The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild launched to an uproar of praise, and is now considered by many to be the crown jewel of the HD 3D Zelda games. It's partly thanks to the game's visuals, part the incredibly deep gameplay, and part the loose but meaningful story pushing Link forward at the end times of Hyrule.
For as popular a game as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is, though, there are still a lot of misconceptions out there among fans and non-fans alike. It's a shame, too, because although it's a very different Zelda title, some fans of the series pass it up for its wildly unique take on the franchise.
10 There Was A Female Link In Breath of the Wild
One misconception about Breath of the Wild is actually tied to its development. There was a rumor before the game's release that there would be an option to play as a female version of Link, the repeatedly reincarnated Hero of Time.
This was actually just a joke comment taken way out of context by fans. Eiji Aonuma, who heads the Zelda series, rolled back his joke with an official statement that the Link from the trailer was, in fact, male.
9 Zelda & Continuity
The Hyrule Historia made a lot of waves on release, and not necessarily for good reasons. Fans of the Zelda series had pieced together vague connections between games unofficially, but the release of the book made a lot of these fan theories canon.
As such, Breath of the Wild is the last game to take place in the entire series, with all timelines leading to its eventuality. However, the Hyrule Historia also gets a lot of things wrong or outright contradicts the games, so it's to be taken with a grain of salt.
8 All Gerudo Males Turn Out Evil
Link rarely ever encounters male Gerudo in his travels. Technically, the only one encounterable in Breath of the Wild is Calamity Ganon itself, though Ganon no longer takes the form of a Gerudo after all this time. However, Ganondorf is actually a rare outlier of Gerudo males.
They are born once in a century, sure, but just because they are destined to rule with great strength, it doesn't mean every male Gerudo in history was destined to turn evil.
7 It's Not Easy For Beginners
One of the main things that differs Breath of the Wild from other Zelda games is its difficulty. The game has a number of complex systems and just about everything is interactive, making for an overwhelming gaming experience for beginners.
However, the controls are intuitive, mechanics are explained, and survival mechanics are nowhere near as hardcore as some games out there. It's actually pretty easy to pick up – just don't expect everything to be given to you.
6 Weapon Breaking Is A Tedious Mechanic
One thing Breath of the Wild does differently than other Zelda games is the ability to break weapons. Every single weapon in the game can break when used enough, as indicated by the weapon's durability in the menu. It's a mechanic that can be frustrating at first, but it's much nicer than using the same sword for the entire game.
Each weapon has a different moveset or attributes associated with it, so it's actually well worth trying out a variety of weapons to figure out which ones are more fun for you.
5 The Game Takes 100 Hours To Complete
Breath of the Wild is an interesting case in the Zelda series. Players are theoretically able to take on Calamity Ganon right off the bat, and some especially skilled players have done just that to speedrun the game in no time at all. It can be a long game when you get lost in it, but ultimately it's only as long as a player wants it to be.
If beating the main quest is all that matters, a focused effort can down Ganon in 15 hours. Completing every side mission and collecting everything is a completely different story.
4 Breath of the Wild Is A Switch Exclusive
It's a simple one, but one that not every fan of the series knows. Despite being so commonly associated with the Nintendo Switch, one can actually buy Breath of the Wild on another system too – the ill-fated Nintendo Wii U.
The gamepad functions much the same as it did in the HD port of Twilight Princess, and the Sheikah Slates in the game were specifically modeled with the Wii U gamepad in mind.
3 Link and Zelda Are Elves...
A common misconception among casual fans of the Zelda series is that Link and Zelda are, in fact, elves and not people. This stems from two things: their pointed ears and Link's direct connection with the Kokiri in Ocarina of Time.
However, Link and Zelda are not people, and they are not elves: they are Hylians. Comparisons to traditional Tolkienic races are understandable, though, thanks to Link's elegance in combat and elf-like agile body.
2 ...And Zelda Is A Goddess
A common misconception among hardcore fans of the Zelda series is that Zelda herself is the reincarnation of the Goddess Hylia. This is based on a mistranslation from an earlier Zelda title, and in fact, Zelda is just of the blood of Hylia, not directly the goddess herself.
It's easy to dive too deep into hot takes on video game lore sometimes. Most of the time, though, the simplest and least lore-impactful answers to questions like this are the right ones.
1 You Have To Collect Everything To Beat The Game
People who haven't begun their adventure in Breath of the Wild yet are sure to misunderstand a few things about how progression works. By finding Korok Seeds, Link can increase either Stamina or Health, and there are a bunch of other collectibles spread throughout Hyrule.
However, collecting everything is absolutely not necessary to beat the game. It'll make traversing the terrain, beating enemies, and one's overall experience easier, but spending hours collecting items is no one's idea of a fun time.