Freeing the Divine Beasts (2024)

Freeing the Four Divine Beasts of the Hyrulean Calamity (distinct from the Beasts of the Biblical Apocalypse, it must be noted) is one of BOTW’s Main Quests and among the earliest you’ll acquire. In our experience, it was one of the last we completed, however.

What are the Divine Beasts, and why do they need to be freed? A fabulous question, which Impa in Kakariko Village will be only too happy to answer at length. We, instead, will sum up: These are large, mechanical beasts that are controlled – or were, many many years ago – by the Champions of the Goron, Rito, Zora, and Gerudo peoples. They resemble a giant salamander, eagle, elephant, and camel, respectively. The Four Champions were named Daruk, Revali, Mipha, and Urbosa, again respectively, should you run into them – and you will.

The four Champions perished protecting the kingdom when Ganon sent four Blights to take over the beasts. These Ganon Blights then wreaked havoc upon Hyrule in accordance with their nature and that of the beast they control: Fireblight Ganon and Divine Beast Vah Rudania cause Death Mountain to erupt lava and other hot stuff; Windblight Ganon and Vah Medoh muck up air traffic control for the Ritos; Waterblight Ganon and Vah Ruta rain unending, er, rain upon the Zora kingdom; and last but not least, Thunderblight Ganon and Vah Naboris are responsible for sandstorms and a heck of a lot of electricity in the Gerudo Desert.

Link, who slept through the last hundred years and thus missed all the fire and rain and whatnot, will meet up with the Champions’ spirits, which remain encased in the beasts, once he battles the blights and frees the divine ones.

At this point, you’ll have already spoken to Impa in Kakariko Village to initiate the quest and begin the nagging from various Hyruleans to get on with the task. In our estimation, each Divine Beast adventure can be divided into four parts, which is kind of appropriate, there being four beasts[1]:

• A prerequisite phase, which can be completed whenever you please without requiring you to continue to the main adventure immediately thereafter, although you may choose to do so. The prerequisites include talking to the region’s elder and something you need to do, to obtain, or to accomplish before the real action begins.
• Working with an NPC helper to gain access to the Divine Beast, ending upon activation of a travel point, at which point you can leave the Divine Beast, if need be, to replenish Link’s stocks and your own. Or you can soldier on.
• A puzzle section in which Link must activate various terminals in the Beast, and for which you will want to have a co*cktail – er, that is, patient.
• Finally, a fight with the “boss” or Blight. Generally, a particular type of armor and certain weaponry is recommended or required for the beast in question.

When the Blight is defeated, the Divine Beast is freed and will commit to join the fight against Calamity Ganon. As a result of his prodigious effort, Link will be awarded an additional heart container and a Champion’s gift before he leaves the beast; later he will receive a repairable weapon or shield from a grateful leader in the respective region. [NOTE: You will not get the Champion Gift until after you have answered in the affirmative at the Main Control Unit that you wish to leave. And once you leave a fully freed beast, you cannot return, so check your pockets for keys, weapons, and other personal items before taking your gift and departing.]

Every beast you free will lower Calamaty Ganon’s health points by one-eighth. Thus, if you free all four, Calamity Ganon will already be half-dead by the time you engage him in battle. Conversely, if you don’t free a given beast, Link will have to fight the corresponding Blight in the castle before he encounters Ganon.

Which one first?

In keeping with BOTW’s freewheeling style, you can face the Divine Beasts in any order you choose. When describing them to Link, Impa used this order: Vah Rudania, Vah Medoh, Vah Ruta, and Vah Naboris. We suggest that they be tackled in the order below, however, for the noted reason(s):

• Divine Beast Vah Ruta: Lanayru Tower, which opens the area of the map in which you’ll find Vah Ruta, is just north of Kakariko Village and likely to be among the first towers you scale. Successful completion of the quest yields Mipha’s Grace, which is helpful sooner rather than later in the game. (But see Vah Medoh note below.)
• Divine Beast Vah Medoh: Freeing this beast will yield Revali’s Gale, which enables easier alternative routes to a couple of difficult towers. In addition, it will give you a head start on climbing mountains and towers when you haven’t yet built up your stamina wheels. (Indeed, Vah Medoh ties Vah Ruta for first place beast for the gift alone.)
• Divine Beast Vah Rudania: Originally, we intended this beast for last, because we disliked the heat and lava and generally hostile nature of the Eldin region. Then we tried Vah Naboris. That early attempt on the desert camel moved Vah Rudania from its expected last place finish to third. You earn Daruk’s Protection.
• Divine Beast Van Naboris: Save this one for last; you’re going to hate the prerequisites. But Urbosa’s Fury, your reward, is an electrifying useful one against enemies.

With that primer behind you, you’re ready to tackle the Beasts in the order of your choosing. Or you can follow in our (occasionally unsteady) footsteps and follow our later posts, beginning with the Divine Elephant Vah Ruta.

A final note: Once you’ve freed your first Divine Beast, find Beedle the traveling merchant (we know, he can be annoying in the extreme, especially if you have Rhino beetles in your inventory; but in this case, it’s worth it). Beedle will inform you it’s Customer Appreciation Day, which earns you an Ancient Arrow! Regrettably, it only works with the first Divine Beast. In addition, if you’re using Amiibos and have the four Champions’ Amiibos, you’ll have the chance to earn a Divine Helm after the first liberation. (It needn’t correspond with the beast you freed; we experimented in a subsequent replay and, after freeing Vah Rudania first, tried the Vah Naboris Amiibo, whereupon we received the Vah Naboris helm. )

[1] There is some chatter around the existence of a Fifth Divine Beast, which from our research may be the moon, a motorcycle, a Broadway star, or Itzal’s dog.