Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Destroy Ganon

This is it. The final main quest of Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Take a deep breath, because it’s time for Link to finally face-off with Calamity Ganon. This boss is no pushover, and the corrupted Hyrule Castle is a nightmare to navigate without the proper tools and protection. The area itself is huge, but Link only has one main goal — defeat Ganon.

Hyrule Castle is a huge dungeon, and it is entirely optional. There are a few locations worth exploring, though, and the whole place is littered with the best gear in the game. Royal weapons and shields are everywhere, and they are absolutely killer. But a great sword only helps so much against Calamity Ganon. Below, we’ll reveal some choice locations to explore, some tasks to complete, and strategies for bringing down the last boss.

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Destroy Ganon | Step-by-Step Quest Guide

Link can attack Calamity Ganon’s Sanctum in the center of Hyrule Castle at any time. That’s part of Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s charm. The last boss is available from the start, but only the most dedicated players will stand a chance against Ganon without plenty of help.

Before taking on Calamity Ganon, I recommend completing the following quests and activities. All of these steps are specifically designed to make Link stronger and Ganon weaker, giving you a much better shot at victory.

Calamity Ganon Checklist:
- Complete all four Divine Beast quests:
  - Vah Ruta (Zora’s Domain, Lanayru — East of Hyrule Castle.)
  - Vah Naboris (Gerudo Town, Wastelands — Southwest of Hyrule Castle.)
  - Vah Medoh (Rito Village, Tabantha — West of Hyrule Castle.)
  - Vah Rudania (Goron City, Eldin — Northeast of Hyrule Castle.)
- Collect the Master Sword.
  - Enter the Lost Woods (North of Hyrule Castle) and navigate by following the direction your torch fire blows.
  - Gather 13 Hearts (minimum) to pull the Master Sword from the stone in Korok Village.
- Activate the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab
  - Found in the far northeast corner of the Akkala Region. Talk to the proprietor and rekindle the furnace to unlock the ability to purchase powerful Ancient Tech weapons.
  - Ancient Tech is especially useful for dealing with Guardian Stalkers. They’re weak to Ancient Arrows, and Ancient Shields can deflect deadly beam blasts.
    - Get Giant Ancient Cores from these nearby Akkala Shrines: Dah Hesho Shrine, Ritaag Zumo Shrine

It also helps to locate 3 out of 4 Great Fairy Fountains and upgrade one set of armor to level 3. Any armor will work — even the Hylian Set, when upgraded, will significantly improve Link’s defense.

Hyrule Castle – Dungeon

All roads lead to Hyrule Castle, and as you approach the wasteland surrounding the fortress, you’ll instantly unlock a map of this truly massive dungeon. The area itself is huge, but you only have one true goal — reach the Sanctum where Ganon is located. Calamity Ganon is at the keep where the large point of light appears on your map. All you have to do is reach him, and there are a number of ways to do it.

Black Moblins and Lizalfos are common in this area, as are Royal Guard weaponry. Explore the interior of the castle to find many useful, powerful treasures. Many of the best items in Breath of the Wild can be collected here, and they’re all optional, so if you don’t stop to explore the premises, you’ll miss out.

You’ll also want to bring plenty of healing potions and Ancient Arrows to deal with the common Guardians outside. There’s a new type of Guardian not seen anywhere else here — sentries that pop-up like small towers, able to see Link from up and around cover. Destroy or avoid these whenever you can.

The interiors are a good way to completely avoid Guardian turrets and flyers, but these areas are also swarming with dangerous enemies equipped with powerful gear. Watch your back and use everything at your disposal — the amazing Royal Guard weaponry can crush even the toughest opponents.

Points of Interest:
- Lockup: Go to the dungeon area near the docks, which can be accessed from the water on the north face of the castle. Here, you’ll find the Stalnox unique monster and a chest with the Hylian Shield. This is the best shield in Breath of the Wild, and well-worth the effort.
- Docks: Near the dungeon entrance, there’s a dock area where you can reveal a Shrine. Light the brazier to make the shrine appear. This is a great (and safe) way to create a fast travel point for return trips.
- Royal Library: The large library is easy to spot in the interior map of the castle. Look for the largest open room — inside, you can find two royal recipes posted on the walls. Use these to complete the “A Royal Recipe” side quest.
  - Use Magnesis to move the metal shelves to discover secret rooms, including the King’s Study.
- Dining Hall: The library is connected to the dining hall. Follow the stairs up to find a treasure trove of good food that’ll help keep Link alive for the rest of your time in the castle.

The fastest way to reach Ganon is with Duvali’s Gale — approach from the north of the castle, then gale-jump and glide up to each tier of the fort.

When you’re ready, enter the Sanctum.

Calamity Ganon – Boss Strategy

NOTE: Depending on the number of Divine Beasts you’ve completed, Calamity Ganon’s health will be reduced. Complete all 4 to reduce its health by 50%.

Calamity Ganon is a challenging boss made more challenging if you haven’t yet finished all the Divine Beast dungeons. For this battle, two abilities are extremely important — Urbosa’s Fury and Daruk’s Protection.

If you don’t have Urbosa’s Fury or Daruk’s Protection, you will need the Hylian Shield or an Ancient Shield. The Hylian Shield is found in the lockup near the docks at the base of the castle.

Calamity Ganon uses a powerful array of attacks. To help you understand how to weave and avoid each one, let’s go over the full list here:

Axe Swing: Ganon’s primary melee weapon is a giant fiery ancient axe. He either swings vertically or horizontally. Depending on the attack, you can dodge of back-flip to initiate a Flurry Attack. Watch out, both attacks leave behind fire.
Ground Stomp: After dealing damage to Ganon, you’ll need to retreat or risk getting caught in the wide area-of-effect when it stomps the ground. When on the wall and dropping down to the floor, it will also generate the same ground stomp damage effect. Backing away is too slow, you may need to sprint.
Beam Blast: Using a Ancient Guardian blaster, it will charge a killer explosive blast, just like the Guardian Stalkers and sentries. The Hylian Shield will deflect this attack, and with the right timing you can deflect with an Ancient Shield. Daruk’s Protection will also automatically deflect this attack.
Spear Throw: At time, Ganon will jump onto the walls of the arena and skitter around. When he does, he’ll use the Spear Throw or the Beam Blast attacks. The Spear Throw is relatively slow, so break lock-on and keep moving to avoid it.
Fireball Bomb: Watch out for the small fireball bomb! It moves slow, but explodes in a massive blast. To escape the tracking bomb, shoot it with an arrow right when he generates it.

After taking off most of his health, Calamity Ganon will gain a shield and stronger attacks. The shield can’t be penetrated by normal weapons — this is where Urbosa’s Fury will help. Save Urbosa’s Fury for the final portion of the battle, and use it to stun / break Ganon’s red shields, leaving him vulnerable to attack.

There’s another way to bust through the shields too — use Daruk’s Protection to reflect the ancient beam blast back at Ganon. A reflected shot will stun and damage Ganon. The Ancient Shield will also reflect beam blasts, but only if you time your [A] press with the shield perfectly.

Dark Beast Ganon – Boss Strategy

When Calamity Ganon is defeated, Ganon shows his true from — Dark Beast Ganon. You’ll hop onto a horse, and gain the Bow of Light. This bow fires special arrows of light that are designed to damage Ganon.

Equip the Bow of Light and target the glowing gold areas of its body. Zelda can’t reveal these sections for long, so move fast and shoot all three when they appear.

You’ll hit his body in this order — left / right sides, belly, then head.

After shooting the three points of light on the left and right sides of the Dark Beast, ride underneath to blast the belly.

The final target appears on the creature’s head. This is the trickiest area to hit, and getting it is impossible on horseback. The skull opens to reveal Ganon’s eye core when it attacks. Wait for a beam attack, then ditch your horse and use the updraft from the malice fires to fly up high.

While flying high, aim — you’ll get the slow-down effect, giving you time to shoot Ganon’s eye. Land a final shot to end this battle once and for all.

Congratulations! You’ve just finished Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. There’s still so much to see and do in the game, though! Check out just a fraction of everything with Gameranx’s many, many guides below and soak in the world of Hyrule.

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