How do I get Epona in Breath of the Wild?

Want to ride Epona in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild? Here’s how.

Epona made her first appearance in Nintendo’s 1998 classic The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, where she provided a quick and easy way to traverse across Hyrule’s massive – for its time – overworld. She reappeared in younger form in the 2001 follow-up, Majora’s Mask, and then finally as a steed you could rename in in Twilight Princess.

When it was revealed that The Legend of Zelda: Breath for Wild would feature horses and stables, the next question on everyone’s lips was: Is Epona in the game?

The answer to that question is, yes. But it’s not as easy to find Epona as you might hope. Here’s how you do it.

To begin with, you’ll need the Smash Bros Link Amiibo that was released as part of the first wave of figurines in late 2015. Yes, getting Epona unfortunately means having to own the Link figure with the putrid yellow column running down his leg. For the last few years the Smash Link Amiibo has been in plentiful supply – with good reason – but, due to high demand, stocks are low at all of the usual retailers.

The first time the Smash Link Amiibo is used in Breath of the Wild, Epona will be summoned. Unlike other horses in the game, she doesn’t need to be tamed. She also has maximum Strength, Speed, and Stamina stats, and, of course, a gentle Temperament. She looks suitably heroic too, sporting a unique, Triforce-themed saddle and bridle.

In short, Epona is the best horse in the game.

Like other horses in Breath of the Wild, Epona can be registered at any of Hyrule’s stables. However, she can’t be renamed as the stable owner will already be familiar with her, and, frankly, why would you want to? If you don’t register Epona the first time she is summoned, be prepared for a wait. It will be a number of days before you can summon her again, and in the meantime the Smash Link Amiibo will just produce a drop of standard supply items. You can increase the chance of Epona reappearing by using the Amiibo near stables, or in fields with wild horses. What ever you do, steer clear of islands and mountain tops.

Follow our checklist to make sure you get Epona first time round.

Breath of the Wild – Epona checklist

1. Buy the Smash Bros Link Amiibo
2. Turn on Breath of the Wild‘s Amiibo functionality in the Game Settings menu
3. Find an area where you can see wild horses, or are near a stable
4. Select the ‘amiibo’ option on the Runes menu
5. Touch the Smash Bros Link Amiibo on the NFC reader (Located on the Joy-Con’s right thumb stick, the Pro Controller’s centre, and the NFC icon on the Wii U Gamepad)
6. Like magic, Epona will be summoned
7. If she didn’t appear, reload your save and try again, or wait 24 hours and repeat
8. Once Epona does appear, mount the horse and trot to the nearest stable
9. Register her with the stable owner for 20 Rupees
10. Save, just to be sure, and then put the Smash Bros Link Amiibo in a dark cupboard

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