Does the 'Breath of the Wild' Master Sword Break? How the legendary 'Zelda' blade works

You might know the legendary master sword is in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and you may even already know how to get it. However, the biggest question about the Blade of Evil's Bane, given the game's harsh weapon degradation system, is whether or not it can break. 

It'd be a pretty big bummer if one of gaming's most legendary weapons could unceremoniously break like any other weapon in Breath of the Wild, but it might break the game if it couldn't. So what's the deal?

Can the master sword break in Breath of the Wild?

The short answer is no, but it's more complicated than that.

You see, as the Great Deku Tree tells you when you pull it out of its stone, the master sword is not to be used frivolously against random enemies you find in the world. This is a high-class blade, after all. If you use it too much against small-time baddies, it'll run out of energy, at which point it needs to recharge for 10 minutes before you can use it again.

The master sword really comes into a class of its own in the game's dungeons. When you're in areas permeated by Ganon's corruption, like dungeons, the sword takes on a blue glow. This means its attack power has increased significantly, making it perhaps the most powerful one-handed weapon in the game.

Since there aren't a ton of enemies in the game's four major dungeons, it's most useful against the bosses at the end of said dungeons. It also takes on the blue glow in the confines of Hyrule Castle, which is teeming with enemies. Finally, as I discovered while exploring the world, the sword glows when fighting the spider-legged guardians that roam the world, making it especially useful for taking down perhaps the toughest enemies in Breath of the Wild. 

More Zelda: Breath of the Wild tips, tricks and guides

Find out all there is to know about Zelda: Breath of the Wild, including what to expect from the Wii U version, how to preserve your items, how to beat bosses like the Stone Talus and Lynel, the best recipes for Link and how to take on the game's shrines. You'll also want to find out where all the great fairies are in the game and how to use amiibo with your version of Zelda.