Summary
- The game's massive map is filled with hidden areas that most players miss, making exploration incredibly rewarding in Breath of the Wild.
- Players can discover serene locations like Mount Daphnes and Ash Swamp, offering unique experiences away from the main story.
- Unique secrets like the Lover's Pond, Gerudo Summit, and Eventide Island provide fun challenges and hidden treasures for dedicated players.
To put it plainly, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has one huge map. The game's open world is absolutely massive and is filled to the brim with different areas to explore. In fact, the map is so large that it is likely that most people who have played the title have missed a variety of different hidden areas, even if they're the sort of players who are meticulous with their exploration.
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Some of the best hidden areas in Breath of the Wild are ones that many players aren't aware of, which is a shame. While it's true that the game world is massive and full to the brim with some amazing environments to get lost in, this also leads to most players exploring areas that are more obvious as opposed to the ones that can take a while to find.
Updated on June 9, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: Breath of the Wild is easily one of the greatest open-world games ever made. The sheer amount of innovation Nintendo showed in a genre that had become tiresome is a testament to the amazing vision and talent of this first-party developer. The world of Breath of the Wild is so meticulously crafted that players can go through the entire title without placing a single marker in the open world, with visual landmarks doing a great job of guiding gamers to where they need to go in an organic manner. While the simple act of exploration and discovery can be immensely satisfying, there are some locations that end up being left unexplored by many, which is a shame.
24 Mount Daphnes
A Mountain Near The Ancient Tree Stump
- Where to Find: Hyrule Field near a nameless lake with the Ancient Tree Stump in the middle
In the excitement to check out the Ancient Tree Stump, a lot of players may miss out on the scenic mountain that surrounds this area. Mount Daphnes is one of the many serene locations present in the game world where players can kick back and relax after engaging in their fair share of combat.
Barring a Chuchu, there aren't many threats in this location, so players can explore without worrying about being hounded by foes, barring the Stal enemies that can appear at night. Diligent explorers can find a Korok seed to make their exploration in this area worthwhile, making it infinitely clear why the simple act of exploring is so rewarding in both Breath of the Wild and its sequel.
23 Ash Swamp
A Swamp In West Necluda
- Where to Find: Next to Blatchery Plain
Players who fear the dreaded Guardian enemies will definitely want to steer clear of an area that is chock-full of these tough enemies in the early game, meaning that a lot of people won't even make an effort to try and head to Ash Swamp after seeing the dangers that await them from afar. While this is understandable, it still doesn't change the fact that most players will be missing out on a beautiful area with some nice goodies to find.
If players want to hone their skills against the tough Guardians in Breath of the Wild, this area can serve as a nice training ground. Here, gamers can learn how to repel the laser beams, find new strategies to avoid this attack, and figure out the best way possible to take out the nightmarish Guardian Stalkers who can be a pain to deal with during one's journey to Hyrule Castle.
22 Thims Bridge
A Bridge On Top Of The Hylia River
- Where to Find: Between Eldin Canyon and Hyrule Field
Given how easy it is to glide over or swim across the waters of the Hylia River, it's easy to see why players may miss a lot of structures along its coast. One of these points of interest is Thims Bridge, which looks so innocuous that it's easy to see why players will assume that there's not much to do here.
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In fact, barring a Korok Seed that players can find here, there's not a lot to do in Thims Bridge. One thing to note here is that this name is inspired by Link's grandfather in The Minish Cap, whose name is Smith. It won't take an expert to see that the bridge's moniker stems from a reversal of this character's name, which is a minor yet interesting fact that a lot of people aren't aware of.
21 Lon Lon Ranch
The Ruins Of A Legendary Ranch From Ocarina Of Time
- Where to Find: Southeast of Hyrule Castle
Ocarina of Time is one of the greatest video games ever made, setting a template that many future action-adventure games would follow. One of the game's iconic locations is the Lon Lon Ranch, and the ruins of this area are present in Breath of the Wild.
It can be hard to notice this at a glance, especially since this area isn't shown by name. However, veterans of the Zelda franchise need only explore the ruins near Hyrule Castle to recognize some landmarks from Ocarina of Time. It serves as a nice touch for longtime fans of the franchise.
20 Forgotten Temple
An Ancient Temple Devoted To The Goddess Hylia
- Where to Find: Western part of the Great Hyrule Forest region, at the northern end of Tanagar Canyon
The Forgotten Temple plays a much greater role in Tears of the Kingdom, where players must visit it during their quest to uncover Zelda's memories. In Breath of the Wild, it's a location where gamers will only be directed after completing the 120 Shrines to gain the Hero of the Wild set.
The area is littered with Decayed Guardians, making it hard for Link to traverse this area unless he takes care of said enemies first. It also features the largest Goddess Statue in the game, which makes for a neat discovery.
19 The Home Of Horse God Malanya
Revive Link's Deceased Horses
- Where to Find: East of the Horse God Bridge in the Faron Grasslands
With all the monsters and dangerous terrain that this game has in store, there are times when players might end up losing their beloved horse to the dangers of the open world. This can be pretty painful if the player gets attached to a particular steed.
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Thankfully, players who head to Malanya Spring can find a surprise waiting for them that revives their horses. Players will find a Fairy Fountain-type structure near the spring, which reveals the Horse God Malanya, who can revive any dead horse for a nominal fee.
18 The Secret Debug Room
Players Need To Tamper With The Game's Code To Access This Area
- Where to Find: Not present on the map; it's an unused room called MarioClubTestDungeon that was discovered in the game's code by modders
It's impossible to access this room without messing around with the code of Breath of the Wild. However, players who decide to embark on this technical journey will gain access to the debug room that the developers used to test out all the mechanics of the game.
Pretty much every weapon in Breath of the Wild is present in this room for players to mess around with. There's even a boss battle with a giant bug, although he goes down in one hit.
17 Dungeon 136
A Cut Shrine That Can Be Accessed By Manipulating The Game's Code
- Where to Find: Not present on the map; it's an unused room called Dungeon136 that was discovered in the game's code by modders
It has been confirmed that Breath of the Wild houses a total of 135 shrines for the players to explore, including the DLCs. However, modders have found another secret shrine in the game's code as well.
This shrine is Dungeon 136 and basically serves as an empty room where players generally walk up a set of stairs to receive a blessing. It's a cool secret that only a handful of fans are aware of.
16 Riola Spring
The Great Dragon Farosh Appears Reliably Here
- Where to Find: South of Mount Floria in West Necluda
Riola Spring is one of the most notable locations in Breath of the Wild. However, for some reason, not a lot of people talk about this beautiful area.
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It's a shame since Riola Spring features the most frequent and reliable appearances of the Great Dragon Farosh. Players can camp out here to spawn him time and time again, getting as many materials from this dragon as they want.
15 Lurelin Village
A Legendary Village That Not Many People Visit
- Where to Find: On the coast bordering the Faron and Necluda areas in East Necluda
Hidden away near Tuft Mountain, there is a teeny little village that goes by the name of Lurelin. Upon closer inspection, this village seems to be modeled after Outset Island, the starting island of GameCube's The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.
The similarities sure are there, and it is a wonderful callback to another great Zelda title, another one that brought with it a very memorable open-world experience, even if most of it was filled with water. While there isn't much to do in Lurelin, it still makes for a great trip down memory lane.