Zelda: Breath of the Wild Memory Locations in order for the Captured Memories quest

A lot of of the story in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is told via flashback. At the start of the game you wake up from a 100 year slumber, and Link has no memory of what happened 100 years ago. It's down to you to help him recover those memories - and only if you choose to do so.

Early on in the story you'll be directed to visit staple Zelda character Impa in Kakaiko Village. Eventually she'll give you a new quest to track down your missing memories from 100 years ago. You do this through looking at some photos Impa has downloaded on to your Sheikah Slate. If you press Minus and hit R from the map you'll be able to see the photos. Head to any of the locations pictured in these photos and you'll see a shining golden portal. Step into it and press A and Link will suddenly have an epiphany, and you'll unlock a scene from 100 years ago. These are Link's locked memories - huge story revelations.

On this page, we help you to restore Link's past with all of the Zelda BOTW memory locations, including with detail about where they slot into the story.

Zelda BOTW Memories: all captured memories locations

Unlocked memories are put into a list of 'Recovered Memories' on the quest log. There are 18 total; here's how they break down:

• The 13th Memory: Once you've unlocked all 12 memories from the photos Impa gives you, she'll reveal a 13th and final memory to you - a key piece of the picture.
• Recovered memory 2, 4, 6 and 10 are unlocked across the course of the storyline as you tackle each of the game's Divine Beast dungeons.
• Recovered Memory 18 unlocks when Link finally pulls the Master Sword from its plinth - an act which is entirely optional. By completing all 18 memories you'll have a complete picture of Breath of the Wild's storyline.

Below, we list all 12 of the photos that Impa gives to you, their associated memories. We list them in the order the photos appear in the game's menus - but you can also see listed next to them where those memories sit in the story; so you've got a choice about how you approach it - photo order, or chronological order.

Photo 1 (Memory 1) - Sacred Ground Ruins

The first photo on your Sheikah Slate in the top left corner of the photos page is easy to find but difficult to reach unless you're careful. This memory is found right in front of Hyrule Castle Town.

If you look on your map you'll see Castle Town forms a sort of semi-circle around Hyrule Castle, and at the very middle of it a road leads out to a circular stone paved area. These are the sacred ground ruins, and this memory is here. Beware of Guardians when grabbing this memory, as they're around this area and can one-shot you until the late game - unless your Parry game is tight.

Photo 2 (Memory 3) - Lake Kolomo

The second of the photos on the Sheikah Slate (top row, second along) is found north of the Great Plateau where you start the game. If you teleport to the Oman Au Shrine on the edge of the Plateau and look straight north you'll see a lake - this is Lake Kolomo, and the memory is overlooking Lake Kolomo towards the East, with the split-in-two mountain off in the far distance.

Photo 3 (Memory 5) - Ancient Columns

If you've seen our page on the Great Fairy Fountain of Tabantha you'll know Piper Ridge well. If not, teleport to the Tabantha Tower at the top of Nero Hill and look straight South on your map. Before Tanagar Canyon you'll find Rayne Highlands; on the far Eastern end of this mountain range is the Ancient Columns area and among it the Tena Ko'sah Shrine. This memory is pretty much exactly ourside this shrine.

Photo 4 (Memory 7) - Kara Kara Bazaar

The Kara Kara Bazaar is the setting for this fourth photo (top right) - and that's located out in the Gerudo Desert in the far south east (bottom left) of the map. There's only one path through to the desert, culminating in the Gerudo Canyon stable and the nearby Kay Noh Shrine. Follow the road out into the desert and you'll find Kara Kara on the way - the memory is just near the road, overlooking the Bazaar.

Photo 5 (Memory 8) - Eldin Canyon

The fifth photo (middle left) is found on Eldin Canyon at the edge of Death Mountain, but it's actually easier to approach from the west. Our advice is to start at the Woodland Tower, the tower just outside the Great Hyrule Woods and Lost Woods, and head East, climbing the mountains until you reach the approximate point.

Use the view of the castle and the shape of it to determine the exact position. You'll know when you've found it as there are some rocks in a ceremonial position in a flat area. Stay alert, as enemies hang out around here.

Photo 6 (Memory 9) - Irch Plain

For once this is a memory that isn't entirely tinted with a sense of doom about it, but the scene in the photo is very different to the ruinous view of the castle we have now. Look in the north-western edges just beyond Hyrule Castle's moat. Here, not far from the Monya Toma Shrine, is this memory - on Irch Plain, near a couple of smaller bodies of water.

Photo 7 (Memory 11) - West Necluda

This photo is pretty easy to identify thanks to its very iconic scenery - it's overlooking the Bridge of Hylia, which of course is reminiscent to many of Twilight Princess. Look on your map at the northern mouth into Lake Hylia - here you'll find Scout's Hill. On the other side of the river from that larger hill is this memory, in the shadow of a tree.

Photo 8 (Memory 12) - Hyrule Castle

Well, this one is exciting! Hyrule Castle is technically the game's final dungeon, of course, but you can go there any time. It has a dungeon style map as a result, but we've marked the exact position of this memory on the regular map so you can get your bearings.

Avoid the guardians and climb or sneak your way to the left wing of the castle, where in one of the towers you'll find Zelda's room. On a bridge between Zelda's room and another tower (Zelda's study, it looks like) you'll find this memory, the eighth (middle right) photo.

Photo 9 (Memory 13) - Spring of Power

The ninth photo downloaded for you (bottom left) depicts a shrine of sorts, and you can find this in Akkala, a little ways from where the story points you to the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab.

You likely already discovered the East Akkala Stable and Katosa Aug Shrine, too - head West from those and look for a hole in the ground. There's Ordorac Quarry sunk deep into the ground, and next to it is the Spring of Power, this memory's location.

Photo 10 (Memory 14) - Sanidin Park Ruins

To the West of Central Hyrule's Tower you'll find Mount Daphnes (shout out to the King of Red Lions) - and to the west of that is Regencia River. On the other side of the River are the Nima Plains, and on the road leading through that plains is a park that has as structure that looks a little like a horseshoe (or an omega symbol). This is Sanidin Park. Grab this horse-themed memory here.

Photo 11 (Memory 15) - Lanayru Road East Gate

This memory is another easy one to find so long as you have a broad idea of where it is. In the far east of Hyrule slap bang in the middle of the map is Mount Lanayru. To the West of the mountain is one clear path that leads from near Kakariko right through to the mountain path. The path runs parallel to a body of water in the shape of a T. The memory is here, on the road, right near the foot of the mountain.

Photo 12 (Memory 16) - Hyrule Field

This one tripped us up for ages; look on the east side of Hyrule Field towards the vertical middle of the map for a place called Bottomless Swamp. Just above Bottomless Swamp is a small forest that runs along the Hylia River. Within this forest this final memory (bottom right in the photos page) is waiting for you.

The Final Photo (Memory 17) - Ash Swamp

Once you've returned to Impa with the 16 memories above, she'll show you the picture for this final and vital memory. The memory is actually quite close to Kakariko, but is closest to the Duelling Peaks Stable and the Ha Dahamar Shrine.

Just to the East of this shrine and ranch is Ash Swamp, and among the many defeated guardians sandwiched between the two bottom puddles this memory glows for the taking.