Ever since The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild hit the shelves alongside the Nintendo Switch, fans worldwide have continued falling in love with this fresh installation in the Zelda series. With hours upon hours of magnificent gameplay, Breath of the Wild has set a new standard for the quality of games the fanbase has come to expect from Nintendo.

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Whether you spend your time in Hyrule completing puzzles in Shrines, mastering your skills in combat, or helping the many NPCs, there's plenty for you to do. But after you complete the main story and quell Ganon once again, what's left? With a game as big as Breath of the Wild, there's, unsurprisingly, still lots to explore in Hyrule after the credits roll.

Updated by Rebecca Phillips on February 21, 2023: With Tears of the Kingdom just on the horizon, there's no better time than to wrap up your exploration of Breath of the Wild's Hyrule. Before you embark on another adventure in the Zelda series, take some time to appreciate all that's on offer here. If you think you've seen everything there is to see, think again. Even after you've finished the main story, there's lots to keep you busy.

20 Discover References To Previous Zelda Games

Link riding a horse through the Ranch Ruins in Breath of the Wild.

When you journey across Breath of the Wild, it's easy to assume that this devastated world is nothing like the Hyrule you've seen in previous Zelda games. In fact, this isn't true at all. Various locations from across the series can be found, such as Lon Lon Ranch. Now known as Ranch Ruins, the original structure can be found dilapidated on Hyrule Field.

Breath of the Wild's map is also littered with references to other Zelda titles, with many locations being subtly named after characters from across the series. Take your time to explore the world and see if you spot anything familiar, and peruse the map to see if you spot any similar names too.

19 Play All The Minigames

Link holding a giant snow bowling ball above his head, readying to throw it down the hill at the pins.

Every hero needs a break from saving the world. Luckily, there's a plethora of minigames to take on in Breath of the Wild — if you know where to look. Test your skills at horseback archery at the Mounted Archery Camp, where you'll need to shoot at a certain number of targets within a time limit while riding your horse; go bowling with snowballs up in the Hebra Mountains; or simply test how fast you can run at the Foot Race Check-In in Central Hyrule.

If you succeed at these minigames, you'll even earn yourself a range of prizes and rupees too. You can play the minigames as many times as you want, so if you've got a favorite, you can find hours of fun right there.

18 Read Zelda’s Diary In Hyrule Castle

Zelda's Room in Hyrule Castle, the furniture broken and the room glowing with Malice.

There are many nooks and crannies to be discovered within Hyrule Castle itself, but one of the most interesting finds is Zelda's diary, located within her room. In the diary, Zelda writes about her thoughts and feelings about what was happening 100 years ago. The contents reveal a little more about the events, so it's certainly worth a read if you're interested in the game's lore.

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The diary even details why Link is silent and doesn't speak. He told Zelda that, because of the pressure to be the Hero, he feels the need to appear calm and collected in front of everyone, despite the danger they must face.

17 Scan Your Amiibos

Link and Wolf Link standing on top of a hill in Breath of the Wild.

Breath of the Wild has some of the best Amiibo functionality out of any Nintendo game, so if you've got a pile of Amiibo waiting to be scanned, now is the time. You'll most likely receive common items like raw meat or standard weapons, but if you have Amiibo from the Zelda series, you have the chance of receiving rare weaponry and clothing.

It might take you a few tries, but it's certainly worth it to get your hands on rare finds, such as Link's outfits from other Zelda titles and iconic weapons like the Fierce Deity Sword. If you're fortunate enough to have the Wolf Link Amiibo, you can get Wolf Link to appear in your game and travel alongside you.

16 Go Straight To Ganon

Close up of Calamity Ganon in Breath of the Wild

After finishing up the main story, you might be looking for a new challenge in Hyrule. If that's the case, you could try your hand at attempting to take down Ganon in the quickest time possible. Thanks to the game's open-world nature, all you need to do is complete the quests at the Great Plateau, and then you're free to do whatever you want — including fight Ganon.

Without taking on the four Divine Beasts first, it proves to be quite the challenge, as you'll need to defeat the four Blights and then Calamity Ganon itself with no breaks in between. Pair this with having just three hearts and minimal weapons and armor, and you're in for a tough battle.

15 Find The Dragons

Naydra infected with Malice in Breath of the Wild.

Breath of Wild has three dragons hidden across Hyrule — Farosh, Dinraal, and Naydra. If you find them, you'll be able to unlock three more Shrines using a scale from each dragon. But just seeing them soaring across the sky is a magnificent sight enough, especially when they glow brightly against the night sky.

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Naydra is found at the top of Mount Lanaryu, and you'll have to cure it of infection from Calamity Ganon. Dinraal has a few locations, but the easiest is at Eldin's Great Skeleton, where it shows up at 9am. Finally, Farosh is found at midnight at Lake Hylia.

14 Finish Finding All Of The Memories

Link at Hyrule Castle with a Guardian's light nearby.

When Link wakes up at the beginning of the game, he's without many of his memories. You'll stumble upon some memories while you play the main campaign, but you'll need to spend a little time hunting down the rest. If you do, you'll be treated to cutscenes from 100 years ago, helping you to better piece together what happened when the Calamity struck.

Using your Sheikah Slate, you will need to use the photos you have from Zelda to track down the many things Link has forgotten during his slumber. Scour the game's vast terrain to find each one and get fully caught up on all the lore.

13 Go To Eventide Island

Link carrying a Shrine ball on the beach at Eventide Island.

Eventide Island is easy to miss if you don't know exactly where it is or that you should be looking for it. Defeating the challenges on the island is extremely tricky and best-suited if you want to try something a little more difficult. Once you arrive, Link will lose his armor, food, and weapons.

You'll then need to complete three tasks, but if you die, you have to start all over again. To make your challenges even more difficult, the island is riddled with monsters, including an intimidating Hinox. The fastest way to Eventide Island is to travel to the Muwo Jeem Shrine.

12 Find The Best Mounts

A screenshot of Link wearing the Fierce Deity outfit and riding the Lord of the Mountain, in front of an NPC.

Did you know that you can find Link's horse companion Epona in the game? To do so, you'll need the Amiibo connection from Smash Brothers, but there are a lot of other cool animals you can find and mount. You might not realize how many different animals are available to you in the game, but when you finish the main campaign, you'll have plenty of time to track them all down.

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As well as the Spotted Horse and One-Color Horse, there's the Giant Horse (who you might recognize as Ganondorf's), and a pure white horse, supposedly the descendant of Zelda's royal mare. Beyond horses, you can also mount deer, bears, Lynels, and the Lord of the Mountain — though you can't register these at stables.

11 Find The Master Sword

The Master Sword glows in the ground in the Lost Woods.

You might have gone on the quest to get the Master Sword before you tried to take on Ganon, but if you decided to defeat the boss without it, you should, at the very least, go back for it. Obviously, it wouldn't be a true Zelda game if it didn't include the legendary Master Sword.

Make your way through the Lost Woods to find it at the center, surrounded by Koroks. To pull it out, though, you'll need to get 13 heart containers, which you can acquire by defeating Divine Beasts and trading the orbs you get from the Shrines.

10 Buy A House

Link's in his house surrounded by displayed weapons.

If you visit Hateno Village, you can start your journey towards becoming a “Hylian Homeowner!" Once you’re in Hateno Village, you will see three men standing outside an abandoned house. You’ll want to talk to the boss, Bolson (he’s the one with the pink headband, impossible to miss).

He will then offer to sell you the house for 3,000 Rupees and 30 bundles of wood. Once you purchase your new home, you can return to Bolson and hire him to make renovations to your house. After that, you'll be able to hang bows, weapons, and shields on your walls. A completed home will also offer you a place to sleep anytime you want, fully restoring your health.

9 Travel The Countryside

Link riding a horse across a rocky area.

Breath of the Wild is arguably one of the most gorgeous games to come out of Nintendo — or any game studio ever. The open-world map is the largest to be featured in a Zelda title. At an impressive 23.7 square miles, this massive open world is almost the exact size of Manhattan!

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That being said, there is a lot of world to explore. It's always a good time to slow down, grab your horse, and try to experience every corner of Hyrule. The horse riding mechanic is not only fun, but also gives you efficient transportation for your journey. So stop by the stable, saddle up, and enjoy the view. Remember to snag some pictures along the way.

8 Find All The Korok Seeds

Link speaking to Hestu in Breath of the Wild.

Koroks have been a staple in the Zelda series since they first appeared in the GameCube classic The Wind Waker as the spirits of the forest. They make their return to the adventure in Breath of the Wild.

By now, you’ve probably already uncovered a few Koroks hiding throughout Hyrule. You may have even exchanged their seeds for some upgraded storage. However, there are a total 900 Koroks to be found scattered around the map. Seems pretty daunting, huh? Don’t worry, it only takes 441 to max out your inventory. Just think about how happy you’ll make Hetsu with all those seeds — he'll even give you a special reward if you find them all...

7 Redesign Your Wardrobe

Link in the Dye Shop with the owner in the background in Breath of the Wild.

Breath of the Wild features a large variety of clothes that offer a bunch of different abilities and styles for Link to explore. However, every outfit may not come in your favorite color… But you can change that! All you have to do to spice up your wardrobe is visit the Kochi Dye Shop, which can be found in Hateno Village.

Koichi Dye Shop is easy to spot because of the giant multi-colored test tubes that can be seen right above the store. Once inside, you’ll want to chat with Sayge, who will explain all of your clothes dye options. Each project will cost you 20 rupees, and require specific items that correlate with the color you’re trying to achieve. Don’t worry about experimenting with colors — anything you dye can be reverted to its original color, so have fun with it.

6 Explore The Labyrinths

Link paraglides to a Labyrinth in Breath of the Wild.

Breath of the Wild offers a new exciting dungeon-style challenge in the form of the three Labyrinths located throughout Hyrule. Lomei Labyrinth Island is the first of the Labyrinths and can be found in the Akkala region. In the Hebra region, you can find the North Lomei Labyrinth. And finally, in the Gerudo Desert lies the South Lomei Labyrinth.

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Each Labyrinth is protected by Guardians, but if you can get past them, you’ll find all sorts of cool treasures. If you have the heart containers and weapons to bear the challenge, battling your way through the Labyrinths will be plenty worth the trouble. So gear up and good luck!

5 Finish Up The Shrines

Link at a Shrine entrance in Breath of the Wild.

One of the most unique experiences of Breath of the Wild is the addition of the mini dungeons called Shrines, each of which features a unique puzzle or challenge. Upon completion, you are rewarded with a Spirit Orb, which you can offer to Hylia in exchange for a heart container or a stamina boost.

By the time you’ve finished the main story, you’ve probably completed at least a handful, but there are a total of 120 Shrines to explore throughout the land of Hyrule, and just under half of those are exposed after completing a Shrine Quest. If you manage to push through and complete all 120 Shrines, though, you'll be rewarded with the Hero of the Wild clothing set at the Forgotten Temple.

4 Hunt Down The Lynels

Link fighting Lynel in Breath of the Wild

There are four types of Lynels you’ll encounter in your journey across Hyrule — the most basic form has a red mane and is the least challenging to defeat. The blue-maned Lynel is the next in line in terms of difficulty, followed by the White Lynel, and finally the Silver Lynel. If you decide to take a crack at Master Mode, though, you'll be challenged to the even more menacing Gold Lynel.

Any Lynel you battle will be a difficult task, but in the end it will be worth it. Each one drops a Lynel Horn, a Lynel Hoof, a Lynel Guts, and possibly some powerful Lynel melee weapons. If you’ve beaten the game and want more of a challenge, hunting down a Lynel might be exactly what you’re looking for.

3 Become A Master Chef

Link Cooking In Botw

Cooking is another unique mechanic introduced in Breath of the Wild. If you’ve beaten the main story, you’ve undoubtedly spent some time around the fire cooking up some concoctions. However, there are over 100 different dishes you can make with a bunch of different combinations.

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If you’re looking for something to do, spend some time doing a little hunting in the forest, or gathering some herbs from a field, and then try your hand at a new recipe. Unfortunately, the game doesn't feature a mechanic that allows you to catalog your newly found recipes, but you can discover recipes on posters at stables. With a little time and effort, you can master all the food combinations Hyrule has to offer.

2 Finish Up the Side Quests

Link speaking to an NPC to start the Thunder Magnet Side Quest in BOTW

Side quests have always been a part of the Zelda series, but due to Breath of the Wild’s massive open map, they play a bigger role than ever before. With a whopping 76 in total, it's incredibly easy to find yourself spending more time with side quests than on the main story.

Side quests can be spotted when a character you encounter has a red exclamation point next to their text bubble. Make sure you revisit areas you’ve already been to see if any new side quests have popped up. Completing all the side quests will add lots of enriching hours of gameplay to your Breath of the Wild experience.

1 Buy The DLC

Breath of the Wild The Master Trials and The Champions' Balland DLC promo artwork.

Breath of the Wild is already a massive game with hours upon hours of available gameplay. However, if you reached a point where you’re craving something more, there are currently two expansion packs available to purchase. The first expansion pack is titled “The Master Trials,” which adds The Trial of the Sword, Master Mode, Hero's Path Mode, the travel medallion, and new armor to the game.

The second expansion pack, “The Champions Ballad," features the addition of The Champions’ Ballad story quest, nine new armors, and an ancient bridle and saddle to your copy of Breath of the Wild. The new story quest adds depth to the four Champions and even allows you to upgrade the Champions' powers further.

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