There’s a lot of new information to take in with the latest entry in the Legend of Zelda series, Breath of the Wild: cooking and recipes, shrines, runes, the Sheikah Slate and Hyrule Compendium, the list goes on. Whether you’re just getting started or you’ve been playing for awhile, you probably have some questions about these new features and some of the little curiosities, mysteries, and secrets you’ve run into while traversing greater Hyrule. Here are 20 answers to the 20 questions you’ve probably already had about Breath of the Wild.
20. I need rupees. How do I make money?
Breath of the Wild doesn’t give out rupees as freely as Legend of Zelda games past. You’ll have to make a living through gems, meals, elixirs, and ingredients. Keep an eye out for dark chunks of rock to mine for precious stones, which make the most money. Craft up elixirs and meals from spare ingredients, or sell the ingredients themselves. You can also make money from various sidequests, so keep busy!
19. What are those white beams of light?
If you stroll the fields of Hyrule at night you may have seen a large beam of light in the distance and wondered what it means. Those are from star fragments, and they show up after a star shoots across the sky. Get over to the beam as fast as you can, collect the fragment, then use it in a recipe. Or you can sell them for 300 rupees a piece.
Star fragments can occasionally be obtained other ways, like as a quest reward.
18. Where can I get/find recipes?
Some of the meal and elixir recipes in the game are received during sidequests or from NPCs. However you can also find some of the walls of stables, where there are posters listing ingredients for recipes. Others still are in open books so keep an eye out! You can also get tips on how to cook and the best recipes to make over at our extensive guide.
17. How do I catch a horse? Can I ride other animals or just horses?
Yes, in addition to horses, you can ride other animals, like bears and deer! You can even ride moose and ostrich, and of course sand seals. To catch an animal for riding, be sure to load up on stealth elixir, don all your Sheikah armor, put away all your gear, and make sure to stay out of their eye range as you come up from behind. Have some stamina elixirs on hand in case they run, and health elixirs in case you get kicked. Ostrich and deer will flee, horses will kick and buck, moose will charge, and bears will become aggressive and attack. Be prepared.
There’s also one extra special animal that you can ride, one that some say is a tribute to the late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata. Go find the ethereal Lord of the Mountain, also known as Satori, up on Satori Mountain, west of Central Hyrule.
16. What are those ghost bunnies and how come I can’t catch them?
Those are Blupees, and you’re not supposed to catch them! They actually hold rupees, and if you hit the Blupee with an arrow, they’ll drop some. The more damage from the arrow, the more rupees they’ll drop. Try it on the Blupee on the path from the shrine above Kakariko Village to the Great Fairy Fountain— but wear your Sheikah armor so you don’t scare them away!
15. My horse DIED! WHAT DO I DO??
Don’t panic. It’s utterly devastating to lose a horse, even a fictional one made out of pixels, but the damage is reversible. Go see Malanya, the Great Horse Fairy near Highland Stable in the area around Lake Tower. Give her 1,000 rupees and she’ll open up shop and allow you to revive your horses in perpetuity, with no additional fees.
14. How do you get dragon parts and what are they used for?
There are three dragons you can find in Hyrule, and each guard one of the springs representing the pieces of the Triforce: Power, Courage, and Wisdom. Dinraal is generally in the Eldin region, Farosh can be found sometimes around Lake Hylia or Lake Floria or Gerudo Highlands, and Naydra is at Mount Lanaryu. Each can shed four different items depending on where they are struck: hit the body for scales, the horns for shards of the horn, the claws for a claw, and the fangs for a fang. Upon attacking a dragon, several updrafts of air will surround them (but if you miss one, you can create your own by lighting the grass on fire—try it!), allowing Link to coast through each without using Stamina and strike them from above.
Not only are dragon parts necessary to unlocking the shrines hidden behind each spring, they’re also used in armor upgrades. When used for cooking, they can dramatically increase the duration of effects. The Horn Shards are the most valuable, adding 30 minutes to an elixir’s time limit.
13. How do you tame a dog?
It’s really easy to tame a dog. Walk up to one, crouch, and maintain eye contact. After a few seconds, you should see a small pink cloud and hear a melodic chime, indicating you’ve bonded with him. Boom, you are now friends.
As it turns out there are benefits to taming a dog. Give him three pieces of fruit or meat and he’ll lead you to a nearby hidden treasure chest.
12. What are Korok seeds for? And where the heck is Hestu?
If you find yourself asking “how do I expand my Breath of the Wild inventory?” the answer to that lies in Korok seeds. In Korok Forest, at the other side of the Lost Woods near the Master Sword, is a giant Korok named Hestu who will exchange the seeds for inventory slots. Actually, the Korok Forest is the last location where you’ll meet him. He can first be found on the road leading west away from Kakariko Village, towards Dueling Peaks Stable. After two inventory upgrades, he’ll move on to just outside Riverside Stable, then following a handful of more upgrades, he finally arrives at Korok Forest, where he remains for the rest of the game. Keep giving him your seeds to get extra inventory slots for your melee weapons, bows, and shields.
11. What are those rings of rocks for?
Sometimes you run into them on the ground, other times you’ll see them as you’re paragliding through the air, and sometimes they’re even visible on the map. And they don’t always take the form of rings; sometimes a configuration of rocks looks like a grid, or a spiral. The goal is to find a nearby rock (or several, as needed) to fill in any noticeable gaps in the pattern. Once you place them, a Korok will pop out and award you a seed. Do the same for the rings of stone you see in the water by throwing a rock in the middle.
10. What are those strange little metal boxes and why are they stacked that way?
The answer to that, like many Hyrule mysteries, lies in the Korok seeds. You must use your Magnesis power to pick them up and place them in the spot that solves the puzzle. Observe both configurations, and place the box(es) such that they are configured the same.
9. What’s up with those idol statues with the bowls of fruit?
Again. Two words. Korok. Seeds. Go into your menu and select an apple and hold it. Exit the menu, and place the apple in an empty stone bowl. A Korok will pop up and award you a seed.
8. How do you unlock those metal platforms?
The round metal platforms, roughly resembling a manhole cover, are related to the character Kass, a Rito bard who shows up near each platform location (just follow the sound of accordion music). Initiate a conversation with him and listen to his song to hear a riddle, then use the clues in the lyrics to solve a nearby puzzle. Once solved, the metal platform will open, revealing a shrine.
7. How do I get unbreakable weapons?
Unfortunately the only true unbreakable weapon in the game is the Master Sword, and you’ll need at least thirteen heart containers to get it. There are some other high durability items, like the Hylian Shield in Hyrule Castle (and the Ceremonial Trident and Lightscale Trident can be reforged) but the Master Sword is the only one that won’t eventually break. It will however lose energy though so keep that in mind.
6. How do you use a raft?
Korok leaves can be used to move a raft. Just hop and swing the leaf and a gust of wind will propel it. If you’re having trouble getting the raft back into the water, try Octo Balloons.
5. I purchased heart containers when I should have invested in stamina wheels. Help.
If you’re having buyer’s remorse about how you spent the spirit orbs you’ve accumulated from Hyrule’s many shrines, don’t fret: they can be reassigned. At the entrance to Hateno Village is a hill on the right side. Walk around until you find the statue pictured above, and talk to it. Through the dialogue, you’ll be able to essentially respec your heart and stamina purchases for 20 rupees a piece. This is particularly helpful if you’re antsy to get the Master Sword and do not have the prerequisite 13 heart containers.
4. I’m out of inventory spots. Where do I store my stuff?
We’ve already covered how to upgrade the number of available inventory slots, but there’s another way to hang onto your items. You can actually buy a house in Hateno Village. Go talk to Bolson to start the quest Hylian Homeowner. You can find him south of Firly Pond. You’ll need 3000 rupees and 30 bundles of wood.
3. What do I do with ancient items like screws and gears?
While it may be tempting to sell them off for cash, try to hold on to them instead. At the laboratory in East Akkala, you’ll be able to use them to purchase an Ancient Set of armor. You can also use them to buy Ancient Arrows, which are helpful in taking down Guardians. Guardians are a great source of more Ancient parts.
2. How do I change my Sheikah Slate radar back to detecting shrines?
The Hyrule Compendium, a catalogue of all the items in Breath of the Wild that can be accessed from your upgraded Sheikah Slate, can be very useful in tracking stuff down but you may be wondering how to set it back to detecting shrines. In the map menu, scroll over to a shrine icon and hit Y. It will bring up a menu where you can turn the Sheikah Slate radar off, or switch it between an item and shrine locations.
1. How do I kill a Guardian?
It’s all in the timing. First, make sure you have a shield equipped. When the Guardian points its laser at you, hold up the shield to block. Then, just as the Guardian starts to fire off its blue laser attack, parry with the A button to reflect the light back at it. If done correctly, it will bounce off the shield and damage the Guardian. It takes three blows to kill a regular Guardian (sometimes four) and only one to kill a stationary Guardian. A good demonstration of the timing can be seen here.
Another means is to use the Stasis rune once it has been fully upgraded at the laboratory in Hateno Village. As seen in this video, freeze the Guardian first, then use a bladed melee weapon to cut off its legs.
Holly Green is the assistant editor of Paste Games and a reporter and semiprofessional photographer. She is also the author of Fry Scores: An Unofficial Guide To Video Game Grub. You can find her work at Gamasutra, Polygon, Unwinnable, and other videogame news publications.