Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Entry 18: Vah Ruta
I set out for East Reservoir Lake to meet Prince Sidon, ready to face the Divine Beast Vah Ruta—and whatever destiny awaited me beyond.
When I arrived at the East Reservoir Lake, I saw Prince Sidon standing at the edge of the dock, his gaze fixed on the looming form of Vah Ruta as it stirred restlessly in the water. I walked up beside him, the sound of waves lapping against the dock filling the silence between us.
"I'm ready," I said, my voice steady with determination.
Sidon turned to me with a confident smile, then laid out the plan. I would ride on his back as he swam toward Vah Ruta. Once we were in position, I’d need to use the Zora armor’s ability to scale the massive waterfalls gushing from Vah Ruta’s sides and fire shock arrows at the power cells located on its back. However, it wouldn’t be easy—Vah Ruta wouldn’t take kindly to intruders in its reservoir. While Sidon focused on maneuvering through the water, it would be up to me to provide cover, ensuring we both stayed safe from its attacks.
With a final nod, Sidon dove into the water with effortless grace. I swam out to him, climbed onto his back, and we were off. I had expected Zora to be strong swimmers, but I was unprepared for just how fast and fluid Sidon was, cutting through the water like a blade through silk.
As we approached Vah Ruta, the Divine Beast reacted with hostility. Giant blocks of ice shot toward us with deadly precision, crashing into the water around us. I quickly activated the Cryonis rune on my Sheikah Slate, shattering the ice midair with sharp, precise strikes of frozen pillars. The combination of Sidon’s speed and my cover worked flawlessly.
When we got close enough, Sidon maneuvered me into position beneath one of the cascading waterfalls. I leaped from his back, activating the Zora armor’s ability to swim upward with incredible speed, scaling the torrent of water with ease. At the top, I aimed my shock arrows carefully and struck the power cells one by one, each hit sending a surge of energy through Vah Ruta’s body.
After landing the final shot, Vah Ruta let out a deep, mechanical groan as its aggression subsided. The water around it calmed, allowing Sidon to swim me over to an entrance platform on the Divine Beast’s side. He helped me disembark, his usual bright grin tempered with concern.
“Good luck,” he said, his voice filled with genuine warmth and confidence. With that, he dove back into the water, disappearing beneath the surface just as Vah Ruta began to rise once more, its colossal form shifting ominously as I prepared to face the next challenge within.
On the platform, I spotted a Sheikah terminal. I approached and activated it with my Slate. Suddenly, I heard a familiar, gentle voice—Mipha’s. Her words were soft yet filled with purpose as she explained that I needed to reactivate all the terminals within Vah Ruta to regain control of the Divine Beast. She guided me to a nearby guidance stone, which, once activated, provided a detailed map of the machine’s interior, marking the locations of each terminal and granting me the ability to manipulate certain aspects of Vah Ruta using my Slate.
Determined, I ascended a ramp deeper into the Divine Beast. That’s when I saw it—corrupt, festering clumps of blight infecting the walls and machinery, pulsing with a sickly, malevolent glow. I drew the Master Sword, and to my surprise, it radiated with a brilliant light, its power surging through me, resonating with an energy I hadn’t felt before. I could feel the sword’s purpose—to destroy the corruption left by the Calamity.
With the Master Sword in hand, I cleared away the blight wherever I found it, carving a path through Vah Ruta’s corrupted heart. One by one, I reactivated the terminals, solving puzzles and manipulating the Divine Beast’s structure to reach otherwise inaccessible areas. The deeper I went, the more I felt Mipha’s presence, her voice guiding me with quiet encouragement.
After activating the final terminal, Mipha’s voice echoed again, gentler but tinged with warning. The main control unit was now accessible—but I needed to be prepared.
Cautiously, I approached the glowing terminal and activated it with my Slate. Almost instantly, a violent surge of blight erupted from the panel, coalescing into a grotesque, monstrous form—a twisted amalgamation of Sheikah technology and dark malice—Waterblight Ganon. Its body pulsed with corrupted energy, mechanical limbs fused with organic decay.
Mipha’s voice, now filled with sorrow, whispered, “This… this is the creature that defeated me when the Calamity began. It stole Vah Ruta from me.
”Rage and resolve flooded through me. I gripped the Master Sword tightly, its light blazing with renewed fury. Without hesitation, I charged, loosing a volley of shock arrows before the creature could react. The arrows struck true, sending it reeling. Seizing the moment, I closed the distance and unleashed a relentless flurry of sword strikes, each blow fueled by the memory of Mipha’s sacrifice.
The monster lashed out with furious counterattacks, but I was faster. I conjured Cryonis pillars to block its energy blasts, deflecting them with precision. The Master Sword’s radiant power tore through its corrupted form, leaving the creature with little chance to recover. Between the devastating shock arrows and the sword’s holy light, the battle ended swiftly.
With the abomination vanquished, I approached the main control panel once more and activated it. As the glow of the terminal faded, Mipha’s spirit appeared before me—serene, luminous, and filled with a bittersweet warmth. We exchanged heartfelt words, sharing a quiet, emotional moment. Despite the pain of our past, there was peace in her gaze.
With newfound strength, Mipha reclaimed control of Vah Ruta. The Divine Beast shifted, its massive frame turning toward Hyrule Castle, ready to aid in the fight against Calamity Ganon.
I returned to Zora’s Domain, greeted by cheers and heartfelt gratitude. The skies had cleared, the endless rain finally ceased, and Mipha’s spirit was at peace. The city celebrated not just my victory but the return of hope.
In a solemn ceremony, King Dorephan presented me with the Lightscale Trident, the sacred weapon once wielded by Lady Mipha. As I held it, I felt both the weight of her memory and the strength of her enduring spirit.
I spent some time in Zora’s Domain, helping out and connecting with the people. I defeated a troublesome Hinox that had been causing issues nearby, assisted one of the elders in gathering historical inscriptions from stone monuments scattered across the region, delivered a heartfelt love letter that unexpectedly sparked a budding romance, and even reunited a lost wife with her family.
While exploring, I stumbled upon a hidden shrine. The clue had been cryptic, but I discovered that by driving the Lightscale Trident into a specific platform at the base of Veiled Falls, the shrine revealed itself. It was a small triumph, but each of these experiences deepened my bond with the Zora and reminded me of the life I once had—and the one I was slowly reclaiming.
Now, with the Master Sword in hand and one of the Divine Beasts freed, I felt a pull to return to Kakariko Village. I needed to share this progress with Impa and seek her wisdom on what to do next. But there was something else—a growing realization that my memories seemed to return in places tied to emotional significance.
Before heading to Kakariko, I decided to follow a lead from one of the pictures Purah had recovered from my Sheikah Slate. I felt compelled to visit the Sacred Ground Ruins, just south of Hyrule Castle, believing it to be the location captured in the first recovered photo.
