The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has one of the best open worlds in modern gaming, and there are still secrets about the game being uncovered five years after its launch. From obscure cutscenes to unexpected gameplay mechanics, players have yet to discover everything that Breath of the Wild has to offer. However, many of Breath of the Wild’s best-kept secrets have been revealed since the game was released in 2017, and players have shared some of their most exciting finds with other fans online.
Breath of the Wild brought open-world gameplay back to the Zelda franchise for the first time since the original Legend of Zelda, and like its 8-bit predecessor, the game leaves players largely to their own devices to explore as they wish. As a result, it’s up to the player to uncover Hyrule’s many secrets on their quest to defeat Calamity Ganon once and for all. Since players can approach the game however they want, it’s easy to miss many of its secrets, and some are so well-hidden that they’ve eluded even the most experienced BOTW players.
No matter how many hours players have put into Breath of the Wild, the world is so large and dynamic that there will always be new discoveries that they have yet to find. Each new playthrough promises a new experience, and it’s nearly impossible to explore Hyrule the same way twice. It’s possible that Breath of the Wild is still hiding even more obscure, well-kept secrets that are waiting to be uncovered in the years to come.
BOTW’s Hot Springs Have A Secret Culinary Use
Breath of the Wild’s cooking can be difficult to figure out, but there’s an obscure recipe that requires players to think outside the pot. The Eldin region’s hot springs not only give Link a place to unwind and recover some health between his adventures, but he can also drop a bird egg into the water to hard boil it. A hard boiled egg recovers a heart and a half, but players who don’t expect to be able to cook without a pot may never discover this unique recipe.
Satoru Iwata Has More Than One Namesake In BOTW
Satori Mountain is one of Breath of the Wild’s most beautiful locations, and many players are aware that the mountain and its resident sage appear to pay tribute to Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, who passed during the game’s development. However, in addition to this loving memorial, there’s another namesake character in Breath of the Wild that’s even more elusive than the Lord of the Mountain. At the Wetland Stable, Link can speak with an NPC named Quince who owns a dog he calls Satty. According to Quince, the dog came to his rescue on top of Satori Mountain, so he decided to name it after the mountain to commemorate their first meeting. However, unlike the large, glowing mountain that players will likely see from a distance, Quince and Satty are tucked away behind the Wetland Stable, and players who don’t spot the pair may never find this subtle tribute.
Zelda Has Secret Dialogue If Players Ignore Impa In BOTW
Breath of the Wild does very little to guide players on their quest to defeat Calamity Ganon, but one of the earliest objectives in the game is visiting Impa in Kakariko Village. The wise elder has been waiting for Hyrule’s hero to awaken for a hundred years, but since the game is open world, Link can skip this quest entirely and dive head first into the action instead. However, Impa is supposed to be responsible for giving Link important information regarding the Divine Beasts and the Great Calamity that explains what he’s actually up against.
If Link makes it to a Divine Beast before speaking with Impa, Zelda herself will step in with a secret cutscene to explain Link’s objective. Since most players make their way to Kakariko Village before encountering a Divine Beast, many had no idea that this hidden dialogue existed in the game until years after its release. However, skipping Impa will affect a number of other important aspects of gameplay as well, such as Link's lost memories and BOTW's majestic guardian dragons, so it’s best for Link to make his way back to visit her sooner or later.
BOTW’s Sheikah Towers Hide An Iconic Sheikah Symbol In Plain Sight
One of the earliest objectives in Breath of the Wild is climbing to the top of the Sheikah Towers, which erupt from the ground shortly after the start of the game. However, it took until 2021 for players to realize that the openings at the top of the Sheikah Towers are actually designed to look like Zelda’s iconic Sheikah eye symbol. The detail is almost painfully easy to spot once it’s been pointed out, but it escaped plenty of players who have poured hundreds of hours into the game. While subtle design choices like this add a lot of depth to the game and strengthen its superb worldbuilding, they can be shockingly easy to overlook while exploring the vast land of BOTW's Hyrule.
BOTW’s Old Man Has Secret Dialogue If Link Sets Him On Fire
The Old Man is the first person Link meets after waking up in Breath of the Wild’s Shrine of Resurrection, and he guides the player through the game’s tutorial on the Great Plateau. That being said, the Old Man is also one of the most responsive NPCs in the game, and he has a ton of dialogue that subtly nudges players to pay attention to important aspects of the game like weather and time of day. In addition to changing his dialogue based on whether or not Link is clothed, players have recently discovered that the Old Man has a unique, secret dialogue if the player attempts to set him on fire.
The Old Man will simply say “Toasty…” and calmly cover his face when Link sets a fire too close to him, though he doesn’t appear to be damaged by the flames. Since most players probably never thought to set the Old Man ablaze, it’s likely that they never knew about this unique reaction. With all the potential encounters players can have with this special NPC, it’s possible that the Old Man alone still hides some secrets that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild players have yet to discover.