History YMMV / TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild

* RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap: A significant number of fans have warmed up to [[spoiler:Fi after her bit part in this game. Instead of being a CaptainObvious ExpositionFairy, she saves Link by telling Zelda something she wouldn't have been able to figure out herself, making her role in the game having a major impact on the plot.]] Kind of commendable if we keep in mind [[spoiler:she's never called by name, is only mentioned in a couple of cut scenes referred to as "the voice/spirit inside the sword that seals the darkness", she only [[SmallRoleBigImpact has a couple of seconds of screen time]], and the only thing we see or hear of her is [[TheFaceless the Master Sword glowing purple]] and her emitting her characteristic chime from ''Skyward Sword''. Plus, this establishes that she is not a OneShotCharacter as the Master Sword's spirit.]]

* StrangledByTheRedString: Some fans find that the romance between [[spoiler:Hudson and Rhondson]] to be coming out of nowhere, especially when they cleared the whole ''From the Ground Up'' side-quest in one go. [[spoiler:After joining in Tarrey Town, Rhondson only talks about Hudson to complain how much she dislikes having to fix and clean Hudson's nasty shirts all the time, and how he gets so defensive when she brings up her problems with it. But immediately after the next person is recruited in, she talks on how sweet Hudson is, and dialogue is easily missable is you go straight to clearing the next mini-quest before speaking to her. The final factor the fans asked WhatDoesSheSeeInHim is given when he follows in his boss's footsteps by making "we will continue the Bolson Company ThemeNaming mandate in our children" as ''part of his wedding vows'' -- she outright looks like she's considering cancelling the ceremony right there and then. Some have even complained that it seems like the only reason Rhondson ultimately married Hudson is because she's desperate and Hudson was available. However, talking to them both immediately before and after the wedding has her comment on how despite him being a bit unorthodox and a little simple, she's happy to be with Hudson.

* JerkassWoobie: King Rhoam. Yes, really. Despite his * RonTheDeathEater treatment he usually gets hit with and the poor way he treated Zelda, he is not exactly unsympathetic. He is a man who cares greatly about his daughter and his kingdom, but was put in a precarious situation where the fate of the kingdom pretty much rests on Zelda's shoulders, as her divine abilities are pivotal to averting the Calamity and thus saving Hyrule and thousands of lives; and she was the only one who could fulfill this role. Whether he liked it or not, the fate of the kingdom rested on his daughter's shoulders from birth. Worse yet is that fact that the only person who could have taught Zelda how to use her abilities, the queen, died before she could do so. The king was left both grieving and in a diffiuclt spot with his daughter's destiny. He became overly stern because he felt he had no choice and had no idea how to actually help her unlock her sealing powers; he deeply regretted his treatment of Zelda and even wanted to stop being stern and reconcile with her but the day he intended to was the day of the Calamity. Rhoam died no doubt full of regrets, having treated his daughter miserably and having failed to save his kingdom. At his core, he was simply a caring king and father whose misguided attempts to help his daughter unlock her powers and save the kingdom failed spectacularly.

* StrangledByTheRedString: Some fans find that the romance between [[spoiler:Hudson and Rhondson]] to be coming out of nowhere, especially when they cleared the whole ''From the Ground Up'' side-quest in one go. [[spoiler:After joining in Tarrey Town, Rhondson only talks about Hudson to complain how much she dislikes having to fix and clean Hudson's nasty shirts all the time, and how he gets so defensive when she brings up her problems with it. But immediately after the next person is recruited in, she talks on how sweet Hudson is, and dialogue is easily missable is you go straight to clearing the next mini-quest before speaking to her. The final factor the fans asked WhatDoesSheSeeInHim is given when he follows in his boss's footsteps by making "we will continue the Bolson Company ThemeNaming mandate in our children" as ''part of his wedding vows'' -- she outright looks like she's considering cancelling the ceremony right there and then. Some have even complained that it seems like the only reason Rhondson ultimately married Hudson is because she's desperate and Hudson was available. However, talking to them both immediately before and after the wedding has her comment on how despite him being a bit unorthodox and a little simple, she's happy to be with Hudson. Tears of the Kingdom made this worse by showing Rhondson still indulges in the questionable Gerudo traiditona of sending their yougn daughter away to Gerudo town, where her father will not be able to visit her for years. Its almost like Hudson married her knowing he would have to send his daughter away at a young age and not be a part of her life.]]

* StrangledByTheRedString: Some fans find that the romance between [[spoiler:Hudson and Rhondson]] to be coming out of nowhere, especially when they cleared the whole ''From the Ground Up'' side-quest in one go. [[spoiler:After joining in Tarrey Town, Rhondson only talks about Hudson to complain how much she dislikes having to fix and clean Hudson's nasty shirts all the time, and how he gets so defensive when she brings up her problems with it. But immediately after the next person is recruited in, she talks on how sweet Hudson is, and dialogue is easily missable is you go straight to clearing the next mini-quest before speaking to her. The final factor the fans asked WhatDoesSheSeeInHim is given when he follows in his boss's footsteps by making "we will continue the Bolson Company ThemeNaming mandate in our children" as ''part of his wedding vows'' -- she outright looks like she's considering cancelling the ceremony right there and then. Some have even complained that it seems like the only reason Rhondson ultimately married Hudson is because she's desperate and Hudson was available. However, talking to them both immediately before and after the wedding has her comment on how despite him being a bit unorthodox and a little simple, she's happy to be with Hudson.]]

** There is the SOS theory where in the initial theme of all the Divine Beasts, a faint Morse code could be heard in the background. Some believe that the Champions sent the SOS when they knew they weren't able to handle the Blights on their own. Or that it was the Divine Beasts ''themselves'' desperately trying to call for help to be freed from the malice all these years. There are some interpretations why Vah Medoh's SOS comes later compared to the other Champions. It's possible that Revali either managed to fend off Windblight Ganon longer than the others or he refused to send the signal until later out of his own pride. It should be mentioned that the SOS call appears rushed and frantic, compared to the other SOS calls that are slower and quieter.

** Although he's only fought exactly once before suffering a DisneyDeath, Master Kohga has become quite popular for his LaughablyEvil and [[LargeHam hammy]] personality that perfectly fits his easy, but hilarious boss battle. Nintendo seems to have caught onto this as well, as he's [[AscendedExtra given a much greater role]] in ''Age of Calamity'' and [[spoiler:is even unlockable as a playable character]], being just as hammy and hilarious as before. [[spoiler:He would later return in ''Tears of the Kingdom'', having survived his fall, and can be fought no less than three times.]]

** Purah's role in the game doesn't extend outside of a brief side quest that helps Link utilize the Shiekiah Slate's full potential, but is well liked for her neat design and perky attitude, as well as having some very funny dialogue and a hilarious backstory detailed in her journal. Many fans were happy to see her become an AscendedExtra and focal to the events of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom''.

** Although he's only fought exactly once before suffering a DisneyDeath, Master Kohga has become quite popular for his LaughablyEvil and [[LargeHam hammy]] personality that perfectly fits his easy, but hilarious boss battle. Nintendo seems to have caught onto this as well, as he's [[AscendedExtra given a much greater role]] in ''VideoGame/HyruleWarriorsAgeOfCalamity'' and [[spoiler:is even unlockable as a playable character]], being just as hammy and hilarious as before.

** More like "fanart fuel" (though [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13769563/1/The-Calamity-Reborn at least one fanfic attempt exists]]), but [[spoiler:the cyborg Calamity Ganon being an incomplete regeneration has become this. Many fan artists have attempted to design Ganon in a hypothetical scenario where he regenerates to full completion. Most of these artists imagine him fully regenerating as a cyborg Ganondorf, based upon the Calamity's physical form resembling an undead Ganondorf. ''[[VideoGame/HyruleWarriorsAgeOfCalamity Age of Calamity]]'' eventually took this route for its own "complete" form of Ganon, albeit still quite monstrous and near-mindless.]]

* ContestedSequel: While ''Breath of the Wild'' is the most unanimously-acclaimed ''Zelda'' game since ''Ocarina of Time'', it is compared to its predecessors just like ''Ocarina'' and other entries. The dungeon design of the Divine Beasts, use of voice acting, weapon degradation, and narrative make it a point of contention.

** It quickly developed a fierce one with ''Ocarina of Time'', since ''Breath of the Wild'' has become the new biggest contender for the title of best entry in the series.

** ''Breath of the Wild'' has one with ''VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey'', another game that took a more WideOpenSandbox approach to its own [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros franchise]]. [[DownplayedTrope Fans of one game will agree that the other is very good]], but there's disagreement as to which deserves the title of "Best Game of 2017" and which did the most to push its respective series forward.

* AdaptationDisplacement: This game was such a KillerApp for the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch that many people forget it was developed as a UsefulNotes/WiiU game.

** Outside of the franchise, the game has this with ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain'', due to both of them being open-world installments in what are usually linear-based game series, and both released during UsefulNotes/TheEighthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames. There's lots of crossover art and memes featuring the two, and it probably helps that some of the stealth sections in ''Breath of the Wild'' make it feel like a ''Metal Gear'' game at some points.

** The game did this for Nintendo as a whole, and ended nearly all of the issues they suffered during most of the UsefulNotes/WiiU era. Not only was the Wii U a failing console, but Nintendo's software titles at the time were either considered too "safe" or too controversial to make much of an impact, with even beloved titles such as ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU'' and ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'' attracting their share of base-breaking. For many people, ''[=BotW=]'' was the breakthrough game that brought Nintendo back to greatness, especially alongside the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch very popular console]] that released at the same time.

* {{Retcon}}: ''Ocarina of Time'' is essentially de-canonized in this game, despite the Temple of Time and the improbably-ancient ruins of Lon Lon Ranch appearing in it. Aside from Hyrule Historia saying that ''Breath of the Wild'' undoes the timeline split:
** The Sheikah are back, after the last living Sheikah (Impa) became locked to the Sacred Realm in ''Ocarina of Time'', rendering them extinct.
** Din, Nayru, and Farore have been completely replaced by Hylia as objects of Hylian worship, with the in-game lore implying that associating the three parts of the Triforce with three different beings was something only the [[{{Precursors}} Zonai]] did.

** Vilia, the biologically male Hylian who presents as a female Gerudo and sells Link the Gerudo Set. Fans can't decide if they're genuinely funny and endearing, or [[InnocentlyInsensitive offensive to transgender players]] due to Link's horrified reaction to their face reveal. The debate isn't helped by [[https://i.imgur.com/MUQeDJh.jpeg their overly masculine nose and mouth]] (which aren't shown in-game), which either justify Link's reaction or cheapen the gag even further.

* [[Awesome/VideoGameLevels Awesome Levels]]:
** [[VideoGameTutorial The Great Plateau]] is widely considered to be one of the greatest tutorials of all time, in no small part due to the fact that the region teaches you everything you need to know without railroading in any particular direction. You're free to complete the Shrines and explore for numerous secrets, ruins, and treasure chests to your heart's content in any order you choose, making it the perfect microcosm of the game's world before being set loose with the Paraglider.
** Each of the Divine Beast quests is well-liked for introducing Link to beloved characters of each of the game's races, and for culminating in a boss fight against a HumongousMecha, ''exploring'' said mecha as a dungeon and manipulating it, and fighting another boss inside of it.
** Gerudo Desert is generally considered the best major story region in the game. It has everything; harsh-but-fair survival challenges (especially if you tackle it first or almost-first), unique enemies and overworld bosses that can nonetheless be bested with clever strategy and/or [[spoiler: having seen {{Film/Tremors}} before]], a neat stealth-based mini-dungeon partway through with a fun miniboss at the end, and one of the best-designed Divine Beasts at the end of it all.
** Eventide Island is usually considered to be one of the best shrines in the game, and for good reason. it is a [[spoiler:NoGearLevel]] set on a secluded, tropical island in the middle of the ocean. You're given a goal (find the orb, and deposit it on a pedestal), but you're given multiple ways to accomplish this, and [[spoiler:the fact that you don't have ''any'' of your weapons or armor means you'll have to scrounge for stuff]]. This is one of the few times the game actively pushes the player to use its complex enviromental interaction systems, and as a result, most players will find the challenge satisfying and difficult. There is a way to make the challenge easier, which is [[spoiler: dropping your gear at the start of the challenge and picking it up once you set foot on the island]], but the game accounts for this and will punish it by [[spoiler:permanently taking that gear away once you complete the challenge]] (but hey, [[spoiler:you can just drop it ''again'' at the end and pick it up afterwards]]).
** Hyrule Castle took much of what was great about Hyrule Castle in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' and built on it. When you first enter it, you're treated to a cutscene that greets you with Ganondorf's iconic organ fanfare. Dramatic music that blends Ganon's theme, the Hyrule Castle melody, the main theme of ''The Legend of Zelda'', and (when inside) Zelda's theme, a dungeon-crawl through the castle itself ([[DungeonBypass unless you just swam up the waterfall in your Zora gear]]), going through a slew of Guardians, Lizalfos, Moblins, and a couple of Lynels, hidden portions that give us insight into two of the main characters, all of this adds up to a dungeon that contends with the Hyrule Castle of ''Twilight Princess'' as the best final dungeon in the series. It also helps that down in the castle dungeon, the Hylian Shield can be found, so there's plenty of reason to come here even at a low level.

* BestLevelEver: Each of the Divine Beast quests is well-liked for introducing Link to beloved characters of each of the game's races, and for culminating in a boss fight against a HumongousMecha, ''exploring'' said mecha as a dungeon and manipulating it, and fighting another boss inside of it.

** Thanks to complaints over the lack of dual audio options, Nintendo eventually released a multi-language option for free that enables players to choose any combination out of the game's 9 different dubs (including Japanese) and 10 languages for menus and subtitles. (Wii U players could download a separate but free Voice Pack from the [=eShop=] to use this option, but only if it was done before it shutdown in March 2023).

** Many feel that the AmnesiacHero approach could have been a good opportunity for a JigsawPuzzlePlot. The Memories could have been used as a way to tell this story by slowly revealing the events of what happened in the past, using AnachronicOrder to allow the audience to piece the story together. However, [[spoiler:King Rhoam]] spells the whole ordeal out by the end of the tutorial instead of letting the player figure out the plot on their own. As a result, the Memories never reveal any major events and only serve to showcase the characterizations of Zelda and the Champions.

* OneTrueThreesome: Link-Zelda-Mipha. The fact that the game's dialogue options allow the player to make Link show interest in ''both'' girls helps here, even if said options only affect the dialogues they appear in and don't affect the rest of the story at all.
** Since Mipha is dead in the present day, then there is also Link-Zelda-Paya to consider.