If we’re talking about video game companies with enduring reputations in the industry, Nintendo is right up there. There’s no doubt that it houses some of the most iconic titles in gaming history. That brings me to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. A modern classic that redefined the genre. Imagine a 97% Metacritic score and over 34 million units sold. It’s easy to see that this was anything but your average game. Two of the biggest reasons? The characters and the things they have to say. Nintendo really taps into emotions through the dialogue. Pressure. Responsibility. Warmth. Even the smaller conversations make the characters and the world feel alive.
And with The Legend of Zelda celebrating its 40th anniversary, it’s the perfect time to look back at the most memorable quotes from the 2017 action-adventure game.
The Story of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild opens with the end of Link’s 100-year slumber. All alone, he wakes up to a kingdom he doesn’t remember, without any memory of the past. He must piece together his memories and prepare for a battle. All before Hyrule is doomed by Ganon forever.
Right off the bat, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild defines the experience with total freedom. After the tutorial, you’re free to approach the game at your pace. You can spend hours climbing mountains and towers. You can wander into places you probably weren’t ready for. You can learn recipes and cook dishes. Then there are the conversations. Talks that remind you that the world you’re in is essentially a graveyard dressed up as a playground.
It’s a quieter kind of storytelling than most open-world games attempt. And it earns every bit of the heartbreak it goes for. So toward the end, the game makes you realize it’s a rebuilding story mixed with reckoning. It touches on areas about overcoming past failure, resilience, and forging your own path. The game’s sense of unstructured discovery gives the exchanges their emotional punch.
Quotes from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
It’s no secret that the playable character (Link) is generally a silent protagonist. So it goes without saying that this revisits some of the voices that carry the story, including:
Princess Zelda
Princess Zelda is a member of the royal family in the Kingdom of Hyrule. She’s kind, caring, and self-sacrificing. Zelda is a leader, and her story is filled with compassion and selflessness. But she’s not the confident princess you might expect. The kingdom’s situation makes Zelda question her ability to fulfill her role. That’s why when she talks, you can feel the burden that she carries.
- “Link… Open your eyes… Wake up, Link.”
- “How… How did it come to this? The Divine Beasts… The Guardians… They’ve all turned against us. It was… Calamity Ganon.”
- “No! I am not a child anymore!”
- “Everything — everything I’ve done up until now… It was all for nothing!”
- “It’s all my fault! Our only hope for defeating Ganon is lost, all because I couldn’t harness this cursed power!”
- “I tried, and I failed them all.. I left them… all to die.”
- “I’ve been keeping watch over you all this time.”
- “I really am just a failure!”
- “You are our final hope. The fate of Hyrule rests with you.”
- “Courage need not be remembered, for it is never forgotten.”
King Rhoam
King Rhoam is Hyrule’s former king and Zelda’s father. On the outside, he presents himself as a strict leader. But you’ll see that he’s also a father who understands how much pressure his daughter is carrying.
- “No more excuses, Zelda! Stop running away from your duty.”
- “The time has come to show you who I truly am. I was King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule.”
- “The Great Calamity was merciless. It devastated everything in its path, lo, a century ago.”
- “A kingdom which no longer exists.”
- “When will you stop treating this as some sort of childish game?”
- “As the king, I forbid you to have anything to do with these machines from this moment on.”
- “For now, I sit anxiously, more a father than a king in this moment.”
- “I did not think it wise to overwhelm you while your memory was still fragile.”
- “I have no right to ask this of you, Link… But I am powerless here… You must save her… my daughter.”
Urbosa
Urbosa serves as one of Zelda’s closest confidantes in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Despite her intimidating presence, she’s charismatic and kind. Her dialogue often feels like that of someone with a strong maternal bond with the princess.
- “Feeling sorry for yourself won’t be of any help.”
- “Oh, give it a rest. That boy is a living reminder of her own failures.”
- “Then let’s move on. You’ve done all you could.”
- “Anything could spark the power to seal Ganon away.”
- “We just have to keep looking for that…thing.”
- “Oh my. I can’t say the same. Ten years ago, you rarely smiled, my little bird.”
The Rest of the Characters in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- “Gee, this is uplifting… She’s making it sound like we already lost.” – Daruk
- “I guess I was wrong about… how lucky he is. I hope that luck holds out, for Hyrule’s sake.” – Revali
- “And I was so close to stopping Divine Beast Vah Medoh… Dammit!” – Teba
- “Mipha, you look so tense. Deep breaths, okay?” – Purah
- “Did I doze off again? Hrm? Well, well… it’s you. You finally decided to return. Better late than never.” – Great Deku Tree
Lighter moments in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- “Sand seal? Sealiously?”
- “Revali, move your tail closer to the group.”
- “He’s got a dumb belly.”
- “You’re my dream girl!”
Whether it’s the enthusiasm, charm, tension, or the strange things, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s quotes make it a game you shouldn’t miss or forget.
