- "This is the town of greenery and dyes, Hateno Village. Can a place be a village AND a town? Anyway... The vegetables taste good. The air smells good... What else... All kinds of points of interest I'm forgetting... Travelers tend to spend their money here, so that's good! Yeah! The village folk welcome THAT with open arms! But... A little advice? Don't go near the place up the hill in the rear of the village. There's a yappy old woman there."
- — Thadd
The Hateno Village is a location from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. It is located in the East Necluda region of Hyrule. It is one of the few inhabited locations to not have been seriously affected by Calamity Ganon's onslaught one hundred years ago due to being so far from Central Hyrule. It survival is the result of the actions of the surviving Champions Link and Princess Zelda's confrontation with Guardians at Blatchery Plain near Fort Hateno along with Zelda sealing Ganon away in Hyrule Castle which allowed the town to survive and rebuild during the Age of Burning Fields as Link slumbered in the Shrine of Resurrection. Though Princess Zelda's contribution to the battle beyond her sealing of Calamity Ganon is unknown to most Hylian residents, the Hylian Champion Link's role is remembered, even though his name and historical events of the battle has faded into legend. However the legend erroneously assumes the Hylian Champion perished due to most being unaware he barely survived thanks to Zelda and the Sheikah. As such it is one of the few places that remains relatively unchanged and with a thriving community having several services not found elsewhere. Many windmills dot the village and the many Hylians who live here make a living as farmers though others work as merchants supplying goods and services to the townsfolk and travelers. One family in particular runs a cow and sheep farm at Hateno Pasture, though they've been having trouble with deer overpopulation in nearby Retsam Forest and their flock is threatened by monster sheep rustlers operating out of Hateno Beach to the point they are looking for capable travelers willing to assist them with Deer Hunting and combating the rustlers. The Kochi Dye Shop run by Sayge practices the traditional art of Hateno dyeing where customers can dye Armor. Seldon acts as the town's unofficial tour guide while Thadd stands guard at the village gate as a precaution as monsters patrol the roads and forests in order to ambush travelers. However despite this the travelers Celessa, Joute, Teli, and Toma often brave the dangers to reach the village as they travel through Necluda. The farmer Agus and his Donkey often travel between East and West Necluda to sell milk, eggs, and butter from the village in order to purchase meat (presumably from the travelling butcher Mezer) for himself and the other villagers during trips to Dueling Peaks Stable. As a result the town is an important trading hub and economic area for East Necluda.
The village is also home to the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab, where the Sheikah scientists Purah and Symin conduct many experiments in privacy. The lab's Director Purah is the town's oldest living resident as she is Impa's elder sister and one of the Sheikah responsible for placing Link in the Shrine of Resurrection under Princess Zelda's orders. The lab is also one of the town's oldest known surviving structures as it was constructed before the Great Calamity with funding from Hyrule Castle. Additionally their is an old house belonging to an unknown villager whom left Hateno Village to combat the Great Calamity a century prior never to return. However the Ancient Furnace near Zelkoa Pond and Myahm Agana Shrine predate both these structures having been constructed at least ten thousand years before Link awoke from his slumber. Additionally some time in the past the Goddess Hylia sealed away a Demon inside the Horned Statue as punishment for making faustian deals with mortals. The Bolson Construction company is also headquartered here and built newer model homes within the village.
Contact with Lurelin Village[]
As shown by former Lurelin Village resident Ralera's marriage to local miller Rhodes, there is some contact between the residents of Hateno Village and Lurelin Village presumably due to Lurelin fisherman occasionally fishing from nearby Hateno Bay thanks to Zora Prince Sidon's efforts in slaying a giant Octorok that once terrorized the fisherman. Both villages are connected by land and the Necluda Sea. Contact between the villages is also supported by Hateno Cows originally breed in Hateno Village being raised in Lurelin Village indicating trade and cultural exchange.
Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.
Link's House[]
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Link's House in Hateno Village
Bolson runs his construction business here and Link can find his company working to demolish the old abandoned house who's owner had left one hundred years earlier to defend Hyrule during the Great Calamity. For over a century the house remained abandoned until the village elders after much debate decided to commission Bolson's company to demolish it. However Link can save it by offering to purchase the house from Bolson, which results in the side quest "Hylian Homeowner". After having bought it for 3,000 Rupees, as well as 30 bundles of wood, Link's House appears here for the rest of the game, and Link can ask Bolson for adding extra features including weapon, shield, and bow mounts which he can use to store equipment he wishes to keep while freeing space in his inventory. Once all are added, the quest is completed, and Link obtains the rest of the furniture for free. A cooking pot is located outside the house sheltered by a tree allowing him to cook even if it rains and the Horned Statue can be found near Firly Pond that flows under the bridge leading to Link's House. The house also has stalls in its yard for Link's horse though they are a purely cosmetic feature where Link can leave his horse while at home. An Apple tree also grows in the backyard. Two Iron Sledgehammers spawn outside his house making it a good place to acquire them. Though unconfirmed, it is implied that the Hylian Champion Link may have been its original owner before the Great Calamity explaining why the village took a century before deciding to demolish it.
After completing "EX Champions' Ballad" from The Champions' Ballad DLC, the Picture of the Champions received from Kass as a reward will appear framed near his bed in his house as a cherished memento of happier times with his fellow Champions.
Spoiler warning: Spoilers end here.