Zelda Theory: Why does the Master Sword “Break”? *Spoilers Inside*

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is packed with tons of “new” mechanics, which separate it from all previous iterations.

[Segata]

It repairs itself.

[admiralvic]

It does, but the article tries to create to figure out an explanation for why it breaks when it historically hasn't.

While fan theories like this can be a lot of fun, this one seems pretty straightforward. Like the writer states, Nintendo simply didn't want you to just use one sword throughout your remaining adventure, which is why it deteriorates. Obviously, they can't make a weapon as special and time consuming to obtain like the Master Sword a one time obtain that you can only use so much before it's garbage and adding mechanics just to fix it is a waste of resources, hence this mechanic.

As for the theory, the idea that the blade can be overused and it merely adapted is silly. I like the theory that it showed Link's health at the time, I personally just saw it as a way to symbolize Link's failure and how much time has passed. This is why all the promotional artwork, including the Master Edition figure, use the rusted blade over the brand new one you find and possess in Breath of the Wild. The symbolism is lost with the perfect sword and doesn't quite capture the failure the same way that the iconic sword in such a bad shape shows.

[nitus10]

In the game The Witcher 3 you can craft oils (they are upgradable) which are specific to each monster class which you can apply to your silver monster slaying blade that will allow so many strikes before you need to reapply the oil. This is not a bad mechanic since it enhances your weapon and gives you a much better advantage especially when you are fighting enemies five or six levels above you and you are playing the game on the higher difficulties.

Yes TW3 as well as the Souls series do have degradable weapons but you can get through multiple quests and some of these can be quite long before you need to repair them. If you do need to repair your weapons or armor in the field you can always use repair kits. Looking at Zelda BotW videos you basically need to repair your weapon every few seconds which requires you to pause and select a new weapon then rinse/repeat. IMHO this is a great way of breaking the immersion.

If you ever play a Souls/Bloodborne game you can't even pause the game although you can swap your secondary weapon with a button press. Having such fragile weapons that you have in Zelda BotW would make all Souls/Bloodborne games unplayable.

[Sirk7x]

I just assume the blade hasn't fully repaired itself yet.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

@ nitus
"Looking at Zelda BotW videos you basically need to repair your weapon every few seconds"
Looking at your comment, it's apparent you don't know what you're talking about and are just trying to rag on the game.

[Ryuk_2007]

lol spoiler headline and pic

[bacrec1]

Right!

[zodiac909]

Title alone is a spoiler...

[EddieNX]

It "doesn't" ?

[SinisterKieran]

aww damn, i was looknig forward to getting this sword....but it breaks? or does it mend itself?

[triverse]

Detailed in the article.

[SinisterKieran]

yeah i don't know if you noticed but it says spoilers inside?
so yeah..i'm not reading that.

[triverse]

@sinister, that is why it has spoilers posted twice in the preview. So people that don't want to know can avoid this article like the plague.

[Pookandpie]

It runs out of energy and then has to recharge.

It's actually pretty clearly explained in the game so you can make your own extrapolations, as well. You know how its referenced multiple times throughout the early game that Link died/was mortally wounded and that's why he woke up 100 years later in the Shrine of Resurrection? Well, the sword was just as bad off (the rusted/chipped Master Sword you see in the title and loading screen is a result of Ganon's calamitous influence and how incredibly wounded Link was).

Breath of the Wild has the evil force, Ganon, be so strong and prevalent in the world that the Master Sword runs out of energy and has to recharge (or it is because it hasn't fully recovered from events a century prior- book is pretty open on that one).

mechanically speaking, though, the recharge is pretty quick. It lasts for 40-50 hits and comes back in 10 minutes once it runs out of charge, so your other weapons will last *significantly* longer once you get it, lol.

[Theparanerds]

Why are you people complaining about spoilers? What's the spoiler? That the master sword is in the game? That's not really spoiler since its -you know- in every game. There are horses and bows too so spoilers!!!

[triverse]

Best comment here so far.

[vork77]

the real question is how did the sword get unrusted and fix its chip blades

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

Sacred pedestal and the continuous efforts of The Great Deku Tree's magical abilities, presumably.

[PlayStation_5]

"Why does the Master Sword Break?"

Because the Ancient Sages at Nintendo used the cheapest parts they could possibly find to create the Master Sword.

Link should have also bought a Sword Protector and padding for the Enchanted Pedestal.

According to Legend, the Master Sword should not be used near...

Aquariums, Bokoblins, Chuchus, Calamity Ganon, Cordless Phones, Dark Beast Ganon, Fireblight Ganon, Keese, Laptops, Lizalfos, Lynels, Master Kohga, Metal Objects, Microwaves, Moblins, Stal-Bokoblins, Tablets, Thunderblight Ganon, TV's, USB 3.0 Devices, Waterblight Ganon, Windblight Ganon, Wireless Access Points, Wireless Headsets, Wireless Printers, Wireless Speakers and Wizzrobes.

[flappo]

because like everything nintendo create it's badly made junk

[john679]

Thanks for the spoilers a#$holes.

[Theparanerds]

Just curios - what's the spoiler?

[conanlifts]

You don't know at the start that the sword is even attainable. You learn this as the story progresses. The image also shows the stats and the title confirms it is breakable. You do not know it is breakable or how it functions.

[triverse]

You are welcome jacka#$. Anytime.

[conanlifts]

Its funny. I made a comment simply saying the comment and image are spoilers, which they are. Anyone playing zelda will understand this. Yet my comment was marked inappropriate. It shows how ridiculous this site is.

For info for moderators it is not even made clear at the start that you can get the mastersword. The image used shows the sword and the stats. Next it certainly is not clear that the sword can break. Regardless of the outcome.

[ObviousGoldfish]

Huh

[pcz]

Because the switch isn't powerful enough to render an invincible mastersword

[Bateekh]

That is a great potential explanation on why Master Sword has limited number of uses before being reusable. Seriously, amazing explanation. Good job!

[Enigma_2099]

" Like the writer states, Nintendo simply didn't want you to just use one sword throughout your remaining adventure, which is why it deteriorates. "

So basically, if you find a favorite weapon, f*** you. We're gonna break it, so pick something else. BTW, they don't break when the enemies use them, so enjoy that middle finger too. Dealing with weapon durability in other games is just as much a headache, too.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

There are so many copies of your "favorite" in BotW that a replacement is just a battle away.
Royal gear, much of it with the exact same green colored Durability Up bonus on it, is so common for me now that I have had to actually toss some of them to make way for gear I found up in Hyrule Castle and in various Shrine chests.XD
Even Lynel weapons become easy acquisitions once you get the hang of fighting them.

In most games, it's not the breaking that matters so much as the repair costs, which include the time spent going to blacksmith-like people/areas adding up, as well as any kits/mats needed, or the knowledge that you've lost something forever and there will never be something exactly like it popping up to replace it once it breaks.
Neither of those things are issues with the breakable weapons in BotW, which eases a lot of the frustration.
Making the good stuff frequent and steadily better as you progress counterbalances the breaking aspect.
Plus it's just fun to chuck a nearly-broken Boko-bat into a Moblin's face and watch it explode as he flies off the nearest cliff.XD