Few experiences in video games feel better than demolishing a tough boss after figuring out the perfect strategy. Reddit user Master_t0rch recently took this to the extreme by optimizing the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild fight against Calamity Ganon to such a degree that the monster is reduced to a useless pile of polygons in just 11 seconds.
Master_t0rch’s strategy begins with the right outfit. Before the fight, they equip Link with the Fierce Deity set from Majora’s Mask, increasing the swordsman’s damage output. Link’s attack power is further bolstered by a triple ‘Attack Up’ bonus, probably from a meal he ate beforehand.
Master_t0rch’s weapon of choice for this battle is the Savage Lynel Bow, which shoots multiple projectiles at a time, combined with Ancient Arrows for their bonus damage.
As soon as Master_t0rch gains control of Link, they freeze Calamity Ganon in place with the Stasis skill and launch themselves into the air using a trick known as the “Skew Bounce.” Link is able to slow down time if he pulls out a bow while airborne, but his normal jump typically doesn’t get him high enough to trigger this mode. By setting up a Skew Bounce before the fight and then activating it once Calamity Ganon is active, Master_t0rch gets enough height to enter slow motion. They then begin firing arrows at the boss’s weak spot.
It only takes five shots to reduce Calamity Ganon’s health bar—which has already been halved by defeating the four Divine Beasts earlier in the game—to nothing. This boss usually shifts into a second phase and gains immunity for a short period of time once it hits 1/4 health, but Master_t0rch kills Ganon so fast that the game just skips the transition cutscene altogether. The whole fight ends up looking like something out of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.
As someone whose attention span has been ruined by the internet, I’m definitely in favor of these types of hyper-specific pseudo-speedruns. Who has time to sit through 20 hours of a 100% completion Breath of the Wild playthrough when Master_t0rch has shared an incredible moment that only takes a few seconds out of the day to enjoy?