Great Calamity
The Great Calamity,(BotW | HWAoC)[1][2] also known as the Calamity, refers to several events in Hyrule's history related to the resurgence of the Calamity Ganon in The Legend of Zelda series.[name references needed]
Overview
Breath of the Wild
10,000-Year-Old Calamity
The 10,000-Year-Old Calamity refers to the emergence of Calamity Ganon, 10,000 years before the events of Breath of the Wild.[3][4] Ganondorf, having given up on his endless cycle of reincarnation, rose to conquer Hyrule as the Calamity, a monstrous creature imbuing pure hatred – or, Malice. As this was anticipated by the Hylian civilization, opposing Ganon was an Ancient Hero chosen by the Sword that Seals the Darkness, and a Princess blessed with an unspecified "sacred power" (illustrated by a Triforce symbol on the Calamity Ganon Tapestry displayed at Impa's home in Kakariko Village),[5] and the mechanical creations of the then-highly advanced Sheikah tribe: the Guardians and the four Divine Beasts. The Hylian side was victorious and Calamity Ganon was successfully sealed. It was then prophesied that Ganon would eventually break free of the seal as he always had. Sometime after this, the King of Hyrule began to see the Sheikah and their incredibly advanced technology as a threat to Hyrule, and banished the tribe from the kingdom, scattering them throughout the land. As a result, the Sheikah decided to cast away their technology and adopt simpler lives, resulting in the secrets of their sciences being lost to time.[6][7]
The Calamity
The Calamity is an event from Breath of the Wild. This event serves as the main historical context of the game. It corresponds to the disaster caused by Calamity Ganon throughout Hyrule that occurred on Zelda's 17th birthday, one hundred years prior to event of the game. After Link awakens at the Shrine of Resurrection at the beginning of Breath of the Wild, he discovers much of Hyrule ruined and devastated by Ganon's forces. However, thanks to Zelda sealing herself and Calamity Ganon away in Hyrule Castle the rest of Hyrule managed to survive and somewhat rebuild.
10,000 years before the Calamity, during the reign of Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule, it was foretold that the return of Calamity Ganon was imminent. This prompted King Rhoam to conduct archeological surveys and unearth the forgotten Sheikah machines,[8] in preparation to confront Calamity Ganon as their ancestors had done 10,000 years prior. They eventually recovered the mechanical army, and were able to reactivate and use them. The teenage Zelda assisted them in their research, as she still had trouble awakening her powers. King Rhoam then requested each race of Hyrule produce a Champion to pilot a Divine Beast, and four elite warriors were selected from across the kingdom by Zelda herself: Mipha, crown Princess of the Zora, Daruk the Goron, Revali the Rito, and Urbosa the Gerudo chieftain. They were each tasked with the duty of piloting a Divine Beast to assist the Hylian Champion, the knight Link. The final key to defeating Calamity Ganon was the divine sealing powers of the royal family's bloodline, and the death of Hyrule's Queen saw this immense duty fall to Zelda. As she was now the sole bearer of this birthright, King Rhoam ordered Zelda to focus on awakening her divine sealing powers, to the exclusion of all else.
Unfortunately, having learned from his previous defeat, Calamity Ganon created four phantom embodiments of himself representing the elements of fire, water, thunder, and wind, each tasked with corrupting and taking control the Divine Beasts, and killing the four Champions. Succeeding in taking control of the Divine Beasts and killing their respective Champions, Calamity Ganon proceeded to take control of the army of Guardians using his Malice, and turned the machines against Hyrule. He then destroyed Hyrule Castle Town and devastated much of Hyrule, slaughtering countless innocents. Amidst the chaos, King Rhoam was killed, and the remaining soldiers and Knights of Hyrule who survived the attack on the castle were helpless against the Guardian onslaught, and were forced to retreat to a massive citadel in Akkala. The final remnants of the Hyrulean Army took their final stand in Akkala Citadel, the kingdom's largest stronghold, which was all but destroyed in the historic battle, leaving the once great structure in ruins.
Hyrule's allies fared far better than the doomed kingdom. Ganon's attack focused squarely on the heartlands of Hyrule, and though the Guardians advanced throughout the kingdom, but they did not invade or attack the realms of the Gerudo, Rito, or the Gorons. A single Guardian advanced into Zora's Domain, though, before being hurled into a ravine by the Zora King Dorephan before it could cause any damage to the Domain.
Link and Zelda, meanwhile, were ambushed by the Guardians in Central Hyrule, and retreated south to Fort Hateno, where they made their desperate last stand against an army of Guardians. Though Link skillfully wielded the True Master Sword, which reacted to Ganon's corruption within the Guardians, and managed to take several down, there were simply too many, and he was eventually overcome. It was here, faced with the impending death of a loved one, that Zelda's powers were truly awakened, allowing her to shut down the Guardians with a blinding ray of light which purged them of Ganon's influence. Though the Guardians were stopped, Link was nonetheless greatly injured, and seemingly died in Zelda's arms. Heartbroken, Zelda wept in despair. As if responding to her cries, the spirit within the Master Sword suddenly spoke to Zelda, and revealed to her that Link could still be saved by using the Shrine of Resurrection, an ancient Sheikah medical facility her research team had discovered. Wasting no time, Zelda ordered her Sheikah allies, Impa, Purah, and Robbie, to carry Link to the Shrine of Resurrection upon the Great Plateau, and to place him in an experimental Slumber of Restoration. Zelda then returned the battle-damaged Master Sword to its pedestal in front of the Great Deku Tree, promising the blade that Link would one day return for it. In a final sacrifice, Zelda marched alone on Hyrule Castle and used her newly awoken powers to seal both Calamity Ganon and herself inside.
With Calamity Ganon sealed, however temporarily, the devastated kingdom of Hyrule was left to rebuild. Though no longer free to rampage, Calamity Ganon's power still remained, as his armies of monsters and some corrupted Guardians remained in the land to wreak havoc. Periodically, an event known as the Blood Moon would occur, reviving any of Ganon's army that had fallen, practically ensuring an eternal stalemate with the survivors left in Hyrule. The kingdom was reduced to several settlements scattered about the land.
100 years later, with Calamity Ganon close to breaking free of Zelda's seal, Link awakens at the Shrine of Resurrection. After freeing the Divine Beasts and allowing the ghosts of the Champions to take back control, regaining his lost memories, and regaining the Master Sword, Link goes on to face Calamity Ganon just as he overpowers Zelda's magic, and after being defeated the ensuing battle, the Princess uses her magic to definitively seal Calamity Ganon away, finally ending the Calamity.
Tears of the Kingdom
During the events of Tears of the Kingdom, Symin, a school teacher in Hateno Village, teaches the children of Hateno Village about Hyrule's history of the Calamity. Calamity Ganon's attack 100 years prior left Hyrule Castle damaged and weakened the seal on the Demon King Ganondorf. This eventually lead to the Upheaval as Ganondorf's Gloom began to seep out from Beneath Hyrule Castle.
Other Appearances
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
The arrival of the Guardian Terrako from the future in which the events of Breath of the Wild occur produces an alternate timeline, where the events of the second Great Calamity unfold and end quite differently. In this version of events, King Rhoam survived the attack on Hyrule Castle and the four Champions are able to be saved. Being led by Zelda-who succeeded in activating her sealing power-the people of Hyrule united to fight Astor, and eventually Calamity Ganon atop Hyrule Castle. Zelda, Link, and their allies subsequently prevail in defeating them both.
Nomenclature
 Names in Other Regions  | ||
|---|---|---|
| Language | Names | Meanings |
 FrenchCA | Grand Fléau[9] | Great Scourge |
| This table was generated using translation pages. To request an addition, please contact a staff member with a reference. | ||
References
- ↑ "The Great Calamity was merciless... It devastated everything in its path, lo, a century ago. It was then that my life was taken away from me." — King Rhoam (Breath of the Wild)
- ↑ "The Great Calamity
Guardians were originally intended to protect Hyrule, but Calamity Ganon has taken control of them, using them as his own vanguard." — Game Screen (Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity) - ↑ "You got any pictures or proof to back up this so-called 10,000-year-old Calamity?" — Sefaro (Tears of the Kingdom)
- ↑ "We of the Sheikah tribe have long been heralded as a people of great wisdom. Our technology became the key to sealing Ganon away during the Great Calamity, some ten thousand years ago. At one point, our technology was praised as the power of the gods...but eventually the people turned on it. Turned on us. Our creations came to be viewed as a threat to the kingdom. The Sheikah became outcasts, forced into exile. Some, like us, chose to cast off our technological advances and strove to live normal lives. Others fostered a hatred toward the kingdom that shunned them. These sad souls swore their allegiance to Ganon. They now call themselves the Yiga Clan. Their sole mission is to eliminate all who stand against Ganon. Please, dear hero... be careful out there." — Cado (Breath of the Wild)
- ↑ "We also learned of a princess with a sacred power and her appointed knight, chosen by the sword that seals the darkness. It was they who sealed Ganon away using the power of these ancient relics." — King Rhoam (Breath of the Wild)
- ↑ "At one point, our technology was praised as the power of the gods...but eventually the people turned on it. Turned on us. Our creations came to be viewed as a threat to the Kingdom. The Sheikah became outcasts, forced into exile. Some, like us, chose to cast off our technological advances and strove to live normal lives." — Cado (Breath of the Wild)
- ↑ "It's said that, some time ago, they had advanced techniques that were more powerful than anything anyone had seen. But that power put them at odds with the king at the time, and they were scattered across the land..." — Rensa (Breath of the Wild)
- ↑ "But there was also...a prophecy. "The signs of a resurrection of Calamity Ganon are clear. And the power to oppose it lies dormant beneath the ground." We decided to heed the prophecy and began excavating large areas of land. Is wasn't long before we discovered several ancient relics made by the hands of our distant ancestors." — King Rhoam (Breath of the Wild)
- ↑ Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity pour Nintendo Switch - Détails du jeu Nintendo , www.nintendo.com, retrieved September 8, 2020.