Games in the Zelda series are typically packed full of content, but for players gunning for 100% completion, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild takes that to another level. Upon release, Breath of the Wild had the largest playable area of any Zelda game, only now outdone by Tears of the Kingdom. Freedom of exploration is a key component, and a plethora of side content was scattered about the world to reward those who leave the beaten path. This resulted in a massive time commitment for anyone looking to complete BOTW 100%, and its in-game completion percentage counter doesn't actually even include everything there is to do.
Completing BOTW's main quest and defeating Calamity Ganon awards players a star symbol on their save file. Trying to continue after the credits roll puts players back at a save point before they faced the final foe, but it also unlocks a percentage counter in the bottom left corner of the map. Once players finish all four Divine Beasts, complete all 120 Ancient Shrines, acquire all 900 Korok Seeds, and visit every named location on the map, they'll hit 100% in BOTW. This is already a ton of game to play, but there's even more to do to complete every possible part of Breath of the Wild.
BOTW 100 Percent Checklist
Breath of the Wild has far more content to offer, some of which can only be completed after the main quest. In addition to the main story and the activities that contribute to the game's official percentage counter, everything else involved in true BOTW 100 percent completion includes the following:
Breath of the Wild 100% Checklist (Without DLC) |
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Complete all 76 side quests. |
Activate 14 Sheikah Towers. |
Recover 18 of Link's forgotten memories. |
Acquire every set of armor and their upgrades. |
Acquire every horse bridle and saddle. |
Fully upgrade Link's inventory. |
Document 385 Hyrule Compendium entries. |
Get awarded Kilton's three Medals of Honor for defeating every Hinox/Stalnox, Talus, and Molduga. |
Other Approaches To BOTW Completion Percentage
Those who have Breath of the Wild's DLC packs can add even more to the list, as both The Master Trials and The Champions' Ballad add more for players to do beyond cosmetic additions. Taking on extra quests, collecting new pieces of armor, and conquering the Trial of the Sword are all among the necessary tasks for those who want to 100% BOTW's DLC. The speedrunning community at Speedrun.com has its own definition of a 100% run; these rules explicitly do not take the DLC into and don't require players to acquire every piece of armor, among a few other differences.
Ultimately, what counts in achieving 100 percent in Breath of the Wild is subjective, so each player will need to decide how far they want to go. Whether players like to add even more tasks to a BOTW 100% checklist or limit the challenge to its basic components, any substantial approach that players adopt to 100% BOTW is an impressive feat. With the release of Tears of the Kingdom, many fans may be inspired to polish off completion on an old save file or take on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for the first time.
Source: Speedrun.com
