Mastering Hyrule: Essential Tips for Navigating The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

As you step into the shoes of Link and traverse the vast kingdom of Hyrule in "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild," knowing the ins and outs of this stunning open-world landscape becomes paramount. From the fierce battles to the strategic survival tactics, your journey to reclaim Hyrule from the clutches of Calamity Ganon is as challenging as it is rewarding. To aid you on this noble quest, we’ve compiled a collection of indispensable strategies that will not only help you survive but allow you to master the art of adventure in this critically acclaimed installment of the Zelda series.

Whether it's your first foray into this beautifully crafted world or you're returning to uncover every secret, these tips will hone your skills and elevate your gameplay. From taming wild steeds to manipulating elements, each piece of advice serves as an essential thread in the tapestry of your heroic narrative. Let this be your guide to conquering the wilds, forging powerful alliances, and becoming the hero Hyrule needs. Now, ready your wits and your weapons, for destiny beckons.

1. Prioritize Shrine Completion for Better Stamina and More Hearts

Right from the outset of your adventure, with a mere trio of hearts and a barely sufficient stamina gauge, it’s imperative that you locate and complete shrines. Within Hyrule's vast landscape, there are 120 shrines, each offering a Spirit Orb upon completion. Accumulate four Spirit Orbs, and you can trade them for either a heart container or a stamina vessel. You'll need to seek out one of the many Hylia statues across Hyrule to make the exchange, with a convenient one located atop Kakariko Village for easy, fast travel.

2. Master the Art of Cooking

Cooking in Breath of the Wild is more than an exercise in survival—it's a key component to thriving. Scour the land for cooking pots, which are essential for crafting various dishes from your collected ingredients. Simply enter your inventory, select and hold up to five items you wish to combine, exit back to the game while holding them, and approach the pot to cook your concoction. This process yields a range of beneficial dishes, each accompanied by a delightful tune signaling your culinary success. For detailed cooking instructions and recipes, explore our guide to BOTW cooking.

3. The Hunt for Hearty Foods and Shrooms

Venture across the land in search of edibles, such as mushrooms near tree bases, which are particularly lucrative. Select mushrooms, like the Stamella Shrooms, to infuse your recipes with stamina-enhancing properties. Also, seek out items prefixed with 'hearty'; these provide a temporary boost to your maximum hearts, bolstering your resilience against formidable foes in dungeons or shrines.

4. Utilize the Power of Elixirs

Aside from cooking, elixirs stand as a pivotal source for additional abilities. These potent concoctions require critters like butterflies and lizards combined with monster parts. For example, blending a Bokoblin Horn with a Restless Cricket yields an Energizing Elixir, refilling your stamina completely. The monster part determines the elixir's duration, while the critter type dictates its effect. Delve into our comprehensive Elixir guide to discover the intricate details.

5. Transmute Hearts into Stamina and Vice Versa

If you second-guess your decision on whether to obtain a heart container or stamina vessel, Hateno Village houses a statue capable of rectifying your choice—for a small fee, of course. Offering up to 100 rupees, you can swap heart containers for stamina vessels, with the initial transaction providing a tutorial on the process.

6. Cook Without a Pot

While most know that you can cook by tossing up to five ingredients into a steel pot, lesser-known is the fact that extreme climates serve as makeshift "stoves." The scorching ground of Death Mountain or the Gerudo Desert can instantly cook your steak, while the frigid heights of Hebra Mountains have the opposite, chilling effect. Alternatively, igniting a fire and dropping food into it will also yield a roasted dish.

7. Weather Impacts Your Journey

Rain in Hyrule doesn’t just dampen spirits; it also hampers climbing by making surfaces slippery. The best approach when rain falls is to patiently wait for clearer skies. However, rain also presents an opportunity as it speeds up shield surfing down slopes, especially over the wintry terrain of the Gerudo Highlands.

8. Use Arrows for Creative Cooking

Using elemental arrows, animals can yield frozen or pre-cooked meat when shot with ice or fire arrows, respectively. Frozen meat has the advantage of cooling Link in hot environments, offering a strategic benefit.

9. Beware of Lightning Storms with Metallic Gear

Unexpected lightning storms pose a hazard if you're equipped with metal weapons and armor, as they can attract deadly lightning bolts. Once you begin to see sparks, quickly remove all metallic gear and switch to wooden equipment until the storm subsides. Nintendo has conveniently marked items that conduct electricity, and for added protection, you can obtain rubber armor to insulate against electrical attacks.

10. Understand the Diversity of Horses

Every horse in Breath of the Wild is unique, possessing different attributes. Upon taming a horse, you can take it to a stable where its capabilities in strength, speed, stamina, and temperament will be assessed, and you can outfit it with a saddle and bridle. Generally, two-toned horses are slower yet easier to mount, while solid color steeds, like a grey one, often have greater stamina and require more effort to tame – keep those stamina-restoring elixirs handy. Furthermore, a feisty horse can act as an unexpected ally by kicking any foes that come behind it.

11. Maximize Your Paraglider Use

Leverage your paraglider frequently. Scaling tall structures and trekking across lands may seem viable, but soaring above valleys from a high vantage point is unmatched in utility. It even lends the opportunity for stealthy aerial ambushes. Utilize your bow in midair to slow time and ensure precision, raining down havoc on unsuspecting adversaries.

12. Lure Fish with Bait

Befriending Hyrule's creatures extends beyond land; even fish can be coaxed with food. Dropping edible treats into water attracts fish, simplifying their capture. Experiment with various foods to find the most effective lure. Another method is to herd fish towards the shore, forcing them to flop onto the land in a panic.

13. Boost Your Horse's Obedience

If your horse is unruly, it's a sign of a lack of trust, not a defective controller. To strengthen your bond, gently pat your horse by pressing L when it follows a command correctly, and watch for a puff of pink affectionate vapor. For more precision in your horse's movements, engage targeting mode with ZL.

14. Make Things Soar with Octorok Guts

In a whimsical design choice reminiscent of Metal Gear Solid 5, you can use Octo Balloons, harvested from Octoroks, to lift objects skyward. Need more lift? Affix multiple balloons. Combine this with a Korok Leaf to glide bombs into enemy camps from afar.

15. Create Updrafts with Fire

Harness the power of fire by igniting dry grass to create updrafts. With your paraglider, you can catch these rising currents to ascend swiftly, perfect for scaling cliffs or descending upon foes with a strike from above.

16. Expand Your Inventory with Korok Seeds

Those mischievous Korok creatures are sprinkled throughout Hyrule, rewarding you with Korok Seeds when you discover them in various puzzling scenarios. These seeds are vital for inventory expansions needed later in your quest. To track Koroks, consult our Korok Seed location guide.

17. Encounter the Mysterious Ghost Bunny for Wealth

Once near the Ta’loh Naeg Shrine, there lies a luminous, rabbit-like creature that, when struck, disperses Rupees. While elusive and possibly a one-time encounter, persistence, and observation may lead to a repeat meeting and additional wealth.

18. Recruit Fairies as Lifelines

Seek the elusive fairies around Great Fairy Fountains as they hold the power to revive Link upon his defeat. With stealth or speed, you can gather multiple fairies, granting you several chances at evading death's grasp. The initial fountain to visit is near Ta’loh Naeg Shrine by Kakariko Village.

19. Restore Rusty Weapons with Octorok's Unique Ability

If you come across an aged and rusted weapon, an Octorok's inhalation can be manipulated to refurbish it. By tossing the corroded weapon towards the creature during its inhale, it will be returned in mint condition.

20. Forge Friendships with Hyperlocal Hounds

Despite the lack of a pet function, you can win over a dog's loyalty with tasty morsels of meat. A well-fed dog will happily accompany you, potentially leading to hidden treasures. Remember, this trick is strictly for friendly pups, not their wild wolf counterparts.

21. Enhance Your Stealth with the Right Armor 

Consider acquiring the Sheikah Stealth armor set, which substantially boosts stealth capabilities. When fully equipped, move quietly to approach and collect creatures or sneak up on enemies undetected. Although pricey, this investment significantly enhances your element of surprise.

22. Bomb Fishing: A Blast of a Technique

Fishing can be tremendously effective (and explosive!) by hurling a bomb into a watery area teeming with fish. Tailor this strategy with previous luring tips, and you'll have more fish than you can handle. Remember to also use bombs when uncovering secrets hidden under suspicious rocks.

23. Wield Elemental Weapons Wisely

Not just for combat, elemental weapons can help manage extreme temperatures. For example, clutching a fire rod in cold environments prevents freezing, acting as a mobile heat source. Stockpile recipes that utilize specific temperature-altering mushrooms as an alternative solution.

24. Search the Skies for Star Fragments

Witnessing a meteor shower leads to a promising quest for Star Fragments, components for enhancing armor and enchantments. These celestial drops typically occur between the evenings and early mornings of full moons. Consulting Hino at the Duelling Peaks Stable gives you insights into the lunar cycle, allowing you to plan a strategic stargazing session that may lead you to a desirable fragment.

25. Embrace the Wilderness: Tame and Ride Bears

In the untamed forests of Hyrule, you might stumble upon a bear. With caution and stealth, you can mount one and even use it to charge into enemy groups. While stables may frown upon housing such a wild companion, the experience itself is a thrill.