Breath of the Wild: What if Link SURVIVED the Great Calamity? 

I thought back to this video whenever we saw Zelda use the Camera Rune to kill a bunch of Yoga in the gameplay for Age of Calamity, so NBC saying “photo shoot Ganon to death” is high key kinda scary 🤣. Homie predicted it 😎

Link only needs a couple of fishes and half an hour to defeat Ganon according to speedruns.

What if link just walked in the castle entirely naked and gannon just died?

“He wouldn’t have any shrines or champion abilities” Speedrunners: Amateur.

no shrines? Link: trying to clip into the shrine with a shield Zelda: wtf are you doing

Link can still get Ancient Equipment: he just has to use the Guardian Amiibo and get a random one.

that part about ganon being unable to leave hyrule castle is eerily on point, especially after the trailer to BOTW 2... He must have still been bound to his physical form underneath the castle

Listen, all those guardians running around aren't a problem, as long as Link has a pot lid.

Keep in mind that Link destroyed a group of Guardians with just a Sword before falling. He earlier defeated with a bunch of Lynels as well with just a Sword. Had Link used a Shield then he could have used Parry on every Guardian to defeat them.

NBC: Link could not defeat ganon because of the lack of divine abilities and runes. Speed runners: (Defeats ganon with no armor and 3 hearts) Done.

Link has shields, that's all you need to beat guardians

I mean not all rito would be in the village, as we see throughout the game. That means it could still be possible for link and zelda to board medoh.

Once I heard links state is the same as the sword I was like “that’s why you need max hearts to shoot the swirly thingy out of his sword

"Why couldn't he leave the castle" Nintendo at E3: Well...

1:17 or so >Link was not as strong 100 years ago boy are we going to ignore the memory 5 he kneecapped a whole group of enemies that included 3 lynels in open space while probably defending zelda and got out with like a wound on his arm sure he might not have the aid of the other champions spirits/abilities in direct control but jfc if he was offscreen cutscene strong with those powers as well it'd be chaotic

Hold up- why didn’t they use a fairy when link passed out???

Maybe if Link used a SHIELD he would have survived but no, let him try to deflect a guardian beam without one

"What would have happened if link had spare apples to heal himself"

04:13 Photo shoot Ganon to death? Zelda :*laughed in Age of Calamity *

We had no runes back then: me playing hyrule warriors with every rune

It could have been possible for Link and Zelda to storm Vah Medoh before the Guardians arrived, meaning that there would still be a Rito to carry them. This would also put Vah Medoh back to the good side, meaning it could take out the Guardians - or at least no longer prevent the Rito from flying away. Even without the paraglider, Link could hitch a ride on one Rito while another distracts the beast. As for the Zora... King Dorephan himself was strong enough to throw a Guardian into a river (as told by the second stone tablet on the path to Zora Domain), so, being younger, he would have helped Link board Vah Rutah himself. While the paraglider would have helped with hitting the points, the waterfalls still would have launched Link so it would’ve been possible to get the shots in - and it’s actually possible in-game to hit the weak points without even climbing the waterfalls, just by arcing your shots. The runes are almost an impenetrable argument... except... Link and everyone else have basic problem-solving abilities. They would have gone through many of the shrines, realised that some of them required very specific supernatural abilities, and eventually linked them to the missing ability slots on the Shiekah Slate - the only device shown to have any supernatural ability at all, even if it was just taking photos. Finally... are we really sure that the Great Plateau Tower was the only one which could have triggered the Shrines? We don’t see any other towers before we activate the Great Plateau one, so how do we know none of those were exposed? And they all have the whole Sheikah design going on, so the moment one was found, the Sheikah slate would have been brought to it and the Shrines and other Towers would rise. In the end, the Rito would be alive with a mostly intact home to go back to once the events swept over; the beasts would have their laser pointers aimed at Ganon; Link would have the Master Sword, at least 13 hearts, the champion powers, whatever he got with the spirit orbs, and Zelda’s help, and they probably would have decimated Ganon, allowing the rebuilding to begin. Considering Link can beat Ganon with 3 hearts, straight from the Great Plateau, I’d say the odds are in his favor.

Actually, Zelda could of just temporarily sealed Ganon like how she actually but with of course Link surviving. It would be an emotional separation like in Skyward Sword, but would of been necessary for them to win with Link surviving.

Age Of Calamity: *I’m about to ruin this theory’s whole career*

Can we all agree that Link would've most likely survived the Calamity if he was given A DAMN SHIELD?

Actually I pushed a guardian into the water and it was fully submerged and it worked okay it was able to shoot its beams but couldn’t move

Except... he doesn't NEED any of that stuff to take on Ganon, assuming that he has at least 13 hearts since he's able to wield the Master Sword, and Zelda somehow unlocks her power. Say, she unlocks it in the same instance, but he survives long enough to get to a healer or something. In case you forget, you don't HAVE to do more than the bare minimum in the actual game to take Ganon out. Paraglider? Optional. Runes? Optional. Shrines? Optional. Divine Beasts? Optional. Master Sword? Optional. All he needs to be able to do is survive long enough to scale Hyrule Castle, wipe out the four Blights, and then fight Ganon himself. With a powered Zelda, that shouldn't be too difficult. Remember, she had enough power to make it last 100 years non-stop. She can wipe out guardians en masse, and destroy or weaken the blights enough for Link to break them pretty easily. And if she brings all the power she has to bear against Ganon so early in his resurrection, the two of them can make short work of him. The ONLY reason they failed in the initial timeline was because Zelda's power didn't awaken in time. Even if all four champions died and the Divine Beasts were lost, they could still turn it around if only Zelda had her power and Link was able to fight.

NBC: What are they going to do Photo Shoot Ganon to death Wow, he just predicted the future, or I guess the past

6:33 it is also true that when link is at full health, the top of his power, the master sword shoots a beam of light, but when link isn't at full health, not at full power, the master sword can't fire these beams.

You should make a video talking about how other Links would handle the calamity, I.e Hero of Time, Hero of Winds, Twilight etc. Keep in mind the weapon durability won’t apply to them.

Link only needed 13 hearts to require the master sword. You still can't be sure how many he has before.

Yeah they could still go straight to the castle (albeit more difficult with extra guardians), and maybe zelda would unlock her sealing power along the way, link could them beat ganon (naked if needs be), but it does depend on zelda being able to unlock her sealing by the time they get there.

how about a "what if the champion's survived the great calamity?"

Hoping for a direct sequel to show what happens after the calamity

this reminds me of Avengers infinty war. the heroes must lose in order to win.

At the very beginning you assume he has 13 hearts because of that's how many it takes to pull the master sword out, but that's not how Link first got it. It took 13 hearts to get *after* link goes to the shrine of resurrection and Zelda puts it there, making only a worthy hero (with at least 13 hearts) able to get it

This might be impossible, but could they have helped at least one of the champions fight their respective Blight Ganon? Mipha would’ve been the most useful, and, coincidentally, the closest. Although, maybe I’m remembering wrong, and they were already dead. But even then, couldn’t one of them have been taken to the shrine of resurrection?

Theory > Link has no ancient arrows Zelda w/ powers > Manifests Bow of Light

Ganon: "OH NO!!! PHOTOS!!! PLEASE!! DON'T POST THEM ON FACEBOOK!!! I AM TO UGLY!!!😭"

12:53 Due to Ganons awakening revealing the tower (as stated in Creating a Champion) then Link could get bombs added and windbomb over

I need you to revisit this, since Age Of Calamity exists.

Link and Zelda could find their way through the korok forest and hide there, because no guardians/enemies are found there.

But if the Ancient Arrows were created after the great Calamity, how its possible to have chests inside Hyrule Castle with Ancient Arrows?

Link would not be able to enter Vah Medoh The guy with 2 minecarts: I'm boutta end this man's whole theory

I think the reason he didn't leave is because he was made from the malice of Ganons hatred beneath the castle, and the malice can't be manipulated purely at such a distance. This is why ganon needed to make a puppet in the sanctum, and the only parts he could use in the castle were from guardians. This doesn't quite explain things like how ganon could kill the champions if it took him 100 years to make a pretty weak puppet.

Gandalf would get yeeted out of existence

Great video! Also, I thought of two possible, but not so likely situations. 1) What about a case where Zelda is injured, and Link ends up taking her to the shrine of resurrection? He could possibly stumble upon the great plateau tower in this, as it is newly exposed, and kinda nearby. As I said though, unlikely. 2) A slightly more likely situation. The monks seem to be able to communicate telepathically with Link, whether this is via Shiekah Slate or not, I am unsure, however we see it a lot. They obviously are working towards him growing in power, and defeating ganon, so couldn't they have guided him to the great plateau tower, like they guide him to certain shrine trials, or the trial of the sword?

Link:*casually walks around* Guardian:*starts the music* Link:"OHHH SHIT"

Ninetemdo making Age of Calmity: Well well well then let's find out

Hi NBC, I loved this video, just one thing to point out. It said in the game that the Rito could fly low when Divine Beast Vah Medoh was rampaging. So they could still fly, which means that some Rito might escape the Guardians.

Oh yeah! I completely forgot about the paraglider rofl. Link doesn't have that either so they screwed :))) (Also good luck boarding Medoh or Rudania without it lel)

Watching a lot of these from you and others you've done collabs with and If I heard piano music while swimming I would freak out

Awesome video!!!!

Page 392 of master works says that Kakariko village would not be overrun due to the warriors and the terrain.

My idea why Ganon didn't leave Hyrule castle is that he was basically scared. I mean - when you really get to fight him, he is super weak. Without all the guardians and sheikah-tech he can't really do a lot except fire lasers and wander the fields as a giant... Boar? Mind that it was the guardians that almost killed Link. Of course we don't know if Link would have succeeded if he had made it to Ganon. But I think so. And now, that the guardians are gone, Ganon isn't a real threat anymore. He apparently completely relied on all the sheikah-tech.

10:48 maybe because of the underground posts that help stop ganon from exiting hyrule castle (from Zelda’s journal) Zelda’s observatory hurtle castle

I just subscribed!! Love your video's!!!

Well, technically, guardians can't swim, but they can walk underwater. To prove this, guardians are water proof, as they still work in rain. And also, I got a guardian to walk into a river by firing arrows at its eye to demobilize it, making it slip into the river, and it still went on to kill me, proving that they still work underwater. So even if the Zora jumped into the water, they could still be shot at from beneath by the guardians walking on the floor of the lake that surrounds Zora's Domain.

My counter to this is that Link can beat Ganon with 3 hearts, no armor, a wooden shield, a bunch of wooden sticks & not defeating any of the devine beasts. All they need is Zelda to release her powers. Once she releases her powers they can go in the castle, fight off the 4 calamity Ganon clone beasts, defeat Ganon & seal him away. Even without using any runic abilities. Just as long as they don't take a single hit. Which has been proven to be done.

technically, according to age of calamity, the towers were brought above ground before link fell to the calamity. and in one of the memories, it shows Zelda trying to access an activated shrine, therefore showing us that shrines were active before link fell. also, as shown in age of calamity, the sheika slate had all the runes, because we see Zelda use all of these runes.

I just realized something... the memory in Pagos woods they have such realistic expressions

And today we know, why he couldn't leave hyrule castle... Gonons corpse resides under it.

Amazing video as always, NBC!! Ive had a few ideas myself as to what would happen if he survived, but you summed this up perfectly!! :D

"Photo shoot Ganon to death" Age of Calamity: Intense breathing

I think that fandoms power is stored inside the castle because of that core thing he comes out of in the fandoms boss fight so that would probably mean that Gabon’s power would slowly weaken if he left his power behind so that’s probably why he doesn’t leave the castle

He might not be able to leave because his hatred for the royal bloodline and the hero has bound him to the castle.

"... Calamity Ganon began making a physical body to stop the hero..." *BOTW 2 trailer comes out* Me: O.O

THIS MAKES SO MUCH SENSE

I love listening to your theories

I disagree. Your "final nail" was not thought out. You said that the entrance to the Great Plateua was destroyed after Link was sealed in the Shrine of Resurection, but in this timeline, he was not sealed, therefore, the entrance was not destroyed and even if it was, Link is able to climb. He then would, probably, easily been able to see the large land mound with Sheikah tech sticking out of it, placed his slate on and activated the towers and shrines. He could then actually get the runes by seeing the now clearly orange glowing shrines, and then done more shrines, become stronger, board and complete most of the divine beasts because he now has the runes and defeated Ganon.

In the memory where Zelda tries to get in the shrine she say that the shika-slate is the key to open shrines and that they are only opened for the hero but she is trying to find a loophole in this because she hated Link in that time. So is it not possible that if she just had let Link to try or even touch the shika-slate he could have opened something even before Gannon come if she had let him? I’m just going from my gaming experience so I don’t know if there is written somewhere that it had to be just that tower, but from what I have seen myself in the game end memories it only works after link touch the shika-slate.

When link woke up it was possible to head straight to calamity Ganon after the great plateau so link could beat ganon even at three hearts

Awesome video.

Hey, here’s a math theory: While playing Zelda: Skyward Sword, I saw how big the moon was while walking around sky loft at night. I realized that the moon in SS is MUCH bigger than the one in BotW. Now I am not sure about this, but I think the moon distances itself from the earth VERY slowly. Using the velocity of the moon and how big it is in both games, is it possible to calculate the amount of years past? I am not sure about this, and it will probably be very difficult, however I think it is pretty possible and interesting.

I do like about this Zelda more that she shows compassion and emotion and is not that perfect almost aetheral being

10:50 but since we know in the legend of Zelda breath of the wild 2 it’s because ganodrof was stuck there because of some seal (the hand holding him down)

Zelda could've expelled the malice from vah medoh and used that to excavate the tower as well as get to the great plateau as she did with the guardians while defending link. just a thought

I think the reason why calamity Gabon didn’t go out to kill link himself is because he was too afraid of being defeated and sealed away by the master sword which is literally the sword that seals the darkness. Don’t know if it’s useful but it’s something to take into consideration

I need a new Zelda game

I'm a suscriber and I love your videos😀

3:58 According to Hyrule warriors: Age of Calamity, even without Terrako the runes would still be there

14:00 let's all disregard the GLOWING SHRINE in the background

Lurelin also could be destroyed by skywatchers and guardians who maiden their way through the jungle

can’t wait to see if this video gets remade once Age of Calamity comes out

I think that they may have discovered the Great Plateau Shrines. You state it yourself, The Great Plateau Tower was revealed when Calamity Ganon was revived. Not when he was sealed. At some point, Link and Zelda would have made a pilgrimage to the Great Plateau, to visit the destroyed temple. Once they visited this location, they would have had little issue discovering the tower. Link or Zelda would have used the Tower, releasing the other towers and unlocking the Shrines. With this, they would have tried the closest shrine, revealing the Magnesis Rune. Zelda would of course, be thrilled by this discovery and insist upon investigating the nearest additional shrines, giving Link the other three runes. I'd imagine they would clear the good portion of the Great Plateau, and set up base there. Methods of climbing up and down the plateau would also be created, as they would have naturally had to carry a dead Link up to the plateau at some point. With the four additional runes, and the Shiekah still alive, they could have boarded three divine beasts, and used the beasts to knock the fourth out of the sky, this would allow them to set up four beasts, and damage Ganon, when the time was needed. However, that is besides the point. With each shrine being available, Link would be able to access additional strength and power, and while some shrines required a verse from a song to unlock, seriously, at one point the Shiekah master would have had to discover this himself, thus I believe that a scholar like Zelda and Link combined, would have been able to discover the secret. So, in order: - They go to the plateau. - The tower is revealed, because the tower was reveal WHEN Ganon was revived, not when Zelda sealed him. - They unlock all Shrines. - They investigate the four Plateau Shrines. - They get the runes. - They make a base of operations on the Plateau. - They visit each shrine that they can. - They begin their assault again each divine beast. - They proceed to free each beast. - Once unlocked, they speak with the spirits. Also, Zelda's Father was a spirit who created the glider. If a King can do it, so can Zelda. - Link received Spirit Power. - They challenge Ganon. - Zelda Manefests the Bow of Light. - They proceed to damage Ganon. - They finish off the Beast. - They win. However, the Guardian will indeed continue to rampage during this time, but they are susceptible to damage. The world would be worse off, yes, but they could indeed win.

Well now we can assume that Calamity Ganon couldn't leave the castle because its real body - Ganondorf's mummy - resided below. Always a pleasure to come back to your older theories!

Me: has never played this game and has no clue whats going on.... Also me: *watches video.*

I feel like Vah Ruta would be closer to a yes than a no because even if none of the adult subject Zoras would want to help Link, Doraphan himself could be the one Link rides one to get to Vah Ruta, tho it may still be harder as he would need to focus on the conservation of his race. Still, I like these ideas.

I have a question so weren’t there representatives at the ceremony at the castle INCLUDING RITOS and It takes a couple days to get back for an average rito then they could have found one to fly up to Vah Medoh

Well I believe that after this years E3 it is clear why he couldn't leave. If we get going from the point that the mummy under Hyrule castle was Ganons body, maybe he couldn't leave the region due to his spirit beeing bound to the body which is sealed under Hyrule castle. Just a theory but I think it would make sense.

Well well well, this was one hell of an interesting video! I loved it, so many good ideas and different outcomes people speculate. Great work!

NBC:what they gonna do with camera? Photoshoot Ganon to death? Zelda:hold my shekah slate!

This mans dreams and content have been crushed by age of calamity

13:17 I hate it when people shoot arrows at these things. Just use cryonis and break them.

I’d like to see a what if Revali hadn’t been “winging it”.

Um I just realised something...how did link know for the parts where he passed out when zelda sais take him to the shrine of resurrection Edit: you could argue that they are the memories of the master sword but that memory is accessible before gaining the master sword

link was given the master sword he didnt have to pull it out until after the shrine of resurrection

Link: Zelda i have a memory! Zelda:What do you mean were running from ganon not remembering. Link: ZELDA, OFF TO SKYLOFT

Ok I think that it would still be possible and I got some reasons for this (keep in mind I have not played the DLCs or looked at the book so this can be debunked.) 1. We already said that Zelda's sealing power could be awoken later on so if her power was unlocked she could has gone to Hyrule Castle and sealed calamity Ganon in the castle making it save to explore, there for the research could continue eventually making the ancient items. 2. Even if the rito did go extinct or the Zora didn't want to help. If the research continued I'm pretty sure we could have made some form of flying mech and boat. (I mean if we can make a motorcycle I think we can make something like that.) 3.Finally the tower on the great plateau could be located if Zelda had sealed Ganon ether by accident or by Zelda telling someone as she dose the the game. There for all the shrines and runes would be available. So that is why I think it is possible to beat Ganon without link going into the shrine of resurrection.

Imagine a whole kingdom loosing to an angry crocodile

I may be a year late, but I just wanted to point out a couple things. The Ritos starving: Perhaps they could very carefully dive off the cliff of the village and into the water beneath, catching fish to live off of. Or even making a very long fishing line to dip into the water beneath. Probably couldn't feed the entire village, but their race would at least be able to survive. Ganon bound to Hyrule Castle: Most likely because he "emerged from underneath Hyrule Castle" according to the king. He probably had something or some item that summoned him there, and can't leave the vicinity of it. Maybe its the physical body we see in the sequel trailer. Great Plateu: Even though the entrance was sealed off, Link probably could have climbed up. Even with no added stamina vessels, in my game I was able to climb back up the plateu due to all the rocks, pillars, etc. sticking out. Hyrule would probably still be screwed anyway. Good video :)