The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — How to recover Vah Ruta

Vah Ruta is one of the four Divine Beasts of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Here’s how to reach its location and purify it.

Obviously, the following continues spoilers for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, specifically Vah Ruta. Read at your own risk.

One of the four Divine Beasts, Vah Ruta, can be found in the province directly north of Kakariko Village: Lanayru. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild suggests that you rescue it and the other three before trying to take on Calamity Ganon. Here’s what you need to know, including a guide to getting through Vah Ruta itself.

Reaching Zora’s Domain

Vah Ruta, as the name suggests, is a Divine Beast that controls water. When you glide into the Lanayru Wetlands, you’ll meet several Zora directing you to Inogo Bridge in the north. Reach it, and you’ll meet Prince Sidon, who will ask your help. First, though, you’ll need to follow the path to Zora’s Domain. Be wary of Lizalfos with shock arrows. Follow the lanterns and you’ll be fine.

Shock Arrows

Speak with King Donephan, and you’ll learn that you need Shock Arrows to even enter Vah Ruta, which can be found on Ploymus Mountain. You’ll get the Zora Armor as well. Equip it before speaking to Muzu in the square, and you’ll unlock one of Link’s memories. Next, you’ll leave Zora’s Domain to the east and head towards Ploymus Mountain. Use the Zora Armor’s ability to swim up waterfalls to ascend. Start checking trees for Shock Arrows. When you reach Shatterback Point, be sure to always be sneaking around — you do not want to fight the Rynel if this is your first Divine Beast quest. Once you have 20 of them, glide down to East Reservoir Lake and talk to Sidon again.

Subduing Vah Ruta

Sidon will swim and carry you around the Divine Beast. You’ll need to use Cryonis to break the ice cubes it throws at you. Every time you break all of them, Sidon will drop you off near a waterfall. Swim up it, glide down a bit, draw your bow, and shoot one of the orbs with a Shock Arrow. After the first two, Ruta will switch to ice spikes. They’re harder to break, but you’ll need to use Cryonis still. The last onslaught has both spikes and cubes. Break them all, shoot the last orb, and enter Vah Ruta.

Terminals

Mipha, the Zora Champion, will tell you that you need to unlock the terminals to regain control. Walk in the first room. Use Cryonis to lift the gate to your left. The terminal will unlock the map of Ruta as well as the ability to move its trunk at will. Fish a chest out of the left pool with Magnesis. On the opposite side of the room, you’ll find a crank to use Magnesis on. It’ll raise the first terminal out of the water.

Next, exit through the other door and head up into a room with two water wheels. One is in operation when you walk in. Use Cryonis to freeze the water — there’s a terminal inside the wheel. If you let the wheel go again, then go around and ride it up before quickly freezing the water again, you can glide to another chest.

Exit through the opposite door and head up and around to the larger wheel. This one requires you to use the controls for Ruta. Raise its trunk to the highest point to start this large wheel going. You’ll notice a ball moving back and forth on a cylinder that unlocks a gate. Use Stasis on the ball while it’s unlocking the gate, then hurry past the gate to activate another terminal. Use the same Stasis principle on the outer stone on the third “spoke” of the wheel to get another chest.

Move Ruta’s trunk down to the point third from the top. It’ll reverse the larger water wheel, letting you ride it to an upper level. Step on the switch to activate a waterfall shortcut. (Swim up the waterfall and use the launch to glide to another chest.)

The last two terminals involve Ruta’s trunk again. On the same level you get off the larger water wheel on, there’s a passage out to the trunk. First, move it to access the chest. You’re then going to use the chest as a ledge to glide to the top of Ruta’s head. Stand behind the chest, then move Ruta’s trunk to the fourth position from the top. You’ll get knocked off and have to quickly glide. Drop down through the opening, use Magnesis to open Ruta’s head further, and the water will douse the flames around the fourth terminal.

Number five is actually on the tip of Ruta’s trunk. To get there, move the trunk down to a low position and glide to the end, where there will be a platform. Slowly but surely move the trunk up, and you’ll move to the opposite side of the trunk where the fifth terminal waits.

Now you can glide down to the main terminal, but when you try and activate it, Calamity Ganon will show up and spawn a very large boss.

Waterblight Ganon

Mipha tells you that it has a very large spear and that spear has some reach. That’s true. Hit it in the eye to do the most damage, because you’ll also knock Waterblight Ganon down to whack with your melee weapons. I used Shock Arrows throughout. Once you whittle down some of its HP, it’ll fill the room with water and leave you four columns to work with, not dissimilar to Morpha from Ocarina of Time. It’ll also add in an ice attack, similar to Vah Ruta’s. Use Cryonis to break the ice. Of course, it’ll continue using its spear as well. It’ll move from corner to corner. Continue shooting and dodging, and it’ll go down.

Next: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild First Impressions

Take your Heart Container and activate the terminal. Be sure to take all of the chests — you won’t be able to return inside. You’ll also obtain Mipha’s Grace, which will resurrect you when you run out of hearts and even throw in some bonus hearts. Vah Ruta and Mipha will also deal Calamity Ganon a blow. You’re then returned to Zora’s Domain. Speak to the king again, and he’ll give you the Lightscale Trident. From there, you can continue your quest in Breath of the Wild.