Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Entry 20: Hyrule Castle
From the stable, I made my way to the Castle Town Prison Ruins, where I planned to swim across the moat to an opening I had spotted during an earlier exploration. As I approached the castle, an unexpected sight stopped me in my tracks—a surge of Calamity Ganon’s malevolent energy rising from the castle, only to be quelled by a radiant burst of light near its highest spire. The contrast between the darkness and the light stirred something deep within me, both awe and a quiet sense of urgency.
Reaching the opening, I slipped inside and found myself in what appeared to be an old rail tunnel. The moment I stepped within, I felt it—the Master Sword pulsing with power, its blade glowing brightly in response to the overwhelming presence of blight that radiated through the very walls of the castle. The sword’s energy was both a comfort and a reminder of the darkness I was walking into.
Following the rusted tracks north, I encountered a towering moblin wielding a Royal Guard’s halberd. Remembering someone back at Riverside Stable who had shown great interest in relics from the castle, I decided to take the weapon with me after defeating the beast.
Pressing on, I entered a grim section of the castle: the prison lockup. The cells were filled not with human prisoners but with imprisoned monsters—remnants of battles long past or perhaps experiments gone awry. Their eerie silence was more unsettling than if they had been roaring.
At the very back of the prison, I discovered a large, ominous cell. Inside were the massive, decayed bones of what had once been a Hinox. Beside the remains was an engraved stone tablet that read: “Test of the Royal Guard – Strike down the giant foe to become recognized as a knight of the kingdom.”
Almost on cue, the bones rattled violently, reanimating into a monstrous Stalnox. The battle was fierce, the confined space adding to the challenge, but with the power of the Master Sword and my growing confidence, I managed to defeat the creature.
As the Stalnox collapsed into a heap of lifeless bones, a chest materialized in the center of the cell. Inside, I found the legendary Hylian Shield—the strongest shield in the kingdom. Holding it in my hands, I felt a renewed sense of strength and purpose, as if I was reclaiming not just a relic of the past, but a piece of my own legacy.
Upon exiting the lockup area, I found myself at the entrance to the underground docks. The cavern was vast, dimly lit by flickering torches, with the faint sound of water lapping against stone. Moving stealthily through the shadows, I quietly took out a group of unsuspecting Lizalfos guarding the area.
Climbing a nearby staircase, I entered a chamber illuminated by scattered torches, though one large central torch remained unlit. Curious, I reignited it, and to my surprise, a shrine materialized before me. After completing its combat trial and receiving the blessing within, I pressed on, deeper into the castle.
Behind the shrine, a narrow staircase led me to what initially appeared to be a dead end. However, using the magnesis rune on my Sheikah Slate, I discovered a hidden mechanism. A heavy bookcase shifted aside, revealing a secret passage that opened into the castle’s grand library.
The library was eerily silent, save for the faint rustle of movement—I wasn’t alone. Lizalfos lurked among the towering shelves, their yellow eyes gleaming in the dim light. After clearing them out, I took the opportunity to explore. Amid the dusty tomes and scattered debris, I found an old cookbook containing a recipe I knew someone at Riverside Stable would be eager to see.
Deeper within the library, tucked behind another hidden door, I discovered a private study. The ornate furnishings and regal decor made it clear this had been the king’s personal quarters. On the desk lay his journal, filled with reflections on his strained relationship with Princess Zelda. His words revealed the heavy burden he carried—not only as Hyrule’s king, but as a father struggling to guide his daughter through the weight of her destiny without the support of his wife, Zelda’s mother, who had died unexpectedly when Zelda was still very young. He spoke of the pressure he placed on her to awaken her powers, driven by the looming threat of Calamity Ganon’s prophesied return.
Leaving the study behind, I continued exploring the castle and its grounds, searching for the precise location from the photograph on my slate. The entire fortress was crawling with monsters, its once-proud halls now corrupted by the sickening spread of Ganon’s blight. The castle felt like a shadow of its former self—a kingdom lost in time, waiting for someone to reclaim it from the darkness.
Eventually, I came upon a towering spire with a bridge leading directly to Hyrule Castle. The surrounding landscape and vantage point felt familiar—this could be the area from the picture on my Sheikah Slate. I carefully scaled the spire, staying out of sight as a Guardian Skywatcher circled ominously above. Finding an open window, I slipped inside, landing quietly in what appeared to be the Princess’s study. The room was filled with scattered notes, maps, and a journal detailing her research with the Sheikah, focused on unlocking the mysteries of ancient technology.
After skimming through her writings, I cautiously exited the spire and stepped onto the bridge. The view instantly struck me—I recognized this exact spot from the photo. As I stood there, a memory surged back with startling clarity: an intense exchange between Zelda and her father. Their conversation mirrored the strained dynamic I’d read about in the king’s journal—Zelda’s frustration at feeling misunderstood and the immense pressure placed upon her to awaken powers she couldn’t yet grasp.
The memory faded just as I noticed the ominous red glow of Guardian beams locking onto me. Heart racing, I sprinted across the bridge, narrowly dodging blasts, and ducked into a nearby room for cover. It turned out to be a royal bedroom. On a small table beside the bed sat another diary—Zelda’s personal journal.
As I read, I felt a deep connection to her struggles. She wrote candidly about the conflict between her passion for research and the crushing expectations imposed by her father—and the kingdom—to fulfill her sacred role. She also reflected on her feelings toward me, expressing remorse for having unfairly directed her frustrations at me. After I saved her from the Yiga Clan and she witnessed my unwavering dedication, she began to see me differently. In her words, she admired how I silently bore the weight of my own responsibilities as her knight and Hyrule’s champion, entrusted with the Master Sword and the duty to seal away Calamity Ganon.
Having found what I came for, I carefully made my way out of the castle, avoiding patrols and lingering Guardians. I traveled back to Riverside Stable, where I showed Parcy the Royal Guard’s weapons I had retrieved from the castle. Then, using the recipe from the royal cookbook I discovered in the library, I prepared a special cake and presented it to Gotter, who was delighted by the rare treat.
The next photo on my slate was immediately familiar—I recognized it as the Spring of Power in Akkala. With renewed purpose, I set out for Akkala the following day.
