BotW Missables: Divine Beast Chests, Lynel Weapons and Compendium

Short answer: very little in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is missable for good, and none of it stops you finishing the game or the Compendium. Beating the game sends you back to your save from before the final battle with Ganon still in the castle, so nothing gets locked out. This page splits things into three groups: what is truly gone once missed, what you can recover with rupees or legwork, and what only looks missable.

What is permanently missable?

Why can’t you go back into a Divine Beast?

Each Divine Beast is finished when you defeat its Blight and activate the Main Control Unit. The beast then turns to aim at Hyrule Castle and can never be entered again, so any chest you skipped inside is lost. Those chests hold rupees, weapons and materials you can find elsewhere, so you are not missing anything important; if you want them all, open them before the Main Control Unit. Each walkthrough lists its chests, for example Vah Ruta; for the order, see Divine Beast Order.

Why do Lynel weapons disappear?

The game keeps a hidden score from the enemies you defeat. As it rises, weapons in chests and in enemies’ hands are swapped for the next tier of the same line, and Lynels are no exception: the Lynel Spear and Lynel Crusher become the Mighty Lynel Spear and Mighty Lynel Crusher, then the Savage versions. The main story makes you fight, so this cannot be avoided.

In normal mode the Lynel Spear and Lynel Crusher are only carried by Lynels that scale up, and so are the Mighty Lynel Spear and Mighty Lynel Crusher. Once those Lynels have scaled, the four weapons stop appearing. The Lynel Sword, Lynel Shield and Lynel Bow are safe: the Lynels on Ploymus Mountain never scale and always carry them. How the score works is on Weapon bonuses; where the Lynels are is on Lynel Locations.

None of these four beats the Savage weapons that replace them, so losing them costs you nothing in combat. If you want one for your collection, hunt Lynels early.

Why are the Forest Dweller’s Sword and Kite Shield limited?

Neither is carried by monsters, and chests do not refill. According to the game’s placement data, the Forest Dweller’s Sword exists only in 3 chests and 1 spot in Korok Forest, and the Kite Shield only in 2 chests and 1 spot at Selmie’s Spot. Once every copy breaks or is lost, there are no more.

How do you fill in missed Compendium entries?

Symin at Hateno Ancient Tech Lab sells pictures. Finish his side quest Sunshroom Sensing first, then buy missing pictures by category:

The one-time entries people miss most:

• Master Kohga: the Yiga Clan Hideout boss, fought only once.
• Sentry: only appears during the cannon event at Divine Beast Vah Rudania.
• Calamity Ganon and Dark Beast Ganon: after the ending you return to the save before the final battle, so you can fight again for the picture, or just buy it.
• The four Lynel weapons, the Forest Dweller’s Sword and the Kite Shield: even if the item is gone, the picture can still be bought.

The full rules are on the Hyrule Compendium page.

Can you get lost or broken gear back?

Mostly, yes.

• Hylian Shield: after From the Ground Up, Granté in Tarrey Town sells a new one for 3,000 rupees. The one from the Hyrule Castle chest can roll a bonus; the one you buy never does, and he only sells it when you do not already own one. See Hylian Shield.
• Champion weapons: if the Scimitar of the Seven, Daybreaker, Great Eagle Bow or Lightscale Trident breaks, bring the materials to the right smith and they make another. See Best Weapons.
• A horse that died: pay 1,000 rupees to free Malanya, the Horse God; after that he revives any registered horse that died. See Horses.
• Warm Doublet: if you skip the old man’s ways of getting it on the Great Plateau, a chest holding it appears in his cabin once you have the paraglider, and Hateno Village sells it later. See Great Plateau.

Which one-time choices and events should you watch?

• Horse names: the only choice you truly cannot undo, covered above.
• After the Yiga Clan Hideout: once you clear it, Yiga Clan members ambush you on the road. If you want a quieter trip, leave Vah Naboris for later. See Yiga Clan Hideout.
• Hearts and stamina: containers you traded Spirit Orbs for can be redistributed at the Horned Statue in Hateno Village, for a net 20 rupees per swap. See Hearts or Stamina.
• Blights: with The Champions’ Ballad, you fight them again in the Illusory Realm. See The Champions’ Ballad.

Can you still fix things after beating the game?

Yes. When you defeat Calamity Ganon, the credits roll and you return to your save from before the final battle, with everything you had and Ganon back in the castle. The extra scene after the credits needs Captured Memories done first; if you beat the game before that, finish it and fight again. See Post-Game.

Tears of the Kingdom is more forgiving: temples can be re-entered and every one-time boss picture can be bought. See TotK Missables.