13 Easter Eggs You Didn’t Know Were In Zelda Breath Of The Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a massive game that players are still pouring over to find secrets and Easter eggs to this day. The entire game can be seen as a faithful and well-made testament to the legacy of The Legend of Zelda series, while reinvigorating the formula through its expansive open world.
From hidden game mechanics, secrets, references to older games, and nods to the continuity of the series (or lack thereof), there are a ton of Easter eggs that have been found that even veterans may not be aware of. You’ll have to look through every nook and cranny to find these Easter eggs.
Updated on May 9, 2023 by Casey Foot: With Tears of the Kingdom’s launch, now is the perfect time to revisit Breath of the Wild’s rich world to discover the secrets that you might have missed the first time around. Even several years after Breath of the Wild came out, people are still finding hidden Easter eggs throughout the game. Here are some more that you may not have noticed before.
13 NPC References Skyloft
If you speak to an NPC named Shamae at the Woodland Stable, she’ll mention that she sometimes sees a “kingdom floating in the sky” in her dreams. She asks Link if he thinks people used to live in the sky in the past. This is, of course, a reference to Skyward Sword’s Skyloft.
Shamae also says that she’d like to “ride a really big bird” once she reaches the land in the sky, alluding to the Loftwings that the people of Skyloft use to travel between the floating islands. If you complete the side quest ‘Balloon Flight’ by making a barrel rise into the air using Octo Balloons, Shamae will give you a Star Fragment — an item that bears a striking resemblance to Skyward Sword’s Gratitude Crystals.
12 Library Book References Spirit Tracks
In Hyrule Castle’s library, you can discover two books, detailing recipes passed down from Hyrule’s Royal Family. One of the books has the recipe for Princess Zelda’s favorite fruitcake; however, the second book has a much more nefarious recipe.
It includes instructions for how to make a Monster Cake, and mentions that it was favored by the Royal Family’s Chancellor. The cake has some rather strange effects, as the book explains it can “motivate you to plan evil schemes.” It’s most likely a reference to Spirit Tracks’ villain, Chancellor Cole, who secretly plans to resurrect the demon king Malladus.
11 NPC References The Majora’s Mask Moon
Hino is one of Breath of the Wild’s more disquieting NPCs. He has a slightly unhealthy obsession with the moon, and can be found at Dueling Peaks Stable researching the Blood Moon. When it’s a Blood Moon, Hino will act erratically, running in circles around the stable and exclaiming “My blood…it’s boiling!”
However, Hino also has some interesting dialogue on nights with a regular full moon. If you talk to him on one of these nights, he’ll say that it looks as though the moon “could come falling down any minute,” referencing how Skull Kid attempted to bring the moon down on the citizens of Termina in Majora’s Mask.
10 Lurelin Village = Outset Island
If you’re eagle-eyed, you have noticed that, while exploring Lurelin Village, it bears an uncanny resemblance to Outset Island from The Wind Waker. Outset Island is where Link grew up alongside his sister Aryll, and is the starting area of The Wind Waker.
With similar beaches, an identical lookout tower with a near-identical view, and the overall shape of the island, it just bears too much of a resemblance to be a coincidence. It’s one of many references to other locations in The Legend of Zelda series and proves that there’s lots to find in this massive game.
9 Ranch Ruins = Lon Lon Ranch
Another call back to the more famous locations found in previous Zelda games is Ranch Ruins, which is an almost exact recreation of Lon Lon Ranch from Ocarina of Time.
This majestic ranch has since been abandoned as a result of Ganon’s evil exploits, but you can still find the derelict remains of buildings, fences, and roadways that are a faithful representation of where Link saved the ranch by winning a race with Epona. It’s a bit sad seeing the current state of the ranch, but a great nostalgic moment nevertheless.
8 Cucco Attack
A recurring Easter egg in the Zelda games is the Cucco revenge attack, where you’re assaulted by a swarm of the chicken-like creatures in retaliation for attacking them. Breath of the Wild brings this entertaining Easter egg back, but with an interesting twist that you can take advantage of to humorous effect.
It turns out that any character who attacks the Cucco will come under attack by the Cucco revenge squad. If you’re holding a Cucco when attacked by an enemy, that enemy can trigger the swarm and be mobbed to death by a horde of Cucco.
7 Temple Of Time
Another ruin from previous games you can find is the Temple of Time, which is located on the Great Plateau. You can explore the abandoned temple as it was depicted in Ocarina of Time, though it has been moved further away from Hyrule Castle. What’s interesting is that the exterior is identical, but the interior is entirely different, with the statue of Hylia and its smaller companions.
Another interesting Easter egg is that, if you listen carefully to the music playing within the temple, you’ll discover that embedded within the notes is the familiar Song of Time from Ocarina of Time.
6 Dancing Dogs
This Easter egg is an interesting mechanic included to give more life to the game’s world and is a fun secret to find. In the world are a number of dogs that you can befriend by giving them food. They can lead Link to nearby treasures and serve a practical purpose in the game, alongside just being cute.
What’s interesting is that, if Link crouches down next to a dog and starts twirling, the dog will crouch down and start twirling too. It’s a fun little Easter egg that, while it serves no real purpose in the game, does give these faithful companions a little more personality.
5 Botrick = Satoru Iwata
Former CEO of Nintendo, Satoru Iwata helped bring the company back from the brink of bankruptcy and into the limelight with creations like the Wii and Nintendo DS. Before sadly passing in 2015, he was dedicated to the creation of the Nintendo Switch, which Breath of the Wild launched on.
To commemorate his contribution to gaming, the developers of Breath of the Wild created the character Botrick who bears an uncanny resemblance to Iwata and aids you by providing useful information. It’s a fitting memorial for the man who wanted to give gamers compelling entertainment.
4 Lord Of The Mountain
Speaking of Botrick, this character sends you on an interesting lore hunt to find the Lord of the Mountain. He tells you of a mysterious being who dwells at the top of Satori Mountain. If you spot a green glow at the top of the mountain, you can climb to the summit to find the mythical being, a ghostly two-faced horse.
Another interesting reference is that the name of the mountain, Satori, is a Japanese word for enlightenment and the verb form is Satoru, the CEO’s first name.
3 It’s Dangerous To Go Alone
There are a number of different things in the game that bear the famous runes of the Sheikah text. This fictional language has been decoded by fans and used to identify the hidden messages the developers included in Breath of the Wild.
While there are a number of plaques that bear Sheikah text describing what the location is, perhaps the best Easter egg is the text on the map marker that you can see when gazing through the scope. These pins read the famous text “It’s Dangerous To Go Alone”, which are the first words spoken (written) to Link in the first The Legend of Zelda.
2 Ganon’s Horse
One of the more interesting side quests is Hunt For The Giant Horse. This quest has you hunt down and tame a giant horse that you can register at a stable, though it will tower over all your regular horses. What’s interesting about this horse is that it bears an uncanny resemblance to the horse Ganon is seen riding in Ocarina of Time.
Some fans speculate it may actually be a descendant of his horse, similar to the Royal White Stallion that is related to Princess Zelda’s horse. Wherever it came from, this fiery-maned black stallion is a great companion during Link’s quest to explore the land.
1 Dark Link
While not exactly a secret, this is by far the most interesting and most useful Easter egg found in the game. Link’s infamous Dark Link outfit from Ocarina of Time can be purchased from Kilton at the Fang and Bone shop.
By trading monster parts for Mon, you can purchase the Dark Link set that provides enhanced speed when running at night and has an appearance that terrifies NPCs. It requires freeing the four divine beasts and lots of monster grinding, but it’s worth it to play as one of the most popular villains in the series.
Source: www.thegamer.com
