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Cryonis is a Rune in Breath of the Wild.[1]

Location and Uses[]

The Cryonis Rune is obtained in the Keh Namut Shrine on the Great Plateau. It allows Link to spontaneously create pillars of Ice from the surface of any body of Water, including Waterfalls. Link can create up to three pillars at once; raising a fourth one breaks the first. In addition to creating pillars, Cryonis can also be used to break these pillars as well. After using the Cryonis Rune to create a pillar, a timer gauge will appear which must fully restore before Link can use it again.

The ice pillars created have various uses, such as creating stepping stones, getting leverage and making obstacles. They are also used to manipulate certain surroundings, such as opening a gate by raising a pillar beneath it. Cryonis pillars will break if the Water they rest upon evaporates, or if a hidden Korok travels underneath them. Cryonis pillars can be placed on Bottomless Bogs, but not on Hot Spring Water. Cryonis pillars can be destroyed with the Remote Bomb Rune, though they are impervious to Bomb Arrows. When struck with Ancient Arrows, Cryonis pillars disintegrate, leaving the Ancient Arrow behind. Cryonis pillars are impervious to all other Runes, Weapons and Arrows.

Divine Beast Vah Ruta and Waterblight Ganon are capable of summoning Cryonis pillars as well as spiked balls of Ice. However, like all other Cryonis formations, these can be destroyed with the Cryonis Rune.

Other Appearances[]

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity[]

In Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, Cryonis is used as a combat ability used by all Warriors. Located on the R Button wheel along with its sibling Runes and tied to the A Button while holding R, Cryonis can be used in a variety of ways, primarily combat support.

Once prompted, Cryonis can be used to put a charging attack on ice, chilling out the target by having them plow right into the ice, breaking the Cryonis ice pillar in the process, as well as leaving their now vulnerable Weak Point Gauge out in the cold.

Unlike how the Rune behaved in Breath of the Wild, Cryonis can be used once per selection, though multiple Cryonis pillars can appear depending on the Warrior in question. Also unlike Breath of the Wild, Cryonis can be used on dry land. If used in water against enemies, Cryonis can be used as a way to inflict Ice damage. However, Cryonis doesn’t stick around long, and could evaporate at a inopportune moment if used prematurely against, say, a Molduga. Cryonis can be used to gain some airtime by jumping or paraglide off of it, as well as serving as a temporary high platform.

Once Cryonis is used, it puts the entire R Button wheel on a cooldown for every playable Warrior that is on the field, so the cooldown cannot be circumvented by switching characters. Completing the "Keep a Cool Head" Quest and the postgame-exclusive Quest "Personal Distractions" upgrades Cryonis into Cryonis+, which evaporates the cool down period after using Cryonis.

As Zelda's first weapon class is Sheikah Slates, Cryonis is incorporated into her moveset. As it still counts as Cryonis without using the actual Cryonis prompt by using the R Button, Zelda's Strong I Combo strings can be used in place of a Cryonis counter.

Combinations (Zelda)[]

Attack Pattern Effect
X Can used to substitute for Cryonis counter prompt
X X Can used to substitute for Cryonis counter prompt
X X X Can used to substitute for Cryonis counter prompt

Differences[]

All of the Warriors in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity have their unique spin on using the Cryonis Rune power:

  • Link: Link uses Cryonis like how he did in Breath of the Wild, though he creates a Cryonis block underneath him, sending him up into the air, giving him a chance to paraglide.
  • Impa: Impa does an about face and creates a Cryonis pillar topped with a cushion. When not used as a counter, she can ride on it after a prompt instead, by kicking it with a backwards flip kick and ninja-teleporting on on it, the pillar sliding around hitting anything it comes until it breaks on Impa.
  • Zelda: The way Zelda uses Cryonis depends of her weapon:
    • Sheikah Slate: Zelda aims a targeting reticle and shoots Cryonis icicles from above.
    • Bow of Light: Zelda creates a wall consisting of four Cryonis pillars, then breaks them with a beam of light with a swipe of her right hand. The light beam portion will still go on if Cryonis is used as a counter prompt, and will hit the Weak-Point Gauge instead.
  • Mipha: Mipha channels water to a specific spot, and creates a Cryonis pillar from it.
  • Daruk: Daruk creates a block of Cryonis that sends him high into the air, allowing him to either paraglide off of it or to rocket back down and crater the ground, creating pillars for his magma powers to work with.
  • Revali: Revali conjures four Cryonis blocks and has them fall in a wall formation in front of him.
  • Urbosa: Urbosa summons a Cryonis block a good distance in front of her. She can then follow it up with a lightning strike with her Fury, regardless if the Cryonis block is still standing.
  • Hestu: Hestu has a Cryonis block fall in front of him, which begins spinning around and bouncing slightly forwards, which deteriorates with each bounce.
  • Sidon: Sidon creates a Cryonis block that he can follow up with kicking it, sending it sliding forwards in front of him like a curling iron.
  • Yunobo: Yunobo makes a giant circular Cryonis block underneath him, sending him upwards. He can then dive bomb back down, and shatter it.
  • Teba: Teba creates three Cryonis pillars that orbit him.
  • Riju: Riju creates a Cryonis block in front of her. She can then have Patricia push it forwards, then shove it harder to slide it forwards.
  • Master Kohga: Master Kohga creates a tower of three Cryonis discuses. He can either paraglide off of it or scatter the Cryonis discuses by hitting the segments forward.
  • King Rhoam: Rhoam creates a Cryonis pillar in front of him. He can then rush forward and shatters it with his weapon, scattering sharpened fragments all over.
  • Great Fairies: The Great Fairy that is currently out creates a giant Cryonis pillar underneath them.
  • Monk Maz Koshia: Monk Maz creates a Cryonis pillar sending the ancient monk upwards to potential paraglide.
  • Terrako: Terrako fires a shot at the target that quickly forms into a giant cage around them.
  • Calamity Ganon: Calamity Ganon creates a series of spike-covered Cryonis pillars in front of him.

Nomenclature[]

The word "Cryonis" comes from the Greek cryo or cryos (κρύο) which means "icy cold."[2]

Cryonis is also a contraction of the word "cryokinesis", which relates to the ability to create and manipulate ice.

TMC Forest Minish Artwork Names in other regions TMC Jabber Nut Sprite
LanguageNameMeaning
JapanJapaneseアイスメーカー (Aisu Mēkā)Ice Maker
FranceFrenchEUCryonis
This table was generated using translation pages.
To request an addition, please contact a staff member with a reference.

References

  1. "Cryonis
    Create a pillar of ice from a water surface.

    Builds ice pillars that are very stable. These pillars can be used as stepping stones or as obstacles. Use Cryonis on an ice pillar to break it.
    " — Rune (Breath of the Wild)
  2. Definition of Cryo at Oxford Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary.
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