It is well known that, compared to many of the previous games in the series,The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildtakes a unique approach to nearly all of its mechanics. From its open world design, to the infamous weapon durability system, this game takes great pains to stand apart from its predecessors. Because Nintendo chose this approach withBreath of the Wild,the game’s main missions can be approached and completed in any order. This even applies to the final boss, Calamity Ganon, and how that fight can be approached.
The fight with Calamity Ganon is approached like everything else in the game: at the player’s leisure. Though many players won’t experience this, if only because they are trained to expect boss fights to only be available at the end of a game, but Calamity Ganon can be fought the minute Link glides off the Great Plateau. While many players use this fact as a means to show off their incredible prowess, most of the fan base will benefit from taking the scenic route to the end.
Related:Things From Breath Of The Wild That Should Return In Tears Of The Kingdom
How to Reach Calamity Ganon in Hyrule Castle
Reaching Hyrule Castle:
No matter when Link decides to face his nemesis, the fight will take place in the same location: Hyrule Castle. From the moment he leaves the Great Plateau,Link can make his way directly to Hyrule Castle. This, however, is inadvisable. Not only is Ganon considerably harder at this point, but the player will also be skipping the bulk of the experience. It seems, canonically speaking, that Link is supposed to free the spirits of the four Champions before facing down the Darkness that is Calamity Ganon.
There are multiple towers in the general vicinity of Hyrule Castle, which will allow Link to fast-travel fairly close to the castle. There is a moat that surrounds the entire castle structure, making travel by glider the easiest option.
Link can either look for a high point, such as the massive pillars that go up around the castle, or find one of the few narrow points in the moat and use Revali’s Gale to cross. Another option is using the Cryonis function of the Sheikah Slate to cross the moat, but this can be dangerous with the moat’s fast current and high winds.
Reaching the Sanctum:
As players cross the moat into Hyrule Castle, they will notice that a visual representation of the castle appears in the bottom right corner of the screen. This will mark the moment that the player has entered the castle structure in earnest, with a larger version of the schematic also replacing the normal map of Hyrule. Once this happens, the player will no longer have access to the fast-travel capabilities of the Sheikah Slate, and must exit the castle grounds before this function returns. Players can do this quickly by choosing the ‘Leave Area’ option (press X from the map screen).
Upon examining the castle schematic, Link will notice a large orange ball at the top. This is the Sanctum, Link’s ultimate goal. Along with this point, the schematic will also highlight the major paths and tunnel entrances and exits. It is important to note, players visiting the castle for the first time may want to follow the path, experiencing the full challenge on offer. But just like the rest of the game, Link has the choice to bypass nearly all of it, and make his way directly to Calamity Ganon. This makes the assumption that players will have access to Link’s full range of abilities, having bested each of the lesser, blighted forms of Ganon. On top of that, players who have completed The Champions' Ballad DLC will have access to upgraded versions of these abilities, making it even easier to reach the Sanctum. While advanced players will likely find ways to reach the Sanctum without any upgrades whatsoever, most players greatly benefit from increases to hearts, stamina, and from having all of Link’s abilities.
Preparing to Fight Calamity Ganon in Breath of the Wild
How do the Champions Help?
One of the best ways to prepare for the fight with Calamity Ganon is to free the spirit of each Champion, giving them access to the Divine Beasts. When first freeing a champion, the player will notice the cutscene that plays, which shows them aim their sites on Hyrule Castle. When entering the Sanctum, each champion will make good on this threat, taking out 1/8 of Ganon’s overall health. If all four are freed, this will result in Ganon losing 1/2 of his health before the fight even starts.
What are the Best Weapons and Armor for Fighting Ganon?
Without a doubt, the best weapon for facing both Hyrule Castle and Calamity Ganon, is the legendary Sword that Seals the Darkness. Of course, when in the presence of its ultimate enemy,the Master Sword will have no equal. While at the castle, the Master Sword’s normal durability is thrown out the window. There is still a limit, but it is far higher than it would be while exploring Hyrule.
Other than the Master Sword, the following gear works extremely well:
Armor:
Shield:
Related:How The Master Sword Manifests In Every Legend Of Zelda Game
Upgrades and Food:
Though not everything can be upgraded, the following items should be enhanced before facing Calamity Ganon:
Master Sword: Unfortunately, there is no way to upgrade the Master Sword in the base version ofBreath of the Wild.But players who own the DLC will be able toupgrade the legendary sword by completing ‘The Master Trials’. This enhances both the damage, and the durability, of the Master Sword. While this may not affect the Ganon fight specifically, it will help Link during the preparation stage.
Armor Upgrades:Whoever set the player decides to go with, make sure to take advantage of the Great Fairy Fountains,Breath of the Wild’s main armor upgrade mechanic.
Preparing Food: While not an upgrade per se, preparing plenty of food can mean the difference between success and failure. Try to fill Link’s inventory with meals with at least the following three enhancements:
Link can only have one food-based boost active at any given time! Eating a different boosted meal while one is active will cause the active boost to be canceled and replaced. However, link can eat food that increases his hearts and stamina without canceling an active boost.
How to Beat Calamity Ganon in Breath of the Wild
Once the player is ready to face Ganon, enter the Sanctum at the top of Hyrule Castle. A cutscene will begin as Link enters the open chamber and sees Ganon hanging from the ceiling in a grotesque cocoon.
If the player helped any or all of the Champions, this is where the cutscene related to them will play. As mentioned earlier, each of the Champions will reduce Ganon’s health bar by 1/8. This is extremely helpful, especially the first time through.
Related:Breath Of The Wild: How To Activate Akkala Ancient Tech Lab
Calamity Ganon’s Moveset:
Calamity Ganon takes the form of a large, spider-esque creature. It almost appears as if each of the blighted versions that took control of the Divine Beasts have formed some sort of horrible amalgamation. This extends to Ganon’s attacks as well. Link will have seen most of what Ganon throws at him in the previous fights, albeit in a slightly different fashion. What does not change, is how Link can defend against them.
For all the illustrious imagery and amazing character design, the fight with Ganon can be won by utilizing the same techniques used on most of Hyrule’s tougher enemies. While in his ‘spider’ form, watch for the following attacks:
Horizontal and Vertical Axe Attacks:
These attacks are essentially just upscaled versions of basic Guardian attacks. Think of the tests of strength Link endures in many of the shrines. The Guardian Scout uses the Ancient Battle Axe, which slices in the same way. Here, Link can either step left or right to avoid the vertical slices, or backflip over the horizontal slices. Either way, it will result in a ‘flurry strike’ opportunity.
This attacks will also have an elemental effect, leaving trails of fire along set lines, which depend on Ganon’s choice of
Laser Guided Beam Blast:
Link spends the entire game facing this attack from all Guardian types, so by the time he faces Ganon, he should have perfected the beam parry. In this case, successfully parrying the blast will not only damage Ganon, but cause him to be temporarily stunned.
There is a second version of this attack that occurs when Ganon is crawling along the walls. Instead of one large beam, this attack uses bursts of smaller attacks. These can still be parried, which cause Ganon to fall from the wall.
Arrow Projectiles:
Similar to Waterblight Ganon’s attacks, Calamity Ganon will hurl large arrows at Link, which will do significant damage. He does this while stuck to the wall, so the best option is to simply dodge the attacks.
Jumping AOE:
Ganon will jump into the air, smashing into the ground. This will cause a circular AOE that Link must escape or block to avoid damage.
Calamity Ganon Phase 2:
When Ganon is taken down to 1/4 of his health bar remaining, he engages a golden shield that blocks ranged damage when he is crawling along the walls. Knock him down by parrying one of his beam attacks.
To remove Ganon’s shield when he is on flat ground, either parry a ranged attack, or use the flames released by an axe attack to glide up and get a critical ranged attack at his face. Repeating this process will deplete Ganon’s health very quickly.
Remember, ifplayingBreath of the Wildin Master Mode, Ganon will begin regenerating health very quickly if he does not take damage. attempt to avoid long stretches without an attack to ensure Ganon does not fully regain his health. Luckily, if Link received help from the Champions, Ganon’s health can never rise above the half point.
Related:Breath Of The Wild: How Long To Beat
How to Defeat Dark Beast Ganon in Breath of the Wild
This segment is more of a set piece than an actual boss fight. That is not to say Link cannot be hurt, but as long as he watches out for the massive blast of energy sent from Ganon’s head, he’ll be ok. After defeating Calamity Ganon, the essence of darkness known as Malice will gather in the lower Sanctum before heading out into the open world. Link will teleport straight to the location where he must face Malice’s true source: Dark Beast Ganon.
Zelda will give Link the Bow of Light, which is essentially impossible to miss. As Link rides around Ganon, golden circles of light will appear that Link must aim for. Each hit will take down a small amount of health.
Finally, when Dark Beast Ganon is down to his last sliver of health, Link will have to aim for the large eye that emerges from the Beast’s forehead. The large blast that Ganon shoots from his head will cause the grass in the field to burn. Use the gusts of wind caused by the fire to glide in the air, allowing link to use his slow-motion ranged attacks. Hitting the eye at the right moment will end the fight.
For all intents and purposes,this is the end ofBreath of the Wild.After the credits roll, Link will be sent back prior to the Ganon fight. This allows Link to replay the fight as many times as the player wants.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildis available now for Nintendo Switch. It’s sequel,The Legend of Zelda:Tears of the Kingdomwill be released on June 01, 2025, for the Nintendo Switch.
More:The Case For Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom To Canonize BotW’s DLC Outfits
