Some of the best Zelda: Breath of the Wild videos are accidental anime heroics

Well-timed

Zelda: Breath of the Wild anime heroics strike again, as this player (jussinik) perfectly blocked a Guardian beam with an errant backflip. Using a trusty rusty shield, they manage to flip at the exact moment where the beam hits them, breaking it in the process. They know it’s not a true “parry,” but we know exactly what they’re talking about!

One of the best parts is how hurried Link seems in the video. You can see the player desperately trying to open up the steel door with Magnesis, hoping to swing it in before they’re blasted with just a few hearts left. It’s these moments that make you feel like a champion. Naturally, we get a classic “TO BE CONTINUED” moment at the end of the clip, and we aren’t able to see Link’s ultimate fate. My guess is based on the beeping/timing, he got blasted unless there was another quick dodge in rapid succession.

Again, I’ve been in this spot so many times, and playing it pre-launch; without any of the tech that’s been immortalized in a billion guides and walkthrough videos. The terror of experiencing a Guardian for the first time, getting blasted, then eventually coming out on top, felt like my own personal Zelda: Breath of the Wild anime.

Truth be told, in all my playthroughs across multiple modes and several years, I never once managed to pull off this backflip shield block: accidental or on purpose. Usually I’m outrunning the beam, dodging it at the last second, or doing a good old-fashioned parry.