Nintendo released The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild over six years ago, and somehow I’m still learning new things about it. This is due in part to the game’s enduring appeal, but also in no small part to the work of tireless TikTokers documenting the seemingly endless detail. Leading up to the release of Breath of the Wildthe sequel, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomin May, fans understandably revisit it – and on platforms like TikTok, they share their excitement and new discoveries with others.
It’s hard to find a game that feels as detailed and vibrant as Breath of the Wild. The game is part of the larger Zelda timeline, but differs from previous entries, functioning as a sandbox where players can tinker with how various weapons and tools interact with the larger world. Many accounts focus on “did you know” style content that highlights hyper-specific or lesser-known aspects of the game.
TikTok is an almost perfect vehicle for these never-ending factoids and discoveries. The short video app is the perfect way to capture a particularly impressive detail – like the fact that you can shoot mushrooms with an arrow, instead of climbing a cliff to reach them – to thousands of people to present.
For example, Vaqr Gaming shares a new tidbit about Breath of the Wild every day until the sequel is released. She told Polygon that she thinks the game is still popular because it’s an “extremely polished game,” but it’s also easy to break.
“There are so many little details that the developers added that I never would have thought of,” Vaqr Gaming told Polygon. “There are also things that [Nintendo] never thought we would, and that has led to some amazing discoveries. You can always see it in the comments – even after years of playing this game, you can always learn something new!
Many of my favorite clips highlight unique character interactions that I would never have had the patience to figure out on my own. For example, if you go to the giant Korok Hestu while not wearing any clothes, you can unlock a special dialogue. Instead of his usual intro, Hestu says, “Shaka! Shakaka! You are a neck kid! i’m a neck kid! We are united in exposure!” Another adorable example is that most characters will be scared when Link pulls out a bomb, but if you hold one in front of farmer Olkin, he’ll exclaim, “A blue pumpkin?!”
User Zeldatendo keeps the game alive by circulating clips of incredible trick shots, fan theories, and other forms of comedic video content from Breath of the Wild. Like Vaqr Gaming, Zeldatendo is also counting down the days to Tears of the Kingdom with special content. A more recent post featured a personality quiz that tells you what your favorite region is Breath of the Wild says about you. The account also contains memes and other informational content.
Together, all of these content creators and their followers form a wider community of continuing fans who are still devoted to the original game. And of course there are ways to push the boundaries of Breath of the Wild — beyond TikTok, dedicated speedrunners continue to set global world records for the game’s fastest runs on video platforms such as YouTube and Twitch.
It is likely that Breath of the Wild content will take a backseat when Nintendo comes out Tears of the Kingdom in May. But Vaqr Gaming told Polygon that it would likely create content for both games: “I feel like I will [keep making content for Breath of the Wild]but I will focus on it anyway Tears of the Kingdom.” She also still looks forward to trying out mods when they are released Breath of the Wildsince those fan projects will continue beyond that as well Tears of the Kingdom is off.