Breath of the Wild Guide
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Complete Memory Collection Guide
📸 Memory System Overview
Memories (Recovered Memory) are the core collectible for understanding the story and unlocking the true ending in Breath of the Wild.
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Memories findable in the album | 12 |
| Extra final memory | 1 (unlocked after collecting all 12) |
| Story auto-memories | 6 (obtained as the main story progresses) |
| True ending condition | Complete the game after finding all 13 memories |
| Starting quest | Hateno Village “Locked Memory” → “Retrieve the Memory” |
How to start: After completing “Locked Memory” in Hateno Village, return to Kakariko Village and find Impa. She will give you the “Retrieve the Memory” quest and save 12 photos to the Sheikah Slate album. You need to find the corresponding glowing spots throughout the world based on the photo clues.
::: tip Pro Tip: The Painter Pikango Traveling painter Pikango appears at various stables and villages. Show him the photos, and he will tell you the general area, sometimes even hinting at landmarks in his dialogue. If you can’t find a specific photo, go find him first. :::
🗺️ 12 Photo Memory Locations
The table below lists the memories in the order they appear in the album, along with their general location and nearest warp point.
| # | Memory Location | Region | Direction & Hint | Recommended Warp Point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sacred Ground Ruins | Central Hyrule | Due south of Hyrule Castle, a raised platform surrounded by a pool | Central Tower / Hyrule Castle |
| 2 | Lake Kolomo | Central Hyrule | A small hill west of the lake, reachable by gliding | Great Plateau Tower |
| 3 | Coliseum Ruins | Tabantha | Piper Ridge, south of Tabantha Tower | Tabantha Tower / Tena Ko’sah Shrine |
| 4 | Kara Kara Bazaar | Gerudo Desert | By the water in the bazaar oasis, on the road to Gerudo Town | Wasteland Tower |
| 5 | Eldin Great Skeleton | Eldin | A mountaintop west of Goronbi Lake, near a circle of boulders | Eldin Tower / Woodland Tower |
| 6 | Irch Plain | Lanayru | North of Lanayru Tower, under a large tree near the ruins of the Royal Ancient Tech Lab | Lanayru Tower |
| 7 | West Necluda | Hateno | A twisted tree between Lake Hylia and Scout’s Hill, surrounded by statues | Hateno Tower |
| 8 | Hyrule Castle (Zelda’s Room) | Central Hyrule | The west tower of the castle, on the walkway outside the window (requires infiltrating the castle) | Hyrule Castle / Shrine inside the castle |
| 9 | Spring of Power | Akkala | South of the North Akkala Valley, marked on the map | Akkala Tower |
| 10 | Sanidin Park Ruins | Lanayru | At the giant horse statues, between Satori Mountain and the Mabe Prairie | Tabantha Tower |
| 11 | East Gate of Lanayru | Lanayru | North of the Lanayru Sea Cliff, under the road archway | Lanayru Tower |
| 12 | Hyrule Field | Central Hyrule | South bank of the Hylia River, near a small path by the Bottomless Swamp | Wetland Stable / Kaya Wan Shrine |
::: warning The 8th Memory is the Most Dangerous Hyrule Castle is densely populated with Guardians and Flying Guardians. It’s recommended to infiltrate after your equipment is mid-game ready, with the Master Sword and Hydral Shield. Climb in from the west tower of the castle and drop onto the walkway outside Zelda’s room. :::
🏁 The 13th Memory (True Ending)
After retrieving all 12 photo memories, return to Kakariko Village and find Impa again. She will show you a painting on the wall, which reveals the location of the 13th memory.
- Location: Blatchery Plain
- Direction: Southeast of Hateno Tower, across the Squabble River, in the ruined mechanical field in front of Hateno Fort
- Effect: Triggering this adds an extra true ending cutscene when you complete the game.
If you’re unsure about when the 13th memory appears, you can first check the number of memories in your album to confirm all 12 photos have been triggered before returning to the village to find Impa.
🎬 Watch in Story Order
The album order is not the chronological story order. To understand the plot along the timeline, the following viewing order is recommended (numbers are album indices):
12 → 5 → 6 → 3 → 9 → 7 → 10 → 4 → 8 → 11 → 2 → 1 → 13
Watch the early segments like “Hyrule Field” first, then gradually progress to “Sacred Ground Ruins” and “Blatchery Plain” for a more coherent story.
🎁 Collection Rewards
| Progress | Reward |
|---|---|
| Each memory triggered | Unlocks a story cutscene, rewatchable in the album |
| All 12 collected | Reveals the clue for the 13th memory |
| All 13 collected | Unlocks the true ending upon game completion |
| DLC addition | 5 extra EX memories in “The Champions’ Ballad” |
💡 Collection Tips
- Prioritize finding Pikango: His location changes as quests progress; consult him whenever you see him.
- Pay attention to photo details: Mountain shapes, buildings, and tree positions are your biggest clues.
- Use tower telescopes: From a tower, use the scope to spot suspicious glowing points and mark them.
- Memory points glow: When you approach the correct location, a ring of glowing water ripples will appear on the ground.
- No need for order: Except for the 13th, which must be triggered at Impa’s, the other 12 can be collected in any order.
- Clear shrines along the way: Many memory points are near shrines, allowing you to unlock warp points simultaneously.
Related Pages: Main Quest | World Map | Boss Guide | DLC Guide