Starting your journey in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild means waking up in the Shrine of Resurrection with zero gear, no map, and a vast, dangerous Hyrule waiting outside. Success depends less on following a straight line and more on mastering fundamental survival mechanics, resource management, and strategic exploration. This guide cuts through the noise to take you from those fragile opening moments on the Great Plateau all the way to defeating Calamity Ganon.
Mastering the Great Plateau
Your first hours set the rules for the rest of the game. When you step outside into the open air, pick up every branch, apple, and mushroom you see. The old man will guide you toward four essential shrines that test your newly acquired Sheikah Slate runes: Magnesis, Bomb, Cryonis, and Stasis.
Don't rush off the plateau immediately. Take time to clear the Bokoblin camps nearby using stealth or environmental hazards like rolling boulders. Collecting the warm doublet from the old man's cabin or cooking spicy pepper dishes will keep you alive in the cold mountain regions. Once you secure the paraglider from the old man atop the Temple of Time, the entire open world unlocks.
Essential Exploration and Resource Management
Hyrule rewards curiosity, but careless play leads to broken weapons and quick deaths. Keep these core systems in mind as you venture out:
- Stamina over Hearts: When trading Spirit Orbs at goddess statues, prioritize stamina upgrades early on. Extra stamina lets you climb taller cliffs, glide further distances, and tame wild horses much easier.
- Climbing Technique: Climbing manually without jumping is much more efficient. Jumping drains your stamina bar rapidly and often causes you to slip. Save your jumps for the final, red-flashing phase of your stamina bar to squeeze out extra distance.
- Weapon Conservation: Weapons break constantly. Always carry a diverse inventory and pick up enemy gear. Use elemental weaknesses and stealth sneak-strikes to preserve your best equipment.
- Tower Activation: Climb regional Sheikah Towers as soon as you spot them to map out terrain, find shrines, and place custom stamps on your map for rich resource areas.
Conquering the Divine Beasts
Before facing Calamity Ganon, freeing the four Divine Beasts weakens the final boss and grants you powerful Champion abilities. While you can tackle them in any order, a balanced progression helps you scale your combat skills.
Start with Vah Ruta in Zora's Domain. The journey teaches you how to handle wet environments and gather shock arrows. Defeating Waterblight Ganon grants Mipha's Grace, which acts as an automatic revival when you fall in battle. Next, head to Rito Village for Vah Medoh, where Revali's Gale gives you a massive vertical updraft that fundamentally changes how you explore the map.
Proceed to Goron City for Vah Rudania to test your heat-resistance management, securing Daruk's Protection for a handy defensive shield. Finish with Vah Naboris in the Gerudo Desert. This is widely considered the toughest Divine Beast due to Thunderblight Ganon's speed and lightning attacks, but Urbosa's Fury rewards you with a devastating area-of-effect strike that melts crowds of enemies and knocks down tough foes like Stone Taluses.
Arming Up and Preparing for Hyrule Castle
Before marching on Hyrule Castle, you need to track down the Master Sword in the Lost Woods. You'll need at least 13 full heart containers (temporary hearts don't count) to pull the blade from its pedestal. It's the only weapon in the game that never permanently breaks, though it needs to recharge after heavy use.
Upgrade your favorite armor sets to maximum level by visiting the four Great Fairy Fountains scattered across Hyrule and bringing them the required insect, monster, and mineral materials. Stock up on hearty meals made from individual ingredients like Hearty Durians, which instantly refill your health and grant bonus temporary hearts.
Storming Hyrule Castle and Defeating Ganon
When you feel ready, approach Hyrule Castle. You don't actually have to fight your way through every corridor of the fortress. You can use your paraglider and climbing skills to scale the outer stone walls directly into the sanctum where Calamity Ganon waits.
Entering the inner sanctum triggers the final confrontation. If you freed all four Divine Beasts beforehand, Ganon begins the fight with half of his health already depleted, and you won't have to face the Blight Ganons individually beforehand. Stay mobile, use perfect dodges to trigger Flurry Attacks, and use your shield to parry laser blasts back at him when he shields himself in later phases. Once Calamity Ganon falls, you'll face his final form in an open field, requiring a final mounted arrow strike to seal him away and finish your journey.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do with Korok seeds?
Take them to Hestu, a large Korok musician found along the roads near Kakariko Village and later at woodland stables. He expands your inventory slots for weapons, bows, and shields in exchange for seeds.
How do I make money fast in Hyrule?
Cooking meals and selling them to merchants yields significantly more rupees than selling raw ingredients individually. Alternatively, farming rare ore deposits by defeating Stone Taluses provides a steady income.
Can I skip shrines and still beat the game?
You can technically rush straight to Hyrule Castle from the Great Plateau, but skipping shrines leaves you with low health, minimal stamina, and weak gear, making the final boss fights punishingly difficult.
What happens after I defeat the final boss?
The game saves your progress with a star icon on your save file. Loading it drops you right back outside the final encounter, allowing you to finish remaining side quests, find missing shrines, and explore uncompleted parts of the map.
