Destroy Ganon Walkthrough
This section contains a walkthrough for the final segment, Destroy Ganon in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This section covers the final moments of the Story where Link is tasked to challenge the evil Ganon himself.
As you get to Hyrule Castle’s Sanctum to take on Ganon, the events done beforehand will be reflected. Such tasks include whether or not you have released any of the Divine Beasts.
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Journey to Hyrule Castle
Note: As part of the final segment of this open-world, the infiltration of the castle requires thorough preparation such as stocking up on the best cooked meals preferably those that grant boosts to hearts and stamina, as well as gearing to the teeth through a combination of durable Armor and a stash of Weapons. For this, we recommend that you have already attained at least the amount of Hearts to have pulled the Master Sword out and claim it as your own, and have released the Divine Beasts from bondage.
In addition, Hestu plays a vital role in inventory slot expansion to enable you to carry as much Heart Containers and Stamina Vessels as you possibly can.
Make haste for the Hyrule Castle and choose whichever path you prefer. This walkthrough summarizes each of the paths and how to best deal with them.
South Passage
The most daunting of all the paths, this leads to the Main Gate of the castle where several Guardians of varying structures be it towers, mobile and flying abound. The walls are fortified with ramparts which is the perfect passage for gliding past the grounded ones, or weakening them with firing arrow shots and taking cover when needed.
There are three different areas in the Castle Town Ruins namely: Central, East, and West side. The West path has some debris to hide with, however these are only limited. Over at the East lie an open area which is heavily secured by Guardians. Finally, the path on the Center directs you to the grand fountain with several dormant Guardians.
All sides have ramparts that cover the Ruins’ perimeters for faster navigation, do note that you become exposed only when crossing the damaged portions.
The Central portion contains the most Malice, with eyes affixed on some barricades to shoot at. As you reach the middle ruins, you have several options: either make a right turn to the Main Gate, use the Paraglider to get there, or summon ice pillars to go across the Castle moat.
West Passage
Venturing the path that initiates from the Hyrule Ridge minimizes enemy encounters at the cost of limiting movement due to the tight spaces required to cross. This route takes you to the Castle Town Prison, which possesses a stone plateau. You’ll come across some Flying Guardians that patrol the Plateau’s skies, while the a grounded one roams by the ruins. As the moat terminates from the north, you can board a raft to enter the Castle using a Korok Leaf, or if you prefer, you may opt to summon ice pillars instead. To get inside, either cross to the west to arrive at an area with a minecart rail, or take the south path that connects to the Castle Prison.
East Passage
This road requires you to cross beyond Great Hyrule Forest. For starters, it only nests 2 Guardians however there is little room for cover such as the lone grove atop the mountain. If you can sneak past by crouching around or get across the moat, you only need to worry about the Flying Guardian.
By reaching the moat, the next concern is the height of the ground, which requires you to either use Cryonis to build a path facing the waterfall, or heading south to scale up the stunted platforms by the bridge, then crossing with the Paraglider. The last alternative is to take the raft near the Boneyard Bridge, however sailing becomes troublesome.
North Passage
With preparation, this passage is an exact opposite of the South route. From the Woodland Tower, follow the West side and stay away from the Bokoblins and Wolves as you head for the Northern column. Be wary of the lone Guardian watching over the column as you cross. Ignore the pillar and soar to reach the lower platforms of Hyrule Castle, note that the entry to the mines is by the right side and there are Guardian Turrets securing both sides.
Infiltrate the Castle
As you explore Hyrule Castle, you may notice that it has several nooks and crannies, which are only minor however. The primary objective is to ascend to the top Sanctum to engage in a battle with Ganon, however there is no surefire way to get there as you have different paths to choose from.
Generally, there are three ways to climb to the top: one is by going through the Main Gate to face Ganon’s battalion, second is to pass through the interior, and third is employing stealth by maximizing the use of environmental cover along with a combination of materials to effectively sneak past the Castle guards.
Main Gate path
A straightforward path that has the most enemy encounters. The Main Gate is swarming with corrupted Guardians both grounded and flying. Should you wish to take them on, a pit stop to Akkala Ancient Tech Lab provides you with special arrows ‘Ancient Arrows’ that grant heavy damage against them. If you prefer to gear up, the Ancient Armor, or Diamond Circlet maximizes your durability.
Hyrule Castle Main Gate
Be wary of the Guardian Skywatcher that greets you as you open the Main entrance with the aid of the Magnesis. Follow the path then take the right if you prefer to cross the waterfall. If you continue along the main route, be prepared to encounter a Decayed Guardian and 2 more will pop up by the ledge on the right. Should you face off against them, inspect the ramparts for a chest containing some Bomb Arrows.
As you pass by the Decayed Guardian, you will face a Malice where the eye rests at the far end. To pass through, summon the ice pillar to ascend the falls on the right. This leads you to a passage that connects to a hallway leading to the Barracks which houses a cooking pot. Alternatively, you may use the Paraglider to pass through the Malice to reach the cliffs by the left side then pull up. A Guardian Turret idles at the far end of the rampart, to get across safely either blaze through or stay by the walls then pull up where it cannot see you.
Gatehouse 1
Leave the lower door on the right for now and follow the Guardian Turret secured path to reach Gatehouse 1. By the time you pass through, the gates will close and a Blue Lynel will pursue you. To get past this area, your best bet is to scale to the floor above which is fixed with Malice. Be on guard as it violently sends both fast melee and projectiles. A well-placed shot to the eye at the top prevents the Skeletons from worsening your condition. With proper gear, you will be able to take out the Lynel handily.
As you finish it off, there is a chest around that contains Bomb Arrows x10, while the next chest above bears additional ammunition.
Alternate Route
As you leave Gatehouse 1, you will come across Malice surrounding the area, with the ocular inhabiting the far end by Gatehouse 2. Go through the path that takes you to the left side of Hyrule Castle. This directs you to an idle Guardian Turret alongside a tunnel that takes you to the right, which is nearby Princess Zelda’s Study. Ascend carefully since Corrupted Guardians have made their way here.
Keep going to find a Decayed Guardian lurking by the right, while a Guardian Turret idles along the ramparts on the left. Beyond lies a passage that takes you around the Castle. This way passes through the Library’s rear entrance, and creeps by a Decayed Guardian idling beside the debris at the right. As you go, inspect the plateau situated on top of the library entrance to find a chest beneath the plate, pull it off with Stasis to obtain Naydra’s Scale.
As you go over the collapsed portion, the route extends over a waterfall where a Guardian Skywatcher soars above back and forth from the ridge to the road beneath. You could either scale the trees at the grove then leap onto the walls to get to the top, or sprint across, you may even take it out if you are up for a challenge.
Situated by the edge is another Skywatcher which guards the path to the balcony, whereas some ramparts connecting on the left has a Guardian Turret, with a nearby chest containing Fire Arrows. The balcony extends to the Dining Room which you are free to enter, after checking the room, return back and continue heading towards Gatehouse 2.
Gatehouse 2
The ocular that was preventing you from removing the Malice from the previous area can be found here, however there are other threats looming around the corner namely the two Guardian Turrets. As you proceed, it repeats in a similar fashion to Gatehouse 1, save for the color of the challenger, this time a Black Lynel. Keep distance as it tends to use an Area of Effect. Clinging above are two eyes that you should take out to give some room to maneuver. Once you have conquered the Black Lynel grants you a chest that contains special Ancient Arrows x3. If you ascend over to the rooftop, you can pull out a Royal Guard’s Halberd from the second chest.
Sanctum
As you exit, the next path shall connect you to the Sanctum. Although a Guardian Turret might appear to block your way, upon closer inspection it reveals that it’s facing the other direction. Seemingly the path looks harmless, however there lies a Guardian Turret by the rampart on the left, and underneath is a room that contains a chest with Bomb Arrows. Note that it’s going to be more difficult from here, situated along the ledges above are Guardian Turrets that guard the wall covered in Malice, thus prevents your passage to the Sanctum. By sticking to the walls it might seem a safe method to push through, however the turrets will eventually catch up, along with the hovering Skywatcher above.
There are two routes to choose from: either engage in a combat with the Guardians through Ranged tactics, or scaling the Castle walls by the right to call the attention of one positioned on the stunted platform. The latter continues as you ascend to the next platform above in order to take cover by a pile of debris to prevent the remaining Guardians from reaching you. The path to the Sanctum lies ahead, which requires that you sprint through the side to find your way to the area which directs you to the Boss himself.
Interior route
If running through Hyrule isn’t your jam, there are other areas clear of Guardians. Best part is, there’s a lot of loot. However, you’re going to have more to deal with than just Guardians. There are still powerful monsters roaming the interior.
But no need to fret. There are a couple ways to enter, depending on the direction. If you want the easiest route, head north to the Harbor Docks. The west has the mines and the prison lock-up.
Docks
Other than the Mine and Lock-up Entrance, there’s another secret entrance. It’s not far from the Lockup. HEad left to the front entrance. There’s a large cave that the water leads into. Go through it and you’ll find yourself in a secret Harbor. While you can swim or drive a raft here, hug the left wall ledge. In doing so, this puts you up overlooking the water below. But when you look down, there’s a Lizalfos lying in wait. There are also two more near the docks.
But if you’re sneaky enough, you can get the drop on them. Grab the Great Flameblade next to the higher Lizalfos.Aim for the explosive barrels next to the Lizalfos below. When you take them out, help yourself to a floating chest to grab an Ancient Arrow. There’s also another metal chest in the water below holding a Star Fragment.
When you looted up everything, head up the large stairs. It leads to the platform overlooking the harbor and note all the lit torches. However, exclude the large unlit brazier. When you light it however, it leads to a secret shrine: the Sa’as Kosah Shrine. If you don’t want to go through the shrine or when you’re done with it, head up the long flight of stairs up. It’ll lead to the upper floors where the library is.
Library
Upon entering the library, use the Magnesis to shove the hidden metal bookshelf out of the way. However, watch out. This place is filled with high level Lizalfos. There’s also one in front of you on the Ground Floor. Others wait on the balconies and above, guarding the exits. Before heading up, check around for a recipe book.
Also, look for another metal bookcase on the opposite side you came in from. Use Magnesis and open it. This will lead you to a secret chamber where the pillars burst up from. Mine some ore here using the Stone Smasher. Also, grab the chest with a Silver Rupee. There’s also one more secret bookshelf. Move it aside to the right where you came in to find the Kinh’s Private Room. Inside, grab the King’s Diary, a chest with a Gold Rupee, and a Royal Guard’s Shield.
When you head up the stairs above the King’s study, it leads to a Malice-filled doorway. Snipe it to exit onto a higher path above. Or, venture to the opposite side of the Library. There’s a path lead out around the Malice. And with it, there’s a chest with a Silver Rupee below the door. There’s a chamber beyond that has a Great Frostblade among the rubble in the corner.
Armory
Hang around the hall outside the library for a few Lizalfos. They have elemental arrows and past them, there’s a large armory with a single Moblin guarding it. Take them out before looting up things such as Royal Guard’s Shield, Royal Bow, Royal Claymore, and Knight’s Halberd. Climb up the stairs and vault past the broken part to enter the corridors above. There’s a bombable wall on the left leading to a statue holding an enhanced Rusty Claymore.
If you turn left at the corridor, you can find two more breakable walls. One has a hidden Lizalfos and the other has a Royal Guard’s Sword and some rusty weapons.
Dining Hall
When you get the Dining Hall, there are two groups of two Moblins. Each wait for you with some fearsome weapons. Kill ’em off one by one and weaken them from range with arrows before killing them. On one side of the room, you can find a Royal Guard’s Halberd trapped in a fireplace. While the other side, there’s a Royal Bow hiding in the chandelier. There are all sorts of food materials that are strewn about the place. There’s also a Cooking Pot lying in the corner.
When you head to the hall outside, head down the stairs into the Observation Room. There’s a Moblin standing guard amid a pool of Malice. Kill him and destroy the eye so you can head up to the balcony. Up there, there’s one last Moblin and eye blocking the way. At the top, there’s a Thunderblade. But if you head outside, there’s another Royal Bow and a chest holding 3 Ancient Arrows.
However, you can’t head from the Observation Room to the Guard’s Chamber. A wall of Malice blocks your way and the eye is on the other side. However to get to the halls, you’ll need to take another route.
The West Passage – Mines
If you want to get to the mines, look for a small entrance close to the water level. It’s on the southwest side of Hyrule Castle Moat. It’s only seen at night with a few Luminous Stones cropping up outside. When you had inside, there’s a small cave with a Cooking Pot. The chest there also holds a Diamond. A bombable wall leading to several Frost Pebblits guarding an abandoned mine cart. Smash the pebblits and get into the mine cart. Use Stasis to get the cart moving, flying down the rails through a tunnel full of Keese.
Once the ride eds, leave and head into a large cave full of dead Guardians. If you want a Korok Seed, place a egg in a pot. Move up and head into the ext room to find another breakable wall. It leads you to a hall where you’ll find a large Mine Shaft on the right. On the left, you have the Lockup.
Lockup
If you want to get into the Lockup, you can go through a bombable wall at the end of the hall. Or you can infiltrate the inner by gliding across the North Moat. Look for an entrance low to the grounded with a Decayed Guardian guarding it. There are some Luminous Stones marking the parth. From the entrance, the gate is sealed. But use Cryonis on the water to push the gate up. Inside, there’s a hall full of Malice and Monsters. For the first Malice roadblock, look into the cell. On the left, there’s a large eye and a gap between the bars to shoot it through. Kill it and unlock both cells on the side and clear the malice. With that done, there’s a Royal Guard’s Claymore in the cell where the eye was.
When you get to the opposite cell, it has a bombable wall. It’s adjacent to the cell where a Moblin is waiting. However, you can hit the lever between the gates to open both up. But there’s a Lizalfos lying in wait in the other cell. When you go out, watch for monsters. Keep up your guard. Check the Lizalfo’ cell after killing it. There’s a breakable wall inside heading into the adjacent cell. Destroy the wall and head into the room. However, there’s another Lizalfos guarding a chest with a Silver Rupee.
When you’re done, check the opposite cell here for a Royal Bow. After that, move forward. The next set of cells, there’ a hall outside if you came from the Mines. Shoot the lever in the middle to open the cell. But a Moblin waits in the other cell guarding a Blizzard Rod. At the end of the Lockup hall, there’s a chest with a Topaz inside. But look at the far alcove leading to a large chamber. There’ a mini-boss by the name of Stalnox.
When fighting Stalnox, it’ll throw its bowns at you. But shoot its eye to stun it. However, keep dealing damage in the eye and you’ll dislodge it. If you hit it enough times, Stalnox will die. And when he does, you’ll receive the legendary Hylian Shield.
Shaft to the Upper Levels
Return to the Lockup side of the castle. There, enter the large shaft that lone Moblin is guarding. If you want to get up, either use the waterfall (use Cryonis) or climb the nearby stone pillar to move up. On one side, there’s a rock you can pick up to find a Korok. On the opposite ledges, there’s a ladder leadig ito a small room. Inside, there’ a leaver you can hit to summon a gust to help you up. Make sure to look for a ombable wall in there. It leads to a tiny room with a Lizalfos guarding a chest. Destroy it and grab the Shard of Dinraal’s Fang.
Princess Zelda’s Room and Study
When you get to the top of the shaft, head right to go deeper into the castle. Make a quick side trip left outside. When you do so, you’re right below Princess Zelda’s study. It’s located at the top of the spire. You can either make a quick climb up or take a trip up the nearby stairs. However, watch out for the Guardian Turret along the stairs. There’s also a Guardian Skywatcher above the spire.
After climbing up the stairs, you’ll find yourself in Zelda’s room. There, you’ll find a Moblin guard. Kill it and loot the Edge of Duality. After that, check Princess Zelda’s Diary at the corner. Her study located in the spire across the room, before which lies a Memory. Inside you can find a Silent Princess and Zelda’ Research notes.
Guard’s Chamber
When you get to the top of the shaft, take the other hall. It passes through lots of Malice and Eyes blocking your way.On the right, there are some stairs up to a higher exterior road. If you clear out the eye blocking the path, look to the right where the eye was for a chest with Ancient Arrows. Next to it, there’s a Royal Broadsword next to it. The stairs up here also lead you close to the study of Princess Zelda. Keep taking the main hall and clear out the Malice ahead. There, you’ll reach a Lizalfos guarding a Cooking Pot and the stairs down to the Guard’s Chamber. Check the bottom of these first stairs for a breakable wall on the left. Go through the wall for a chest with Ancient Arrows.
When you enter the large open room, there are some Lizalfos on the first floor down amid some explosive barrels. Among them, there’s a Moblin waiting on the platforms below. Destroy the explosive barrels for a fiery surprise and then clean up. After sweeping up, loot the Knight’s Claymore and Knight’s Halberd behind the target practice area. On your right, duck under the stairs you went down. There, you’ll find a chest holding a Shard of Naydra’s Fang. Climb around the broken stairs to reach the upper area to find a Falcon Bow. There are two chests holding a Silver Rupee and Bomb Arrows. Jump down to the lower level and destroy the Moblin. There, you can help yourself to the remaining items like the the Royal Claymore and Royal Guard’s Claymore he was holding.
Getting up the Sanctum
How you want to climb this place is up to you. But if you w ant the best method, head back to the Library Exit. It puts you back on the main road. Run or destroy the Guardian on the landslide to make past a pool of water. There, you’ll spot a Guardian Skyatcher. After he uses up his rounds, climb the tallest of the three burnt trees. Jump from the treetop to the cliff and climb the rest of the way up. This puts you next to a Guardian Turret which should let you run around it. Behind a large column, you can climb up to the Sanctum.
However, if you continue climbing past the Sanctum, there’s some loot. You’ll find a tower above that holds a chest with even more Ancient Arrows. This is especially useful when you drop down into the Sanctum to face Calamity Ganon.
Scaling the Castle
However, if you’re not the fighting type, there’s a way to get in without getting destroyed. But you’ll need to prepare a whole new set if you want to succeed. This route requires a load of stamina. You can either get Stamina Vessels from the Goddess Statues. Or, you can stock up food and elixirs that replenish stamina or give extra amounts to work with.
You can also use the Climber’s Bandana, Climbing Gear, and Climbing Boots to make your life easier.
Mountain Climbing
The north side of Hyrule castle has a lot of climbing points. It has minimal defenses compared to the Guardians stationed around the south and east sides. The malice pools covering the walls on the West. Near the back entrance to the library, climb up above the large tunnel leading directly to the Sanctum. The best part? No one stops you.
Swimming Upstream
If you have the Zora Armor, you can also use the waterfalls in Hyrule castle. The waterfalls are on the Southwest side of the castle. This leads you straight up to the First Gatehouse. Follow the stream up to the moat surrounding the Second Gatehouse. However, you need to quickly veer to the left waterfall to avoid the Guardian Turrets. Once up in front of the Sanctum, destroy the turrets stationed up front.
However you make your ascent – make sure before entering the Sanctum that you still have everything you need: powerful food and elixirs, durable weapons that can output damage (like the Master Sword!), and a good supply of arrows, and any last remaining Ancient Arrows you can hold onto. When you’re ready, enter the first floor of the Sanctum through any door to face off with Calamity Ganon.
However, this doesn’t change the fact that this is the final boss. The bottom of the ninths, the death match, or whatever. Make sure before entering the Sanctum, have everything you need. Powerful food, elixirs, durable weapons that can deal heavyd amage, and a good supply of arrows – anything! This also includes the last remaining Ancient Arrows. When ready, enter the first floor of the Sanctum through any door to face off with Calamity Ganon.
Boss Fight – Destroy Ganon
As you now, Ganon’s going to be a pain to deal with. If you haven’t freed the Divine Beasts, you’re going to be in trouble. Each Divine Beast has a scourge in the form of Ganon. The Waterblight Ganon found in Divine Beast Vah Ruta, there’s also the annoying Thunderblight Ganon in Vah Naboris. All this will lengthen the boss battle if you didn’t kill or free the divine beasts.
When fighting Ganon, he appears to be a misshapen spider ready to throw everything at you. Make sure you come prepared.
Main Article: Calamity Ganon Final Boss Guide
If you go to the very top of the castle just above the bell there is a chest with 5 ancient arrows