The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild’s Two Endings Explained

Even when The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild was released almost three years ago, as a Zelda game, players were likely not surprised to hear it ended with Link defeating Ganon and saving the eponymous princess. Still, with the recent release of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity and Breath of The Wild 2 on the horizon, it may be valuable for some players to brush up on the finer details of how Breath of The Wild comes to a close.

First and foremost, it should be noted that Breath of The Wild actually has multiple endings. The difference between them is negligible, with only a short cutscene differentiating the true ending from the standard one. To get the true ending, players must simply find all of Link’s forgotten memories from the time before Ganon’s rise to power, which are scattered across Hyrule in certain locations. Players are left to find each of these locations for themselves, with their only hints being a series of photos on their Sheikah Slate. Finding a memory unlocks a cutscene that takes place before the fall of Hyrule and provides extra characterization for Zelda and the Champions. No other benefits aside from the extra story content come from finding these memories, so completing this portion of the game may not be worth it for anyone but those most interested in Breath of the Wild‘s story.

Regardless of whether the player finds these memories and completes the associated quest, “Captured Memories,” most of the game’s final events play out in the same manner. Link, optionally decked out in his best gear and aided by the power of the four Divine Beasts, ventures into Hyrule Castle, where Calamity Ganon has been sealed for 100 years. Once the player makes it to the heart of the castle, they are finally allowed to face Ganon himself. If the player completed any Divine Beasts, their magical energy will beam towards Hyrule Castle and deplete Ganon’s overall health pool.

How To Unlock Breath Of The Wild’s True Ending

Much like finding all the memories, completing the Divine Beast dungeons is not required to beat the story. In fact, if players are looking to be challenged by Ganon, they may want to avoid some or all of these dungeons until after defeating him. Either way, Link must eventually face off against Calamity Ganon, who appears as a semi-mechanical mixture of his lesser forms found in the Divine Beasts. Assuming the player has adequate gear and practice with the game’s mechanics, Calamity Ganon should pose no major challenge. He will fall like any other evil beast roaming Hyrule’s landscape.

Unfortunately, simply defeating this form of Ganon does not mean the end for Link’s struggles. Upon Calamity Ganon’s defeat, Ganon’s true form will emerge and leave Hyrule Castle. Once he reaches the plains just outside, he will transform into Dark Beast Ganon, appearing as a massive boar, similarly to Twilight Princess or the original Hyrule Warriors. When this happens, Zelda’s voice will call out to Link and grant him the Bow of Light. Using his trusty steed and steady aim, Link must ride around Ganon and fire Light Arrows at the glowing weak points all over his body. In time, this version of Ganon will fall, too.

Once Dark Beast Ganon is defeated, Zelda will finally emerge after 100 years of tirelessly keeping him at bay. Using her goddess powers, Zelda will seal Calamity Ganon away for good (or at least until he inevitably comes back again). Afterwards, she will turn to the hero, thank him for his service, and ask if he still remembers her. At the top of Hyrule Castle, the spirits of Hyrule’s King and Champions are shown looking down with pride at the heroes. If the player has gathered all the memories, an extra cutscene – The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild‘s “true” ending – will play, depicting Link and Zelda observing the landscape before them and acknowledging that, even though they have defeated Ganon, there is still much work to be done to repair Hyrule.

About The Author

Jonah Schuhart
(148 Articles Published)

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Jonah Schuhart is a Freelance Writer at Screen Rant. Growing up as the stereotypical gamer, Jonah absorbed everything he could about his favorite video games until adulthood came knocking. He decided to become a games journalist after his dad purchased a subscription to Gameinformer when he was 10 years old. Now, he follows in the footsteps of his early influences, giving his two-cents on the games he loves.

You can also find Jonah on Looper, where he writes about his favorite TV and Movies. Follow him on Twitter @JonahSchuhart, or reach him by email at [email protected]

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