Legend of Zelda Creating a Champion

~ THE PARAGLIDER

Link receives this glider from the Old Man on the Great Plateau. It gives the hero the ability
to float through the air from high points. It is quite the technical accomplishment. Not only
does it fold up into a manageable size, but it can also be deployed at a moment's notice.

~ Paraglider Rough Design • ••

f.~E'AMf. fN --~ MADE' OF THfl.E'E' sttoa
THE' t1/fND. ATTAlHE'D TO ONE'
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197

~MONSTER ~ Keese Parts ~ Bokoblin Parts

PARTS HO/QJ
FAIJ4
Monsters' body parts are a valuable resource
that can be used as ingredients for elixirs or for
enhancing equipment. The stronger the mon-
ster, the higher the value of the part. Lynel and
dragon parts are particularly prized.

~ Chuchu Parts

• KffSc WIN<,$ ' EYEYAUS

•

~~ ~-~

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~ Hinox Parts

198 Parts, Ingredients& Ore

~ Moblin Parts ~ Servants of the Springs Parts

O0 t

0

~ Lyn el Parts ~ Molduga Parts

r,foLDvt;AFIN

--

~ Lizalfos Parts 111' niiiiMIQ OfTM.CGfTOCiUM
..,,., 1llf'( "'1ln*Lt liU'Pl"MC.

-

~ Octorok Parts ~ Octo Balloon

WIIOI INFI.A'm>

199

~COOKING •
INGREDIENTS

You can create all kinds ofdelicious and beneficial

dishes by throwing meat, mushrooms, grains,
milk, butter, seasonings, and other edibles into a
pot. Additionally, the cooking pot can be used to
brew elixirs by cooking monster parts.

,

~ Ingredients Rough Designs

A>J/'f,IA/./lfE"AT

(llfli16'

~ Cooking Pot Rough Concepts m LID OPENS AT HINC,E. (SIIOWWHOJ,oo,:,,i,; AS ... ui
(D THE LID IS A SEPAAATE PIElE.

••

,,.,,..,.,rr11t.ttfl

200 Parts, Ingredients e'7 Ore

~ORE

Link can find a wide variety of useful minerals by excavating ore, from
practical items Like flint, which can be used to start fires, to gemstones
like diamonds, which can fetch a healthy price on the market.

~ ANCIENT PARTS

You cannot buy these ancient items from shops, but if you obtain them through battle or scavenging, they

can be used at the Akkala Ancient TechLab and turned into useful items. The surest ,11ay to obtain ancient
parts is to defeat a Guardian. As a result, they are difficult to come by.

~ AncientShaft ~ AncientScreiv

~ Ancient Core IAtK s,or

•• Stl'tEW

I, HoLr

~ AncientSpring

•

...,,

-I
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r

•' '

~ SHEll{AH SLATE ~ Sheikah Slate Rough Concepts • lONDtltTO~
(PlA(cHOll>Efl. NAME)
This small tablet contains a number offunctions to support the hero on his adventure. s-----.-. !~ofJPf;y'!-! !--6-,.,,_-_TATI"S_Ni_O_TH_..(-. _~-(A..>~.f-(-
It can display n1aps1 take pictures, activate other ancient relics, and grant access HOW TO i&JN~l'1'
to control terminals. Additionally, it can manifest powers based on the runes it
possesses, like Remote Bombs and Magnesis. TO A seuut

i >11,0( oF
;fO,JSTflt IOIJE,
r='!
THIS S·SHIKO
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to«.Tl(JIJ ~

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~ THE GUARDIANS ....
I .,
These ancient mechanical defenders were discovered one hundred •e••
years ago. They were built by the ancient Sheikah to protect •I •
Hyrule from Calamity Ganon, but Ganon corrupted them and ~ Guardian Stalker
turned them against the people they were meant to save.

~ Guardian Stalker

Rough Designs

The developers ultimately gave the Guardians a
mechanical look that seemed advanced and also
ancient, but they also explored organic designs
as seen here.

204 Sheikah Relics

~ Guardian Turret

'Ihls Guardian is stationary but can move its neck up and down, and it can also rotate.
When it senses an enemy, it will lock onto them and fire the same powerful laser as the
Stalker unless the enemy breaks the line of sight.

~ Guardian ~ Guardian Skywatcher ~ Guardian Turret
Skywatcher Rough Design Rough Design

The Skywatcher is an inverted
version of the Turret variety.
11,e bolts in the half dome have
been removed and replaced with
propeller units capable of Right.

Many different designs for mechanisms to get the Guardian Skywatcher to Ry were considered, including
propellers and a levitating ring. Also, different designs for the bolts that would fix the Guardian Turret to
the ground were also considered.

DEVEL0PER's NeTE

The art director gave me two directives in regard to the design of the
Guardians. The first was that they should have many legs that move fluidly,
and the second was that they are from an ancient culture. From there, l started
sketching. At the beginning of development, it wasn't yet decided whether
the Guardians would be your allies or enemies, so I tried to design them
to look neutral. That way, later, they could be used either way. As far as the
legs moving fluidly, I designed legs that could bend freely like an accordion
and would allow them to move quickly over variable natural terrain. I used
Jomon-era flame-shaped pottery as inspiration for its body. If you look at a
Guardian upside down, you should be able to see the form of that pottery.
In addition to the Guardians that ended up in the game, there was a design
for a giant, fortress-like Guardian that was equipped with multiple beam
cannons, but we were ultimately unable to implement it.

LEAD ARTIST, BN.EJ\.UES: °fAKAFUMlKlUCHJ

Concept Image

205

~THE FOUR 1he Divine Beasts were created by the ancient Sheikah to moving parts. By using the Sheikah Slate and activating the
assist the hero and the princess with sealing po,ver to defeat terminals within them, the pilot can access the main control
DIVINE BEASTS Calamity Ganon and were piloted by four chosen Champions. unit and use the Divine Beast for its intended purpose-
They are like large, mechanical buildings with a number of weakening Calamity Ganon with a well-aimed laser blast!

~ RoughDesigns

These Divine Beast designs from the beginning of development could be said to have been the origin ofall the ancient Sheikah relics.

Many of the initial designs were inspired by animals.

206 Sheikah Relics

Among the early design proposals, the camel made a
big impression. The direction of the design of all the
Divine Beasts was dictated by the polished version
of the initial camel.

•

DEVEL0PERS'N0TES We used Jomon pottery and the look of the already established Guardians
(page 204) as a base but also referenced ceremonial masks from Southeast
The Divine Beasts are these strange things that draw you to them the instant Asia, children's drawings, and other things. I wanted to explore a different
you lay eyes on them. During development we were seeking to create a giant aesthetic titan that found in Western art. In order to make their silhouettes
dungeon, and the Divine Beasts, then called the Four Great Relics, were what easy to recognize at a distance, I used well-known animals as a motif, but that
came from that. They were very challenging to design. I vividly remember all alone wouldn't have been interesting. Molding it into something like a camel
of the sketches on page 206; it was a mountain of effort that finally yielded a but drawn by someone who has never actually seen a camel made it feel like
path forward. Despite their strong resemblance to animals in silhouette, they some kind of mythological creature. I think that leaving in those undeveloped
also contain elements of palaces, factories, and bridges. They were designed elements helped us capture the essence of something ancient while also being
to look like living machines and possess traits that make them both cute and both unsettling and lovable.
unsettling. It's not exactly clear whether they are on your side or not, so I made
them strange enough that the player would be curious enough about them to WILDLIFE ART: AYASHIDA
want to explore them right away.

When we implemented the walking animation for Vah Naboris, we modeled
it as though the camel was a costume with people in the front and back like a
lion dance! I am convinced we puUed it off.

ART DIRECTOR: SATO RU TAKJZAWA

207

~ DIVINE BEAST VAH RUTA FLAP THfSf Fttofrl
THfS PART.
Vah Ruta was once piloted by the Zora Champion Mipba. It goes berserk after Calamity
Ganon's Malice corrupts it and sprays enormous quantities of water from its trunk,
drenches Zora's Domain, and threatens the integrity ofRutala Dam and Hyrule with it!

~ Rough Design

F~NT fARS.

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208 Sheikah Relics

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209

~ DIVINE BEAST VAH RUDANIA

Vah Rudania was once piloted by the Goron Champion Daruk. In spite of its massive
size, it is able to nimbly navigate Death Mountain's steep slopes with its lizard-like legs.

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210 Sheikah Relics

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211

~ DIVINE BEAST VAH NABORIS Ll<,HTNIN<( seu« LIC,HTNIN(i «eu«

Vah Naboris was once piloted by the Gerudo Champion Urbosa. It was corrupted by BAtK BAtK
Calamity Canon's Malice and went berserk, targeting anyone who approached it with
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212 Sheikah Relics

~ Vah Naboris Interior

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213

~ DIVINE BEAST VAH MEDOH 'I/AH
fttEDOH:
Vah Medoh was once piloted by the Rito Champion Revali. It soars high over Rito Village,
and because it is capable of flight, only Rito can approach it. It is out of control and will HEAD
fire powerful cannons at anyone who approaches.
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The startingpointfor designing the Divine Beast dungeons was questioning if we could use in-game physics mechanics
to make dungeons. We wanted to move entire floors to affect a variety of objects, for example. Then, we decided on
the elemental themes ofwater, fire, lightning, and wind and created designs that combined those with movement.

For the designs themselves, while keeping in mind that these are highly advanced weapons, we instilled a sense
that these were tin toys rather than pursuing a cool, futuristic sci-fi look. I tried to make them into something
attractive-off-putting, but also somehow nostalgic. I tried to make each dungeon into its own character using its
appearance, animal motif, and movement. I feel like we were able to achieve something new with the dungeons that
is unique to this game, since the player can see the dungeons moving around in the distance while they are exploring
and even fight the dungeon itself.

LEAD ARTIST, DUNGEONS: YASUTOJ\10 NISHIBB

214 Sheikah Relics

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~ SHEll{AH TOWER ~ Rough Concepts

These relics have long remained buried deep within the earth all • SHelKAH TOWe~ ("1AP TOWe~) "' ••
throughout Hyrule, but when Link activates the Great Plateau's
tower, it activates all of the Sheikah Towers, causing them to burst •• •• ••
forth from the ground. Map data for the region is contained within ••
their Guidance Stones and can be transferred to the Sheikah Slate. '°"'"• Ul>Mt<o ~'-1#4 .. •.•. •• .. ••

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216 Sheikah Relics

~ ANCIENT SHRINES (EXTERIOR) ~ Rough Concepts

Shrines in standby mode are locked tight awaiting the chosen hero to activate
them with the Sheikah Slate. There are well over a hundred shrines throughout
Hyrule-some out in the open and others that will only reveal themselves after
a riddle has been solved.

..

~ Sheikah Slate Terminal ~ Elevator Platform

• ENTRANCE ELEVATOR TO SHRINE INTERIOR (FB readjustment)

Top

Side

217

~ ANCIENT SHRINES (INTERIOR)

The interiors of the shrines are designed to test specific aspects of the hero's
strength and skill. Link must overcome their unique trials to reach the Sheikah
monk and be rewarded with a Spirit Orb.

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~ Rough Concepts ~ Ill PIJ.lC ON
KAT10N>i

-~

--...,

.......- -- ..... -
- ··--.-....::
. . ,~ ..?
~ - --

~ Monk's Pedestal

Tiff TOP IS THE' SAME'
AS THE' OlP (jOAl TE'~IIJAI..

1'

SIDE" VIEW



~ THE GREAT PLATEAU The Great Plateau is perched high above the rest of Central Hyrule, making it a land island with sheer cliffs
on all sides. When Link's famed strength finally gave out during the Guardians' assault and he succumbed
~ Shrine of Resurrection (REsToRATION Roosr) to his injuries, he was transported to the Great Plateau's Shrine of Resurrection to sleep and be healed.

BED CHAMBER BED

Part of the ceiling

Bottom

The base of this dungeon
asset lights up.

221



~ Sheikah Slate Pedestal

~ Rough Designs

DEVEL0PER's NerE

To ensure that the players wouldn't lose track of the goals laid out in the
start of the game, we had to restrict their movement somewhat with the
topography of the initial area. We decided to make it a plateau because we
thought it would be a shame to lose the ability to see the world's expansive
environments if we made it a canyon or valley. I was originally planning to
match the map in this game to how things have been laid out throughout
the Zelda series, and so 1 placed the Temple of Time (page 225) on this
geographically important plateau. From there, the idea of transcending
time led to the idea of the Shrine of Resurrection.

By theway, the Shrine of Resurrection shares its layout with the Throne
Room (page 253) in Hyrule Castle where Ganon's cocoon is, and they were
both designed around the concept of revival.

SENIOR LEAD ARTIST, LANDSCAl'E: MAK.OTO YONEZU

223

~ Old Man's Cabin

This cabin is found to the southeast of the Shrine of Resurrection. The Old Man that Link meets right outside the
shrine lives here. It's a bit rundown but has recently used tools and a cooking pot, so it is clearly still occupied.

• Made of logs. • One side of the roof is covered in tarp.
• Uses both chopped logs and broken branches, Holes and tears are starting to appear in it.

with some areas covered with a tarp.
• Thin branches. grass, and stones are wedged

into the gaps between logs. •

----=;-,_--- • Rool{lllln iogs and grass bundles)

• A stone foundation made of piled-up rocks.

~ Great Plateau Tower (BeforeActivation) Rough Designs ~ Old Man's Cabin Interior • Back skle (patched·in entrance)

Buried·in-a-mound type. • HUNTER'S HOUSE INTERIOR DESIGN ROUGH 01 -
Simple version (fewer polygons)

Tree roots we growing in the esees without soi. several Gua«lians r.. ec1 t>tams from the 1e11, and on,e grazed it
Yoo can see a hint o1 the machir,e horn the gaps
in lhe root, when viewed from tile right (the fir$t This tnie has a simple ocwer over it to prevent the interioi

direction Link sees ii tn,m). m«:hanics rrom hfeaking. and over many years.. it has been
CX>'N!red over with dirt (or, when it came t,11 from lhe !)'Otlnd,
it was cast off and placed in the ground). • One i.;eI09olelded acr°"
kif SUPPQlt (Qn ronGYe It ii ii
Dirt piled up
around it to here. """'"""""""'

~ Old Man's Cabin Rough Design

The ~ broke when Itwas
gmed by a $h01 lrom G.,r,on,
ma.)(ingit possible to enter.

224 Central Hyrule

~ Temple of Time Rough Design

SCREENSHOT

...-.

,

-\
r\,

I

TEMPLE OF TIME SURROUNOINGS CONCEPT '°'~Tbelcinple o, nmo is In • (Wtbli.tybllCI stilt. e ~Id tie lntoreul"Q11• Ol'OllndJ facilities arouod Ille te,mcilt.

and IGng AhoM'nl Ot'ffl Is llerea:s wtl~ °'---""'--41C>lloclobjocts- rryhaving iren ;,owfn,g in &ht gaps ot lbe
teel likB lllert was a bllgtbiltllo with Ganon here.
a,. tgdio,s pilla11 n COl'Cl'ICIin lctr()IO i,oandS end inf;tUSt IIIO MIOUM Of
™ O,OUOCI bomOcl tit beams $ft0tllcl s$I tie t»rrtn c,lmoMd burltd. t.lkemeGuMlfr.ltl ln oiio,s,edsme. AJs;o., tryto lncrall$8lbe number
the Imageon ltlO ICl't. Of foeksonti back o,1111 IO makeit dl:Stlnci.
OftO IIUtllkod ye;n 1{11«. ~ It would be nice to Ult
Shril;ali who~ wba1.bapptOOCI¥isit &OmMD8S 1111ooi;t1 ii was easyio Imaginetltlat sor1 of
1011¥)10 it was one tiundrld YNI$•
eo otter Dowers, pem-. (kl INt e,se, I woalCIw:vit ft llight be llice tohave sfmclla U*lgs suehas
• bl'okeltVMt at the wa where Ole ba(JIPlltl
IDwers at tilt ~'s ;rave too •• ,)
and~mott.

225

~ HYRULE RIDGE Hyrule Ridge is located in the western portion ofHyrule the Breach of Demise is an area where the land looks as though
Field and has several locations ofinterest: Thundra Plateau is it has been thrust upward by some great force, and the bard
~ 'Ihundra Plateau Rough Design a place ofviolent thunderstorms and frequent lightning bolts, Kass sings ofa legend related to the stone rings on Nima Plain.

~ Nima Plain Stone Rings Rough Designs

f'

S/IIAU

~ Breach ofDemise Rough Design

U nOll'Of.flllU O TiltQ f$:1:WA

~LAKEHYLIA fl. TH( TOI' IS SHI.ff~
r- l::J:::. I.JKCTHC Tfl!FO~(.
This enormous lake extends out from the
southeast of Hyrule Field. The Bridge of ~ Bridge of Hylia Obelisk Rough Design
Hylia spans the lake from north to south and
is perhaps the grandest bridge in all ofHyrule.

~ Bridge of Hylia Fountain Rough Design

226 Central Hyrule

~ KOROK FOREST The Korok Forest is located in the center ofthe Great Hyrule way to the home of the Koroks. This allows the spirits ofthe
Forest to the north ofHyrule Castle.. The Lost Woods that forest to livein peace. Within the forest is the pedestal where
surround it prevent all but those chosen from finding their the damaged Master Sword is kept.

~ Pedestal of the Master Sword

~ Pedestal of the Master Sword Rough Designs '/,. -~J.,ra;.ax·.. '

..ri • '
. .. ,
.". .

./. . . .,

HYLIAN ZORA GER UDO GORON KOKIRI SHEIKAH
Normal Inverted Triangle Constricted Rice Ball
Small Water Chestnut

227

~ Great Deku Tree

Looking toward the Korok Forest from a
distant mountain, one can see cherry blossoms
covering a large area in the center. These arc the
branches of a very large tree, which may seem
like any other tree until it starts speaking ...

~ Great Deku Tree RoughDesigns •, .

-- •·,
- ,I <.
228 Central Hyrule

~ The Great Deku Tree'sNavel Rough Concepts DEVEL0PERS' N0TES

Ultimately, the developers went with a design of the Great Deku Tree's Navel 1 wanted to put a cherry blossom tree somewhere in
where the three rooms were Lined up symmetrically on the left, right, and center, the Hyrule of this game. I think that giving the Great
but other ideas were considered as well. The structure and furniture were designed Deku Tree a slightly Japanese aesthetic allows the
to give the player an idea ofwhat kind ofl.ives the Koroks lead. player to imagine a different view of this world.

ICOROK IIJllSE INTBIIOR CONCEPI' SBNIORLEADARTIST,LANDSCAPE: MAl<:OTOYONEZU

Design with hanging laav9s The Master Sword has averted many calamities
and dec:oratlwpanels. alongside the hero, and the pedestal that restores
the sword from the damage it incurs in those battles
is located in Korok Forest, which brims with the
energy ofthe land. Perhaps by design of the Goddess,
beside the pedestal a single young cherry tree gre,v.
The young tree bathed in the energy flowing through
the land and, after an eternity had passed, became the
guardian of the blade. How many sacred maidens and
heroes opposing countless calamities has this ancient
tree witnessed]

This backstory gave birth to the Great Deku Tree's
design. This old tree has lived for countless genera-
tions and is the largest Great Deku Tree of the series.

LEAD ARTIST, STRUCTURAL: MANABU TA.KERA.RA

DESK A lHAII< A

DESKB
PIU.CW A

229

~ HYRULE FIELD Hyrule Field expands outward from the north side of the ofhomes, garrisons, and ranches beyond Hyrule Castle Town
Great Plateau. lt is bordered by the Hylia River to the east indicate just how lively this area must have been just one
~ Proxim Bridge and the Regencia River to the west and is connected to the hundred years ago.
rest of Hyrule by a significant number of bridges. The ruins

Level ground damage can just use flat collision.
Missing guardrail

Broken pillar

~ Hyrule Field Rough Concepts F(cLD (DcA!; (f) WHILE SIALf"S IIAA-'(, THl"f
( 8t<OK(/J LA.NI> 81</0C,~
TI1e buildings in the Hyrule Field area were demolished tOIIU> If ON S>!A/.J.ITIJ.J. HIU.S, fTt.
during the Great Calamity, and only ruins remain. The Mt<,HTIf tON'IIN<IN<, t.otl/lTO INN<£A$wmt <,000
only things left arc the cornerstones of houses and other IF l.otl/lTO IN WE>IS OF THE I.AIID.
materials that survived in various states of disrepair. You
can see here how much detail went into the design ofthe /IJ,WNfS. ere
vestiges of a once-thriving area.

A-E<,,CWtN<, ttrffMNlf,lltJD<,£

...__A_<,IJNSTIT. N£N< WN<,EON 07.

N'H(M(H lflAV$f oF
TONS OF £N£M/£S.

, MUt ors,4,.i.

( FOVNTAIN l(V/NS]

FfCI.S UK£ A
FU,(( Fl<()M A

MfM,,._.,..

SEAT FOi<TWO. KOl<()K INS/OE THE IAAAEt..

J.

IF THC PU(CflF. INDSff, TH£
tbffM fOlVSfS ON T?lf

IJ/rr~O~ oF THC IW.Cl.

Assassin-clan tags with their symbol: "Go Ganon!"

RUINS OF. A SMALUVlll!AGE.
May be used as a base by monsters.
Use small, broken house.assets from1the snow,mountaln and,casUe_town ruins.
Make each'unlt lnto'a'unlqliftctor~and change'lhelr.pl!lc'ement'to create variation.

230 Central Hyrule

~ Hyrule Castle Town Gate

This is its original appearance. Jt was constructed near the center of Hyrule Field. Passing through this gate led to Hyrule Castle
Town and all it had to offer. Large walls take the form of a ring moving out from the sides of the gate, guarding the castle town.

• GATE WHEN OPEN

II

t Carton rail.

l The clrcular·shaped rail tile Is
the same as Slopes, etc.

GATE RAIL

231

..

~ Hyrule Castle Town

This is how Hyrule Castle Town looked before the Great Calamity struck. It was the largest city in all of Hyrule and the
hub for travel and the exchange of goods.

-~ •
it
-........_./
\
/

f

J•

r

r-1(

/'

232 Central Hyrule

Windowand
door are a
single object.

I added an arc •

, .J. ' Planning to adJ. ust tile on modeIt o reduce a
sense of randomness.
r

--.:.9• \~
,,e.,c.
) ,·--,
-
I
\
233
j\ -~

~ HYRULE CASTLE Looking north from Hyrule Castle Tow'11 reveals the ruins caverns and passage,vays, most likely built to defend the
ofHyrule Castle. It is protected by layers ofhigh walls and castle should the exterior defense be compromised. At the
~ Hyrule Castle Gate RoughDesigns gatehouses, fortified further by a deep moat. The castle's castle's heart Lies the Sanctum.
complex interior construction includes underground

~ Bridge & Castle Walls

• HYRULE CASTLE GAZEBO

,.--l..-...,,._ Made me surrounding frame Beforebeing destroyed. Small-scale destruction.

one level narrower.

- Removedthe middle l)OrtiOn .J.:,.'¥"

01 the h<l<izontal band.

-- -Aged the material. Large-scale destruction.

234 Central Hyrule

~ Giant Columns

The columns that protrude from the ground
around Hyrule Castle are exceptionally large.
'TI1ey are covered in Sheikah patterns, making it
clear that they are ancient Sheikah technology,
but they glow an ominous pink, signifying their
corruption by Calamity Canons Malice.

They appear to have stored the Guardians
and were designed to unleash them on Calamity
Canon through an opening in the center of the
circular patterns.

~ lt:_ SINVOVS

PATrr!W
Sr,fALL 7\VIST

+ DVNC,~ON WALL

Guardian

235

~ Gatehouses ~ Gatehouses Rough Designs

These two medtum-sized buildings resemble castles themselves and are built along tile ~'SECONDGATEHOUS.EX'TERIOR l
road that runs up to tile Sanctum. These sturdy structures survived the Great Calamity, but • f;IRSli GATEl!OUSEJEJITTRIOR
their interiors arc now filled with Malice, and Lynels have taken up residence within them.
••
• SECOND GATEHOUSE/FIRST GATEHOUSE

+ FLOOR . -.-~ ....

~ Hyrule Castle Courtyard ,., '· ~ • . -J.l',,,
''.\.../~··.: ~ .·--·_. ,
, ".,.. ..#'
•
.., I• .. • ..'.,.. •.• '• •. "

!)I ._-_ ..

". . ...... . _,' ,,

~'

, .,I,.... •·.• ••..,~ .· jj-':r.. ~···I
.'I,•.'.~·'i-·(;·"'·-/'.-.,/..•-.'•.,.-":'--,--',,.:.\_' ....•..t..i.- :..
I I;
:"..'.':.·,; ,·., , ·' '\
,\"·\~.:.,:.-,'· ·,-.::-.,..,.""..'•·I·.,.·I."•..;:.'.·-"-.·t· .
' .'
-

,-;:, . • . ,.,."""!:1"""• .·- . •'1>#7>'

·~:..~.:.~... ~
-~-.---:-._ .\

236 Central Hyrule

~ Sanctum Rough Design DEVEL0PER's NeTE

The silhouette of the Sanctum can be seen from a This game was designed so that you can see your
great distance. Within its walls lies the throne room, ultimate destination from almost anywhere on the
and at its tower's pinnacle is a bell. map, so the castle's silhouette had to draw the eye to
its location and also convey that it is possessed by
Malice. I designed both the exterior of the castle as
well as the Malice with this in mind.

We created several indoor routes and explorable
areas in the castle and placed game mechanics in
there on the basis that Link would use his runes to
interact with them. Using Cryonis to lift a gate was
a mechanic from the ancient shrines and serves as
a .review of the puzzles learned in the adventure up
to tbatpoint.

The Great Plateau is paired with the castle as
if one were male and the other were female. For
example, when looking at the bird statues, the
plateau's statues have a feminine, supple silhouette,
while the castle's statues are more masculine.

STRUCTURAL ART: YOSHIKAZU HARA

237

~ Hyrule Castle Corridors inside the massive castle arc areas
used primarily by soldiers and
• HYRULE CASTLE SOLDIER PASSAGEWAY GATE others used by the royal family.
The construction materials and

decorations make it apparent
which areas arc intended for use
by which party.

238 Central Hyrule

~Lockup

~ Lockup Back Room

-

' I UFT I ,,.;
~

F~
PAITTRN INDF:NT

•

239

~ Water Pump Room

It is possible to enter here from the lower part of the tower connected to
Princess Zelda's room. This facility used to send water to the rest of the
castle but has fallen into disrepair in the last century. The room is tall and
vertical and there is a grate on the floor that, after activating a switch in
the center of the room, creates strong upward gusts.

~Docks

At the rear ofHy rule Castle is a room that Link cao enter from the moat by paragliding,
swimming, or using a raft, and it contains the only ancient shrine within Hyrule Castle.
11,cpath from the docks leads to the castle's library.

I' • •

WALLWITH LEVELS

240 Central Hyrule



~ Guards' Chamber

• HYRULE CASTLE GUARDS' ROOM OBJECTS + STONE STATUE

• SWORD RACK • TARGET

• CANNON • trs rustedinpL)Ce:S TRAINING DUMMY
andc:owtfedIn dusl Unk
• Oneolthe Wheels
rm beenfffllOYod. ,,.:. '\

Trainingdummy
Yrith$field removed.

242 Central Hyrule

~ Round Spiral Staircase ~ Garden

From the top of the water pump room, a path leads toward the interior of the castle and
reveals a broken spiral staircase. If you destroy the Malice eyeball and climb the stairs, it
takes you to a lush garden surrounded by beautiful arches.

~ Square Spiral Staircase

The staircase collapsed partway up following the Great
Calamity, making it difficult to climb. It connects the library
on the bottom level to the dining hall on the upper level.
There are several weapons at the bottom of the stairs, which
were most Likely for use by the guards in case of a 6ght.

243

~ Library

'This large two-story room has an open
floor plan and bookshelves lining the
walls. There is a large hole in the ceiling
from the Great Calamity.

+ BOOKSHELF

• Metal shelf jo p e eLarge Shelf..: ~·-: ;.,,: If there are numbers in Hylian script. ..
frame
I._ l J---1 - - -- + Shelf variation concepts:
.......... --- ---- --•The shelves are
-- --· ---placed into the frame. -<D Shelf with scrolls mixed in.

-@Shelf with books lying flat.
~@ Shelf with books crammed in to capacity.
-@Shelf with some books leaning over.

- ® Shelf with books and pieces of paper sticking out.

@ Shelf with gaps.

-®Oversized books.

The sense of repetition was very strong
with limited variations, so I have created
placement ideas that change colors and
arrangements.

~ King's Study

245

~ Dining Hall

The spacious dining hall can comfortably seat a large number of people and, during times
of peace, must have hosted countless guests. 1he ceiling has a slight arch, and a large door
leads to the outer corridor. Its current dinner guests have less than ideal manners. Monsters
infest the hall and have left partially eaten fruit everywhere.

~ DiningHall Decorations

+SHELF

OV£"-N'S

Dffll.ESSION

~ snas ovr

·, ~u:~ e -

~ TI

'

+ ON THE TABLE:

Ideas tor small artieles.

© Mm objectsioc,c like ttiay can't be pickodup

by coreringlhtm withf4)idawdls and dust.

oNr Of OB;f'(lT
SIZEMff'-0/(f

• FRUIT IX)fflAINER; TJ.ILC
MonslersuseII likea garti.199can(1ruitpeets, e1e.>.

246 Central Hyrule