Ancient Sheikah

Lore & Background

Ten millennia before the events of Breath of the Wild, the Sheikah race had developed Hyrule into an advanced civilization. When an ancient evil known as Calamity Ganon appeared, four great warriors were given the title of Champion to pilot the Divine Beasts and weaken the threat. These machines worked alongside Guardians, autonomous weapons built by the Sheikah. Princess Zelda, possessing the blood of the Goddess Hylia, sealed Ganon away while being protected by her appointed knight, Link. The Sheikah also constructed shrines throughout Hyrule containing challenges that rewarded Spirit Orbs upon completion. After King Rhoam and the Champions were killed during Ganon's return, Link was taken to a Shrine of Resurrection to heal for a century, where he eventually awakened as an amnesiac warrior.

In Their Own Story

When Ganon appeared on Zelda's seventeenth birthday, he possessed the Guardians and Divine Beasts, turning them against Hyrule. King Rhoam and the Champions were killed in the conflict, while Link was gravely wounded protecting the princess. Zelda unlocked her sealing powers to save Link, hiding him in the Shrine of Resurrection for a hundred years. She also hid the Master Sword in Korok Forest under the protection of the Great Deku Tree. Zelda then used her light magic to seal herself and Ganon inside Hyrule Castle. When Link finally awakened, he encountered Rhoam's lingering spirit on the Great Plateau, who explained that Ganon had grown stronger while sealed and needed to be defeated before destroying the world.

Reader's Guide

To engage with Sheikah technology in Breath of the Wild, players must activate towers to reveal territories on the Sheikah Slate map. The Slate itself is a magical stone tablet used to mark waypoints, take pictures for the Hyrule Compendium, and utilize four abilities: creating remote bombs, manipulating metal objects, forming ice blocks, and stopping time. Shrines act as extended puzzles where players can earn Spirit Orbs; trading four orbs grants additional health or stamina points. The Divine Beasts serve as major story objectives that must be freed from Ganon's control to weaken him before the final confrontation at Hyrule Castle.

Did You Know?

• The Sheikah race developed Hyrule into an advanced civilization ten millennia before the Great Calamity.
• Four enormous animalistic machines called Divine Beasts were created to weaken Calamity Ganon.
• Link slumbered in the Shrine of Resurrection for exactly one century before awakening.
• Zelda sealed herself and Ganon inside Hyrule Castle using her light magic after Link was taken to heal.