With the release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom nearly here, it’s a perfect time to recap Breath of the Wild’s most important story moments before diving into the sequel. Six years have passed since BOTW’s release, so veteran players may want to brush up on the story if they haven’t played in a while. New players also will get a lot more out of their Tears of the Kingdom experience with knowledge of Breath of the Wild, as it will be a direct continuation of Link’s adventures.
Thankfully, players won’t necessarily have to catch up on all the Zelda lore dating back to the 1980s since Breath of the Wild and TOTK possibly take place in a different timeline and are a kind of soft reboot for the series with only vague connections to previous titles. Still, it’s a massive game with much to explore and many characters to meet. So whether someone has never played BOTW or are a seasoned veteran, these are the critical story beats they need to know before playing Tears of the Kingdom.
Breath Of The Wild’s Ancient History
The story of Breath of the Wild starts long before the beginning of the game. Thousands of years in the past, a group of people known as the Sheikah led an era of technological growth and prosperity in Hyrule. Their might was put to the test when the beast Calamity Ganon, the Great King of Evil, emerged to wreak havoc on the land. To combat this evil, the Sheikah built an army of Guardians, robotic machines that would be deployed to aid a fabled, unnamed hero and princess.
Four Divine Beasts were also constructed, enormous animal-like machines crucial in the fight against Ganon. Each took on a different form: an elephant, a salamander, an eagle, and a camel. They were helmed by four Champions and helped weaken Ganon so the unnamed hero and princess could fight the evil head-on. Finally, the Sheikah and the hero succeeded, and Ganon was sealed deep below Hyrule Castle.
In the wake of what became known as the first Great Calamity, the king of Hyrule grew concerned about the existence of the powerful Divine Beasts. So, he ordered all the Guardians and Divine Beasts to be hidden beneath the ground. The Sheikah technology turned to legend as time passed, but the technological marvels of this era would eventually be rediscovered.
Breath Of The Wild Story Leading Up To The Second Great Calamity
Many thousands of years after the first Great Calamity, and about one hundred years before Breath of the Wild begins, Ganon is prophesied to soon re-emerge. In preparation for his return, King Rhoam of Hyrule orders the search for and excavation of the ancient Sheikah technology, the Guardians and Divine Beasts. He also tasks his daughter, Princess Zelda, to awaken and train her sacred powers that would re-seal Ganon.
A noble knight, Link, accompanies her on this journey, during which they also recruit four Champions to pilot the Divine Beasts. Gerudo Chief Urbosa, the Zora princess Mipha, the Rito warrior Revali, and Goron hero Daruk agree to be Zelda’s Champions and fight Calamity Ganon. With all pieces of the legend in place, things were mostly going according to plan, except for Zelda’s training. She struggled to tap into her powers, which had disastrous consequences.
Breath Of The Wild Story Turns To Ganon’s Return
One hundred years before Breath of the Wild begins, Ganon returned to start the second Great Calamity. Zelda’s power failed to awaken in time, so the kingdom of Hyrule was in peril. Ganon had also prepared while imprisoned; this time around, he targeted the Guardians, quickly taking control of them and using them against Hylian forces. The kingdom was ruthlessly destroyed, leaving many dead, including King Rhoam.
Zelda, Link, and the four Champions enact the plan to seal Ganon, but the Great King of Evil was prepared for this as well. Ganon also took control of the Divine Beasts, which led to the deaths of the Champions, and their spirits were trapped within the Divine Beasts. Recognizing their defeat, Zelda and Link retreated with Ganon hot on their tale.
Link fought for as long as possible, but even he is eventually beaten and resigned to his demise. At that moment, however, Zelda’s power awakened in a brave move to save Link’s life, holding back Ganon’s forces. Link was gravely wounded and brought to the Shrine of Resurrection to heal. Zelda, on the other hand, went alone into Hyrule Castle. She used her power to seal away Ganon once again, but his imprisonment this time is only temporary.
Breath Of The Wild Story Recap: Link Awakens To Fight Ganon
Finally, one hundred years after Ganon was resurrected, Link awakens from his slumber in the Shrine of Resurrection at the beginning of Breath of the Wild. Yet, he has no recollection of his past. He leaves the Shrine to discover a destroyed Hyrule. Link crosses paths with a mysterious older man who turns out to be the spirit of King Rhoam. The King tells Link what has transpired during his slumber and tasks the knight with rescuing Zelda.
Link sets out on an epic adventure through the kingdom of Hyrule, facing off against all manner of foes. First, he investigates the Divine Beasts, forming critical alliances along the way with characters such as the Zora prince Sidon and the young Gerudo Chief Lady Riju. Link frees the Divine Beasts from Ganon’s control, thus also freeing the spirits of the four Champions, who fulfill their vow to pilot the machines in the fight against Ganon. Link also embarks on a quest to regain his worthiness to once again wield the storied Master Sword.
Now fully prepared to face Ganon, Link travels to Hyrule Castle. The battle is tough, but with the help of the Champion’s spirits, Link defeats the Ganon. Then, however, Ganon strengthens himself with rage and malice, turning into the Dark Beast Ganon. Zelda bestows Link with the Bow of Light, with which Link defeats the beast. Finally, the Princess uses her power to seal Ganon away forever. With Ganon defeated and Link’s memories fully returned, he and Zelda reunite after one hundred years to mend the broken kingdom of Hyrule and restore peace to the land.
Tears of the Kingdom’s story will be set after the events of Breath of the Wild, continuing Link’s journey after defeating Calamity Ganon. Official information about the game’s story has been sparse, with Nintendo opting to keep much of the plot hidden. The trailers seem to hint at a darker tone for the sequel, but all the same awe and magnificence of Breath of the Wild will undoubtedly be present. Many surprises and twists are surely in store for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which is launching on May 12, 2023.
Source: Nintendo/YouTube (2)