Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity allows the player to use fan favorites from Breath of the Wild, each with unique actions and abilities. Some of these moves perfectly suit the large-scale battles present in the game, while others are less effective. However, this does not reflect on the characters themselves, as they each have their own strengths and weaknesses aside from their special actions.
In addition, while no unique moves in the game are bad per se, some are simply better than others. With a properly executed action, players can potentially turn the tide of battle in their favor.
Not Great: King Rhoam
The king of Hyrule's special action causes him to change between his two guises. His "king" outfit gives him more powerful attacks, while his "hermit" outfit gives him faster attacks. The sacrifice of power or speed based on the outfit being worn makes this unique action less desirable than those of many other characters in the game. While he can unleash more powerful attacks as he switches his garb, this does not make up for the unfortunate tradeoff that takes place.
Incredible: Impa
Impa's unique action allows her to apply symbols to several enemies and then upon defeating them, create clones of herself. These clones assist her in attacking opponents and can help to clear the area in front of her. The only downside to this ability is that she must first come within close range of an enemy to apply the symbol. She can create a maximum of eight clones of herself, and this is incredibly dangerous to any foes nearby. She is the first of many characters to be unlocked after Link, so the player will essentially start with an extremely powerful fighter.
Not Great: Urbosa
Urbosa is a character who is powerful altogether but does not benefit from a great special action. She charges up a gauge, which unleashes a burst of lightning. While this strike is powerful, it only hits enemies directly in front of her, leaving her vulnerable to attacks from the sides and back.
It does not take an unreasonable amount of time to charge, but its lack of a large area of effect leaves it behind some of the other unique actions in the game.
Incredible: Calamity Ganon
One thing many players may not know about Calamity Ganon is that he is an unlockable character. The process to unlock him is difficult but certainly worth it. His unique action causes him to absorb Malice that has been thrown around from previous attacks. This charges his Malice gauge and allows him to enter Calamity form once it is full. Calamity form is extremely powerful and can be prolonged if Malice is absorbed while Ganon is in this state. It takes some time to absorb enough Malice to activate Calamity form, but it is worth it.
Not Great: Master Kohga
Some may consider him to be the best villain from Breath of the Wild, but the leader of the Yiga Clan's special action comes with some downsides. After charging up a stress bar, he releases an energy blast. This is a strong attack, but it is only a beam, which limits the number of enemies it can hit. While the player can move the beam as it is being fired, this does not make up for the fact that it takes a long time to charge up an attack that only fires in one direction at a time.
Incredible: Hestu
Similar to Impa, Hestu can conjure a small army to fight alongside him. Unlike Impa, however, he does not need to approach enemies to do so. The tradeoff is that Hestu's summoning of Koroks takes a moment, leaving him potentially vulnerable if the action is not taken at the correct time.
If Hestu is far from enemies, there should be no problems implementing this ability. He can then fight from a distance while gaining help from his trusty allies.
Not Great: Link
Unlike most other characters in this game, Link has several unique actions. Which one he uses depends on which weapon he is holding. As one of the most intelligent characters in the series, Link's versatility in combat makes sense, but none of his special actions are incredibly powerful compared to those of other characters. His unique action while holding a spear allows him to barrel through enemies, which is useful, but the area of effect suffers as a result. While none of his actions are bad, they are not ideal, especially when considering other options.
Incredible: Sidon
When used at the correct time, Sidon's unique action buffs him significantly. It powers up his strong attacks and allows him to hit many opponents at once. This is extremely useful when faced with large crowds of enemies. The downside to this ability is that to utilize it, the player must press buttons with proper timing. Once activated, however, Sidon is unstoppable for a moment. The conditions are worth the ability that follows, making Sidon's unique action one of the most powerful in the game.
Not Great: Zelda (Sheikah Slate)
Something many may not know about Zelda is that she is very skilled with the Sheikah Slate, but it still limits her battle capability in the early portion of the game. Her special action activates Sheikah runes placed nearby, which damage nearby enemies. The upside to this ability is the variety of moves that can be used and the distance at which she can use them. Nevertheless, they are not incredibly powerful. At this point in the game, Zelda has not yet unlocked the full potential of her powers, so it is appropriate that her unique action is not as dominant as those of other characters.
Incredible: Zelda (Bow of Light)
Once Zelda unlocks the potential of her powers partway through the game, she becomes much stronger. Her unique action allows her to switch between her normal and Luminescent forms. In Luminescent form, her power increases dramatically, but the downside is that her movement speed is reduced. However, this does not present too much of a problem because the player can switch back to normal form if the movement becomes an issue. In addition, her attacks in Luminescent form often have a large area of effect, wiping out most enemies in the way.