Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is set 100 years before the events of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, back when everyone was still alive and fighting against the forces of Calamity Ganon. Like Hyrule Warriors before it, there are many characters to unlock in Age of Calamity. Some join you in the middle of a mission, while others take a bit more effort to unlock.
However, since Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity has you control more than one character at any time, it’s important to get their stats up high, have the best gear, and keep on top of the grind. Doing so will give you an easier time against some of the game’s tougher challenges and missions.
Each character has a whole set of upgrades tied to quests and challenges too, so we’ll go over how to unlock characters, where to find upgrades, and every single weapon type available to that character. There’s a fair few to check out and you’ll likely need to flip between our Age of Calamity items and Age of Calamity quests guides to get the full picture.
There are a few characters we know of so far in the game, though there are tons more in the final release. Since the demo version of Age of Calamity carries over saved data, we can be certain of the details for the first three that are playable that you unlock:
Age of Calamity characters
Link
How to unlock: Unlocked at the beginning of The Battle of Hyrule Field.
One-Handed Weapon types
- Training Sword (Received by playing the demo)
- Soldier’s Broadsword
- Tree Branch
- Traveler’s Sword
- Boko Club
- Lizal Boomerang
- Feathered Edge
- Lizal Forked Boomerang
- Knight’s Broadsword
- Boomerang
- Soup Ladle
- Royal Broadsword (Octo-Polish Rusty Halberd)
- Master Sword
Two-Handed Weapon types
- Traveler’s Claymore
- Woodcutter’s Axe
- Iron Sledgehammer
- Moblin Club
- Farming Hoe
- Boko Bat
- Eightfold Longblade
- Double Axe
- Spiked Moblin Club
- Dragonbone Boko Bat
Spear Weapon types
- Soldier’s Spear
- Throwing Spear
- Moblin Spear
- Lizal Spear
- Wooden Mop
- Spiked Moblin Spear
- Rusty Halberd
- Dragonbone Moblin Spear
- Knight’s Halberd
- Serpentine Spear
- Enhanced Lizal Spear
- Royal Halberd (Octo-Polish Rusty Halberd)
- Royal Guard’s Spear
Upgrades
- +1 Hearts: Complete ‘A Well-Tended Goddess’
- One-Handed Bonus Combo: Complete ‘Hyrule Swordfighting Academy’
- One-Handed Bonus Combo: Complete ‘Keeping the Village Peace’
- +1 Health: Complete ‘A Flower-Adorned Goddess’
- Two-Handed Bonus Combo: Complete ‘Making a Monster’
- Two-Handed Bonus Combo: Complete ‘The Hateno Defense Squad’
- Two-Handed Bonus Combo: Complete ‘The Volunteer Army’
- Spear Bonus Combo: Complete ‘A Spear-ited Combatant’
- One-Handed Bonus Combo: Complete ‘Study the Blade’
- Spear Bonus Combo: Complete ‘Mount Taran’s Solitary Masters’
- One-Handed Bonus Combo: Complete ‘The Blade that Pierces the Eye’
- One-Handed Bonus Combo: Complete ‘Heartfelt Thanks’
- One-Handed Bonus Enhanced Ability: Complete ‘Proof of Sword Mastery’
- Special-Attack Gauge +1: Complete ‘Frog Side Effects’
- Two-Handed Bonus Combo: Complete ‘The Treasure Hunter’s Technique’
- +2 Hearts: Complete ‘A Moss-Covered Goddess’
- Spear Bonus Combo: Complete ‘Training Ground Pest Problem’
- Spear Bonus Combo: Complete ‘Training Ground Upgrade’
Impa
How to unlock: Unlocked halfway into The Battle of Hyrule Field when the first Fire Wizzrobe appears.
Weapon types
- Kakariko Kodachi
- Faithful Kodachi
Upgrades
- +1 Hearts: Complete ‘The Lights of Home’
- Bonus Combo: Complete ‘Traps for Kakariko Village’
- +1 Hearts: Complete ‘Kakariko’s Best Babysitter’
- Bonus Combo: Complete ‘To Bring the Village Together’
- Bonus Combo: Complete ‘Village Training Secrets’
- Special-Attack Gauge +1: Complete ‘Helping out at Hateno Pasture’
- Bonus Combo: Complete ‘Just the Right Light’
Zelda
How to unlock: Unlocked halfway into Road to the Ancient Lab after activating the first unearthed Guardian.
Weapon types
- Ancient Memory Part
- Ancient Power Boost
Upgrades
- Sheika Slate Bonus Combo: Complete ‘The Frontiers of Knowledge’
- +1 Heart: Complete ‘A Princess in Distress’
- +1 Heart: Complete ‘A Buffet of Delicacies’
- Sheika Slate Bonus Combo: Complete ‘Preparing for Field Work’
- Sheika Slate Bonus Combo: Complete ‘Soothing Tensions’
- +2 Hearts: Complete ‘In Case of Emergency…’
- Special-Attack gauge +1: Complete ‘Living Things of Hyrule’
Revali
How to unlock: Complete Revali, the Rito Warrior
Weapon types
- Traveler’s Bow
- Great Eagle Bow
- Soldier’s Bow
Upgrades
- Bonus Combo: Complete ‘Upgrading the Flight Range’
- +1 Hearts: Complete ‘The Lodge at Hebra Trailhead’
- Bonus Combo: Complete ‘Learning to Become the Wild’
- Bonus Combo: Complete ‘A Fly-by-Night Operation’
- +1 Hearts: Complete ‘Beyond the Wall of Thunder’
- Bonus Combo: Complete ‘The Rito Flying Tournament’
- Special-Attack Gauge +1: Complete ‘Across Tanagar Canyon’
- Divine Beast Vah Medoh power up: Complete ‘Revitalize Those in the Skies
- +2 Hearts: Complete ‘Soured Honeymoon’
Mipha
How to unlock: Playable in ‘Mipha, the Zora Princess’
Weapon types
- Traveler’s Spear
- Soldier’s Spear
- Lightscale Trident
- Zora Spear
Upgrades
- +1 Heart: Complete ‘A Fruitful Offering’
- Bonus Combo: Complete ‘The Zora Who Wouldn’t Swim’
- Bonus Combo: Complete ‘Climbing the Waterfall’
- Bonus Combo: Complete ‘Bounding Across the Waves’
- +1 Special-Attack Gauge: Complete ‘To the Zora Voe and Vai’
- +2 Hearts: Complete ‘Feeding the Laborers’
- Bonus Combo: Complete ‘Diving Safety’
- Bonus Combo: Complete ‘Diving as Battle Training’
- +1 Heart: Complete ‘Lauding a Champion’
- Divine Beast Vah Ruta power up: Complete ‘Regulating the Reservoir’
Urbosa
How to unlock: Playable in ‘Urbosa, the Gerudo Chief’
Weapon types
- Gerudo Scimitar
- Scimitar of the Seven
- Moonlight Scimitar
Upgrades
- +1 Heart: Complete ‘Conducting an Experiment’
- Bonus Combo: Complete ‘Urbosa’s Desert Training’
- Bonus Combo: Complete ‘Shocking Design Choices’
- +1 Heart: Complete ‘Colorful Kara Kara Bazaar’
- +1 Special-Attack Gauge: Complete ‘The Spa’s New Service’
- Bonus Combo: Complete ‘Conductive to Conducting’
- Bonus Combo: Complete ‘Stealth Mission’
- Divine Beast Vah Naboris power up: Complete ‘Patrolling the Desert’
Daruk
How to unlock: Playable in ‘Daruk, the Goron Hero’
Weapon types
- Boulder Breaker
- Cobble Crusher
- Stone Smasher
Upgrades
- +1 Heart: Complete ‘The Creative Fires’
- Bonus Combo: Complete ‘A Battle against the Heat’
- Bonus Combo: Complete ‘Playing with Fire’
- +1 Heart: Complete ‘An Irresistible Aroma’
- Bonus Combo: Complete ‘Playing Cucco’
- Bonus Combo: Complete ‘These Muscles of Mine(rs)’
- +1 Special-Attack Gauge: Complete ‘Gut-Check Challenge’
- Bonus Combo: Complete ‘To Stand atop the Lava’
- +2 Hearts: Complete ‘A Goron-Style Massage’
- Divine Beast Vah Rudania power up: Complete ‘Surveying the Volcano’
Hestu
How to unlock: Playable in ‘Freeing Korok Forest’
Weapon types
- Maracas
- Shaka Maracas
Upgrades
- +1 Heart: Complete ‘Otherworldy Objects’
- Bonus Combo: Complete ‘Frown-Reversal Magic’
- Bonus Combo: Complete ‘Pinwheel, No-Spinwheel’
- Bonus Combo: Complete ‘Out of the Woods’
- +1 Special-Attack Gauge: Complete ‘It’s Shakala Time’
- +1 Heart: Complete ‘The Mushroom Shop’
- Bonus Combo: Complete ‘A Leaf on the Breeze’
- Bonus Combo: Complete ‘Think Yourself Clever?’
Great Fairies
How to unlock: Complete the steps as outlined in our Age of Calamity Great Fairies guide
Weapon types
- Dazzling Bangles
- Luxurious Bangles
Upgrades
- +2 Hearts: Complete ‘Only the Best’
- Bonus Combo: Complete ‘Stunning Bracelet’
- Special-Attack Gauge +1: Complete ‘Lushify the Spring’
- +2 Hearts: Complete ‘Dusty Desert Road’
- Bonus Combo: Complete ‘Superb Necklace’
- +1 Hearts: Complete ‘Encouraging Tourism’
- Bonus Combo: Complete ‘Luminous Earrings’
- +1 Hearts: Complete ‘No Stone Unturned’
- Bonus Combo: Complete ‘Glorious Ring’
- Special-Attack Gauge +1: Complete ‘Never Enough Fairies’
- Bonus Combo: Complete ‘Shimmering Horseshoe’
Monk Maz Koshia
How to unlock: Complete the steps as outlined in our Age of Calamity Monk Maz Koshia guide
Weapon types
- Monk’s Bands
- Bands of Enlightenment
Upgrades
- Special-Attack gauge +1: Complete ‘Trial of Goma Asaagh’
- Bonus combo: Complete ‘Trial of Tutsuwa Nima’
- Bonus combo: Complete ‘Trial of Dah Hesho’
- Bonus combo: Complete ‘Trial of Ke’nai Shakah’
- Special-Attack gauge +1: Complete ‘Trial of Saas Ko’sah’
- +1 Hearts: Complete ‘Trial of Noya Neha’
- Bonus combo: Complete ‘Trial of Soh Kofi’
- Bonus combo: Complete ‘Trial of Muwo Jeem’
- +2 Hearts: Complete ‘Trial of Sasa Kai’
- +1 Hearts: Complete ‘Trial of Pumaag Nitae’
- +2 Hearts: Complete ‘Trial of Shoqa Tatone’
Shared Unlocks
In addition to the quests that unlock perks for certain characters, there are also some quests that unlock a bonus for every character in the game at the same time.
- +1 Heart: Complete ‘Painter’s Pilgrimage’
- +1 Weapon Capacity: Complete ‘More Rattle, More Dance!’
- Increased Apple Capacity by One: Complete ‘The Korok Ballet’
- Weapon Capacity: Complete ‘More Rattle, More Dance!’
- +2 Weapon Capacity: Complete ‘Good Cheer’
- Improved Heart Recovery: Complete ‘Chilly Path to a Hot Bath’
- +5% Bonus Exp Earned from enemies: Complete ‘A Read on the Enemy’
- -5% enemy damage: Complete ‘The Finest Tailor in the Land’
- Reduced time between Cryonis uses: Complete ‘Keep a Cool Head’
- Reduced time between Magnesis uses: Complete ‘Shocking Fear’
- Reduced time between Stasis uses: Complete ‘A Stasis on Research’
- Reduced time between Remote Bomb uses: Complete ‘Explosive Endeavors’
- Increased Rod uses by one: Complete ‘The Research of Rods’
- Improved stagger resistance: Complete ‘Inner Protection’
- Improved Special-Attack gauge recovery: Complete ‘Inner Knowing’
unlocking the rest of the main story’s characters
There are plenty of other characters available in the game, but we’re going to need a little longer to work out what all of the perks are for each one. If you just want to know when they’re unlocked, here is a list of the rest of the unlockable characters (excluding the hidden ones).
- Sidon: Complete Chapter 5: Water and Fire
- Yunobo: Complete Chapter 5: Water and Fire
- Teba: Complete Chapter 5: Air and Lightning
- Riju: Complete Chapter 5: Air and Lightning
- Master Kohga: Complete Chapter 6: Relentless as a Waterfall
- King Rhoam: Complete Chapter 7: All Hyrule United
How to unlock the Hidden Characters
Age of Calamity has four hidden characters that you can unlock at various points. They’re found largely by completing certain quests and challenges, but there’s also a few that have special conditions to unlock. We don’t detail the actual quests and details of each character here just yet for the sake of spoilers, but are creating separate guides for each character. We will be listing each named character, so if that is a spoiler, then please look away now.
Thanks for checking out this Age of Calamity character guide. For those who need that extra oomph when leaping into missions, we have a host of delicious meal ideas in our Age of Calamity recipes guide. You can also check out our Age of Calamity Korok Seeds guide for every single location for these hard-to-find items.