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It took me four months of courage, wisdom, and powerful shots of “Chateau Romani” to beat the four divine beasts in Breath of the Wild. And I’m confident I did it in the best order possible.
As a time-sensitive, defensive gamer by heart, self-preservation was key to winning the Divine Beast Wars. Here’s how I did it, starting with a little backstory (Press X to Skip).
Recovered Memory #20:
~For over 2 years I tested video games at Disney Interactive Studios. My job required me to complete 100% of each title as quickly as humanly possible. No matter what game I play to this day, I still conserve healing items to avoid Game Over and prevent flashbacks of my Manager’s Wrath. True Story: he patrolled the office, breathing down necks, raging, and whooshing Vader’s light saber in the sorry faces of those who died so many times he had to pay them overtime. A traumatic form of public humiliation it was. Fade to Black~
To minimize retreading steps and wasting time in Breath of the Wild, I prioritized hoarding fairies and heart containers. For the most part, they did the job. But farming fairies to refill my health was time-consuming.
What I didn’t know at the time was that as I beat each Divine Beast, I unlocked an ability to expedite my self-preservation strategy. Looking back, I wouldn’t have beaten them in any other order.
*Spoiler Alert*
The First Divine Victim: Vah Ruta
Upon pwning the pachyderm beast, Vah Ruta, I was bequeathed my first post-Divine Beast power. Mipha, a Zora Ghost Champion (who despite her romantic backstory still is just half as interesting as the hot prince) passes Link the ability to resurrect himself (without sleeping for a 100 years? Don’t be silly! It recharges in 24 minutes! Wait, why didn’t Link use it when he first died?). The main reason I recommend this dungeon first is to unlock the game’s most useful ability ASAP.
Dubbed “Mipha’s Grace”, this power acts as insurance for a courageous, naked adventurer with century-old memory loss. When you die, it completely refill all of your hearts and grants you 3 temporary bonus ones, unlike fairies, who only replenish 5 hearts total. This ability is unmatched early in the game as you test Link’s limits (and die prematurely).
We’ve all felt the anxiety of a surprise death (“Where did I last save? Did I run out of fairies?!”) I once cannon-balled from a tower into hot springs (assuming they’d heal me) only to insta-drown upon impact. Another time, I took the brunt of an Electric Lizalfos attack to save my horse. But no matter the sacrificial act, who was there to save us? Say it together: Mipha’s Grace! Crisis averted.
Face it: tackling Vah Ruta first is the best strategy for longevity. So if you’re fighting a feisty Lynel or committing suicide by hot springs, the best lifeline to cheat death is Mipha’s Insurance Policy, er Grace.
The Second Divine Chump: Vah Rudania
The Deceased Goron Champion and namesake of Daruk’s Protection rewards Link with a new ability for beating the blight within the volcanic gecko, Vah Rudania.
While Mipha’s Grace is the most useful ability for defensive players, Daruk’s Protection is the most used. It’s handy against any attack or peril, which is why Vah Rudania should be defeated second in the game. Just press R and a shield of light will encircle Link, deflecting any force which can cause damage. It recharges in 18 minutes, and unlike Mipha’s Grace, you get 3 charges of this power.
But Daruk’s Protection does more than just protect, it illuminates. Come across a trial in complete darkness and you’ll be glad you conserved Daruk’s Protection.
That’s exactly what I did when I stumbled upon the Shrouded Shrine, which engulfs a swamp area in pitch blackness. Instead of wasting precious melee inventory space on a torch (base power of 2, Pfft), I summoned Daruk’s Protection to beat this trial.
Mipha’s Grace is least useful at the end of the game, when you’ve gathered enough heart containers and meal-prepped your way to immortality. Daruk’s Protection, similarly, is used seldom in the end when you’ve mastered flurry rushes and shield parries. But before the midpoint, both are essential.
The Third Divine Bum: Vah Naboris
For nostalgic purposes, I considered completing the Divine Beats in order according to Ocarina of Time dungeons: Forest, Volcano, Water, Desert. But I couldn’t save the desert Divine Beast as last on my list. There was one emotion which overpowered nostalgia, and it was sheer giddiness to dress Link as a Gerudo. And it was worth it.
While I could have simply cross-dressed and moved on to another beast, I avoided hopscotching Hyrule. Since I was in the desert, I wasn’t gonna leave till I claimed the power of the Gerudo Champion, Urbosa. It’s the least I could do to honor her, besides copy her look.
Just when I thought Link couldn’t outdo himself in a gossamer crop top, I discovered and hastily equipped the Voh armor, accentuating both his man bun and torso. The armor’s ability to minimize electrical attacks was just a bonus that assisted in the upcoming dungeon.
Upon slaying the Camel Beast, Urbosa teaches Link how to turn super saiyan. By holding Y for what feels like a Dragonball Z episode, Link will power up and release a lightning storm the likes of which will shame Storm. Like Daruk’s Protection it has 3 charges, with a cool down period of only 12 minutes.
Urbosa’s Fury is certainly cool, but the manner of charging up and leaving yourself open to attack is why I place it third in usefulness early in the game. There just aren’t enough instances where I find myself relying on Urbosa’s Fury. I often forget it’s even equipped, discovering the fact only after I hold Y to spin attack with a two-handed weapon (my preferred use of the Y button).
Besides, the lightning enemies leading up to Vah Naboris are serious threats who can electrocute the weapons and shields right off of you. They’re best saved to fight later in the game, when you have more health and risque armor to protect you, which is why I recommend this dungeon 3rd on my list.
The Fourth and Final Divine Beast: Vah “Meh”doh
Despite being the first Divine Beast I spotted from the Great Plateau, I saved Vah Medoh for last, assuming it’d be a challenging ice dungeon. Instead, the Beast’s defeat ended with more questions than answers: Was that supposed to be so easy? Was I supposed to defeat it first? Why didn’t I fight Iceblight Ganon?
I’m a huge fan of ice. It’s quiet, deadly, and beautiful, like the silhouette of a Divine Bird of Prey circling miles away from the Great Plateau, beckoning for a battle. Judging from the snow-covered surroundings, I prepared for the penultimate boss by fighting Fire-breathing Lizalfos after Fire-breathing Lizalfos just to gather enough tails to complete my Snowquill Set. But the dungeon I completed was not what I expected. Instead of ice, I faced a wind boss. And it blew.
Despite my dungeon discontent, I reveled in Revali’s Gale: the prize from the bygone Rito warrior, Revali. After defeating Wind (not Ice) Blight Ganon, Link gains the power to Press X to thrust himself toward the sky in an updraft, providing him a bird’s eye view of his surroundings.
Rechargeable every 6 minutes, with 3 charges available, it’s the perfect power for exploring mountaintops or escaping enemies (especially to aim and retaliate in slow-bow motion).
But Revali’s Gale is gimmicky at best and hardly useful in the beginning or middle of the game. As a defensive player who conserves his health, I treat the bird-like ability like a glorified ejection seat, using it only as a last resort to skip Bokoblins I don’t feel like fighting. At best, it occasionally helps me search for a Korok clue or shrine, which are both detectable by a mask or radar, respectively.
Difficulty-wise, Vah Medoh was the fastest to complete, due to its compact layout and easy breezy beautiful boss. But I still recommend it as the final Divine Beast to beat because the Champion ability rewarded after pales against its predecessors.
Was that the Best Order? Vah Better Believe It.
Thanks for reading my self-preservation strategy to complete Breath of the Wild’s Four Divine Beasts. I’m taking a break before I start Master Mode, but I plan to beat them in the complete opposite order I did the first time. Hylia help me.
Do you think this is the best order to beat the Divine Beasts? Tell us which order you beat them or recommend in the comments below. In Master Mode, do you suggest a different strategy? We’d love to hear from you! Blown away by the Vah-mazing Medoh cover photo? Check out https://artsyshionai.deviantart.com/ to see more amazing artwork!
