After the long journey along the Zora River, Link has finally reached the village of the Zora. The massive water titan Vah Ruta continues to provide non-stop rain, threatening not only the Zora Empire, but also the lower regions in the long term Hyrule’s. Before Link can enter the Titan, however, he must meet King Dorephan, learn more about the late Zora Princess Mipha, and obtain enough Electro Arrows to attack Vah Ruta. This is exactly why the main target “Divine Beast Vah Ruta” leads to the dangerous Thunderhorn, where a red Lynel has its territory.
This section is also ideal for significantly improving Link’s equipment. In the village we solve the Ne’ez Yohma Shrine, get the Zora Armor, start the Side Quests “The Head Dive” and “Search for the Lynels” and even complete the entire Zora set with a trip to Lake Toto and the photo of the Lynels. You don’t have to defeat the Lynels itself. Sneaking is a much better solution, especially on a first pass.
Ne’ez Yohma Shrine – Impact Force
The Ne’ez Yohma Shrine is located right in the lower center of the Zora village. If you just activated it in the previous chapter, let’s enter it now. The entire shrine consists of a wide water slope over which small balls constantly roll down. A particularly large ball on the top level must be guided into a recess at the bottom.
First run up the right side of the slope. Watch out for the balls rolling down and the sentry laser. With Stasis you can briefly stop dangerous balls or the laser mechanism and thus ascend much more safely. Alternatively, you can use the cryomodule to create ice columns that give you cover and additional surfaces to step on.
Once at the top, first turn right onto the side walkway. From there you get to one Treasure Chest. Open it and take it Zora spear with. Take this opportunity to photograph him for the Hyrule Handbook if you don’t already have the corresponding entry. We will encounter Zora weapons more frequently in the next sections, and some of them will later play a role in special weapons of the Zora people.
The large orb in Ne’ez Yohma Shrine
Return to the large sphere at the top. Water flows out of the wall below her platform. Use the cryomodule to create an ice column directly behind or below the sphere. The ice pushes her out of her starting position and she begins to roll down the slope.
Now you have to prepare the way. There are several places on the slanted passage where the ball would roll in the wrong direction without help. Therefore creates ice columns as boundaries. The gap between the two sloping ramps near the laser beam is particularly important. A correctly placed ice column forms a kind of guardrail and prevents the ball from straying off the path.
Further down, create another ice block in the middle of the last ramp. As soon as the ball gets there, it is stopped. Then use the cryo module directly below her to lift her over the small ledge. From there it rolls into the large round depression at the bottom. The gate to the priest opens and you get another Spirit Orb.
Ne’ez Yohma Shrine is part of the Lanayru Tower region. If necessary, you can find all other Locations in our special guide to the shrines at the Lanayru Tower.
Explore village of Zora
Before you go up to the throne room, it’s worth taking a short tour of the village. There is an inn, a general store and several small water basins right next to the shrine. In the store you can buy normal arrows and Ice Arrows. However, there are not enough electric arrows available there – that’s exactly why the main goal later leads to the Thunderhorn.
Collect materials in the water basins and around the bridges such as snails, spurt lotuses and various fish. You should not completely cook or sell Hyrule perch in particular: they will be needed for later improvements to the Zora set. Lizalfos horns, spurs and tails are also important for this armor.
Below the stairs to the throne room there is also a statue of the goddess. If you have at least four Spirit Orb, you can get another heart or stamina container here. Extra hearts are especially nice before the first Titan. With our current number of shrines, you can continue to build stamina without jeopardizing your later path to Master Sword.
Optional: Blissful Waterbed at Zora Inn
[Optional – recommended before the thunder horn] The inn of Zora offers, in addition to a normal bed, a special variant for 80 Rupees. The blissful or particularly comfortable waterbed heals Link completely and also gives three temporary hearts and a complete yellow stamina circle.
This bonus is particularly useful in front of the Thunderhorn. Even if you don’t want to fight the Lynels, extra stamina when sneaking, dodging and climbing can be crucial. The yellow hearts also provide an additional safety margin in case an electric arrow or melee attack hits you.
Main objective “The Village of Zora” – King Dorephan
Climb the long curved stairs to the highest area of the village. There is the throne room of King Dorephan. Prince Sidon is already waiting for Link, while old Muzu is initially anything but friendly towards a Hylian.
King Dorephan recognizes Link from a hundred years ago and explains the situation. Vah Ruta continuously produces water. If the Titan continues to pump such volumes into the eastern reservoir, the dams could eventually break and flood large parts of Hyrule’s. The Zora cannot stop the titan themselves due to its electrical defenses.
The Zora also know Link for another reason: Princess Mipha, King Dorephan’s daughter and former Reckin of Vah Ruta, was particularly close to him before the devastation. She died inside the Titan one hundred years ago when Waterblight Ganon took control.
As a sign of his trust, King Dorephan gives Link the Zora Armor. This completes the main objective “The Village of the Zora” and begins the new main objective “Divine Beast Vah Ruta”.
Zora Armor – Swim Up Waterfalls
Put on the Zora armor immediately. The top increases Link’s swimming speed and has a unique ability: If Link swims directly towards a waterfall with armor equipped, the action to swim up appears. Confirm it and Link shoots practically vertically up the entire waterfall.
This changes the movement in Lanayru fundamentally. The numerous waterfalls surrounding the village become natural elevators and lead directly to the Zorana Highlands, Lake Toto and the Ploymus Mountain. We need exactly this ability for the electric arrows.
The Zora Armor is part of a three-piece set consisting of Zora Helmet, Zora Armor and Zora Leg Guard. All three parts increase swimming speed. The helmet also enables a spin attack in the water. If all three parts are later improved at least twice by Great Fairies, the set bonus significantly reduces the stamina consumption when swimming quickly. You can find an overview of all sets and Locations in our guide to the armor in Breath of the Wild.
Main objective “Divine Beast Vah Ruta” – Visit Muzu
After the audience, Muzu angrily leaves the throne room. Go back down to the central square of the village. He stands with Sidon at the large statue of Mipha.
Speak to Muzu. He initially refuses to help a Hylian because he holds Link and the Kingdom of Hyrule partly responsible for Mipha’s fate. During the conversation, Link looks at the statue – and another lost memory returns.
Mipha memory – Link’s past with the Zora
The memory shows Link and Mipha a hundred years ago. Link was injured in a fight and Mipha heals his wounds with her special gift. She explains to him that she wants to be there for him in the future. At the same time, it becomes clear how close their relationship was and what feelings Mipha had for Link.
This scene is one of the game’s memories, but is not one of the twelve freely searched images from the main goal “Souvenir photos”. The four Champions each have a memory that is automatically activated in the course of their Titan action.
An overview of all memories – including the four Champions and the later DLC scenes – can be found on ZeldaCollection under Memories in Breath of the Wild.
Muzu with the Zora armor impress
Memory alone is not enough for Muzu. Therefore, open the armor menu and put on the Zora armor if you have changed it in the meantime. Then talk to him again.
The armor was made according to Zora tradition by a princess for the man she wanted to one day marry. Because she suits Link perfectly, Muzu finally realizes that Mipha actually had feelings for him. He now reluctantly explains how the Divine Beast can be stopped.
Vah Ruta has several electrical control points. Link must approach the titan on Sidon’s back and take them with him Electric arrows meet. Muzu estimates that at least for that 20 electric arrows are needed.
On the thunderhorn east of the village lives a red Lynel. This powerful enemy uses electric arrows, and many of his spent arrows are still lodged in trees, rocks, and the ground around his territory. Our next destination is therefore the Ploymus Mountain.
Side Quest “The Head Dive”
[Optional] Before you leave the village, talk to Gruve near the stairs or at one of the waterfalls. He raves about a perfect head dive and starts the Side Quest “The Head Dive”.
Stand on the marked edge and jump into the deep lake below the village. When jumping off, press so that Link does a real head dive and doesn’t just fall feet first into the water. Gruve recognizes the jump and then asks you to come back up.
With the Zora armor equipped, swim to the waterfall and use the new ability to shoot straight back up to the village. Speak to Gruve again. As a reward you will receive five spurt lotus.
Side Quest “Search for the Lynels”
[Optional – highly recommended] Now speak to Laflat, who is a few steps east of the stairs to the throne room. She worries because reckless young Zora see the thunderhorn as a test of courage. So she can show them how dangerous the mountain really is, she wants to see a photo of the Lynels who lives there.
This begins the Side Quest “Search for the Lynels”. It can be perfectly combined with the main goal: We have to go to this Lynels anyway to collect the electric arrows. Just don’t forget to use the Camera Rune before you escape.
The reward is extremely valuable: for the Lynel photo you will later receive the Zora leg protection, i.e. the third or second missing part of the Zora set.
Optional: Find Zora Helmet in Lake Toto
[Optional – Highly Recommended] Before we approach the Lynels, let’s get the next Zora armor piece. The Zora Helmet is located in Lake Toto, north of the village. Thanks to the Zora armor you just received, the path has become significantly faster.
Leave the village via the upper paths and use the waterfalls towards Zorana Highlands. Swim towards a waterfall and use the Zora armor to catapult yourself upwards. Then head north or northwest until you reach Lake Toto.
The lake doesn’t seem particularly spectacular at first. However, activate the magnetic module and look into the water. A metal Treasure Chest is clearly highlighted. Pull it out of the lake with Magnesis and open it. Inside is the Zora helmet.
Puts it on. In addition to the faster swimming speed, this allows Link to perform a spin attack while swimming. In normal combat it is more situational, but can catch fish and hit smaller enemies or objects in the water.
From the village of Zora to the Thunderhorn
Return towards the village or move east from Zorana Highlands. The intended path to Ploymus Mountain begins east of the village. With your Zora armor on, you first swim up the waterfall at Mikau Lake, then the next one at Lulu Lake. Another waterfall takes you near the Ploymus Mountain.
This route is much faster than any attempt to climb the wet rock faces. After each waterfall, take a moment to pay attention to your surroundings. There are already a few electric arrows stuck between the grass, trees and rocks. Collect everything you can without risk.
Save manually at the top of the waterfalls at the latest. In front of you lies the territory of the red Lynels.
Thunderhorn – The red Lynel
The Lynel on the Thunderhorn is for many players the first encounter with this class of opponent and is correspondingly intimidating. This is intentional: you should not defeat him for the main objective . Muzu sends Link here to collect electric arrows, not to challenge one of the strongest normal enemies Hyrule’s early in the game.
The red Lynel patrols a relatively open area. As soon as he spots Link, the music changes and he attacks. His bow shoots several electric arrows at the same time and has an enormous range. Even behind rocks you won’t be completely safe because his arrows can rain down from the air in a high arc.
Therefore, if possible, wear parts of the stealth set from Kakariko Village or eat a dish with a stealth bonus. Crouch and use trees, rocks, and terrain to stay out of his direct line of sight.
Hyrule Compendium: Lynel photograph
Before you start collecting, let’s take care of the Side Quest from Laflat. Stay at a safe distance and activate the Camera Rune. Aim the camera at the Lynels until its name appears in the search frame and take the photo.
You don’t have to catch his face or a spectacular fighting pose. The only thing that matters is that the game clearly recognizes the motif as Lynels and offers you to save the image in the Hyrule Compendium.
Be sure to save the photo. This means that the most difficult requirement of the Side Quest “Search for the Lynels” is already fulfilled.
Collect 20 electric arrows on the thunder horn
Now the actual job begins. electric arrows are stuck in tree trunks, rocks and in the ground all around the area. Many of them crashed into trees in pairs. In total, there are significantly more than the required 20 arrows on the mountain, so you don’t have to find every single one.
Move around the outer edge of the area and constantly monitor the Lynels. First collect arrows from trees whose backs offer you cover. Waits until the Lynel looks in the opposite direction and then switches to the next tree. The white or yellow arrowheads are easy to see even in the rain.
If you have the Sheikah Sensor+ and have already saved a photo of an Electric Arrow in the Hyrule Compendium, you can even set the sensor for Electric Arrows. This makes the search easier, but is not necessary – most of the arrows are very close together.
Open your inventory every now and then and check your number. Once your total is at least 20 electric arrows has, the requirement of the main goal is met. Electric arrows that have already been collected or purchased before the Thunderhorn naturally count. If you have already arrived with at least 20 pieces, you could even skip the collection section completely; for the photo of Lynels The visit is still worth it.
Should you defeat the Lynels now?
[Optional – not necessary] The red Lynel can already be defeated, but for optimal gameplay we do not recommend it on the first visit. He has significantly more life points than previous opponents, causes enormous damage and can destroy a large part of your current weapons.
If you still want to challenge him, you should use the movement patterns carefully. Hold down ZL and jump backwards or sideways out of the danger zone when hitting the side of the sword. Perfectly timed evasive maneuvers trigger a Flurry Rush. A headshot to the face or directly to the head briefly stuns the Lynels. At this moment, run to his side and press A to get on his back.
While Link is sitting on a Lynels, you can strike multiple times with your strongest melee weapon. These hits do not consume normal weapon durability, which is why particularly strong weapons are ideal here. Once Link is thrown down, you can draw your bow in mid-air and attempt more headshots.
The safe way is still to sneak up. We’ll defeat numerous Lynels over the course of our 100% route and come back later with better weapons, armor and warrior abilities.
Optional: Korok on the Thunderhorn
[Optional – required for 100%] North or northeast of the actual Lynel area there is a collection of brittle rocks on the rock face. Don’t move there until the Lynel is far enough away.
Blow up the brittle rocks with a bomb. There is a small stone behind it. Lift it up and a Korok appears. Collect the seed and retreat back towards the edge of the mountain.
Shatterback Point – View of Vah Ruta
After collecting the electric arrows, continue climbing to the highest eastern ledge of Thunderhorn. This location is called Shatterback Point. From here you have a clear view of the eastern reservoir and the mighty water titan Vah Ruta.
From this point you can glide directly with the Paraglider down to the eastern reservoir and thus continue the main goal. But since we already have the Lynel photo we need, we’ll get the Zora leg protection first. The additional path is short thanks to fast travel and waterfalls.
Side Quest Complete “Search for the Lynels”
[Optional – Highly Recommended] Open the map and teleport to Ne’ez Yohma Shrine in Zora Village. Then find Laflat again and show her the saved photo of the red Lynels.
Laflat is happy because she can use the picture as a warning to careless Zora in the future. As a reward, she gives Link the Zora Leg Guard. According to our solution, you will already have all three parts of the Zora set before the first titan.
Helmet, armor and leg protection each increase swimming speed. The helmet complements the spin attack and the chest piece allows swimming up waterfalls. If you later improve all three parts twice at Great Fairies, the complete set also reduces the stamina consumption when swimming quickly.
Optional: Improve Zora set at Cotura
[Optional] If you have enough Lizalfos horns, you can already improve the new Zora parts at Cotura above Kakariko Village. For the first level of reinforcement, each part only requires a few common Lizalfos materials, which you should have collected in abundance on the way to the Zora village.
A single upgrade increases each Zora armor piece from three to five defense points. However, the actual set bonus only becomes active when all three parts have been improved at least twice. For this we need a second Great Fairy, which is why this will only be possible a little later.
You can find the material costs of all improvement levels in our guide to the Great Fairies in Breath of the Wild.
To the eastern reservoir
After completing the Side Quest, teleport you back to Zora or use the Ne’ez Yohma Shrine as a starting point. Leave the village to the east and swim up the waterfalls at Lake Mikau and Lulu again with the Zora armor. Since you now know the route, the climb only takes a few minutes.
You don’t have to visit the Lynels again at Ploymus Mountain. Stick to the edge of his territory and climb straight to Shatterback Point. Jump off the cliff and Paraglider down to the eastern reservoir. Sidon is already waiting for you there.
Before the interview, check your equipment again. You need at least 20 electric arrows and a functional bow. In addition, the cryomodule should be accessible quickly, because Vah Ruta defends herself with large ice blocks during the following attack.
Main target “Divine Beast Vah Ruta” – Sidon at the reservoir
Speak to Prince Sidon at the eastern reservoir. If you have at least 20 electric arrows, he will explain the plan: Link rides through the reservoir on Sidon’s back. Sidon takes him to the waterfalls that Vah Ruta creates. With the Zora armor, Link can swim up it, be catapulted into the air and shoot electric arrows at the Titan’s four checkpoints in slow motion mode.
Do not confirm the attack yet if you want to sort your healing dishes, arrows or bows first. As soon as you agree, the first direct confrontation with one of the four Titans begins.
In the next chapter we attack Divine Beast Vah Ruta together with Sidon, destroy his ice projectiles with cryomodule, hit all four checkpoints and then enter the titan. There we get the card, open all Treasure Chests and activate all five terminals in the shortest possible way.