This Breath of the Wild beginner route is for players who want a clean first-hours plan without over-clearing the map too early. Follow it to leave the Great Plateau, unlock useful travel points, build safe combat habits and decide when to start shrines, towers, Divine Beasts and cleanup.
Quick Overview
| Game | The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild |
|---|---|
| Guide Type | Beginner Route |
| Best First Goal | Finish the Great Plateau and unlock the paraglider. |
| Early Priority | Towers, shrines, stamina, safe weapons, cooking and Kakariko Village. |
| Difficulty | Beginner-friendly |
| Best For | New players, returning players and anyone who wants a smooth first route. |
Start Here: Your First-Hours Route
Breath of the Wild works best when you treat the opening like a survival route instead of a checklist. Your first job is to learn the runes, gather enough food to recover from mistakes, and unlock movement options that make Hyrule easier to read.
Fast Travel
Jump To Beginner Sections
Use this route in order if this is your first playthrough.
Step 1: Finish the Great Plateau
Do not rush away from the Great Plateau mindset. The area teaches almost everything you need for the rest of the game: shrine puzzles, temperature, food, weapons, climbing, stealth and scouting. Complete the four rune shrines, experiment with each rune, then talk to the Old Man to get the paraglider.
Great Plateau Checklist
Before leaving, make sure you have the paraglider, a few cooked meals, at least one backup weapon, a bow, arrows and basic cold-resistance knowledge. You do not need to collect everything here, but you should understand how to survive without being guided by quest markers.
Step 2: Head Toward Kakariko Village
After the paraglider, the cleanest first route is toward Dueling Peaks and Kakariko Village. This road naturally introduces stables, shrines, towers, horses, NPCs and safer enemy camps. It also moves you toward important main quest guidance without forcing you into the hardest parts of the map.
- Glide down from the Great Plateau toward the Dueling Peaks direction.
- Open nearby shrines as travel points instead of ignoring them.
- Visit stables and talk to NPCs for route clues.
- Reach Kakariko Village and follow the main quest guidance there.
- Unlock nearby tower views when you feel comfortable climbing and fighting.
Step 3: Choose Hearts or Stamina
New players often wonder whether to spend Spirit Orbs on hearts or stamina. There is no single correct answer, but there is a practical beginner answer: take enough hearts to stop getting one-shot by common mistakes, then start investing in stamina because exploration is the real core of Breath of the Wild.
| Choice | Best For | Beginner Advice |
|---|---|---|
| Hearts | Surviving combat and mistakes | Take a few early if enemies are overwhelming you. |
| Stamina | Climbing, gliding, swimming and exploration | Shift here once combat feels manageable. |
| Mixed route | Most first playthroughs | Best option for new players who want comfort and freedom. |
Step 4: Build Safe Combat and Survival Habits
Combat is easier when you stop treating weapons as permanent items. Weapons are resources. Use weaker weapons on weaker enemies, save strong weapons for dangerous fights, and avoid combat when the reward is not worth the cost.
- Cook before exploring. Healing meals, stamina food and temperature meals solve many early problems.
- Use bows often. Headshots and elemental arrows can make camps safer.
- Do not fight everything. Running away is a valid route choice.
- Mark things you cannot solve yet. Pins are better than stubbornly wasting time.
- Use high ground. Towers, hills and cliffs help you scout shrines, roads and enemy camps.
Step 5: Pick a Comfortable First Divine Beast
For most beginners, Vah Ruta is the friendliest first Divine Beast route. The path toward Zora’s Domain teaches weather, enemy pressure, road reading and main quest structure in a way that feels natural after Kakariko and Hateno. You can choose another route, but Vah Ruta gives a helpful reward and a clear difficulty curve.
Before starting a Divine Beast route, bring cooked meals, a few decent weapons, arrows and at least some extra hearts or stamina. If the route feels too hard, step away and clear more shrines first.
Beginner Mistakes to Avoid
Trying to 100% Every Area Immediately
Breath of the Wild is built for returning later. If a shrine, Korok, enemy or weather route feels too hard, mark it and move on. You will come back stronger with more stamina, better armor and more warp points.
Ignoring Towers and Shrines as Travel Points
Even if you do not want to solve every shrine yet, activating shrine entrances creates a fast-travel network. This makes later quests, armor routes and cleanup much faster.
Saving Every Good Weapon Forever
Use your weapons. The game constantly gives you more. Saving every strong weapon can make normal fights harder than they need to be.
Related Breath of the Wild Guides
Image Sources and Credits
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and related visuals are property of Nintendo. The hero image used for this guide is an official Nintendo image already uploaded to The Gaming Guide Archives media library. Route recommendations are based on in-game progression, beginner-friendly travel flow and cross-checking against established Breath of the Wild guide references.
Breath of the Wild Beginner FAQ
What should I do first in Breath of the Wild?
Finish the Great Plateau, unlock the paraglider, then head toward Dueling Peaks, Kakariko Village and early shrine/tower routes.
Should beginners choose hearts or stamina?
A mixed route is best. Take a few hearts if combat feels punishing, then invest in stamina because climbing and gliding make exploration much easier.
Which Divine Beast should I do first?
Vah Ruta is usually the friendliest first Divine Beast for new players because the route and reward are both helpful.
Should I collect every shrine and Korok early?
No. Activate useful shrines and collect easy Koroks, but save full cleanup for later when the map is open and you have better gear.
Is it okay to run away from fights?
Yes. Avoiding bad fights is part of smart route planning, especially early when weapons, armor and hearts are limited.