The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom sees Link use a bunch of new abilities to help in his ongoing fight with Calamity Ganon. But players will be quick to remember the valuable skills provided by the Champions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which helped Link in various ways.
These abilities were significantly improved upon in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s second DLC pack, The Champions’ Ballad, giving each power a boost in terms of how long Link had to wait for them to recharge. And while all four gave Link an impressive increase in stats like health, defense, attack, and speed (or flight), there’s one ability that always comes out on top.
4 Daruk's Protection
Despite being the tankiest of the four, Fireblight Ganon was no match for the Goron Champion Daruk. As a result of his rocky facade, Daruk was blessed with the ability to create a red barrier around his body to protect himself from projectiles and attacks. This barrier could also deflect incoming hits, acting as a shield.
After Daruk’s spirit meets with Link on the Divine Beast Vah Rudania, he gifts the young Champion with Daruk’s Protection - enabling Link to conjure the same red barrier. This comes in handy when facing intrusive Guardian beams, as they are instantly reflected as though Link is parrying the attack with a shield. And if he successfully does this while Daruk’s Protection is up, it cancels out the action.
The Goron Champion’s ability can be used for more than just defense. Some players have found ways to utilize Daruk’s Protection in Breath of the Wild to allow Link to deal more damage quickly against enemies. For example, Link can use Daruk’s Protection three times before recharging, which takes 18 minutes in real-time and six minutes inside Hyrule Castle. In The Champions’ Ballad, this time is reduced to six minutes outside Hyrule Castle and two minutes within.
3 Urbosa's Fury
Before succumbing to Thunderblight Ganon on Divine Beast Vah Naboris, Gerudo leader and Champion Urbosa was able to manipulate and charge up lightning, which came to be known as Urbosa’s Fury. Once Link takes back control of Vah Naboris, Urbosa bestows this power upon him, allowing him to conjure lightning by performing a Spin Attack. When he does so, a dome of green light envelops him and his enemies, which are subsequently struck with lightning bolts.
Link can use Urbosa’s power with any weapon, proving to be a lifesaving ability when surrounded by a large group of enemies. However, it takes a few seconds for the dome of electricity to charge, which can be make or break in certain situations.
Urbosa’s Fury can be used three times before needing to be recharged, which takes twelve real-time minutes to recover outside of Hyrule Castle. Inside, it takes Link four minutes to recharge. These are both shortened in The Champions’ Ballad to four minutes in the open world and one minute and twenty seconds inside the castle.
2 Revali's Gale
Champion of the Rito, Revali stops at nothing in informing those around him of his untouchable skills - including his ability to create impressive updrafts. This would become known as Revali’s Gale, which the Champion would utilize in battle and combine with his superior talent in archery. Despite being bested by Windblight Ganon in the Divine Beast Vah Medoh, Revali continued to boast of his abilities in front of Link, eventually succumbing to the reality that Link was just as skilled as him in other ways.
In return, Revali blessed Link with Revali’s Gale, giving the Hero the capability of creating updrafts of his own to reach the highest of heights to glide down from. Revali’s Gale can be used three times before recharging, which takes six minutes outside Hyrule Castle and two minutes within. Once upgraded, the ability takes two minutes to recharge in Hyrule and a brief forty seconds inside the castle. After obtaining the skill, it soon becomes second nature for the player as a way to traverse around Hyrule - particularly when it’s raining and cliffs become too slick to climb.
1 Mipha's Grace
Princess of the Zora, Mipha is the purest of the four Champions with her quiet grace and deep kindness. So it’s hardly surprising that her special power is related to her healing capabilities. Mipha has the ability to heal with touch, as demonstrated during one of Link’s unlockable memories while she heals his right arm.
Of the four Champions, Mipha and Link share a deep connection through her love for the Hylian knight, shown in the Zora Armor given to Link 100 years after her death. This armor is “painstakingly crafted by each generation’s Zora princess for her future husband,” as the in-game description reads. Mipha finally reunites with Link when he frees her spirit from Divine Beast Vah Ruta. In return, she gives him her ability to heal, known as Mipha’s Grace.
Mipha’s Grace soon becomes invaluable, as it can save Link from the stickiest of situations when he loses all his hearts. In addition to reviving Link, Mipha’s Grace gives him five temporary hearts for protection. The only caveat with Mipha’s Grace is that it can only be used once, and takes the longest to recharge at a whopping 24 in-game minutes. However, in Hyrule Castle, the ability only takes eight minutes to charge up once more. When upgraded in Champions’ Ballad, the 24-minute wait time is reduced to eight. At the same time, it takes only two minutes and forty seconds when in the castle.