Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Entry 8: The Sheikah and Yiga
Early the next morning, I went straight to the Hateno Tech Lab. To my surprise, they had already received word from Impa and were prepared for my arrival. What caught me even more off guard was that the director of the lab wasn’t the older assistant I expected—it was the little girl, Purah! Apparently, she had accidentally reversed her aging during a failed experiment. (I definitely want to learn more about that later…)
Before they could begin restoring my Sheikah Slate, they needed me to retrieve a blue flame from Hateno’s ancient furnace to power their equipment. I grabbed a torch from the lab and made my way through the village until I successfully lit their furnace.
With the power restored, Purah and her team got straight to work. They fully restored the slate’s functionality, adding new features like a sensor, camera, and compendium. They also upgraded the bomb and stasis runes, enhancing their power and versatility. During the restoration process, they uncovered 12 mysterious images stored deep within the slate’s memory—photos that seemed strangely familiar, yet distant.
When their work was complete, they advised me to return to Impa and show her the recovered images.
Back in Kakariko Village, I presented the photos to Impa. She recognized them immediately, explaining that they were likely taken by Princess Zelda herself. Impa believed that visiting these locations might help trigger fragments of my lost memories.
Talking with Impa and revealing myself to the Sheikah seemed to have set events into motion that I hadn’t anticipated. The growing strength I’d gained from the Spirit Orbs collected in shrines wasn’t just physical—I felt an emerging sense of purpose, a pull toward something greater than just being a skilled warrior and traveling merchant. I decided to stay in the village for a while, hoping to uncover more about the past… my past.
Yet, one thing remained clear: my shrine quest must continue. And there’s no reason I couldn’t balance that with my role as a traveling merchant adventurer.
During my time in Kakariko, I immersed myself in learning about the Sheikah’s ancient ways, including their unique fighting techniques. They taught me about the balance of sacred forces: power, wisdom, and courage. These forces are believed to be embodied within spirits of dragons, Dinraal, Naydra, and Farosh, that can be seen only by those with a pure spirit. I acquired a set of their armor—lightweight with minimal defense but offering incredible speed and stealth. I helped villagers with tasks like archery practice, hunting, cooking, and gathering, which gave me new ideas for crafting meals and elixirs.
However, my peaceful stay took a dark turn. I uncovered a Yiga Clan mole embedded within the village—someone passing information about me to that sinister group of assassins. The situation escalated when Paya’s precious heirloom, an ancient artifact orb, was stolen from Impa’s home.
Suspicious of one of the guards, Dorian, I decided to follow him one night. He led me to a secret meeting with a Yiga Blademaster, the very thief who had stolen the orb. I confronted them, defeating the Blademaster in fierce combat. Afterward, Dorian confessed his painful truth: he was a former Yiga Clan member who had defected after falling in love with a Sheikah woman and starting a family. But the Yiga Clan had murdered his wife and were blackmailing him, threatening the lives of his two young children unless he continued to spy for them.
I learn that the Yiga Clan was a splinter faction of the Sheikah. The Sheikah had developed the Guardians and Divine Beasts that were used to defeat Calamity Ganon over 10,000 years ago. Upon Ganon's defeat, the Royal Family started to grow fearful of the Sheikah's power and banned the use of the technology and ordered the machines to be hidden away. Members of the Sheikah felt betrayed and turned against the Royal Family. These dissidents swore allegiance to Ganon, believing he would restore their power and purpose. Thus, the Yiga Clan was born.
Now, I finally understood why the Yiga Clan was hunting me—not just because I was the “legendary warrior,” but because of the deep ties I unknowingly shared with Hyrule’s past and its people.
After recovering the heirloom orb, we discovered it was the key to unlocking a hidden shrine nestled within the village. With that mystery solved, I returned to Hateno Village, eager to show my buddy Nebb, the enthusiastic weapon aficionado, the Windcleaver I claimed from the defeated Yiga Blademaster.
As I walked familiar roads, I realized just how much comfort I found in the Dueling Peaks and Hateno region. After all my travels and the revelations from the Sheikah, I felt no rush to leave. Instead, I took my time, exploring every corner, visiting old merchant friends, and savoring the peaceful rhythm of the land. With the paths around Kakariko Village now open and safe for me, I discovered several new shrines along with formidable foes like Hinox and Stone Taluses—perfect for honing my skills and gathering valuable materials.
I also dedicated time to restoring the Sheikah Slate’s compendium data, slowly unlocking its full potential.
While traveling along the Lanayru Promenade, I remembered a villager from Hateno had mentioned a sacred spring atop Mount Lanayru, a place where Princess Zelda herself had once visited. The path through the Lanayru Road East Gate led directly to the mountain, and curiosity pulled me forward.
