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BotW Post-Game: Can You Keep Playing After Ganon?

What happens after you beat Ganon in Breath of the Wild: your save, the star and map percentage, the extra ending scene, the DLC, and what is left to do.

10/6/2026 QuestFern Team Last updated: 10/6/2026 4 min read

Yes, you can keep playing. Breath of the Wild has no post-game. When the credits finish you are back on your save from before the final battle, with everything you had, and that save is now marked with a star. On it Ganon is still in Hyrule Castle, so the world has not changed and you can fight him again.

What happens after you beat Ganon?

QuestionAnswer
Is the save overwritten?No. You return to your save from before the final battle
What marks a finished game?A star on the save file
What is new on that save?A completion percentage on the map screen
Does the world change?No. Ganon is back in the castle and the fight can be repeated
New Game Plus?None. Master Mode is a separate mode from the Expansion Pass

Nothing is lost and nothing is locked afterwards, so use your best food, arrows and weapons in the fight. The route through the castle is on the Hyrule Castle walkthrough and the fight on the Calamity Ganon page.

Calamity Ganon emerging in the Sanctum with its title card
Calamity Ganon is back in the Sanctum on the starred save, so the final battle can be repeated.

What do you unlock after the ending?

Two things, both on the save with the star:

  • The star next to the save file, which only shows that this file has seen the ending.
  • A completion percentage on the map screen, which rises as you find what is left on the map.

No new area, quest or item opens up.

How do you see the extra scene after the credits?

Finish the main quest Captured Memories before the final battle: the 12 photo spots in Zelda’s album, then the 13th memory that Impa’s painting points to. With all 13 recalled, one more scene is added after the credits. It does not replace the normal ending. If you finished without it, find the rest and beat Ganon again. Every spot is on the Captured Memories page.

Link and Zelda standing on a hill, looking out over Hyrule Castle
The scene added after the credits once all 13 memories are recalled: Link and Zelda look out over Hyrule.

What about the DLC after the ending?

None of the Expansion Pass content waits for the ending, but most players reach it around this point. It is sold separately from the game and from the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition.

DLC contentWhat it needsPage
The Champions’ BalladAll four Divine Beasts freedDLC guide
Trial of the SwordThe Master SwordTrial of the Sword
Master ModeNothing: a separate mode with its own saves, one manual save and one autosaveDLC guide

Finishing The Champions’ Ballad gives you the Master Cycle Zero, and Trial of the Sword raises the Master Sword from 30 attack to 60.

Master Cycle Zero standing on its pedestal
Master Cycle Zero, the reward for finishing The Champions’ Ballad.

What is there to do after beating the game?

Everything below was open before the ending too.

What to doHow much there isPage
Finish the shrines120All shrine locations
Get the Master Sword13 Heart Containers neededMaster Sword
Upgrade your armor4 Great FairiesGreat Fairy Fountains, upgrade materials
Clear the quest log42 shrine quests, 76 side questsShrine quests, side quests
Earn Kilton’s medals40 Taluses, 40 Hinox, 4 MoldugasTaluses, Hinox, Moldugas
Fight every Lynel22Lynels
Find the Koroks900 seedsKorok seeds
Collect every armor piece107 piecesAll armor

Korok seeds are the longest of these. You need 441 of the 900 for every inventory slot; collecting all 900 earns Hestu’s Gift, which has no gameplay effect.

To see what you are missing in one place, tick things off on the interactive map.

FAQ

Can you keep playing Breath of the Wild after beating Ganon?
Yes. After the credits you return to your save from before the final battle with everything you had. The save gets a star, and you can go on with shrines, Koroks, quests and the DLC.
Does Breath of the Wild save after the ending?
No. The game does not keep a world where Ganon is defeated. It only marks the save from before the fight with a star, so the final battle can be fought again.
What do you unlock after beating Ganon?
A star on the save file and a completion percentage on the map screen. No new area or quest opens up, and Master Mode is part of the Expansion Pass, not a reward for finishing.
Do you need to beat Ganon to play the DLC?
No. The Champions' Ballad starts once all four Divine Beasts are freed, Trial of the Sword needs the Master Sword, and Master Mode is picked from the title screen and keeps its own save.
How do you see the extra scene after the credits?
Finish Captured Memories, all 12 photos and the 13th memory, before the final battle. An extra scene is then added after the credits.
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