There’s no shortage of things to do in the latest installment of the Legend of Zelda series. From freeing the Divine Beasts, to finding all the Koroks, to making all the dishes you can imagine, there’s no limit to the adventure.
...Except for Link’s walking speed.
He’s not the quickest Hylian around, so if you plan to take the trails to your destinations, you’re better at taking a horse with you.
They live in plains around Hyrule and can be tamed and ridden around like in real life.
Not all horses are created equal, and some horses are even super special! It would help your speed if you stuck around to find out the five best horses in Hyrule.
5. Giant Horse (For Beefy Defense)
He’s a tower compared to Link!
Legend has it a gigantic horse resides in Taobab Grassland. Legend wasn’t prepared for Link taming it. This horse is one of three special in-game horses that you can find. Although there’s a quest associated with this gargantuan Ganon lookalike, you don’t have to initiate it to find the horse.
Boasting a 5 in strength, this steed is one to be messed with!
Why the Giant Horse is Great:
- Five-star strength, a beast if I’ve ever seen one!
- He’ll never slow down ‘til you tell him to.
- That’s a rare one; treat him with pride.
More info: https://zelda.gamepedia.com/File:BotW_Giant_Horse_Stats.jpg
How to Get the Giant Horse:
- Travel to Taobab Grassland in Gerudo Highlands
- If you’re doing the quest, you’ll need to get past two Lynels to get to the archery camp to finish.
4. Lord of the Mountain, a.k.a Satori (For Bragging Rights)
His spirit lies with you.
There rests a sacred horse in Hyrule that protects the animals of the wild. Satori, or the Lord of the Mountain, can be tamed by Link if he is sneaky enough. He’s got level five stamina, and each time a speed boost is used, it replenishes.
If he is dismounted, he’ll return to where you found him. Same if he’s killed, but no one knows when, as he isn’t affected by the Blood Moon.
Why Satori is Great:
- Quite possibly the most majestic steed in all of Hyrule
- Refueling health with every speed boost
- He’s something to brag about, in my opinion.
More info: zelda.gamepedia.com/Lord_of_the_Mountain
How to get Satori, the Lord of the Mountain:
- Satori’s spawning is random, but you’ll know to look when a bright beam of light is shown coming from Satori Mountain.
- Satori is very difficult to tame, so you’ll need to be patient.
- There’s no sidequest associated with him, but Botrick at Outskirt Stable can point you in the right direction.
3. 5 Star Speed Horses (For Going Fast)
Oh, he’ll zoom!
There are only a few special horses in BOTW, so let’s talk about more common horses before talking about special ones. Common being relative in this case. Five-star horses are a force to be reckoned with.
They tend to not be very friendly at first, and you’ll need some stamina to tame them.
If you can, they’ll be a welcome addition to your team.
What’s Great about Five-Star Speed Horses:
- He’s a speedy boi, not much else to say, honestly.
More info: zeldauniverse.net/forums/Thread/183440-Harrs-Guide-All-About-Horses/
How to Find a Five-Star Speed Horse:
- Since these are normal horses, there’s not really a single location to find them, but there are a lot of five-star speed horses in Taobob Grassland.
- Remember, horse stats aren’t determined by color, a common misconception.
- You won’t know exact stats until you get to a stable.
2. Royal Horse (For Real Speed)
The descendent of the horse of Princess Zelda
Now that we’ve been over the fastest normal horses let’s talk about the fastest horses in the game! And by a longshot, too.
The Royal Horse gets its own sidequest, and it’s well worth it too. Do you have what it takes to add this beautiful beast to your team?
What’s Great about the Royal Horse:
- It’s the fastest horse in all of Hyrule.
- According to Hylians, it’s the descendent of Zelda’s own horse.
More info: https://www.zeldadungeon.net/wiki/The_Royal_White_Stallion
How to Get the Royal Horse:
- To initiate the quest, you’ll need to talk to Toffa in Outskirt Stable, then another NPC will direct you to Saffula Hill.
- The Royal Horse is incredibly skittish, so you should come with stealth power-ups. What’s more, it’s tough to tame. You’ll need lots of stamina to befriend this stallion.
1. Epona (For an All-Around Great Horse...and Link’s Best Pal!)
The iconic trusty steed is back!
What would BOTW, the most expansive Legend of Zelda game to date, without an appearance from Epona?
Link’s trusty steed is back in action, but you won’t find her anywhere in the base game. She’s not DLC either. Read on to find out how to get her.
What’s Great About Epona:
- Four Star everything!
- Upon mounting, you don’t need to worry about taming her.
More info: https://zelda.gamepedia.com/Epona
How to Get Epona:
- You’ll have to have a Link Amiibo from the Smash Bros series to get Epona. You’ll also need to register to keep her from running away and having to wait 24 hours to try again.
Horses Galore
As you can see, there are lots of options when it comes to picking a horse. Big, small, fast, and strong, there’s no end to your choices. Since you can have up to five registered, why not register these ones (minus Satori, of course)?
