheels of stamina, you can reach almost anywhere in Hyrule. Plus, you can always cook "Hearty" foods (like Hearty Durians or Radishes) to give yourself temporary yellow hearts. There is no easy way to get "extra" stamina that doesn't involve constant micromanagement of elixirs.
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Things The Game Doesn’t Tell You
There are mechanics hidden in this game that change the way you navigate.
- Shield Surfing: Hold ZL, jump, and press A. You’ll start sliding on your shield. It's fast, fun, and destroys your shield's durability unless you're on snow or sand.
- The Satori Mountain Loot: Every so often, a blue glow appears on a mountain near the center of the map. Go there. It’s filled with rare mushrooms, herbs, and the Lord of the Forest. It’s the best resource grind in the game.
- Lynel Hunting: Don't fear them. Learn to "Flurry Rush." If you dodge at the last second, time slows down and you can pummel them. Lynels drop the best bows and shields in the game. Once you can kill a Lynel, you’ve basically beaten the game’s learning curve.
Rain is the real final boss. Everyone hates the rain. When it rains, you slip while climbing. There is no armor set that completely stops this (though the Climbing Gear helps slightly with speed). Your best bet? Build a fire under a ledge, sit, and wait for the weather to change. Or, just use Revali's Gale to bypass the climb entirely.
The Lost Woods Secret
Getting to the Korok Forest is a rite of passage. If you just run in, the fog consumes you and spits you back out. You have to follow the wind.
Look at the torches. The embers fly in the direction you need to go. When the torches stop, you have to use your own torch. Watch the sparks. They’re tiny, but they’re your only map. It’s a brilliant bit of environmental storytelling that most people skip by just looking up a map online. But try doing it the "real" way once. It’s incredibly satisfying.
Combat is a Suggestion
You don't have to fight everyone.
In fact, early on, you shouldn't. Weapons break. If you spend three high-level swords killing a group of Blue Bokoblins just to get a chest with five fire arrows, you’ve lost that trade. Use the environment. Roll boulders onto camps. Use Magnesis to drop metal crates on their heads. Shoot the lanterns in their skull-tents to ignite the explosive barrels.
The smartest way to play Breath of the Wild is to be as lazy as possible during combat.
Cooking: The Real Power-Up
Forget the armor for a second. Cooking is how you survive.
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- Attack Up: 5 Mighty Bananas. That's it. It gives you a massive damage boost.
- Defense Up: 5 Ironshrooms.
- Speed Up: 5 Fleet-Lotus Seeds.
Never mix "effect" foods. If you mix an attack-up item with a defense-up item, they cancel out and you just get a generic meal. Stick to one buff at a time. Also, cook during a Blood Moon (the night the sky turns red). Anything you cook between 11:30 PM and midnight during a Blood Moon is guaranteed to be a "critical success," giving you extra hearts or longer-lasting buffs.
How to Handle Hyrule Castle
You can enter the castle from several points. Most people try the front gate. That’s a mistake. It’s guarded by Sentinels that will laser you into oblivion.
Instead, take a Zora Armor piece (received during the Vah Ruta quest) and swim up the waterfalls at the back of the castle. It’s a "back door" that leads you straight into the heart of the library and the docks. You’ll skip 90% of the guards and find some of the best loot in the game, including the Hylian Shield, which is hidden in the lockup area. You have to kill a Stalnox (skeleton giant) to get it, but it’s worth it. It’s the only shield that lasts for a significant amount of time.
The Truth About the Ending
Without spoiling anything, there are two endings.
The "normal" ending happens if you just go kill Ganon. The "true" ending happens if you’ve found all of Link’s lost memories. There are 13 in total (12 from the Sheikah Slate photos and one final memory). Finding these is the real "main quest." They provide the emotional weight that the rest of the game sometimes lacks.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Journey
If you’re just starting or you’re stuck in the mid-game, here is your immediate checklist:
- Unlock the Towers: Prioritize the Sheikah Towers. Mapping the world is more important than any quest.
- Find Hestu: He’s the big broccoli-looking guy on the road to Kakariko. Give him Korok Seeds to expand your inventory. You need more weapon slots more than anything else.
- Upgrade the Sheikah Sensor: Go to the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab. Upgrading your sensor to "Sensor +" allows you to track specific items, like Hearty Truffles or treasure chests.
- Farm Ancient Parts: Learn to parry Guardian lasers. Stand still, wait for the beep and the flash of light, and hit A with your shield up. It reflects the beam and kills them instantly. This is how you get the materials for Ancient Armor, which is the best defense in the game.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is about the stories you tell yourself while you're lost. Don't let a guide play the game for you. Use the knowledge of how the systems work, then go break them. Hyrule is yours to dismantle.