Source: Nintendo
The next big holiday release for the Nintendo Switch is Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, the prequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and the pseudo-sequel to Hyrule Warriors. In Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, players will be able to experience the battles that led up to the great calamity that destroyed Hyrule.
In addition to playing as Link, players get a chance to play as a host of other characters, including Princess Zelda, Impa, and the four champions: Mipha, Daruk, Revali, and Urbosa. Here's all of the playable characters in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity so far.
All of the playable characters in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity characters Link
Source: Nintendo
In The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Link was introduced as Zelda's appointed knight. Usually draped in his Champion's Tunic, Link also fights in a full suit of knight armor or, sometimes, no clothes at all.
Link uses a sword and shield by default and attacks with a variety of quick sword slashes and spin attacks. His special move is a spin dash, which does massive damage to enemies and is perfect for crowd control. In addition, he also makes use of his shield and his glider in battle to extend combos. Link can also use his bow for ranged attacks, and has access to the Shiekah Slate, which allows him to the bomb, statis, cryonis, and magnesis runes in battle.
Link is not limited by just his sword and shield, however, as he has access to two-handed weapons, like claymores and spears, and a boomerang as well. We expect Link to have more than just these weapons at his disposal, so stay tuned for more updates as we get closer to the game's release.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity characters Impa
Source: Nintendo
Impa appeared as an old woman in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, we meet her as a young woman, bearing more than a passing resemblance to her granddaughter Paya. Sheikah genes are strong, I suppose.
Impa is a very fast character and uses a small dagger and ninja kunai to deal damage to her foes. She can also absorb symbols from enemies and can use those symbols to clone herself. Impa can clone herself up multiple times, and each clone increases her damage output. She can also toss her kunai as a projectile or toss them on the floor and cause an explosion that allows her to make a quick escape using her glider.
In addition to her ninja-like attacks and incredible speed, Impa can also toss her hat like a boomerang — a perfect way to clear some room as you charge into battle. Her special move tosses an explosive barrel at a group of enemies, causing massive damage. If she has clones out when she activates her special move, the clones will add more explosive barrels, creating an even bigger explosion. Impa also has access to the Sheikah Slate and the runes as well.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity characters Zelda
Source: Nintendo
The Princess of Hyrule ditches her royal regalia and joins the cast of fighters in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. While other characters have access to the Sheikah Slate's runes, Zelda's entire move set consists of the Sheikah Slate.
The Sheikah Slate acts as an extension of Zelda, as she uses a combination of all four runes to deal damage and control the massive hordes of enemies. Using the Sheikah Slate, she can swing large blocks and generate ice blocks that explode when touched by enemies. Her weak point smash unleashes a flurry of different runes on her enemy, and her special move uses the Sheikah Slate to snap a picture of the enemy, before wiping them off the map.
Normal rune use is much different than the other characters. For example, when she uses the bomb rune, she spawns a small guardian that scatters bombs around the area, and when she uses the cryonis rune, she sends ice stalagmites into the ground.
The Champions
Source: Nintendo
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity characters Mipha
Source: Nintendo
Mipha is the Zora Champion. Though soft-spoken, especially when it comes to Link, Mipha is a powerhouse, using her trident and water powers to move fast and constantly. Her weak point smash summons a giant water orb that holds enemies in places as she slashes them with her weapon.
All of her basic attacks seem to involve water in some way. She can create mini-cyclones to trap enemies or blue orbs that travel in front of her, trapping enemies before exploding like a bomb. In addition, Mipha can dive through the mini-cyclones she creates and attacks enemies with a quick and powerful combo. In her special move, she holds enemies in place and strikes them down with her water magic. Mipha combines speed and strength in a graceful display.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity characters Daruk
Source: Nintendo
Daruk is the happy-go-lucky Goron Champion who joins Link and the others on their crusade against Ganon. Wielding his giant stone smasher with one hand, the Goron attacks with a combination of fire attacks, spin attacks, and his giant sword. While he is large, Daruk is surprisingly swift, using his roll ability to get around the map easily. His attacks involve slow heavy swings with his stone smasher and the use of fire and magma attacks.
His weak smash attack is a multi swing beating courtesy of his stone smasher, capped off with a huge Goron punch that sends the enemy flying. He can make use of Daruk's protection by charging up his roll. With a press of the X button, the protection grows larger around Daruk. Then he sets off, spin dashing through enemies before Daruk's protection blows up around him. Daruk is full of hard-hitting attacks that more than compliment is massive size.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity characters Revali
Source: Nintendo
The cocky champion Revali is playable in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, and features no shortage of sass. Wielding his bow and arrow, Revali takes to the skies to deliver waves of arrows from above, flying above enemies and using his arrows to control the area. Revali can also take to the ground to fight, but he moves much slower. He can also summon large gusts of wind that push through enemies from three different angles. Revali seems like a character who is very proficient in crowd control.
His weak point smash zips through enemies before shooting a powerful arrow into the ground, sending the enemies flying. His special creates a whirlwind, trapping enemies inside. Revali then shoots a bomb arrow into the center, blowing them all away. Revali seems like a great character for dealing with many enemies at once.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity characters Urbosa
Source: Nintendo
Urbosa is the champion of the Gerudo. She is a close friend to the royal family and shares a motherly bond with Princess Zelda. Wielding her scimitar, she joins the fight against Ganon and brings her lightning powers as well. Urbosa is no stranger to combat, and is fast and hard-hitting, constantly twirling and spinning around her enemies as if they are in a dance. Her weak point special has her spin around her enemy, slashing them with each turn, before dropping a lightning bolt on her foe.
She imbues her attacks with lightning, which make them makes them stronger and causes lots of AoE damage. One move in particular has Urbosa spin and slash her sword, sending waves of lightning through enemies. Urbosa combines flair with power and is one of the most exciting characters revealed so far.
More to come
Source: Nintendo
The warriors above have been officially confirmed as playable, but a recent data mine of the demo revealed player icons for many unconfirmed fighters. Beware, the following information contains spoilers.
(Spoiler Alert): In the game code, many player icons were found that represent different characters. They are:
The final fight for Hyrule
These are all the fighters available in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, for now. With more fighters to come, and the possibility of DLC fighters to be added at a later date, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity's roster will surely have something for everybody. We're sure Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity will be on of the best Nintendo Switch games when it drops Nov. 20, 2020. We'll be sure to update the list with more information and with more fighters, as we learn more.
In the meantime, Warriors fans can prepare themselves for the final game by downloading the free demo of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, which allows players to experience the first chapter of the game. You'll even be able to transfer your save data into the final game. If you preorder the game, you'll even unlock an exclusive weapon for the game.
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