Hyrule Compendium Completion Guide

The Hyrule Compendium is Link's comprehensive visual encyclopedia of everything in Hyrule. Photographing creatures, enemies, materials, equipment, and treasures fills the Compendium with entries. A complete Compendium is required for the Sensor+ to target any specific item or enemy, and completing it unlocks the Classified Envelope reward from Robbie.

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Compendium Basics

How to Take Photos

The camera is unlocked through Robbie's quest "A Picture for the Village" at Lookout Landing. After unlocking:

• Press Up on D-pad (while not in combat) to bring up the camera
• ZR focuses/locks onto nearby subjects
• A takes the photo

Good photo requirements:

• Subject must be centered in frame
• Subject must fill at least 25% of the frame
• Subject must not be obscured by objects in the foreground
• Live subjects (enemies, animals) must not be fleeing

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Sensor+ — Why Compendium Matters

Once Robbie upgrades the Purah Pad to Sensor+, you can set any Compendium entry as a tracking target. The Sensor beeps faster as you approach the selected target.

Best uses for Sensor+:

• Finding rare ores (set Luminous Stone or Diamond as target)
• Locating specific enemies for material farming
• Finding hidden animals for photography
• Navigating to unseen shrine or cave entrances near targets

To use Sensor+: Open the map → select Sensor+ → pick a Compendium entry → the icon appears in the HUD with a range indicator.

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Compendium Categories

The Compendium is divided into five sections:

1. Creatures — All wildlife (animals, fish, insects, frogs)
2. Monsters — All enemies
3. Materials — All gatherable items (plants, ores, monster drops)
4. Equipment — All weapons, bows, shields, and armor
5. Treasure — All treasure chests and their locations

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Missable Entries — Act Fast

Most Compendium entries are available throughout the game, but a few are time-sensitive or only available in specific contexts:

Phantom Ganon (Dungeon Versions)

Each dungeon has a Phantom Ganon mini-boss fight before the main boss. Photographing Phantom Ganon requires doing it during this specific fight — you cannot re-encounter them after completion.

Action required: Before starting each dungeon boss fight, photograph the Phantom Ganon during the mini-boss encounter. Use the camera quickly (pausing briefly isn't possible in combat but the fight is survivable while taking photos).

Divine Beast Companions

The sage companions (Tulin, Sidon, Riju, Yunobo, Mineru) have Compendium entries as their sage forms. Photograph each one during their vow cutscene or anytime afterward while they're accompanying you.

Dragon Parts in Flight

Dragon scale photos require photographing living dragons. Farosh, Dinraal, and Naydra fly fixed routes — use their routes to get photos.

Dragon photo tips:

• Use the map to track dragon routes
• The camera auto-focuses on large moving objects — getting close is sufficient
• Each dragon variant (scale, talon, horn, fang) is a separate entry

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Creature Entries — Photography Guide

Fish (Underwater)

Fish are underwater — aim the camera downward at clear water.

Best fishing spots:

• Lake Hylia: Multiple fish species in the same body of water
• Zora's Domain: Staminoka Bass, Hyrule Bass
• Totori Lake (Necluda): High fish concentration

Tip: Fish photograph best in clear water. Cloudy or Gloom-tainted water obscures fish — find pristine water sources.

Insects and Bugs

Insects are small and fast — they flee when you approach directly.

Photography technique:

1. Crouch (ZL) to enter stealth mode
2. Walk slowly toward the insect
3. Frame the shot from 1-2 meters away
4. Press A quickly when it fills 25%+ of frame

Most difficult insects:

• Sunset Fireflies: Only appear at dusk/night, near ponds and rivers. Time of day required.
• Electric Darners: Near electric water in Lanayru — approach from downwind
• Hot-Footed Frogs: Jump away rapidly — crouch approach mandatory

Birds (Aerocuda, Boko-Blin Riders)

Aerial creatures are hard to photograph in flight.

Tip: Shoot an Aerocuda with a non-lethal weapon (use a stick or low-damage arrow to stun) and photograph while it's stunned on the ground.

Horses and Deer

Spook easily. Use Stealth Up food (Blue Nightshade) and crouch approach to get within photo range.

Best location for multiple animals: Hyrule Ridge has deer, horses, and mountain goats in proximity.

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Monster Entries — Photography Guide

Silver Enemies

Silver Bokoblins, Moblins, and Lizalfos have separate entries from their Black variants. Photograph before killing — they're much rarer and don't respawn as frequently.

Gloom Hands

Difficult to photograph safely — they're aggressive and deal heavy damage.

Safe photography technique:

1. Enter a space near a Gloom Hand spot at night
2. Approach slowly (they're slower to activate at distance)
3. Photograph while they're still in ground form
4. Retreat immediately after the photo

Phantom Ganon (Specific)

As noted in missables — photograph during dungeon fights only.

King Gleeok

The three-headed variant needs to be photographed in flight (it primarily stays airborne). Best opportunity: the initial spawning animation when it rises. Don't enter combat immediately — use the camera first.

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Material Entries — Photography Guide

Most materials photograph themselves when you pick them up — Link's inventory automatically registers Compendium entries for held materials.

Exception: Some materials only register via photo (not pickup):

• Dragon scales (must photograph on the dragon)
• Rare ore veins (photograph the deposit, not just collected ore)
• Construct parts (must photograph attached to a Construct, not dropped)

Fastest material entry method: Sort your inventory and identify any gaps. For missing food items (Hateno Cheese, Goron Spice, Cane Sugar) — visit shops and photograph items in the shop display before buying.

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Equipment Entries

Weapons and armor register automatically when collected. Missing entries come from:

• Weapons you've never held (rare drops you sold/used without photographing)
• Shields you never picked up
• Enemy weapons (Phantom Ganon sword, Construct weapons)

Tip: When you receive a rare weapon drop, open inventory immediately to verify it's registered before selling or using.

Enemy weapons photograph: Before killing a Lizalfos or Bokoblin captain, photograph their unique weapon while they're holding it. Some weapons only appear as enemy equipment, not as drops.

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Treasure Entries

Treasure chests need to be photographed before opening. Once opened, the chest disappears and can't be photographed.

Required for completion: Photograph every unique chest type:

• Decorated Royal Chests (inside temples)
• Ancient Zonai chests
• Buried chests (use Magnesis/Ultrahand to unearth, then photo)

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Fastest Completion Route

Stage 1: Creatures (Earliest in Game)

• Fish: Lake Hylia, Ralis Pond
• Insects: Kakariko area at night (Sunset Fireflies), meadows at day
• Animals: Hyrule Ridge during daylight

Stage 2: Monsters (During Combat Play)

• Photograph every new enemy type before killing
• Special effort for Silver variants, Lynels, and Phantoms
• Dragons: Set reminders based on dragon schedules

Stage 3: Materials (Ongoing)

• Most auto-register via pickup
• Shop-visit all villages to photograph exclusive trade goods

Stage 4: Equipment (Ongoing, then Audit)

• Check at endgame — most weapons fill naturally through play
• Missing: Phantom Ganon weapon, special Constructs, enemy-exclusive weapons

Stage 5: Treasure (Manual Photography)

• Most missable category — always photograph chest before opening

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Classified Envelope Reward

After completing all entries, return to Robbie at Akkala Tech Lab (post-reconstruction) or at Lookout Landing (his initial location).

Classified Envelope contents: The reward is a set of photos from Zelda's travels (the photos she took using the Purah Pad before her disappearance). These serve as lore items showing Zelda's journey to ancient Hyrule and her experiences with Rauru and Sonia.

The Classified Envelope is the narrative payoff for Compendium completion — the photos complete the story of what Zelda saw and did in the ancient era.

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Completion Tracking

The Compendium completion percentage shows in the Compendium menu. Use it to identify which categories still have gaps. When a category shows 100%, all entries are registered.

Total entries in TotK Compendium: 476 entries across all five categories.