Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.
- "A protective power containing the perfect defense of the Champion Daruk. It will automatically protect you from all manner of attacks as long as you're holding [ZL]."
- — In-game description
Daruk's Protection is a key item from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Link obtains it from Daruk after defeating Fireblight Ganon in the Divine Beast Vah Rudania. The cooldown of Daruk's Protection is 18 minutes after all three charges have been consumed. After completing the mission “Daruk’s song” ( a mission in the DLC, The Champion's Ballad) it upgrades to Daruk's Protection+ and it takes only 6 minutes to recharge. This power, along with Urbosa's Fury, Mipha's Grace, and Revali's Gale can be equipped and deactivated at will by selecting it in the key item menu. It is a red orb with a picture of Vah Rudania at its center.
Users[]
Daruk[]
- "Daruk's Protection is now ready to roll!"
- — Daruk
Daruk's Protection is an ability originally possessed by the Goron Champion Daruk, who was selected by King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule and Princess Zelda to pilot the Divine Beast Vah Rudania against Calamity Ganon one hundred years before the events of Breath of the Wild. In one of Link's recovered memories, when Link was observing Daruk pilot Vah Rudania, a sudden tremor from Death Mountain causes some large boulders to fall onto the Divine Beast where Link and Daruk where standing and might have killed them where it not for Daruk's Protection which the Goron Champion used to shield himself destroying the boulders preventing them from hitting Link. Like the other Champion abilities, Daruk's Protection was apparently a unique ability that he only he possessed, though unlike the other Champions, Daruk was able to pass this ability onto his descendants. After Vah Rudania and his spirit are freed following the defeat of Fireblight Ganon, Daruk grants this power to his old comrade Link so he can use it to defend himself in his quest to defeat Calamity Ganon to free Princess Zelda and restore the Kingdom of Hyrule.
Link[]
Daruk's Protection shields Link with an impenetrable barrier, akin to Nayru's Love only the shield can be up indefinitely for as long as the button is held down, from almost any type of direct or indirect damage that would cause Link harm, such as attacks from enemies, falling from great heights, and lightning. It will even deflect back the beam of a Guardian Stalker. What it does not shield Link from, however, is damage that is given from things such as falling into molten lava, falling into an abyss, a pummeling from Magda, or damage caused by drowning. When active, the barrier creates light similar to that of a torch, making it a useful alternative to lighting a wooden weapon on fire when Link needs a light source rather than an actual source of flames or heat. This ability is bestowed to Link by Daruk after he frees Vah Rudania from Fireblight Ganon. Like the other Champion abilities he receives for freeing the Divine Beasts and the spirits of their respective Champion pilots, Link's ability to use it is likely due to his status as the Hylian Champion and Hero Chosen by the Master Sword.
Yunobo[]
In addition to Daruk and Link, Daruk's descendant Yunobo apparently inherited this ability from his heroic ancestor and can use this power to make him similar to a cannonball, or protect him from dangerous situations, such as run-ins with monsters and enemies. Before Link reaches Goron City, the Goron Patriarch Bludo joined forces with Yunobo to drive off Vah Rudania when it attempted to leave Death Mountain to protect Goron City. As normal cannonballs had no effect on the Divine Beast, Bludo and Yunobo took advantage of Yunobo's ability to use Daruk's Protection by having Yunobo curl up and load himself into a Cannon using Daruk's Protection to make himself invulnerable, then have Bludo launch Yunobo like a cannonball, using a combination of Daruk's Protection and kinetic energy provided by Yunobo being fired from a cannon to damage the Divine Beast. It should be noted that the Rito Elder Kaneli implies that only a Champion or descendant of one can tame the Divine Beasts, indicating that Yunobo's ability to damage the beast may be the result of his being Daruk's descendant, so this cannonball method may have only worked due to him being Daruk's descendant, though it should be noted that his ability to use Daruk's Protection is implied to have been inherited so both may have contributed to Yunobo's ability to inflict damage on the Divine Beast (although as it was being controlled by Fireblight Ganon presumably the damage was inflicted to Fireblight Ganon or interfering with the phantom's control over the beast). With this power, Yunobo is the only one who could help Link calm Vah Rudania. Daruk's Protection is the only champion ability to be possessed by someone other than Link and the Champion he receives it, though this is likely due to the fact that Yunobo is the only known descendant of a Champion, as none of the other Champions are implied to have had children or surviving descendants (other than Daruk, Zora Princess Mipha is the only Champion with living blood relatives though her father and brother are implied to lack the ability to use Mipha's Grace indicating that Champion abilities can only be inherited by their descendants or bestowed to other Champions such as Link).
Spoiler warning: Spoilers end here.