Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment - essential guide to tips, weapons and characters

We did something similar a few years ago with the Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity guide, and we simply had to do the same for the new and perhaps best Zelda musou so far. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is now available on Nintendo Switch 2 and you can already read our Gamereactor review to see what's improved. But with those improvements also come new systems that make combat deeper and more complex, and it can be a lot to take in at once.

In this essential Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment guide we're gathering a bunch of tips and tricks to help you become the best possible strategist and warrior against Ganondorf's armies of monsters, Shadows, and constructs. We'll also go over how to unlock every playable character and the most special weapons. We'll be updating this guide over several days to reflect post-game additions and new content, so don't forget to check back. And as always, if you have a specific question, leave it in the comments and we'll answer as soon as we can. Let's go!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Tips and tricks

• How to stop dangerous attacks with unique actions


• Save Sync Strikes for the perfect moment


• About requests, favours and side battles (challenges)


• How to fast travel to camps


• How to remove seals from weapons


• How to know how many hidden treasure chests are in a mission


• How to reveal the number of hidden Koroks


• How to raise a weapon's level cap


• How to show hidden Koroks on the minimap


• Post-game: What you unlock after finishing Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment


• About update 1.0.2 and the new content

Characters

In Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment you can initially unlock a total of 19 playable characters. These are the ones you get, in order of appearance:

1. Zelda


2. Rauru


3. Mineru


4. Calamo


5. Mysterious Construct and Knight Construct


6. Typhan


7. Quino


8. Qia


9. Lago


10. Raphica


11. Vence


12. Agraston


13. Pinnec


14. Ardi


15. Cadlan


16. Sholani


17. Ronza


18. Braton


19. Pastos

Weapons

• High Guard's Sword


• High Guard's Claymore


• Elite Guard's Sword

How to stop dangerous attacks with unique actions

When an elite enemy charges up its next move with a red aura, watch out: that's a dangerous attack. Hitting it with normal actions is pretty much useless; instead, you should use one of your character's unique actions to counter it. You can also save yourself by popping a Special Attack, but that's a more defensive, less efficient option.

The system works like a rock-paper-scissors triangle where each of your unique actions (R+Y/X/B/A) "beats" a specific type of dangerous attack. At first you'll mostly see charge-type and leap/air-type moves, but later on you'll encounter shield-type and projectile-type dangerous attacks as well.

To make things more intuitive, we recommend always assigning the same counter type to the same buttons, so you don't need to think the moment you see an enemy glowing red. For example, we always counter charges with Y, shields with B and leap/air attacks with X, and then we assign other actions or Zonai devices to R+A and ZR depending on the enemy types in the current battle.

Remember that your unique action has a cooldown, and that Zonai devices also need their batteries to recharge.

Finally, if you're out of battery or your unique actions are on cooldown and you have an ally nearby who can act, you can always press up on the D-pad to "switch": your partner will tag in and automatically perform the corresponding unique action to repel the dangerous attack.

Save Sync Strikes for the perfect moment

At first you'll probably want to slam L as soon as the gauge of two nearby allies fills up (especially early on, just to watch the Power Rangers-style cutscenes), but once you've been on campaign for a few hours, start saving those Sync Strikes— they don't disappear.

In particular, don't waste them on a small pack of fodder enemies unless you're in a hurry, and pay attention to what your partner brings to the table, such as defensive tools, magic support (Sonnia, for as long as she can, makes your unique actions recharge faster), or, most importantly, elemental effects.

About requests, favours, and side battles (challenges)

If you're a completionist like we are, you won't want to see orange icons on your map and you'll feel the urge to "clean them up" before moving on to the next main story mission.

That's up to you, of course, but be warned that on normal difficulty, if you do this you'll be more than over-prepared for the main battles. Side content will have levelled up several characters, you'll have plenty of Zonaite steel and rupees to upgrade your weapons and imbue them with special effects via seals, and you'll also unlock new attacks, combos, and heart containers by handing over materials. Being a little overpowered is nice, but it can also make the game less challenging and therefore a bit less exciting.

How to unlock Zelda

Don't worry, you don't need to do anything special, because as is increasingly the case, Zelda is not only playable but actually the main character in this adventure. As soon as she travels 10,000 years into the past and is still dazed and confused, the royal family of Hyrule takes her in and the game hands you control from the very first tutorial mission. For once, it's a game that doesn't have her name in the title yet she's the protagonist.

How to unlock Rauru

The first King of Hyrule and "one of the few surviving Zonai who descended from the sky" joins your playable roster with gusto as soon as you complete a certain early training mission, which happens to be the second main story battle. Zelda versus Rauru? We hadn't seen hype like that since Neo versus Morpheus...

How to unlock Mineru

The King's sister, a scholar, curious about both technology and magic (and therefore something of a kindred spirit to Zelda), and an expert in constructs and Zonai devices, joins the group during a main story battle that's the third one in Chapter 1 (Where Ancient Wisdom Sleeps), and the first to take place in the Depths of Hyrule, where you face nothing less than a Captain Construct, a Frox, and a Flux Construct.

How to unlock Calamo and the Mysterious Construct

The wandering Korok and the cool, robotic warrior who looks a lot like Link (and not just because he's mute) start their adventures in parallel with the other heroes when it's time to repel a Gerudo and Molduga offensive plotted by Ganondorf in a certain large-scale desert battle.

However, they won't join your playable lineup until after an early on-rails flying stage (very reminiscent of Star Fox/Lylat Wars), and once you complete the following on-foot mission, a storm-focused battle that's the fifth and final fight of Chapter 2.

We're at war with Ganondorf. The map is drenched in crimson, the Blood Moon is high in the sky and the only male Gerudo has used Sonnia's secret stone to transform into the Demon King, after the tragic events of a certain story mission you already saw in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. This is where Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment truly begins, as everything is now absolutely crawling with monsters...

How to unlock Typhan

Every good offense starts with a good defence, and in this case the shield is the key to this rather unusual ally: "a battle-hardened Hylian" and "bodyguard to the royal family of Hyrule". To unlock Typhan, simply complete that stormy main story battle at the end of Chapter 2.

How to unlock the High Guard's Sword

If three new allies joining your roster at the end of Chapter 2 weren't enough and you're a diehard Zelda fan, get ready for two more little gifts. The first one, also for clearing that same final Chapter 2 battle, is the High Guard's Sword, a special bonus weapon that appears in your inventory if you have save data from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom on the same profile. It's "used exclusively by the royal guards closest to the King of Hyrule". In other words, the perfect weapon for Typhan.

How to unlock the High Guard's Claymore

Exactly the same as above, but this time you'll need save data from Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity on your console.

WARNING: This only works and the game only unlocks these weapons as "additional bonuses" if your save data from the other games is stored under the same user account. It won't work if the data belongs to a different profile on the same console.

How to unlock Quino

"Whenever this soldier feels cornered during his battles to save Hyrule, memories of the day Calamo and the Mysterious Construct rescued him after he became separated from the Hylian troops come flooding back to him."

Beyond that mission flavour text describing a level-19 Scouting Challenge, that's essentially what you'll have to do to unlock Quino in Chapter 3: complete that particular Scouting Challenge which appears with a silhouetted character icon and a "character+" symbol.

Don't underestimate this young elite soldier with his greatsword and Mii-like face. If you invest in his levels and gear, he'll quickly become one of your favourites.

How to unlock Qia

The new Zora queen, a master of the trident, joins the party when you rescue her alongside King Rauru and company in the Lanayru wetlands, right after her father falls in battle. Defeat the mud archdemon Grimtorok for the first time in a certain swamp-themed main mission and she'll be yours.

How to unlock Lago

Similarly to Quino, a level-22 Scouting Challenge in the Lanayru region will reward you with Lago, once Qia and her area have been unlocked. This time it's a Zora cry for help from a veteran who swore never to take up arms again. Ominous last words. Watch out for the Lynel.

How to unlock Raphica

Not to be confused with Barça's Raphinha, this cocky, side-fringed bird is the Rito patriarch in the game. He harnesses the power of wind, is a crack shot with the bow (of course) and can generate whirlwinds that are perfect for chaining elemental effects. He joins the team after completing a certain snowfield battle, accompanied by Calamo and the Mysterious Construct.

How to unlock Vence

Another feathered warrior, this one wielding a... feather blade. He goes wing in wing with Raphica.

How to unlock Agraston

The Goron leader in this adventure becomes playable once you resolve a major crisis on Death Mountain, because apparently defeating a titan in a separate, Star Fox-style mission wasn't enough. This guy can smash stone walls with his bare hands and wield fire element, so he'll be extremely useful later on. That said, he's also one of the least exciting characters to control.

How to unlock Pinnec

You've had Rito with swords and bows, so now you need a lancer, and his name is Pinnec. To recruit him, complete another Scouting Challenge, this time level 28, located in Tabantha, which focuses on an "unknown lancer". His long-range charge attack is brutal.

How to unlock Ardi

This Gerudo warrior was already promising from the start, and now she's set to become their new leader. To enjoy her thunder powers and those powerful shield parries, complete a main story mission that takes place in the desecrated desert. After that battle, you'll see her ascend as the new Gerudo matriarch after the traitorous Shiok is dealt with. Ardi is easily one of the most fun characters to play.

How to fast travel to camps

If you want to fast travel back to camps to recover health or simply to teleport closer to your next objective, you can use Zonai Hot-Air Balloons. Just assign one to an action, pick an outpost on the map and up you go.

This option unlocks precisely around the time you start controlling Ardi, during that desert main mission we mentioned above.

How to unlock the Knight Construct

The Mysterious Construct starts to be a lot less mysterious once the last major race joins the good guys. Essentially, the character gets renamed after Ardi and her people become allies. Don't read any further if you haven't cleared that key desert story mission yet.

That's when Rauru and Mineru accept its help, and when Zelda discovers why its intentions are beyond doubt: the construct awoke and came to life, with Calamo's help, thanks to a shard of the Master Sword's blade. Nothing less. The King then knights it formally and it becomes the Knight Construct, bearer of light.

How to remove seals from weapons

If you haven't combined seals properly (remember that stacking identical ones multiplies their effect), or if you want to reuse seals you've already forged onto other weapons, you can also strip seals you no longer want. Don't confuse this with dismantling weapons.

This feature is unlocked by completing a request about giving weapons a second life, which becomes available once both Ardi and the Mysterious Construct have joined your ranks, somewhere between the first and second battles of Chapter 4.

How to know how many hidden treasure chests are in a mission

This very handy indicator is unlocked between the first and second battles of Chapter 4 as a reward for a request about treasure hunting, as long as you hand over the required materials.

By the way, if what you're looking for is to show the location of hidden treasure chests on the minimap directly, you can buy that perk with favour vouchers at the facilities' rewards market.

How to unlock Cadlan

Another Zora, this one a lancer who uses charged blades you can aim and throw by pressing X. Complete the level-33 Scouting Challenge in Lanayru that's all about defending "Her Highness" and he'll join you. "For Queen Qia!"

Third time's the charm as at this point in the game you can unlock three characters in one go.

How to unlock Sholani

The second of that three-character batch at recommended level 33 is Sholani, the matriarch's loyal attendant who also decides to take the fight into her own hands. Her Scouting Challenge is all about "principles worth fighting for". Sholani's key mechanic, quite literally, is that she deals much more damage if you keep tapping X after her strong attacks with proper timing and pace, almost like a rhythm game, hitting the button as those circles fill up.

How to unlock Ronza

Who needs Gorons when you've got a walking tank like Ronza? This brutal greatsword-wielding Gerudo is obtained by completing the third of those level-33 Scouting Challenges, focused on an insatiable thirst for power. And because she's pretty much a Goron-tier brute among the Gerudo, her mission takes place in Eldin's volcanic region. Ronza leads her own faction within the tribe and can whip up sandstorms. No big deal.

How to reveal the number of hidden Koroks

This is probably one of the most sought-after indicators for completionists, because some Koroks are fiendishly well hidden. To be able to see how many there are in each battle (main battles only), complete the "Dance in the Rain" request from Calamo's diary in Chapter 4. It pops up shortly after starting the chapter in the Faron region, once you've unlocked the secret stone powers for each tribal leader in a decisive main story battle.

And again, if what you want is to show the exact location of Koroks on the minimap, you can purchase that at the facilities' rewards market by spending favour vouchers.

How to unlock Braton

This Goron "connoisseur of pyrite" is more fun than his boss Agraston and much more likeable as well. To unlock him, complete the level-36 Scouting Challenge in Chapter 4 that revolves around a Goron with very refined taste, which sends you to rescue this wayward youngster deep in the Gerudo Desert.

How to unlock Pastos

The last Goron originally opposed an alliance with Hyrule, yet swings his greatsword like it's a toy. You unlock him by finishing a level-38 Scouting Challenge about a lone wolf, which appears after you defeat the lava archdemon Grimgohma with King Rauru's clever surprise strategy in a main story mission focused on a huge counterattack.

• Congratulations! By adding Pastos to your roster, you've just unlocked all 19 playable characters in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment that come with the base Nintendo Switch 2 game. Will more arrive via DLC? It wouldn't be the first time a Nintendo-flavoured Warriors game receives downloadable content, so don't lose hope.

How to raise a weapon's level cap

If you've noticed, each weapon can ultimately hold six bonuses and seals. As those empty slots suggest, weapons can go beyond their initial level cap. For a weapon to keep levelling past level 10, you first need to fuse Zonaite steel into it at the forging construct until it hits that first ceiling. As soon as you do that with any weapon for any character, a new option called "Level Cap" appears in the construct's facilities menu, right between "Improve Weapons" and "Remove Seals". If you hand over a certain (large) amount of resources, you'll raise the maximum level from there and keep stacking seals and Sync Seals.

What a difference compared to the weapons in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. These never break!

How to unlock the Elite Guard's Sword

While the High Guard's Sword and the High Guard's Claymore look amazing and are clearly designed for hardcore Zelda fans, the Elite Guard's Sword is even cooler and easily one of the best weapons in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, as it comes with 22 base attack, ready to be upgraded and levelled further.

"A sword used by the finest royal guards of Hyrule. This sharp, gleaming blade serves as a guide for those who follow the path set by the royal family."

If you want it, the game hands it out as a reward for completing an epic late-game battle to retake the castle, one of the final main story missions, which ends with you face to face with Ganondorf at the gates of his usurped stronghold.

Post-game: What you unlock after finishing Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment

Heads up, spoilers ahead.

Good question. Naturally, a game with this much content, activities and side missions isn't going to dry up the moment the credits roll. Once you clear the final decisive battle (recommended level 56) in Chapter 5 and the follow-up clash (recommended level 57) in Chapter 6 and thereby simultaneously defeat Ganondorf the Demon King in the Depths and the Forbidden Construct on the surface of Hyrule, and once you've finally watched Calamo sprout into the Great Deku Tree and Zelda soar through the skies after her draconification, only then will two extra features appear on top of whatever requests and challenges you still had pending: dangerous enemies and Lenalia's sketches.

Dangerous enemies are three ultra-tough battles, all recommended for level 70:

1. A new threat in central Hyrule: "A shadow that is an ominous presence previously unseen".


2. A new threat in the sky islands: "A unique construct".


3. A new threat in Eldin: "A very unusual Bokoblin specimen".

"Dangerous enemies will now appear on the battlefield. They are extraordinarily strong and pose an even more serious threat to the areas where they show up. Defeat them to earn plenty of rewards."

For Lenalia to complete her historical mural, ten special requests marked with a star appear, which are fulfilled by handing in Lenalia's sketches. And how do you get those sketches? By completing the new requests tied to each region:

1. A future-focused request (Lenalia's dedicated mural work).


2. A sketch request in Hebra.


3. A sketch request in Eldin.


4. A sketch request in the Gerudo region.


5. A sketch request in Necluda.


6. A sketch request in Lanayru.


7. A sketch request in central Hyrule.


8. A sketch request in Akkala.


9. A sketch request in Faron.


10. A sketch request in the sky islands.


11. A sketch request in the Depths.

In parallel, Lenalia's favour notebook is unlocked, with the following character-focused requests:

1. A personal favour for Zelda.


2. A personal favour for Rauru.


3. A personal favour for Mineru.


4. "And what about my problems?" (Calamo).


5. A personal favour for Agraston.


6. A personal favour for Qia.


7. A personal favour for Raphica.


8. A personal favour for Ardi.


9. A personal favour for Typhan.


10. A personal favour for Quino.


11. A personal favour for Pastos.


12. A personal favour for Braton.


13. A personal favour for Cadlan.


14. A personal favour for Lago.


15. A personal favour for Vence.


16. A personal favour for Pinnec.


17. A personal favour for Sholani.


18. A personal favour for Ronza.

The first group is about revealing "fully discovered area" status in every region, while the second group is about completing "all favours" tied to each playable character (with the exception of the Knight Construct, poor thing, who doesn't speak). You can see where this is going, right? Basically, Lenalia is asking you to complete the game at 100%. Besides some very cool weapons, this process also unlocks special conversations with each character as an extra.

"Lenalia is working on sketches to finish her murals. If you complete requests and collect sketches from every region, something special might happen..."

If that weren't enough, Tafton's monster market will also appear in the depots, giving you access to all of his special items in exchange for Poes. Look for a purple potion icon on the map to find Tafton.

Finally, you also get the following:

How to show hidden Koroks on the minimap

Because it's not the same thing to reveal the number of hidden Koroks in a mission as it is to know exactly where they're hiding, right? Naturally, this is part of the post-game, and you'll enable it by completing the "Secret Research" request in Calamo's diary. One last favour from your little buddy before he puts down roots for good.

About update 1.0.2 and the new content

At the end of November, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment received a free update that adds new challenges and a high-tier metal to further improve your weapons. Here's what you need to know:

1. New challenges: New battles and requests appear on the map. They're extra content, so they don't affect regional contribution levels or Lenalia's sketch progress, but their rewards are better. You'll notice that these new battles and requests have a small plus sign (+) on their icons.


2. Refined Zonaite steel: This is the main new reward. This high-purity Zonaite steel lets you "improve weapons to make them lighter and more durable than ever". In practical terms, it gives you a lot more experience to level them up.


3. New dangerous battles: Remember those dangerous post-game enemies? The update adds another such battle in the Zeres plains at recommended level 81, featuring especially deadly Bokoblin units. There are also two additional level-81 battles focused on a stolen spear and a rampaging cubic construct.