The 15 Most Awesome References in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

From the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Image from Nintendo Switch version taken by C. Wassenaar and via Nintendo.

9. The Sheikah and Impa

Impa as a character dates back to the first Zelda game, per the Zeldapedia, and her role was defined then as the nursemaid to the princess. It wasn’t until Ocarina of Time that she became a Sheikah as well as the princess’ bodyguard and a warrior in her own right. It’s that Impa that inspired the one of Skyward Sword. The Impa that we meet in Breath of the Wild owes more to those iterations.

In fact, this isn’t even the first time that Impa has had to sit around and wait for Link to get his act together! Admittedly, this Link was nearly dead and had to take a particularly long nap in a shrine in order to get back into fighting shape, but the point remains. She does the same thing in Skyward, which involves some time shenanigans as well. The old woman that you meet on the surface the first time you fall is Impa, and you’ll meet her younger incarnation later in the game.

In Breath, however, Impa doesn’t seem to have the role of royal nursemaid, but she retains her Sheikah identity and her ties to Kakariko Village. (In fact, Ocarina’s Impa is the Sage of Shadow, and her temple can be found in the Kakariko Graveyard.) Her age might prevent her from doing much more than giving you information, but she remembers all that’s happened in the years since Link has been gone.