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As you make your way through Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, you’ll run into a few “mad” scientists. While they aren’t trying to take over Hyrule, they are doing everything in their power to provide Link with the tools he needs to successfully defeat Calamity Ganon.
You come across the first of these scientists, Purah, in Hateno Village. There, she’ll tell you more about your Sheikah Slate, how you can use it, and even perform some updates.
Want to learn all about Purah and her role in Breath of the Wild? Keep reading to find out more in our guide to all things Purah!
Key Details Up Front
Purah is the director of one of the tech labs Link visits in Breath of the Wild. She is dedicated to cracking the secrets contained within the Sheikah Slate and provides Link with upgrades to help him on his quest. Though she’s small in stature, this dimuitive scientist gives Link support in a big way.
Purah
Upon visiting Kakariko Village and speaking with Impa, she’ll direct you to Hateno Village and tell you to find Purah. Though this task isn’t easy, it’s worthwhile as Purah will provide updates to your Sheikah Slate, along with additional information to aid Link as he sets out to destroy Calamity Ganon.
Hateno Ancient Tech Lab
The Hateno Ancient Tech Lab is located in Hateno Village, at the top of a very high hill. It lies to the southeast of Kakariko Village, in the easternmost part of the East Necluda Region. It is situated due east of the Hateno Tower. Getting there is no easy task as you’ll have to fight off a variety of enemies along the way.
Purah works in the Hateno Tech Lab alongside Symin, her assistant. She is the director of the facility and performs experiments and research from within. Her work with an anti-aging rune resulted in Purah growing younger than she looks. At first glance, she looks to be a young girl. However, in reality, she is 124.
She is the oldest Sheikah Alive during the Breath of the Wild timeline and is Impa’s older sister.
Meeting Purah
When Link first approaches Purah, she’s quick to greet him. She asks Link if he wishes to speak to the director of the Hateno Lab. When Link confirms this, she slyly suggests that Link speak to Symin. Before sending Link over to Symin, Purah does take a moment to suggest that Link looks as though he is a traveler on a quest.
After speaking with Symin, who will then redirect Link back to Purah, she confirms she is the true director of the lab. During their conversation, Purah will ask Link if he had any dreams while he was in stasis in the Shrine of Resurrection.
It would also appear as though she and Link shared a special bond as she affectionately refers to him as “Linky.”
Although she is happy to see him up and about, it’s evident that he doesn’t recognize her by the blank look on his face. In hopes of jogging his memory, she reveals that she was there when Link was taken to the Shrine of Resurrection.
When he again shares that he does not remember, she’s quick to note his response in her notebook. She confides in Link that she will often jot down notes for herself.
Purah is quick on her toes and isn’t afraid to speak her mind. This is evident when she points out that Link is rude due to his confusion about her appearance. However, she’s also understanding as she admits he has a point since she looks nothing like the grown woman she once was.
She shares with Link that her appearance is due to an experiment gone wrong and requests that he not read her diary. Purah quickly changes the topic, instead choosing to focus on Calamity Ganon and the quest Link must complete to save Hyrule. Purah says she plans on helping him by upgrading his Sheikah Slate.
Lighting the Furance
When Link agrees to let Purah help him, she requests that he take care of something for her. She gives him a quizzical look when he says he thought she might help him for free. When he says this, Purah is quick to add more notes to her notebook. When she’s done, she explains the task to Link.
There is a furnace that sits outside the lab. Link probably saw it when he arrived. Purah explains that she needs Link to light this furnace to restore the missing runes on his Sheikah Slate. With that said, she mumbles to herself something bout whether or not people still use the same language.
With her request made, she’ll then give Link the opportunity ask about a variety of things. If he asks for more information regarding the ancient furnace, Purah will tell him where it is (just down the hill in Hateno Village). If he asks about the Blue FLame needed to light the furnace, she’ll suggest how he can get it back to ancient furnace.
If Link asks who she is, she’ll once again give her name and her catchphrase (Snappity Snap!). She’ll then realize that Link is fishing for her age, which she immediately rebuffs, suggesting that he not ask to many questions about her. Purah will also tell Link about a nearby torch, which he can use to complete the task she gave him.
Should you choose to do so, Link can light the ancient furnace with the blue flame before talking with Purah. When they speak, Purah says that she’s surprised. Initially, she breaks out her catchphrase, but then backtracks a little, realizing it’s not the right time for such frivolity.
Eventually, she ask Link if he brought the blue flame to the ancient furnace. When he admits it was him, Purah will respond that he looks good for someone who just woke from the Slumber of Restoration. She’ll then go about the business of introducing herself and telling Link that his Sheikah Slate needs fixing.
Link confirms her suspicions about the Sheikah Slate, which pleases Purah. However, before she can repair the slate, she must ask him a few questions. At this point, the game moves back to the typical dialogue between the two.
Camera Rune and Hyrule Compendium
With the introduction out of the way and the blue fire added to the ancient furnace, Purah will add the Camera Rune to Link’s Sheikah Slate. She’ll also add the Sheikah Sensor, which allows Link to locate specific items. When he gets close to the set item, the slate will begin to emit a pinging noise.
At this point, Purah requests Link take her picture. This gives her an opportunity to tell Link more about how the Camera functionality works. She’ll tell Link that Princess Zelda used the Sheikah Slate to create an image. Purah will then explain that the Camera function will take pictures of items and track them in the Hyrule Compendium.
She’ll ask Link to take a picture of her. When he shows it to her, Purah is pleased with how she looks. For a brief moment she is overwhelmed by her appearance and takes a second to regain her composure.
Once she does, she quickly points out that Princess Zelda took plenty of pictures. She also notes that it’s likely he was there with her at each of the locations in the gallery.
Citing his trouble with memory loss, Purah tells Link that if he can find the locations of the photographs, they may help him recover them. At this point, she’ll tell Link to return to Impa if he wants to know more. However, before he leaves, Purah will instruct Link to return at a later time with Ancient Materials.
Purah and Robbie
Purah is of the opinion that Robbie, the scientist as the tech lab in Akkala, is her subordinate. Even though the two haven’t seen one another in nearly a century, she believes she is in charge.
When Calamity Ganon arose, the pair decided to part ways and set up in two separate places. The decision was made so that if something happened to one of them, the other would still be available to help Link.
Slated for Upgrades
When Link shows Purah the picture he took of her, the Locked Mementos portion of the Main Quest is completed. If he speaks with her again, she’ll talk to him about upgrading his Sheikah Slate. This will kick off the Slated for Upgrades quest.
To complete this quest, Link needs to collect three Ancient Cores to receive an upgrade to his Statis rune, three Ancient Screws to upgrade his Sheikah Sensor, and three Ancient Shafts to upgrade the Remote Bomb rune.
Link can complete these upgrades in any order and at any time. Once he upgrades all three parts of this Sheikah Slate, the quest is complete.
Fortunately, these items are fairly easy to find, even if you don’t have the necessary weapons and equipment to take out an active Guardian. Look for Decayed Guardians littered throughout Hyrule. Quite a few are located in Fort Hateno and Ash Swamp, so take a few minutes and explore those to find the items you need.
Or, if you don’t want to mess with guardians, you can talk to Teli. You’ll find him walking along the path just north of Fort Hateno. He will sell you some of the items you need.
Another way you can get the items you need is to find a shrine with a Guardian and destroy it repeatedly. Guardians will respawn each time you enter the shrine, so you can defeat it, collec items, leave the shrine, then head back in to do it over again.
Sunshroom Sensing
Once Link upgrades his Sheikah Sensor to Sheikah Sensor+, Symin will speak with him about how to use the Sheikah Sensor. He’ll ask Link to use the Sheikah Slate to find Sunshrooms, which kicks of the Sunshroom Sensing quest. By exploring the nearby Retsam Forest, Link will find the Sunshrooms he needs to complete the quest.
Purah’s Diary
If you’re interested in reading Purah’s Diary even though she asked you not to, you can find it in her room at the top of the lab. It’s sitting out in the open on the table, right in the middle of her room.
Reading through it reveals information about the de-aging experiment gone wrong and why she appears to be a young girl despite her advanced age.
FAQs
Purah is an interesting and complex character in Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. If you want to learn more about her, check out some of the most frequently asked questions below.
Question: Can I Take Pictures of Purah?
Answer: Yes, you can take pictures of Purah any time you want.
Question: What is the Reward for Completing the Locked Mementos Quest?
Answer: Completing the Locked Mementos quest rewards Link with a picture of Purah and Robbie together.
Question: What is the Reward for Upgrading the Sheikah Slate?
Answer: Upgrading the Sheikah Slate rewards Link with an improved Statis rune, a longer Sensor range, and the ability to place Remote Bombs anywhere.
Question: Can I Talk to Purah Again After Completing Her Side Quest?
Answer: Yes, you can talk to Purah again after completing her side quest. She will offer additional dialogue and information.
Question: Can I Read Purah’s Diary?
Answer: Yes, you can read Purah’s Diary if you want to learn more about her and the de-aging experiment gone wrong. It’s located in her room at the top of the lab, sitting out in the open on the table.
Question: Where Can I Find the Ancient Cores, Ancient Screws, and Ancient Shafts Needed to Upgrade My Sheikah Slate?
Answer: The items you need to upgrade your Sheikah Slate are fairly easy to find. You can find Decayed Guardians littered throughout Hyrule, or Teli will sell you some of the items you need. You can also find a shrine with a Guardian and destroy it repeatedly to get the items you need.
Sheikah Slate Activate
Despite her appearance, Purah is one of the oldest living humans in Hyrule. She’s full of wisdom and knowledge and is willing to share what she knows with Link (except for her age).
While she’s a bit on the snarky side, she’s more than helpful, especially when it comes to explaining and upgrading the Sheikah Slate.
Find more helpful guides by checking these links below:
Hateno Village Guide: Everything You Need to Know