Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Story Before Tears of the Kingdom (Lore Recap)

A breakdown of the story of Breath of the Wild. How did Hyrule fall? What happened during the Great Calamity? Here is a full recap of the story that comes before Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
NOTE: This video contains NO spoilers for Tears of the Kingdom. It does not include any leaked information.
If you would like to support the channel financially, consider becoming a channel member by clicking the "JOIN" button, for benefits like your name in the credits or early videos! / @zeltik
A huge thank you to @MonsterMaze for the 3D maps of Hyrule used during the Great Calamity portion of this video. Be sure to check his channel out for some high quality Zelda content.
This video is heavily based on information from Creating a Champion: a book containing development details and story explanations for Breath of the Wild.
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► Outro music by Clangon: • Zeltik Outro Theme (Wi...
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#Zelda #breathofthewild #tearsofthekingdom
0:00 Ancient Legend
4:17 Intro
6:15 100 Years Ago
11:37 The Prophecy
22:41 The Great Calamity
36:19 Link's Awakening
43:14 Freeing the Divine Beasts
50:36 The Final Battle
57:47 Ending

[@Zeltik]

Hope you enjoy this look back at the story of Breath of the Wild! Please note that this video does NOT contain any spoilers for Tears of the Kingdom!

[@chibi_rabbit]

Favorite Zelda content creator. ♥️

[@thepopo592]

I LOVE ZELTIK, ALL MY HOMIES AND FRIENDS LOVE ZELTIK 💯💯🗣🗣📢

[@AngelPerez-tu1nk]

Dude ut's one of your videos of course we're gonna enjoy it.

[@Cliffordlonghead]

Ok

[@gabrielluis3344]

@Zeltik, dear, where exactly is it that you crouched Link at 05:19? It's in the northern edge of the Great Plateau, isn't it? Really nice touch with the NES-like shot, keep on working hard as the best gaming KZbinrs there are!

[@PointCrow]

No one does Zelda lore better than Zeltik. I've been waiting for a recap like this ever since they announced Tears!

[@gamermoment4913]

Agreed! Love both your channels

[@brendan_o7]

Ayyyy pointcrow!

[@ABAB1351]

Agreed.

[@CryptoQueen_Liz]

You and Zeltik are the GOATS

[@Chahase]

Hi mr crow glad to see you here

[@pastel5676]

I like how Nintendo makes a 6 minute recap and Zeltik blows them out of the water with a 1-long one lol

[@Adhasin]

Exactly what I thought lmao, I'm glad tho

[@yggdrasilsaltar]

another zelda channel did a 7 hour long dub of the entire story today so its really just a food chain

[@NovaJR9]

@@yggdrasilsaltar what channel

[@yggdrasilsaltar]

@@NovaJR9 zelda universe i think is their name

[@phenomenonnarutokun]

There’s absolutely no reason to have an hour lol

[@jinjoo5379]

Sometimes you forget how brutal the history of hyrule is because of how beautiful and calming the landscapes are

[@Sho_Ishto]

The producers of TotK recently expressed interest in making a movie in light of the Mario movie success and my only hope is they’re able to capture the light and the dark of Zelda on the big screen if they ever do make a movie.

[@jessjess23brooks89]

​@@Sho_Ishto will Link be mute, I wonder?

[@natecgames4612]

Most lands are like a body. Major battles scaring its exterior, but those battles go away with time. The body healing the wounds and trials of battle with time. Once the body is healed enough, the scars and wounds seem to fade as the reason for them is lost to time. And even then, the body thrives.

[@stevenlk]

@@jessjess23brooks89 Link talks by spreading out his hands and leaning forward slightly xD

[@Churros_are_Overrated]

@@jessjess23brooks89if I remember correctly link isn’t mute because sometimes you talk to an npc and they gain some information only you should know after link moves his arms around. Lots of games don’t give the main characters voices because A) it’s expensive B) a voice can stop you from feeling connected to relating to a character, especially if it is very different from yours

[@peachesaupear8455]

"Courage need not be remembered... For it is never forgotten" Hearing that line always gives me goosebumps

[@lynnh.3367]

Same bro!

[@CZsWorld]

Nintendo should get Zeltik to narrate when they do official recaps in the future!

[@emmamiller.]

Yes pls

[@solarprogeny6736]

can't, he's british

[@triggeredtiger9773]

​@@solarprogeny6736what does that have to do with it? There's a nintendo uk anyway.

[@1stGradeDropout]

@@triggeredtiger9773 British Detected

[@lorduwu4374]

@@solarprogeny6736 zeltik is from texas

[@stanleybowers1915]

Can you do this with every Zelda game? This is the best telling of Botw’s story that I have ever heard.

[@jreid2171]

agreed this was exceptionally well done and storytelling

[@trevdoesweirdthings]

Half of the story I had no idea existed he needs to do more

[@osmondwong508]

ask again when tear of kingdom is no longer super popular, so Zeltik might got spare time

[@mariko_dx]

To be honest, I don't think that older games' stories are long/detailed enough for such a video.

[@trevdoesweirdthings]

@@mariko_dx Idk Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword are pretty lore heavy. Wind Waker, Spirit Tracks, A Link Between Worlds, and maybe Phantom Hourglass are decently big too that would make a great video. Regardless I doubt it would be an hour long but there is a lot going on in those games...

[@loooooooooby]

Sometimes, I think people forget how beautiful the story is in BotW. But at the same time, I get it. The bulk of the story technically takes place in the past, and it gets buried under hundreds of hours of cooking, shrines, Korok seeds, and general tomfoolery.

[@transcendentsacredcourage]

Basically. 😅

[@briarmason8737]

But that's the beauty of it. It between all the tomfoolery, you get bits and pieces of lore of the world that when put back together show a picture of both tragedy and hope.

[@lynnh.3367]

That is honestly how I like it. As a goofy person I love tomfoolery!

[@templarw20]

"As they have done since time began, the hero and the darkness begin their duel." Chills, man. Well done. Love the storytelling, here.

[@AutumnTea]

@@OfficialZeltik.- least obvious scam account

[@ja4039]

Zeltik, straight up, this video is the first time I actually FELT the impact of the story of BOTW, which I have always struggled to connect to because of how it was integrated into the game. Thanks for making it come to life for me!

[@Jorgeelmejor17]

I feel the exact same way..

[@brunvanderhorst]

Same here! This video helped so much. Well done Zeltik

[@befrescas]

I couldn’t have said this better. I love the game so much, but always felt the story was the weakest aspect of it. And like you said, I just couldn’t connect with it. But this video REALLY made the story feel SO much deeper, I never realized how compelling it was, and I actually now enjoy the story so much more.

[@kazzajaxon7566]

I was thinking the same thing, like I actually started to tear up during a couple parts of this video, but during the game i felt very little intense emotion. Doesn't help that like 80% of the actual interesting stuff happened in optional collectibles and a different game entirely.

[@JayTaylorXx]

Same. This made me tear up

[@unstableturtleduck]

Can we take a moment to appreciate how fantastically written Zeltic's whole script was? I felt like I was listening to an audiobook and didnt even need the visuals (tho they were still appreciated) Plus full captioning for an hour long video, along with all the work put into researching and editing and all, I have nothing but respect for this man

[@PoppoYoppo]

Yeah seriously, I listened to this while working and I feel like I didn't miss a thing

[@ZoeG2099]

the captioning is super helpful!!

[@derianardor]

Captions are underappreciated, wether it's cus someone's accent doesn't gel with someone with auditory issues like me, or the hearing impaired, or all sorts of reasons that aren't considered by most normal individuals. It's always worth thanking a creator for putting them in and not relying on KZbin's auto gen, which is horrible for the very videos that need captions the most

[@unstableturtleduck]

@@derianardor exactly plus they're tedious and time consuming to make

[@Artsyballoons]

Agreed!!

[@darknimbus_]

43:00 that gives me a theory. What if, because her power was waning and she couldn't hold any longer, she woke link up early? This would explain a few details like why he was so weak compared to the past, unable to draw the sword etc. It would also explain how he still has scars (needed to prove link's identity in Zora's domain i think? It was one of the divine beast quests anyway) even though the shrine of resurection is supposed to be a "perfect" revival. Possibly could be why he has no memories and had to literally be woken up by zelda, it wasn't finished and hadn't fixed everything yet

[@Orangecataura]

It was Robbie who wanted to see link's scars as proof of being link. Even though you meet him with the shiekah slate and optionally, the master sword... But yea, scars!

[@blablador4584]

​@@Orangecataura Robbie just wanted for link to get naked.

[@user-ye1zi9mx9r]

I love the moving map showing how people travelled and retreated back in the calamity day! Great details elaborating that very day! It never felt like a real tragedy until you see the real scale of what actually happened and how much it costed lives of hyrule’s citizens because of Ganon.

[@HyruleGamer]

This is exactly what we need to go into Tears of The Kingdom, phenomenal work as always!

[@ortherner]

hi

[@maple_the_wolf]

I never really thought about the prophecy that King Rhoam was warned of. "The power to oppose it lies underground." Perhaps the answer was never about unearthing the Guardians and Divine Beasts. Perhaps the answer was always about seeking Calamity Ganon's true body under the castle? 🤔

[@ediiii8703]

Thats a really interesting theory, like they misunderstood the prophecy.

[@a.jthomas6132]

Urbosa did mentioned that the Calamity did took the formed of a Gerudo. I assumed that we may come across Ganondorf in BOTW. But instead, he was in the sequel.

[@FierceDeity35]

NBC made a video on this exact theory.

[@maple_the_wolf]

@@FierceDeity35 oh fr? I haven't seen his content in a while, so I didn't know 😅

[@bobjob2514]

@@a.jthomas6132 Too much past tense. Couldn’t readedededed.

[@otysb209]

Ok…..that True Crime style break down of zelda and the champions’ movements during the calamity at 22:58 is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen Zeltik do! With 3 more days until TOTK, this video is a must watch ❤️

[@madinalaska]

loved that part too!

[@jordanrichards2682]

No matter how many times I watch or play this game, the line "do you remember me?" Never fails to give me chills

[@TGKawikachu]

Can we appreciate Zeltik's wonderful narration and portrayal of this story? The imagery used throughout the script is phenomenal, which makes the whole video more engaging. The cutscenes and B roll were all impeccably organized. There wasn't a moment in the video where I felt a scene was unneeded, a transition was disjointed, or the pacing was off. Bravo, Zeltik. Bravo.

[@Hoosiergirl2022]

The addition of adding the paths that everyone took adds so much to the story

[@noradosmith]

His voice is soooo good. He should do audiobooks

[@thevideogamelover4292]

​@@noradosmith hbghttddGhjkló000p😊😊😊

[@PianuReeves]

this is my firs time watching a video of his, and even just 5 minutes in I'm transfixed on every word and the production value the editing adds

[@a.jthomas6132]

The mother-daughter relationship between Urbosa and Zelda is very wholesome to me! This Gerudo Chief is one of those reasons why she is my favorite Hyrule Champion.

[@PersonWithInternetAccess]

Riju would have to at least be granddaughter or it would be impossible for her to be a child 100 years after urbosa dies

[@a.jthomas6132]

@@PersonWithInternetAccess That it could be Link. At least she did managed to save Urbosa in an alternate timeline where the champions didn't fall and the Calamity have been successfully sealed. I am sure she will be a great Chieftian to her people. Only thing that boughts me is deep the connection between Calamity Ganon and Ganondorf. Urbosa did said that it has taken a form of a Gerudo.

[@milk_choc7889]

​@@PersonWithInternetAccessIt's not actually mentioned that Riju is related to Urbosa, I think.

[@melizabeth555]

@@milk_choc7889 she is; it's explicitly stated she's directly descended (much like current royal families) so i would assume she'd be something like her great-grandmother

[@milk_choc7889]

@@melizabeth555 Ah, I must have missed that somewhere then.

[@pokaay3163]

I never played botw, but I always admired how cool it looked and believed people’s praises of it. now I’m getting totk, and in less than a day’s time it will be available to play for me. this recap did wonders for hyping me up and clueing me in on the story of botw, I felt excitement and tension and almost teared up in multiple different parts. it’s a really cool story and Im kind of sad to have missed out on the many years that the fans have enjoyed the game for, but I’m now really looking forward to my start, and uncovering the story as it moves forward in the sequel.

[@naughtonbynature]

Never too late to play BOTW ❤

[@silvesta5027]

It's interesting seeing how disconnected the two games are. There's practically no mention of guardians, champions or divine beasts in tears of the kingdom (at least in my experience so far). No one speaks about the calamity either. I guess it's a design decision to keep the new game as open to newcomers as possible, but the lack of continuity between the two is a real shame to me. Funnily enough that's pretty much the only criticism I can give tears of the kingdom lol. It's such a fantastic game. I hope you're enjoying it as much as I am!

[@Darkestsheltz]

​@@silvesta5027 the zora seem to be the ones who mention there champion the most

[@mikedeanfucks1435]

Do yourself a favor and play it. It’ll be a nice warmup for the main event- Tears of the Kingdom.

[@Orangecataura]

​@@Darkestsheltz you don't believe how pissed I was at first when they changed miphas statue to link riding Sidon. Thankfully mipha has her own little memorial site now

[@ggpt9641]

The sequence presented, the narration put into just the right places, and all the music choices from across all the games. A great 1 hour to give to Zeltik for sure.

[@TheMaskedNate]

Honestly I do think Zelda's love for link did eventually awaken her power, but not because just love. But because it was the first time she showed actual courage. She had the power and wisdom, but this time it was the time she showed courage. Since her healing power has the triforce symbol it would only be natural for this to be the case imo.

[@lanadoodles464]

courage to save someone she loved dearly 🥺🥺

[@a.jthomas6132]

All it requires is a strong motive.

[@ZeldaUniverseTV]

It’s the start of a new era after this. Great way to send off the BOTW era before Tears of the Kingdom arrives just days from this video. Amazing work as always Zeltik. 🙌

[@HapaBindery]

Dude I was tearing up to this. Masterfully done. The way this was laid out took what to me felt like a broken story, and created a story that moves the heart. I feel like I can go in to Tears of the Kingdom and be immersed in the story. Well done!

[@nicogonzalez7860]

My biggest gripe about BoTW is how the story was told and this video justifies it. There’s so much that happens that spread to very missable side cutscenes

[@bluwatamelon]

So nice to have a recap before Tears of the Kingdom comes out. Can’t believe it’s been 6 years.

[@Rurix48]

Time truly does fly by. Doesn't feel that long ago. 😅

[@chadgrimwell8380]

I have been thinking of replaying BotW to prepare for TotK. Now I'm ready

[@ninab.4540]

​@@Rurix48 It did for me. The pandemic wasn't kind.

[@ryuudevie7]

You can just FEEL the passion and love for this game in the whole video. Absolutely gorgeous script, narration, visuals, editing, everything. This was such a treat to listen too, didn't feel like an hour! I can't wait to get totk!

[@parrydox.gaming]

Holy crap this is an absolutely incredible video. Perfect retelling of the lore and done so in perfect tonality. I never thought I’d watch the entire thing when clicking it as I already knew it all. But you made it so much better. This must have taken a long time to make. Well done. I hope you know how incredible it is and how much it is enjoyed by so many.

[@nutsykup6508]

You described my experience perfectly as well!

[@maxhoughtonmusic]

I was saying 'no it doesn't!' while watching the Nintendo recap after they said the story starts 100 years ago. This is def my favourite Zelda channel

[@IISuzakuII]

The main story does, the main story starts when link awakens.

[@maxhoughtonmusic]

@@IISuzakuII my point is, if you're going to start recapping the story, start from 10,000 years ago like zeltik does

[@IISuzakuII]

@Max Houghton You really don't have to because that part isn't the main story. Beside the 10,000 year story of supposed Calamity Ganon. most likely won't be concrete till Totk

[@maxhoughtonmusic]

@@IISuzakuII they are still legendary events which are the first in the chronology of the game and influence the rest of the story

[@SpriteDuel]

I never gave any real thought about how horrifying it must have been dying alone inside the Divine Beasts and having your soul trapped for an entire century. I'm surprised how they kept their sanity. Same with Zelda too, at least part of her must have been afraid being inside the literal heart of malice.

[@ZiggyMandarr]

I wonder what the Calamity was like. Were Rhoam and everyone there blown away without even realizing, or was it more like Age of Calamity?

[@RichNosowicz]

With the newest chapter of our beloved series on the horizon, I can't think of a better way to put the story of Breath of the Wild to a close. Wonderfully written and performed as always, sir!

[@Anthonial_Mjj]

Oh, man, just wait untill you finally load up Tears. It's gonna blow your mind. Lol, which is something I TOTALLY wouldn't know already... if anybody asks... lol

[@temperedtrail]

"Defeated a Lynel with ease" brave of you to assume I am good at the game.

[@dumbdaffodil]

This video may not get the most views, but the ones who view it, can't help but appreciate your massive efforts for the Zelda community. This doesn't feel like a video, it's an entire documentary.

[@ElJackFrostMamadisimo]

The million views three weeks after say different

[@ronin7846]

That video felt like a movie. The storytelling was incredible, the clips played were perfect, the music was fitting. Outstanding video

[@Firemage0520]

Excellent story telling as always! Though I have to say after watching speed runs of this game it definitely makes Link’s struggle feel much more trivial lol. This video tells a beautiful story of struggle and triumph, but then there’s the speedrun version of things, where link is awoken and asked to save hyrule and then he goes “say no less” grabs a bomb and magically flies directly into hyrule castle half naked, yeets himself around until he has like 7 weapons, eats some fish, and then single-handedly beats the shit out of the calamity effortlessly lmao.

[@Buphido]

The shapes the ancient sheikah weapons take show how peaceful Hyrule was under the Sheikah. Innovation and progress, especially in the military aspect, are directly linked to a need and desire for them. If your enemy storms you with armies of close combatants, you develop ranged weaponry. If your opponent pelts you with ranged weaponry, you develop armor and vehicles that can withstand that weaponry, and if you cannot pierce your enemies defences, you develop weapons that can or methods to bypass them. The fact that the Sheikah tech contains no fighter jets, no explosive missiles and no armaments that can reliably withstand ancient arrows shows that the sheikah development of weaponry was single mindedly focused on weapons that could attack a more or less static target from afar without expecting their own weapons to be turned against them, which in turn shows that there wasn’t a need for weaponry outside of basic monster slaying weaponry and weaponry for repelling Calamity Ganon. There was no war in the ancient kingdom, be it because they did not desire war or because the Sheikah were so hopelessly superior in firepower that any thought of war was impossible.

[@BlacklitStar]

100s of hours in this game just like everyone here and yet i still watched the whole thing. The storytelling was beyond on point i even teared up a few times good job.

[@tossingturnips]

Zeltik, you are the Sir David Attenborough of Zelda lore. It speaks to your skill and knowledge as a researcher that six years on, you can still regularly produce such rich and entertaining content from Breath of the Wild (to say nothing of Nintendo's own sumptuous world building). I can only imagine the years of continued quality lore video essays we could expect from Tears of The Kingdom.

[@coldsoul333]

Coming from a none-Zelda fan, I love this! I haven't play Zelda since The Ocarina of Time and I get goosebumps just hearing the story and the selected music from those eras. Great job!

[@jamescorrigan2572]

Age of Calamity adds an insane amount of cutscenes and context to the story of Breath of the Wild. Even though the story diverges quite quickly, it still shows the characters' interactions and struggles throughout

[@saraneel3875]

Is that where a lot of the lore i didn’t remember from BOTW comes from?

[@saraf7371]

​@@saraneel3875 all of this is pretty much available in Botw. But finer details, like how the champions died, and Link and Zelda's movements during the tragic battle where Link died..those were elaborated on in the other one. I'm sure other details were revealed there too, by I've never played that game and I knew 98% of what was shared in this video from clues left around botw

[@richardhambel648]

There is another important part of the story worth mentioning: Link proving his strength, and the monks giving him a green tunic in a mysterious underground temple that had been forgotten over thousands of years. Only recently has the temple been unveiled by Ganon shaking the earth and storming it with an army of guardians for an unknown reason. There is clearly something very important about the green tunic, as well as the temple it has been hiding in. While Link only has to complete relatively few shrines to earn the master sword, he must complete every shrine to earn the green tunic.

[@giannicolamatteo8155]

I allways wondered why there where so many broken guardians in there

[@bluekclay]

Nintendo: here’s a 6 minute recap Zeltik: here’s an hour long recap

[@PadChennington]

Nintendo should be paying Zeltik for how pumped he’s getting everyone for TotK

[@maikeru808]

This was ridiculously good and needs to be turned into a movie.

[@shootingstarbit]

Monster Maze’s maps help make this feel like a war documentary, love it

[@nF_Rhythm]

Can I just say, the level of depth and detail in the scriptwriting of this video is absolutely ASTOUNDING. I'm not sure if you wrote it on your own or with a team but major props to all involved. Never has an hour of time gone by so quickly for me! Thank you for all the effort you put in to every one of your videos ❤️

[@lee32476]

Incredibly detailed recap, the best I’ve seen, really hits the emotional points so well. What fantastic writing they did.

[@piplup10203854]

This is such a well put story, especially in giving the true darkness and horror of the Calamity and Ganondorf being resurrected. Like you mentioned in the video the Blights were designed to destroy the champions at all cost, the champions not having truly trained to fight such creatures were slaughtered. The way you word that actually describes the true darkness and hopeless battle and it makes Zelda's true resolve come through, she lost all her friends, she lost her father, she watched her kingdom and her assistants all get slaughtered and then her one love being awakened for her silent knight her hero Link now lost defending her and fighting for Hyrule she finally awakened her true power. Great video ☺ it just does such a wonderful job in setting up the story for what we will see in just a few short days! I cannot wait to see what happens next

[@Uhhhhh1188]

I always love these story recaps. You really put a lot of effort into them (same goes for your other videos). They each remind me of a documentary in a way (mainly because of the cinematic shots and pans of Hyrule as well as the 3d map). Maybe it just because of how each of them are presented. I love it. This game has so much lore it's insane! This is way better than the one Nintendo did lol. I can't wait to see your's on Tears of the Kingdom!

[@a.jthomas6132]

I hope the sequel does give Princess Zelda more character growth as well as her relationship with Link.

[@UncleErnie71]

If Nintendo ever makes an official Zelda documentary, they better get you to direct/ narrate it! Absolutely professional quality work, mate!

[@tacobeck19]

This was amazing! I can't over state how much this video made me appreciate Zelda: BotW even more. I have you to thank for that with all your hard work on this. Thank you!

[@possumthebrave9050]

Legit I got CHILLS at 50:20 when you said "He is the Hero of the Wilds" There's something about your delivery in your videos that puts your videos a step above the rest for me. Keep up the great work and I can't wait to see your Tears of the Kingdom content ❤❤❤

[@HeisenbergFam]

I like how Zeltik went from turning 3 min trailer to 53 minute video to being invited to play Zelda to doing lore recap

[@snorecore814]

HOW ARE YOU ON EVERY VIDEO EVER IN THE HISTORY OF EVER!!!!!

[@toonmyles]

Mr White, er... Heisenberg, how are you possibly everywhere yo?

[@user-qv2mc3dw5o]

@@snorecore814 they’re a bot

[@user-qv2mc3dw5o]

@@toonmyles it’s just a bot

[@paulrance5445]

@@user-qv2mc3dw5o No it’s Justin Y

[@hayleyharrison5127]

I never understood people criticizing this game’s story, it’s sooo good. I guess uncovering it in pieces wasn’t for everybody but I was very intrigued by it.

[@Danimal28]

Great story, poorly implemented

[@ethanguin]

It’s honestly one of my favorite Zelda stories, especially with how this Link seemingly failed and even died before he comes back to challenge Ganon again. BotW told so much through the environment and more subtle details. So for someone like me, who goes and explores and talks to every NPC, I so much from the game and I was able to piece together some other details not outright told to you. For a lot of people though, they like the story being outright showed to them (which isn’t bad, just a different kind of play style) so they missed a lot of the story, and now it just becomes “Link wakes up, goes and takes back the divine beasts and destroys Ganon. The end” I don’t doubt TotK will bring back more story to play through directly, so that will help bring a balance of both sides.

[@redgyrados2000]

@@ethanguin I don't necessarily mind having hidden lore that you only uncover by doing everything, but BotW had a little too much. Most of the game's story is in the Memories, which are imo pretty difficult to find naturally without a guide, so you're likely to miss a lot of it

[@ethanguin]

@@redgyrados2000 that's definitely fair about memories being hard to find. But I don't think the hidden lore and world-building is too much, it's just there to create a better world and it's not needed to get across the main story. It's there for people who like diving in and exploring the world and it's definitely not everyone's cup of tea.

[@shadouraito7935]

The production quality for this video is absolutely amazing. Loved this video thoroughly.

[@chantall7285]

This is easily the most comprehensive, well-written history of Hyrule I've come across. Great job!

[@user-we1fk4ul5o]

I’m so excited for ToTK; but I’m also excited for you, Zeltik. I know once it drops that you’re gonna see a huge boom in interest & traffic to your channel, and I can’t think of anyone who deserves it more.

[@lilkorok]

we love a good zelda storytime, nice to refresh ourselves on the story, just in time for totk!

[@ikeaira8701]

And people say BotW&TotK is "Light-hearted" hahaha jesus christ I didn't realize how violent and visceral this part of the timeline is

[@H_Kazuhira]

Unlocks in just a few hours for me. Saved this video to watch right before I dive into Hyrule again. Thank you for all your incredible work Zeltik. A pillar in this community.

[@joeytj]

I already knew most of this, but I still couldn’t stop watching lol. Amazing work. You included those little battle maps some history KZbinrs and channels use; great detail. Really puts into perspective the epic nature of this story. Better than the game I think!

[@daystain]

cant wait to see your first lore video on TOTK, will you be playing the game live or just on your own? it would be fun to see you analyze stuff while playing i think

[@bubble418]

the quality of this documentary was insane! i can't imagine how much work you put into this, it really shows. thank you for sharing

[@po_laroid3469]

Not only is this a retelling of the story of Breath of the Wild, but it is also a testament to Zeltik's whole channel. All the speculations , all the theories, all the research, and all the discoveries that have made of this magnificent channel. It was clear as day, I could almost see every BotW theories and discoveries that you have made throughout this channel in this recao and I'm so glad I was able to be a part of Zeltik's story as well. It' almost like seeing the end of an era. It's epic! I just know that Tears of the Kingdom will be the game to make this channel shine. Great job Zeltik.

[@Moon-Vixen]

this is so perfect, I need a full lore recap of the trio, SS, BOTW, and then TOTK, the core history of Hyrule come full circle, amazingly narrated and perfectly edited as Zeltik always does. totally not an enormous ask that would become a monster of a 3 hour video at the least, not at all! lmao but god would I devour a video like that *constantly and repeatedly*

[@finchezdaproductions5474]

You make the story sound so epic(which it really is). This video is such a good documentary of the history of Hyrule that is relevant to the story of Breath of the Wild. This deserves to be the most watched Breath of the wild video!

[@EchoJerichoX]

This is your magnum opus man. I knew the story prior, and the way it was delivered here nearly moved me to tears. Amazing work, one of my all-time favorite creators on the site. Thank you!

[@guilhermereis9520]

Wow!! this is a glorious recap! thank you for the love and work put into this!

[@bluestile]

Loved the video. The writing, the game footage, the editing, it was all really well produced. Well done @Zeltik! Also loved the maps by @MonsterMaze

[@apieceofcoffee]

You, MonsterMaze, Kleric and QuestWithAaron have been carrying and breathing life into Zelda content beautifully. Can't wait to see you all again in TotK!

[@augusttyndall3179]

w kleric

[@xAlreadyOverx]

I’m only a few minutes in and already blown away by the sheer quality of this! Even though I already know the story, I’m leaning forward, excited to hear about this. 100/10

[@MzVee904]

This was so beautifully made! This video portrayed all the feelings and emotions I had during my play through of the game. I appreciate this content, keep it up the excellent work!

[@davidjh113]

Your presentation of the history was beautiful. The maps you had showing paths and timelines of events were a terrific way to help visualize the massive scale of everything that was going on. I also want to applaud you for your continually wonderful content and I won't say I cried, but my eyes did start getting sweaty a couple of times during your breakdown of events. Still and always will be my #1 source for all things Zelda.

[@a.jthomas6132]

As a Zelink shipper, I hope their relationship continues to grow in Tears of the Kingdom.

[@christmasrivers6541]

This is fantastic, this was exactly what I wanted to see in the days leading up to TotK's release. This got me so hyped. Thanks for spending all the time and effort into putting this together! ❤

[@Zhawk1992]

I have to say, thank you so much for this video. I'm watching this in prep of the midnight release at my local gamestop. I'm so hype and this recap is exactly what I needed!

[@adithya260]

I cannot think of a better video to watch before getting into Tears of the Kingdom. This is perfect, thanks Zeltik.

[@cloudb.1071]

This is AMAZING Zeltik! I never realized how horrible and tragic this calamity had been until you came along. 😰🍿

[@mattr.7833]

You said you put a lot of hard work into this and boy does it show! I was invested from start to finish, absolutely splendid work. I haven't played BotW since I beat it 6 years ago so I desperately needed a solid recap. Don't believe I've every seen any of your vids before but you're now my go-to for Zelda/Hyrule lore. Liked, subscribed, saved into a newly created Lore playlist. I'm now ready to wake up tomorrow morning and hit the ground running with TotK.

[@nathanscott2871]

Fantastic video, great pacing, great editing and great narration. Was just what i was looking for. A++ brother

[@jamisanders8612]

I could listen to you tell a story all day. What a soothing and comforting voice to narrate Link and Zelda’s story ❤️

[@mrandyyu]

This is an incredibly well put together feature, Zeltik! Just what we all needed in the run-up to Tears of the Kingdom!

[@soulses4549]

Man that was such a good recap! I forgot how emotional the story got, I can't wait for the Tears!

[@XxCorey117xX]

Excellent video. Gave me a recap plus details I didn't even know. Thanks 👍

[@DulLizard]

Another hour video holy. Cant wait to see all your TOTK coverage!! No doubt about to be my favourite game of all time. Love the stuff bro keep it up ❤️ 👍

[@rolandmeixner4413]

This was absolutely incredible. It sent shivers down my spine and I can´t believe it even made me tear up. Such a wonderful game with a wonderful story. This recap has an enormous production quality and I can´t begin to imagine the amount of work put into it. I would love to see this kind of lore recap for the other Zelda games in the future.

[@colegriffiths5971]

As Always, your Breath of the Wild videos don't disappoint. I love the effort that went into the smaller parts of the story, like the Akalla citadel massacre, and I still can't get over the maps. I especially loved the connection of the mines to the 5 sheikah pillars. Something I never thought about. Another is that Ganon was literally sealed away with all the tech, centuries of time to learn exactly how to manipulate it how he wants. Calamity Ganon is the most powerful (alttp shhh) enemy faced, and it makes you wonder how Ganondorf can be revived now, after every resource is striped, after the most well calculated bid for power yet was failed.

[@Jmhawks]

Been watching a few similar videos but nothing has matched this!. Awesome work, thank you!

[@dextrosxe]

Your lore videos are literally the best. I've been getting bored of obscure video essays and your videos have reignited my love for long-form content. I'm so excited to see your breakdown of any lore that comes out of TOTK! Great vid!!

[@killako397]

Wow I never realized how detailed and GOOD this story is!

[@ethanguin]

It’s so good! So much is told through the environment and details you get through talking to people throughout Hyrule. It’s definitely not as spelled out for you, so sometimes you can miss out on so many details, but it’s a pretty cool story when you uncover the secrets.

[@wildwizard110]

Bro this is by far my favorite video of yours, this is so awesome. It even gave me shivers at some parts.

[@jasonverdusco4838]

My guy has earned my subscribe from having a beautiful way of explaining the story in a more story than just stating facts type of recap! Fitting music, a crisp mic for his voice and incredible visuals! Truly all of my checkboxes have been checked!

[@Fiala5000]

That was incredible, thank you so much for this video. It’s like …watching a documentary of an old civilization. I watched it with my partner on a big TV. It had cinema feeling. We really really liked it! Thank you for the effort and time you put in it😊

[@Franklin12004]

This recap was made in such an emotional way that it literally made me shed a tear, thank you Zeltik you are by far the best TLOZ lore creator.

[@elliepiper]

This was absolutely amazing! Subscribed! Thank you!

[@JDMricist]

This is exactly what I was looking for when I searched "story of zelda breath of the wild". Glad it was one of the top results! Great work on the video man, I'm sure this one took a while to edit. Thanks!

[@Cloudy_SkieZ1]

Zeltik! The transitioning background music is wonderful. I got the chills at 26:03. Majoras Mask being my favorite game of them all (I started playing the gold cartridge at 14 and grew up with the games in release order) particularly due to the music. Final Hours being so beautiful in this part of your video. The downfall of Hyrule (again) 😭

[@Dreaming_of_Adventures]

What an amazing recap! Thank you so much ! There was so much emotion and nostalgia packed with this 😊

[@Simantha]

This was amazing! Thank you for taking time to make and narrate this! I’m ashamed to say I was one who played BOTW, probably got 80 plus hours in and didn’t finish cause I loved exploring! And now I moved on to Tears of the Kingdom and didn’t really know or understood what happened in BOTW, but I’m enjoying this one better so I don’t want to stop playing to go finish the first one lol! Anyway this was definitely a good watch

[@coltdeedede]

The highest honor I can give you for this video is - the way you retell this story reminds me of my first zelda adventure with my best friend, Ocarina of Time. While he played the game I would read the strategy guide, the strategy guide was told in 3rd person as a narrative, rather than just communicating to the player directly it was told like a storybook. It fills me with a lot of joy, so cheers and happy adventuring in Tears of the Kingdom!