These are recommendations made by tropers for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Fan Fics, all of which have been signed. After a few samples, you will be able to judge whether you might be interested in the 'fic, based on who recommended it. No-name recommendations will be zapped. Nobody would back up the rec. Discussion of the recommendation is welcome on the discussion page. As such discussion is important, do remember to add the discussion page to the watchlist, if need be.
open/close all folders
General Fics
- Champions of a Fallen Age by Ebony McCloud
- Recommended by: seeker_of_sanity
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Mipha, Daruk, Revali, Urbosa, and Link. I watched as one by one my friends fell to the Calamity we were destined to fight. In their final moments they were placed in the Shrine of Resurrection, preserving their lives. One hundred years I have waited, holding the Calamity back in the hopes that my champions would rise once again.
- Comments: This is basically a what if scenario of what would happen if the four divine beast champions were in the Shrine of Resurrection alongside Link. Has some hints of Mipha x Link but the story isn't focused entirely around it.
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
(alternative link) by The Zed of Ages- Recommended by: the_alexicon
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: "But courage need not be remembered... for it is never forgotten." Though struggling with both the loss of memory and the incredible weight of past failure, Link must find a way to recover what has been lost and bring hope back to the land of Hyrule. An epic fantasy-style novelization of Breath of the Wild.
- Comments: An extremely well written novelization with character and plot development rather than reading as a "game script." The author weaves in the different memories Link recovers throughout the game very well. It is extremely faithful to the text/subtext of BOTW, extrapolates well to give minor characters more development, and also adds some unique twists and turns to the story. Highly recommended.
- Rise of the Zeldan Technocratic Union by Gregg Landsman (FF.net -no up to date- link)
- Recommended by: Ariachus
- Status: Dead; last updated December 2018
- Synopsis: Post-Breath of the Wild. And so technophobia dies; with thunderous piano music. Following the defeat of the Calamity, it is resolved that this backwards, magical kingdom shall embrace the promise of magitech, as soon as the people stop screaming about the giant robots.
- Pairing(s): Link/Zelda
- Tags: Adventure, Comedy, Romance.
- From the Ground Up by fioreofthemarch. (Ao3 link here)
- Recommended by: Lermis
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: No kingdom. No allies. No guide. Zelda and Link struggle to find their feet in a Hyrule that has all but forgotten them. With sinister forces leaping at the power vacuum left by Ganon and an already fragile Hyrule teetering on the edge of a civil war, the pair must forge new paths in order to save both their kingdom, and their chance to rebuild it. Post-BOTW Zelink
- Pairings: Link/Zelda
- if i can live through this i can do anything by Lycanthrowup
- Recommended by: biostarkick7
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis:The Champions are freshly un-deceased and learning to live in a fresh new world full of 100 years of devastation. Revali, however, is a hot mess with nothing productive to do. This is his story.
- Pairings: Revali/various male characters
- Tags: Sexually explicit, PTSD, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Game
- Comments: An incredibly well-written story about Revali coming to terms with his own death, acknowledging his insecurities, and growing closer to the other Champions. The characterization and relationships are all fantastic but special mention must go to the dynamic between Urbosa and Revali which is incredibly heartwarming. The sexual content might be a little off-putting if you're like me and not interested in it but it is thankfully mostly skippable.
- The Rito Chronicles by sturms_sun_shattered
- Recommended by: lobster09
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: A declining population, brutal justice, and Rito politics contribute to the framework of these fics, which focus heavily on interpersonal struggles of the entire village before and after Link awakens.
- Pairings: Kass/Amali, Teba/Saki, various pairings between official characters and/or fan characters, and one polyamorous ship not listed here due to it being a spoiler later on in the series.
- Tags: The series spans over a dozen stories that covers many tags, but some major ones are: Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Drama, Violence, Injury, Sexual Content, Pre-Game and Post-Game
- Comments: An incredibly in-depth look into the lives of Rito Village's inhabitants in the century after the Calamity, their hardships in the face of catastrophe, famine and loss, and the struggles of families and friends to stick together and endure despite the horror of Calamity Ganon's presence in the world, with things like politics, bigotry, trauma and complex interpersonal relationships all playing a strong role. The main focus is on the events of the game and the months following the ending, though there is also extensive coverage on several characters' pasts that span decades prior to the start of the game. Every single denizen of Rito Village is fleshed out and given a unique personality, backstory, and motivations that drive the plot, from major players like Kass and Teba to extremely minor NPCs, and all have varying levels of character development that feels wholly organic as a complex web of relationships between lovers, family members, friends and rivals alike kindle, sour, strengthen and evolve over the years. A true masterpiece that brings Rito Village to life with a level of worldbuilding, effort and care not often seen in fanfiction. Once you're invested in this series you will never look at the village and its people in the game the same way again.
- Displaced by socksock (trope page)
- Recommended by: Discar
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: She is actually doing quite well for a time displaced young woman who has just finished a century-long battle with demon, and whose admittedly-few friends are all long dead, and who hasn't used her vocal chords or seen the sun in a hundred years.
- Pairings: Link/Zelda
- Comments: Zelda is a scientist trying to restore the world after the Calamity. Link is a couple steps up from a naked pyromaniac.
- The Princess Who Carries the Blood of the Goddess by TheLoudGuy (trope page)
- Recommended by: Discar
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: One hundred years have passed since the Calamity was freed. One hundred years since the princess fell. One hundred years since the hero beat back the darkness, driving it into the heart of Hyrule Castle. Now Zelda wakes in the Chamber of Resurrection, and must reclaim her memory while setting right a world that she let go terribly wrong. Link waits for her; she cannot fail again.
- Pairings: Link/Zelda, Zelda/Paya
- Comments: A beautiful Perspective Flip about amnesiac Zelda. There are many differences, starting with Zelda being a scientist and a Squishy Wizard instead of a warrior, but either way the writing is beautiful.
- Breath of the Wild by Valentin Laboy
- Recommended by: TheGoddessIsDead
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: An ancient warrior named Link is awakened from a deep sleep in cave. Brought to the surface by a mystical woman's voice, he is entrusted to the most impossible task of all: avert the apocalypse festering in Hyrule Castle. Save what's left of the world. Along the way, he recovers the life he forgot, the family he lost, and the losses the world suffered in his 100-year absence.
- Comments: This story is written as a novelization of the game. Unlike a true fan novelization, this one changes things up a little bit more akin to an adaptation. The story and memories remain the same, but there are original new arcs that didn't occur in the original game. Link's personality remains the same, but he is given an Age Lift, Zelda is given a Race Lift and an Adaptational Superpower Change, and original characters, major and minor, are introduced in accordance with some of these changes. It also incorporates a few elements presented in Age of Calamity. Many of the paragraphs in the story are heavy duty Description Porn, going into heavy detail describing emotional and physical settings. Action sequences are written just the same. It cohesively builds the world of this version of Breath of the Wild. The author also brings in Link x Mipha and Zelink. It's a very well-thought out story.
- It serves as the second installment to the author's Marvel Fanfic Universe, introducing more crossover characters that will be present in the story going forward. However, this PDF of the novel removes the crossover elements.
- It serves as the second installment to the author's Marvel Fanfic Universe, introducing more crossover characters that will be present in the story going forward. However, this PDF
- Again by Drich
- Recommended by: p0nypanda, Robinton
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Link wakes up. Journeys across the world. Defeats Calamity. Link wakes up. Again. And Again. And Again.
- Comments: An amazing Breath of the Wild fic that tackles Link's attempts to escape a "Groundhog Day" Loop of the events of the game, including a gradual descent into speedrunning, as well as the mental trauma needed to even risk that.
- Then you get some worldbuilding, character interactions, and a bunch of awesomeness that I am in no way going to spoil.
- Now has a trope page here.
Shipping Fics
Stories focused on romantic relationships between the cast.
- Breath of the Wild Rewritten by Italicised
- Recommended by: cookiecat_smiles
- Paring: Link/Zelda
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: A re-telling of the events of Breath of the Wild, beginning at the first memory and going a little into the post-game. Zelink. Will obviously include spoilers, but besides character tweaks, is true to the game.
- Comments: As the summary said, it's basically The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in word format, with Zelink thrown into the mix. The writing makes seemingly boring events more emotional, starting from the first memory in the game. It presents the growing relationship between Link and Zelda as from knight and princess to friends, which slowly blooms into love. The fic is very emotional, with the right balance of Angst and fluff that would have you crying or squealing, maybe both! It also doesn't force the spotlight on Link, allowing other characters to have their moments, and the flow of events is very smooth. This fic is definitely for Breath of the Wild and Zelink lovers.
- Calm Waters Run Deep by MaryDragon
- Recommended by: Pulease & Anura
- Paring: Link/Zelda
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: A novelization of the past in Breath of the Wild through Zelda's point of view, detailing the nature of her relationship with Link and how it evolved with time.
- Comments: For the most part faithful to canon (prior to the Champion's Ballad at least, as that changed a lot of things that were up to open to speculation back when the fic was first written), it presents believable dynamics between the two characters, while still adding its own twist of freshness to the characterization and own backstory for Link that manages to fit with what is presented about him throughout the game. Marvelous character development and powerful dramatic writing (it is particularly striking because it doesn't fall too much into wangst territory, keeping an excellent balance between the light-hearted aspects of the story and the tragedy), it definitely does the game justice while creating an excellent romance.
- Now is part of the series Trouble the Water
- Now is part of the series Trouble the Water
- Roots by ClaraAeri
- Recommended by: muskrat, eeveelutionlover2000
- Pairing(s): Link/Zelda
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: A work exploring the events that took place before the calamity- detailing Link's chaotic ascendance into the royal guard, his first meetings with each of the champions, Zelda, and the people who raised him.
- Notes: Has a sidestory Now and Then (Ongoing).
- Comments: A very well written fic from Link's point of view from his childhood to ending with the final battle with the Calamity. The author takes the two eras(Pre-Calamity and game canon) and meshes them together very well, creating not just a story about Link's backstory but also connecting each past moment with that of the present with seamless transitions between eras. In addition to this, they add a lot of their own worldbuilding and headcanons while still keeping with the game's canon story, allowing for a much more fleshed out world, in this troper's opinion. The relationships between characters are probably the greatest selling point of this fic, however, particularly between Link/Zelda and the other Champions. They all have fantastic character dynamics and chemistry, which is something shared by pretty much all the characters. Even the OCs presented in the fic were a delight to behold, and they help flesh out the characters so much more than if the story had been solely canon characters. Fair warning, it does get somewhat Angsty at times, however it doesn't really hurt the plot or the characters, and instead pushes everything forward. Similarly, this fic has a lot of interactions which will make you cry, laugh, or perhaps even both, especially towards the latter half of the story.
- Tags: Slow Burn, fluff and Humor, Angst, Blood and Violence
Add Review- FFS, I Believe in You by DyraDoodles
- Recommended by: Theriocephalus
- Status: Complete
- Pairing(s): Link/Sidon
- Synopsis: Link has to face the enormity of his task to subdue the Divine Beasts, and his anxieties surrounding his previous failure, all the while having to deal with a massive crush on a certain shark prince. Sidon's own feelings for Link, he finds, are not quite as platonic as he previously believed. Meanwhile, the lizalfos are encroaching on Zora's Domain, but for what nefarious purpose?
- Comments: A wonderfully written story. The quality of the writing is very good, and in addition to Link and Sidon's relationship — which is definitely well-handled in itself — the story offers an interesting look into zora society while fleshing out that of the lizalfos beyond their in-game status as simple mooks. A number of OCs have major roles in the story, all written ably enough that the whole thing is worth reading if only to make their acquaintance. The story also incorporates several elements from Ocarina of Time, most notably a certain flooded temple that Ocarina players will probably wish they were a little less familiar with. Even for readers who aren't normally interested in this ship or in shipping stories in general, this story is definitely worth reading for its humor, characters and worldbuilding.
- Notes: A sequel, FFS, What Now, is also up and also complete. It shares most of its qualities with the first, albeit with focus on elements of Oracle of Ages rather than Ocarina.
- Anonymity by socksock
- Recommended by: Andrzej
- Pairing: Link/Zelda
- Status: Complete at 14,393 words
- Synopsis: Zelda has convinced everyone that she is under no circumstances attending the three nights of the masquerade ball. This means she has complete anonymity when she arrives. Complete anonymity, except for her annoying personal guard, who spots her immediately. He just better not disrupt her flirting.
- Comments: a Masquerade Ball Zelink prompt pulled off pretty much flawlessly, both Lampshading and playing the Masquerade Ball trope straight when it suits the comedy or the romantic development better. Zelda's voice and characterization from the period she still hated his appointed knight is pitch-perfect, so her mix wit and naivety as she tries to be free for once behind her mask, all the while she misses the hints that certain someone's else knows how to wear his own masks just a bit better.
- Moonlight (Every Single Night) by Heleentje
- Recommended by: reddragon32145
- Pairing: Link/Revali
- Status: Complete at 170,864 words
- Synopsis: The day before he fought Ganon the first time, he’d visited all the people he’d come to know and all the Champions waiting for release. He had thought it would be the last time he’d ever see them. He’d even made peace with it. Now, that yesterday is nearing a month ago for Link, and he is so tired. Link defeats the Calamity. And then he faces it again and again and again and again—
- Comments: A very well-written story about Link and Zelda trying to figure out how to break out of a "Groundhog Day" Loop that they're stuck in, and maybe find a way to save their long-lost friends along the way. The romantic part of it is mostly subtext, and could honestly be mostly read as just a very close friendship. The actual very close friendship between Link and Zelda is also very sweet.
- Finding Link by Umbreonix
- Recommended by: reddragon32145
- Pairing: Link/Revali
- Status: Complete at 94,696 words
- Synopsis: The calamity has been defeated and the Champions are revived on a pure white full moon. Everything is back to how it was, except not really. One hundred years has taken its toll on Hyrule- and where has the hero gone? Revali is sent on a quest to find Link (but not without a lot of angry squawking about it). He travels the lengths of Hyrule with nothing to go on other than a full library of photos the hero had left in Zelda's sheikah slate. As he journeys though, the question of 'where is Link' slowly transforms to 'who is Link?' because this grinning boy in the pictures surely cannot be the same stoic brick wall they all once knew. As extraordinarily talented as he is, he finds him all too fast and the questions only multiply from there.
- Comments: An extremely funny and very cute romantic comedy about Link and Revali getting to know each other post-canon.
- no one mentions fear by HopeStoryteller
- Recommended by: ANewEnigma
- Pairing: Link/Revali, Mipha/Zelda
- Status: Complete at 198,231 words
- Synopsis: Calamity Ganon has been defeated, at long last. Perhaps it is a miracle of Hylia's making, or perhaps it is merely a pleasant side effect of Sheikah science mixing with Zelda's magic. Whatever the cause, the fact remains that Link's fellow champions are, miraculously, back!
Or, at any rate, three of them are back from the dead: Mipha, Urbosa, Daruk. It stands to reason that Revali too would have returned from the grave. But where is he?
In completely unrelated news, the bard Kass has recently taken on an apprentice: another Rito who can't recall a thing about his past, not even his own name.) - Comments: While I'm not really the shipping type, being ultimately pretty indifferent to most pairings in general, I did find this fic to be really enjoyable. It manages to blend together a really funny (and groanworthy, in a good way) series of events where Revali loses his memories upon his revival due to his own recklessness, the aftermath of the Calamity and how the Champions deal with the events, and integrates elements of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword into the story with Ghirahim and Fi's return, and how it all ties together into the present day Yiga Clan post-Calamity and Revali's own past. Plus character shenanigans from our favorite characters like Sidon and Kass. Give it a look if you have the time.
Crossovers
Stories including major elements from one or more unrelated fictional settings.
- The Heroes of Legend by Critica7
- Recommended by: mrthischarmingman2
- Status: Ongoing
- Crossover with Fire Emblem: Three Houses
- Synopsis: One day, the students of Garreg Mach disappeared without a trace. Two weeks later, they returned, having spent three years in Hyrule. This is their story.
- Comments: From the writer of The Miracle of Life comes another incredible piece. Watching the main characters on their adventures in Hyrule has proven to be a very entertaining experience, even if at the moment I feel that Link is being overshadowed by the colourful characters of Three Houses. Nevertheless, I'm excited to see what awaits them all as the story goes on, and how their experiences will effect the future of Fodlan upon their return.
- The Legend of Fodlan by Leirbag15
- Recommended by Gab1
- Status: Dead
- Crossover with: Fire Emblem: Three Houses
- Synopsis: By leaving his homeland, he had hoped to revitalize his life, to find the excitement of his evil-fighting days once again. When he finds himself at Garreg Mach, he doesn't yet realize that he is going to get everything he wished for — for better, but especially for worse.
- Tags: Adventure, Fantasy
- Comments: Essentially, Link becomes unsatisfied with his life in Hyrule and leaves Hyrule in search of adventure, eventually ending in Fodlan. The two universes are well integrated so far, and there is a good insight in Link's personality. It has only just begun, but it shows potential.
Alternate Universe
Stories diverge from canon majorly (or minimally) .
- A Broken Cycle by MMMagnolia
- Recommended by Jack555
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: At the end of the 10,000 year-long era of peace, the Queen of Hyrule had given birth to a son. By the time of Calamity Ganon's prophesied awakening, there was no female heir to become Hylia's incarnation.
- Tags: Adventure, Fantasy, AU, Role Reversal
- Warning: There is blood, swearing, and a lot of discussion of deep stuff.
- Comments: This is basically a role swap between Link and Zelda, but here's the twist, it also discusses the 'grayer' aspects of hyrule's system, making it Darker and Edgier by definition.To people who would like to know, Zelda is Bisexual (or polysexual) in this fic, but Link/Zelda is end game. This is a great story you should definitely take a look at.
- The Calamity Reborn by Spidershadow5
- Recommended by WaxingName
- Status: Complete (one-shot)
- Synopsis: An alternate take on the final battle with Calamity Ganon, with him having fully regenerated into a cyborg of his Gerudo form, Ganondorf.
- Tags: T Rating, AU
- Comments: For those who wanted a confrontation with the 'Dorf himself, this fanfic delivers. It has tons of cool moments that incorporate elements of the original fight with the imperfect cyborg Calamity and Ganondorf's battles in previous games.
- The Repeating Cycle… Ends by l_OmegaInfinity_l
- Recommended by EnigmusPrime
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: As Zelda struggles to unlock her powers, an errant comment from Impa leads Terrako to attempt something drastic: bring forth another Zelda to ask for help. It fails... but has an unexpected consequence. Link, Zelda, and Impa now remember all of their lives, and how they've fought the same battle over and over. And they're over it. They're ending the cycle. Now. Will include: Link taking no shit from Revali, Impa greatly relaxing her stance of propriety and tradition, and Zelda remembering how much fun her other lives could have. Oh, and the characters of Breath of the Wild/Age of Calamity dealing with a Link, Zelda, and Impa who are officially done following the rules. In other words: Chaos!
