Zelda: Breath Of the Wild - How To Find The Master Sword

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild breaks away from tradition, discarding many of the time-honored tropes the series has been known for. Despite this, it still keeps a few iconic elements from past games. The most notable is the Master Sword, which remains a useful tool you can use to complete your quest. But acquiring the blade is no easy task, as it's hidden somewhere beyond your reach. Here are directions to help you find the Master Sword. Be wary, there are slight spoilers ahead.

For more on Breath of the Wild, check out our full review of the game, our compilation of our guides and tips, and our feature detailing everything you need to know about it.

Breath of the Wild is out now as a launch title for the Nintendo Switch; the game also arrives for Wii U on the same day.

In Breath of the Wild, it's revealed early on that Link lost the Master Sword after a failed attempt to defeat Calamity Ganon. In the 100 years between that battle and Link's re-awakening, the legendary blade was hidden away to a secret location. But after spending countless hours exploring, we discovered that the Master Sword is located at center of the Great Hyrule Forest, which is to the north of Hyrule castle. But in order to reach the blade, you need to successfully traverse the Lost Woods.

While you're able to reach the Master Sword immediately upon leaving Hyrule Plateau, it's impossible to obtain the blade early on. You're required to have at least 13 hearts to survive pulling it from its resting place; temporary hearts do not count towards this amount. If you haven't attained the necessary heart count, we suggest completing the multitude of Shrines scattered across the world to earn the Spirit Orbs needed to gain additional Heart Containers.

In summary, you need 10 Heart Containers to survive pulling the sword (you start the game with three hearts), so you need to complete 40 shrines to get the health needed. Alternatively, you can complete the four main dungeons and 32 shrines, though that is potentially more arduous and time consuming.

If you've already completed a significant number of shrines, but used its Spirit Orbs for Stamina Vessels instead of Heart Containers, then don't fret. In Hateno Village, there's a mopey-looking statue at the bottom of the hill on the other side of the village entrance that can reassign your upgrades.

If you talk to it, you'll initiate a sidequest where the statue steals some of your essence (either a Heart Container or a Stamina Vessel); speak to it again to reclaim what was taken from you. It then offers you a deal where you can sell one of your Heart Containers or Stamina Vessels for 100 Rupees. Talk to it again to acquire either a Heart Container or a Stamina Vessel for 120 rupees.

This is a handy resource, as you can essentially use it to get the Heart Containers you need to acquire the Master Sword. And if you want you Stamina Vessels back, you can return to reassign once more.

To get to the Lost Woods, follow the path through Mishi Woods located northeast of Hyrule castle, just before the Death Mountain region. You'll know you're on the right track when you pass by the Woodland Stable. Look at the map above for reference.

Navigating the Lost Woods is confusing at first; if you run through it mindlessly, a thick fog consumes you and brings you back to the entrance. To avoid this, simply follow the flow of the particles moving in the air. Its direction changes often as you progress, so make sure to keep an eye on when it shifts.

Successfully navigating through the Lost Woods leads you to the Korok Forest. The Master Sword is found in the clearing. Simply walk up to the legendary blade to trigger a cutscene, and then press A to initiate pulling the sword from its resting place.

The Master Sword is a valuable asset in your fight against Calamity Ganon, as its power far exceeds any other weapon in the game. It can also be used against normal enemies; but be wary, using the blade too much causes it to steadily lose its attack power for a brief duration of time.