A fan of beloved open-world adventureThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildhas discovered a clever hidden detail at the end of the game. Most players are likely too busy to see or appreciate Nintendo’s work, as it coincides with the game’s final boss, but it shows that thought was put into every aspect ofThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildhas a unique approach to the way it presents its final dungeon, Hyrule Castle. Players can access the castle any time after they finish theBreath of the Wild’s Great Plateaututorial sequence, and fight the dreaded Calamity Ganon waiting at the top. Given how the narrative builds up Calamity Ganon, players are likely to be nervous as they initiate the final battle, even if they are very well prepared. As a result, it’s not surprising that millions overlooked a detail that seems almost obvious in retrospect.
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Reddit user Chicken_Vomit_ discovered that the markings on the walls of the Astral Observatory have a significant meaning. This deep pit is the stage for the first stage ofLink’s fight against Calamity Ganon, so players are likely disoriented. It turns out the markings reflect what lies outside of the castle in each direction, including a variety of landmarks like the Great Plateau, the Divine Beasts, and more. This room can only be explored via the use of an exploit, as Link normally couldn’t enter this room without triggering the battle.
As comments on the video point out, there are some major implications tied to these markings. Namely, the markings are clearly fromHyrule’s ancient Sheikah tribe, who should not have known where the Divine Beasts would end up in the future. In spite of this, the markings match Hyrule exactly as it exists in the game’s present-day. This serves to reinforce that the events ofBreath of the Wildwere prophesied far in advance, and Zelda was not fated to receive the power of the Triforce of Wisdom until Hyrule fell.
Of course, this isn’t the only indication that the Sheikah tribe anticipated Link’s quest inBreath of the Wild. Every Shrine was created for Link’s sake, thousands of years in advance. Still, it serves to raise questions about the role of destiny versus agency in theLegend of Zeldaseries. This is particularly true sinceHyrule Warriors: Age of Calamityuses time travel to substantially alter the course of history, allowing Hyrule to prevail against Calamity Ganon a century beforeBreath of the Wild.
With the exacting eye for detail that the developers of theZeldaseries bring to the games, it’s understandable why it’s taken so long forthe sequel toBreath of the Wildto release. Still, fans are growing impatient, and few things would please them more than a concrete release date or a trailer for the blockbuster-to-be. Until then, fans can at least tide themselves over by discovering hidden details throughout the game’s world.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildis available now for Nintendo Switch.
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