The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild is one of the best Zelda games ever released, and its sequel is one of the most highly anticipated games since its predecessor's release. Its release has been delayed over and over again due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and as of now, it is slated for spring 2023.
The Zelda games have become infamous for players finding hidden rooms or secret Easter eggs years after their release. As the years have gone by, some of these secret locations have become legendary within the world and for fans.
Secret Shrine At Ikana’s Canyon
In Zelda: Majora’s Mask, there’s a secret shrine located in Ikana’s canyon. However, it’s only accessible once the player has acquired the light arrows from the Stone Tower Temple. The secret shrine is not mandatory, but players have a chance to acquire rupees, treasures, as well as a piece of heart.
This shrine is filled with mini-bosses that Link has battled once before but must battle again to receive the piece of heart. It’s a fun side quest if players are looking to challenge themselves a bit, and has quite a bit of payoff if fully completed.
Dodongo's Cavern
Deep inside Dodongo’s Cavern in Ocarina of Time has so many details that a player needs to play multiple times through to see them all.
One theory as to why this cavern exists is that the creators were intending to use it as a heart piece location but for some reason didn’t end up using it. However, the cavern remained and a recovery heart was placed there instead. The cavern can’t be seen through the Lens of Truth, so it was pure happenstance that someone found it in the first place as there’s no official way to find it in the game.
Tarrey Town
Tarrey Town is in Zelda: Breath of the Wild and is a completely optional side quest, but also one of the best. It’s one of the most time-consuming and involved side quests, but by the end of it, there is an entirely new town that Link can visit for armor, gems, arrows, and other supplies, including a Goddess statue.
It’s also one of the best places to stock up on arrows, as it offers every kind. The process for building Tarrey Town is lengthy, and many may not realize how to get the side quest started as it requires Link to complete his home in Hateno Village first. Once that’s completed (which is lengthy on its own), the player can then start the Tarrey Town side quest.
Horse God Malanya
In Breath of the Wild, there’s a location on the south end of the map called the Horse God bridge and Lake of the Horse God. It’s a pretty specific name, but it’s not near an important quest, so it’s easily overlooked. Once the player crosses the Horse God bridge, they’ll come across what looks like a fairy fountain. However, it’s actually the Horse God, Malayna.
If a player has ever lost a horse in battle, visit Malayna, and she will revive any horse that’s been killed (but not if it’s been killed by the player themselves). The fee to unlock Malayna is steep, a whopping 1,000 rupees, but once she’s unlocked, horses can be revived for free from then on out.
Secret Caves
Zelda: Wind Waker is a unique Zelda game as it’s one of the only games to not take place in Hyrule and instead takes place on the sea. This gives Link so much land, big and small, to discover. Not only that but there are treasures hidden in the waves as well.
If a player is looking to explore every inch of the game, each small island is home to a secret cave that is full of treasures. It’s also a great way for players to see more of the beautiful scenery that Wind Waker is known for, especially these lesser-known locations that are entirely optional.
The Cave of Ordeals
The Cave of Ordeals is located in the Gerudo Desert in Zelda: Twilight Princess. It’s an optional side quest that lesser-skilled players avoid due to it being quite difficult and brimming with enemies. However, the payoff for completing the Cave of Ordeals is worth it as Link will uncover a fairy fountain, which is also where the remaining Poe souls reside.
The Cave of Ordeals is a mini-dungeon that’s 50 levels of enemies ranging in difficulty level. It’s a tough side quest that’s guaranteed to kill Link numerous times. If players are looking for a difficult yet rewarding side quest, this is the perfect one.
Chris Houlihan Room
In The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, there’s a top secret room called the Chris Houlihan room (only in the English versions, in all others, it’s only referred to as the "secret room"). In 1990, Nintendo held a contest in which the prize was to have the winner's name featured in the next NES game. Nintendo never announced the winner, so this is a mere deduction from fans of the game.
The room itself isn’t super exciting, although it is one of the best Easter eggs in a Nintendo game. However, it’s not the easiest to get to as it’s essentially a fail-safe to prevent the game from crashing. The room holds 45 blue rupees and upon entering says, “My name is Chris Houlihan. This is my top secret room. Keep it between us, ok?”
The Secret Moblin
The very first Zelda game, Legend of Zelda, features a set of caves that hold a character most players of Zelda are aware of, a Moblin. However, this Moblin is different because, instead of trying to kill Link, he tries to help him and gives Link rupees.
Not only does he help Link, but he also says his infamous catchphrase, “It’s a secret to everybody”, which became legendary and an Easter egg, as multiple characters throughout multiple games pay tribute to it.
Satori Mountain
Satori Mountain in Breath Of The Wild is one of the most magical areas in the game and emits a mysterious blue glow that can be seen only at night. If Link is able to get to the mountain before sunrise, Link will see a large, horse-like creature that glows blue called the Lord of the Mountain. It's hidden treasures like this that make BotW worthy of its extremely high Metacritic score.
What makes Satori Mountain and the Lord of the Mountain so fascinating is that it’s been theorized that it is an homage to the late Nintendo president, Satoru Iwata. The in-game character, Botrick, who first mentions the Lord of the Mountain, bears a striking resemblance to Satoru Iwata, which appears to confirm the tribute is in fact true.
Fairy’s In Ganon’s Castle
In Ocarina of Time, right before Link’s battle with Ganon, players can use the Lens of Truth to reveal a secret room with scrubs that will eventually sell Link valuable items such as fairies. These are great to stock up on before the battle with Ganon, as he can be a difficult boss to fight.
The scrubs charge more than typical, but if leaving the area is too time-consuming, purchasing from the scrubs is a great option. They are located in the center of the castle on the lowest level and can only be seen using the Lens of Truth.
