Great Calamity
Template:Sources Template:Plot Event The Great Calamity refers to two distant events in Hyrule's history related to the resurgence of the Calamity Ganon in Breath of the Wild.[1]
History
First Great Calamity
The first Great Calamity refers to the first battle between Calamity Ganon, 10,100 years before the events of Breath of the Wild. Anticipated by the then-highly advanced Hylian civilization, the conflict opposed Calamity Ganon to an unnamed Hero and Princess, helped by the mechanical creations of the Sheikah tribe: the Guardians and the four Divine Beasts. The Hylian side was victorious and Calamity Ganon was succesfully sealed. It was then prophetized that Calamity Ganon shall break free and cause another great Calamity in 10,000 years.
Second Great Calamity
The second Great Calamity was a period of mass destruction in Hyrule caused by the return of Calamity Ganon after being imprisoned for 10,000 years.[2] This event led to many deaths and almost every structure across Hyrule to crumble into ruins.[3] Hyrule Castle itself fell under Ganon and King Rhoam's life was ended.[4] With Hyrule Castle having fallen and the army of Hyrule with no leader, they fell back to the fortress that protected Akkala, which also fell and was later known as the Akkala Citadel Ruins.[5] The Great Calamity caused a great split within the Sheikah tribe, as a separate tribe known as the Yiga Clan grew and fought in allegiance to Calamity Ganon.[6] Due to the Great Calamity, Hyrule experiences an increase in monsters.[7] It also caused Stalkoblins, Stalmoblins, and Stalizalfos to appear at night.[8]
Calamity Ganon achieved much of the destruction by possessing the same Guardians and Divine Beasts that were used to defeat it 10,000 years before. Calamity Ganon successfully ended the lives of the Champions Daruk, Urbosa, Revali, and Mipha. Out of the Champions, only Link survived the Great Calamity, but was placed to slumber for 100 years within the Shrine of Resurrection after being injured while defending Princess Zelda. To prevent the destruction of the entirety of Hyrule and all its people, Zelda spends the 100 years after the Great Calamity inside Hyrule Castle with Calamity Ganon, keeping the demon in place within the Castle.
Nomenclature
 Names in Other Regions 
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|---|---|---|---|
| Language | Name | Meaning | |
 |
Japanese | 大厄災 (Dai Yakusai) | Same as English. |
References
- ↑ "The Great Calamity was merciless..." — King Rhoam (Breath of the Wild)
- ↑ "The Great Calamity was merciless... It devastated everything in its path, lo, a century ago." — King Rhoam (Breath of the Wild)
- ↑ "It's hard to even talk about the Great Calamity. It was a disastrous event that took place 100 years ago. Villages everywhere were burned. Many lives were lost..." — Reede (Breath of the Wild)
- ↑ "It was then that my life was taken away from me. And since that time, here I have remained, in spirit form." — King Rhoam (Breath of the Wild)
- ↑ "That's the Akkala Citadel Ruins. Long ago, at the peak of Hyrule's power, they built a fortress to protect Akkala. It was said to be unassailable, but during the Great Calamity, Hyrule Castle fell... The army had no royalty to lead them. With no other choice, they fell back to this citadel to make their last stand." — Nell (Breath of the Wild)
- ↑ "We Sheikah have long served the royal family of Hyrule in secret. During the Great Calamity of 100 years ago... the royal family was destroyed, and the members of our tribe scattered. Sadly, there were some who swore allegiance to Ganon at that time. They joined together as the Yiga Clan, seeking out all who opposed Ganon... cutting them down, one after another." — Paya (Breath of the Wild)
- ↑ "Not sure if it's Calamity Ganon's fault or what, but I hear monsters have been attacking people more than ever lately." — Daruk (Breath of the Wild)
- ↑ "Everything looks just as it always has, but the effects of the Great Calamity still linger. For example, a lot of monsters come out at night, so be careful when the sun sets..." — Rensa (Breath of the Wild)