The Hyrule Castle inThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildis a daunting and massive labyrinth and the setting for Link’sfinal showdown with Calamity Ganon. This once-glorious citadel, now beyond ruin and teeming with various Guardian types, demands the player’s full focus to reach the topmost chamber where Princess Zelda waits.
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Players are often eager to reach the conclusion of the game’s story, so they become tempted torush straight to the castle’s throne. The issue with this is that they can easily miss a plethora of special locations, secrets, and treasures that are found littered throughout the castle.Breath of the Wildencourages exploration, and Hyrule Castle is no exception to this. Any player can yield great results if they take even a small amount of time to scour the area.
Updated July 19, 2025 by Holly Alice:The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wildhas been available for quite some time, but while fans eagerly (and impatiently) await the sequels' release, they have had time to go back into the wide world of Hyrule. Even now, secrets and hidden locations still are uncovered, and we have covered some more of these in our update. Will Hyrule Castle ever truly be explored? Maybe, but for now, players are content to keep finding mysterious corners.
13Koroks In The Castle
There are 900 Korok seeds hidden in Hyrule, so it is no surprise that there are a few in the castle. However, they are really well hidden. One is on thebalcony in a room above the King’s Study, one isunder a leaf pile found in the armory, and there’s even oneon top of the spire on one of the towers!
Perhaps the most elusive Korok is hidden in the same corridor of stone rooms as the Royal Guard Sword. Behind a broken wall that can be destroyed with a bomb, there is a seemingly empty room. Look up, and Link will see an almost hidden Korok acorn. There are a few of these in the castle, so players should keep their eyes peeled.
12Elemental Swords
Within the walls of Hyrule Castle lie many weapons — a godsend, as the durability always seems to run out just when players need it most. Among the offerings are some Elemental swords, which can really help give Link an edge in the numerous fights with beasts.
There is aGreat Flameblade located in the Docks,on the opposite shore from the Shrine, up on a high ledge. Then, there is aGreat Frostblade jutting out of some rubble near the libraryand dining rooms. Finally, players can find an (easily missable)Thunderblade nestled at the top of a double staircase, in a room above the King’s Study.There’s also a Korok pinwheel here.
11Hidden Royal Guard Sword
The inside of the Castle is an absolute maze, and trying to direct players to the right areas for finding specific things can be tricky. However, if players follow these directions, they can find a helpful item.
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The corridor above the castle’s Armory has some breakable walls.One of these rooms contains a Korok, and another has the Royal Guard Sword.The latter is found on a pedestal, which is a nice nod to the Master Sword that the design is based on. Break down the wall with a bomb, and hop in to get the sword.
10Ore Nodes & Stone Smasher
The Library of Hyrule Castle is not all it appears to be upon first glance. After all, to enter it, players must use Magnesis to move a bookshelf. If they continue using the rune, they will find that on the opposite wall is another moveable section.
Behind this is a dug-out corridor, possibly a work-in-progress escape route.In the corridor is a Stone Smasher, and further along it is an ore node, containing some nice gems.There’s a chest, too, with some Rupees, but the main attraction is the Smasher for those who prefer beefy, two handed combat.
9The Docks
Charging through the front gates of the castle and scaling the exterior is the fastest way to reach the top. But it is also the player’s best way to avoid all of the castle’s secrets.A great example of this is the docks hidden in a cavern on the lower portion of the castle’s northern side.
These docks act as a secret passageway into Hyrule Castle. They are only defended by a handful of Lizalfos, which the player can deal with at their leisure. There are also some weapons and food supplies to grab there. Entering the castle by this route can be seen as an “easy mode” for entering the castle, and it also leads directly to a shrine.
8Saas Ko’sah Shrine
The Saas Ko’sah Shrine rests directly above the docks.Its base sits next to a large torch. If a player lights the torch, the shrine will activate and rise from the platform. The shrine’s challenge is"A Major Test of Strength,“one of the battle-focused shrines challenges that pit the player against powerful Guardian enemies.
Clearing the shrine earns the player a Spirit Orb, but the greater prize is that they will now have a shrine to travel to that is inside the castle. This makes return trips to the castle much easier. And if the player needs to escape the castle due to danger, regrouping becomes much less of a hassle.
7The Library
Behind the Sass Ko’sah Shrine is a stone stairway. If the player goes up the stairs, they will reacha secret entrance to one of the largest interior portions of the castle, the Library.The Library is home to many enemies, but it is also home to many secrets. It is worth it to the player to defeat all of the enemies so they can freely explore the area.
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Some of the best things to find in the Library are the secret cooking recipes. The A Royal Recipe side quest centers on Link retrieving these recipes for an NPC, and they can be found in the Library. Aside from those, the player can find other secret passages that lead to gems and Rupees, and they can also uncover the King of Hyrule’s secret study.
6The King’s Study
The King’s Study is hidden behind a bookcasethat the player can move aside by using the Magnesis rune. Inside, the player can find a few items, including a Royal Shield, but they can also find the king’s journal.
If the player reads the king’s journal, they can learn a substantial amount of lore about the king. It gives insight into the king’s personal thoughts about the coming Calamity, and it also reveals his concern for his daughter Zelda and the grief he felt due to the death of his wife.
5A Mining Cart
The docks are not the only secret back entrance into the castle. Further down from them, the player can find a cave that leads toa more entertaining method of entering the castle: a mining cart.
This mining cart system winds through a narrow path that leads from the exterior of the castle all the way to the Western Passage. And aside from a few bothersome Keese, no enemies populate the area. All the player needs to do is use the Remote Bombs to keep pushing the cart forward. The player can alsofind a hidden Korok seedat the other end of the railway.
4The Lockup
Past the Western Passage, the player can find the Lockup,which is the castle’s prison and one of its most dangerous areas. What was once a secure prison is now a narrow and dilapidated hallway that forces the player to fight their way through a gauntlet of powerful Moblins and Lizalfos.
Enemies are not the only things to find in the Lockup. Useful weapons and gems can be found in certain cells, and there are also hidden passages that the player can take to find alternate entrances to other sections of the castle. Last, at the end of the lockup’s hallway, the player can find the entrance to a large arena that is home to a Stalnox.
