Is it worth it to get the Master Sword in Breath of the Wild? Absolutely.

As someone who has put over 100 hours into Breath of the Wild, I can confidently say that putting in the effort to get the Master Sword is completely worth it. Having an iconic legendary weapon with its own upgrades and backstory, that doesn‘t permanently break, provides long-term value that can‘t be matched. This makes it well worth the effort required to obtain it.

In this guide, I‘ll break down all the details so you can decide if upgrading the Master Sword is the right goal for your playthrough. We‘ll look at the pros and cons, tips for completing the upgrade trials, and everything you need to know about this legendary blade. Let‘s dive in!

Overview of the Master Sword

For those who might not know, the Master Sword is Link‘s legendary sword that appears across many Zelda games. In Breath of the Wild, it can be found lodged in a stone in Korok Forest. Link must have acquired at least 13 full heart containers before he‘s able to remove it.

Unlike all other weapons which break permanently, the Master Sword is unique in that it loses power temporarily after extensive use, but can be used again once it recharges. Once pulled from the stone it begins with a base power of 30 damage.

But the Master Sword has the potential to become much more powerful…

Pros of Obtaining the Master Sword

• It doesn‘t permanently break – This is by far its best trait. All other weapons will be gone forever once their durability hits 0. But the Master Sword will always respawn in your inventory after 10 real-world minutes of recharging. I probably went through thousands of weapons in my playthrough, so having the reliability of the Master Sword is a godsend.

• Upgrading boosts its power – After completing the Trial of the Sword hidden in Korok Forest, the Master Sword gets upgraded to level 2 (+10 damage), level 3 (+20 damage) and finally level 4 (+30 damage) for a max of 60 damage. That‘s double the power! This rivals and even surpasses top 2-handed weapons.

• Iconic significance for Zelda fans – As someone who has played Zelda games since childhood, finally obtaining this legendary blade carried a nostalgic significance that went beyond just gameplay effects. It felt like an achievement that connected me to the stories I loved growing up.

Cons & Challenges

• You need 13 Heart Containers – To even have a chance at acquiring the Master Sword, you‘ll first need to collect at least 13 full heart containers. Each container requires 4 spirit orbs, so you‘ll need to complete at least 52 shrines. This will take time and make heart upgrades compete with stamina vessels. If you favor stamina, there are ways to trade stamina for hearts temporarily.

• The Trial of the Sword is very challenging – After pulling the sword, you can‘t actually power it up until surviving this lengthy combat challenge. It consists of beginner, middle, and final trials across 45 rooms filled with enemies. Make sure you stock up on weapons and food before attempting this! If you die, you have to start ALL OVER from the very beginning. This can get frustrating fast.

Here‘s a comparison of the Master Sword‘s damage at each upgrade level:

Tips for Completing the Trial of the Sword

I won‘t lie to you, the Trial of the Sword stumped me for a while before I finally beat it. But utilizing the right strategies goes a long way. Here are my top tips:

• Take out ranged enemies first – their arrows and spells can ruin a good run quickly. Prioritize them over melee enemies.
• Use your best weapons on tough enemies only – no point wasting durability on weak ones you can take out with bombs.
• Cook mighty food dishes with attack up bonuses for the trials:

• Use shield parrying and sneak strikes to take out enemies quickly without wearing down your weapons.

• You can‘t manually save once you‘re in the trial. Go in fully prepared!

Trust me, the satisfaction of finally beating this grueling trial makes it all worth it in the end. Just don‘t give up!

Additional Details on the Master Sword

• When the Master Sword "breaks" it just needs to recharge for 10 real-world minutes before it can be used again infinitely. I recommend keeping a Savage Lynel Crusher or Ancient Battle Axe on hand to use when the Master Sword is recharging.

• The Hylian Shield has 800 durability, compared to 90 for the Daybreaker Shield. But unlike the Master Sword, even the Hylian Shield can break permanently if its durability hits 0.

• Weapons like the Savage Lynel Crusher and Ancient Battle Axe can beat the Master Sword‘s base damage. But they have limited use spans of only 35-40 hits before breaking forever. Against the Master Sword‘s infinite lifespans, the tradeoff for their slightly higher damage just isn‘t worth it.

Here‘s a graph showing the Master Sword‘s recharge time at various levels of depletion:

As you can see even at full depletion it takes a maximum of 10 minutes to recharge. Very reasonable in my opinion!

Is Getting the Master Sword Worth It?

The Master Sword represents an iconic Zelda weapon that can be a reliable blade by your side throughout the entire game. Its unique recharging ability compared to permanently breaking weapons, combined with the excellent 60 damage when fully upgraded, provides you with an unparalled advantage.

Yes, it will take real effort to get there: you‘ll need to complete around 50 shrines for the needed hearts, and then overcome the multi-stage combat Trial of the Sword. But the reward is so, so worth it. I can‘t recommend getting the Master Sword enough if you‘re dedicated to becoming as powerful as possible in Breath of the Wild‘s world. It will make you feel like the legendary hero you are!

So set your sights on Korok Forest, steel your resolve, and go get that Master Sword. You‘ve got this! Let me know once you‘ve obtained it yourself – it‘s a major milestone worth celebrating. The world of Hyrule awaits. Now it‘s time to take it on with this iconic blade!