Blood Moon
Template:Plot Event Blood Moons,[1] also known as Red Moons,[2] and Nights of the Red Moon,[3] are events in Breath of the Wild. Blood Moons occur under special conditions.
Overview
Blood Moons occur at midnight at times when Calamity Ganon's power reaches its peak and escapes from Zelda's control within Hyrule Castle,[4][1] dyeing the night sky and the Moon red with Malice.[3] The effects of this Malice revive any fallen monsters and enemies, returning them to where they once were prior to being slain. Mechanically, Blood Moons are a way to refresh Breath of the Wild's long-term memory and appear to purge the game's cache. Consequently, data stored within the game's long-term memory is reset, including the presence or lack thereof of Materials and Weapons in Breath of the Wild. Blood Moons do not affect things handled through short-term memory, such as Creatures, Grass, Trees, and Barrels. Blood Moons also do not affect major bosses such as Master Kohga and the Phantom Ganons inside the Divine Beasts. Blood Moons can be initiated by overloading the long-term memory through slaying monsters and enemies, visiting several locations, Sitting past midnight at Campfires and Cooking Pots, sleeping past midnight at Inns, or by playing the game uninterrupted for three real-world hours. Blood Moons can be interrupted by entering specific areas such as Ancient Shrines and Hyrule Castle before midnight, though they will simply appear again the next night. Blood Moons are always represented by a full Moon regardless of which phase the Moon is in.
The effects of Blood Moons begin around 11:30 PM, though Blood Moons can usually be seen as early as 10:00 PM when the Moon rises into the sky. At 11:30 PM, Malice will rise from the ground at an increasing rate up until the climax of the Blood Moon at midnight. When midnight hits, Zelda will warn Link that a Blood Moon has risen and advise him to take caution.[5]
Cooking from 11:30 PM to 12:15 AM during a Blood Moon gives Food an effect boost.[6]
Trivia
- An odd exception to the Blood Moon failing to trigger at midnight while in Hyrule Castle is during the first fight against Calamity Ganon. If midnight strikes on a Blood Moon night during this first battle, Calamity Ganon's health will refill to maximum as if neither Link nor the Divine Beasts had done him any damage. Strangely, this exception does not apply to the battle against Dark Beast Ganon.
- It has not been confirmed whether the Blights are healed or left alone if fought on a Blood Moon night.
- In addition to reviving enemies and Overworld Bosses, ore deposits are replenished, Treasure Chests are refilled, and Materials ranging from plants and trees, to gear left lying in the field, effectively respawn, allowing Link to collect them again if the ones he took before the Blood Moon broke in the interim period.
- From a meta perspective, the Blood Moon exists to reset the game world, allowing the player to always be able to find materials no matter how long they play. So defeating enemies and Overworld Bosses, and otherwise picking the land clean of resources, increases the likelihood of a Blood Moon occurring the next night.
- Hino of the Dueling Peaks Stable is the primary source of information on the Blood Moon, and can be seen acting odd during the time period that it affects the overworld. After midnight, should Link be curious if he can still reap the benefits of cooking under a Blood Moon, he need only see if Hino is still acting odd. If he is normal again, the effect has expired.
Nomenclature
 Names in Other Regions 
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Language | Name | Meaning | |
 |
Japanese | 赤き月 (Akaki Tsuki) | Red Moon |
Gallery
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The Blood Moon beginning
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The Blood Moon reviving various enemies
See Also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Whenever the clock strikes midnight on unlucky nights, the sky turns blood red. That's the blood moon. When that happens, monsters come back to life, no matter how many times you've defeated them. It's happened for so long now that no one really pays it any mind, but I have no plans to give up on my research." — [[Hino]] (Breath of the Wild)
- ↑ "Under a Red Moon
Hyrule Ridge" — [[Adventure Log]] (Breath of the Wild) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 Creating a Champion, Dark Horse Books, pg. 406
- ↑ "... Link... Link... Be on your guard. Ganon's power grows...it rises to its peak under the hour of the blood moon. By its glow, the aimless spirits of monsters slain in the name of the light return to flesh. Link...please be careful." — [[Zelda]] (Breath of the Wild)
- ↑ "The blood moon rises once again. Please be careful, Link..." — [[Zelda]] (Breath of the Wild)
- ↑ "Sometimes you'll witness incredible success in your cooking adventures. When this happens, the strength and duration of your cooked food's effects will increase well beyond normal. Using more than the usual number of ingredients is a sure way to boost the effects of your food. But I've also heard rumors that the light of the red moon can have a positive effect on your cooking as well." — Chef Aurie Taamu, Vol. 2 (Breath of the Wild)