Uploaded December 2021 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
This video is dedicated to **Satoru Iwata** (Dec. 6, 1959 – July 11, 2015)
The Lord of the Mountain (nicknamed Satori) is said to be a tribute to the late Nintendo President and CEO Iwata, who passed away before he had the chance to see the finished game. Iwata - a gamer at heart - had been a great influence on the development of Breath of the Wild, to the point that the team he worked with felt that he was still watching over the project even after his passing:
In an interview with *The New Yorker*, Breath of the Wild’s director Hidemaro Fujibayashi said;
“When he passed away, there were moments we’d come up with an idea which we’d be excited to talk to Iwata about. Then we’d remember he was no longer here. Miyamoto told me it was the same for him. He’d come up with an idea at the weekend and would feel excited to speak to Iwata about it on Monday, only to remember. The sadness runs deep. This is approaching spiritual talk, but we had the sense that he was watching over our work. That became a source of motivation, a drive for us to improve and be better.”
Since Iwata never had the chance to experience the finished world he helped create in all its beauty, I wanted to at least take his avatar on a tour across Hyrule. Breath of the Wild's world has been my "happy place" for over four years now, and the least I can do to thank everyone who workend on this piece of art, is to highlight the things I love about it. I think Iwata would have been happy, knowing that people all around the globe still enjoy Breath of the Wild even years after the initial release.
"On my business card, I am a corporate president. In my mind, I am a game developer. But in my heart, I am a gamer."
- Satoru Iwata
This video is dedicated to **Satoru Iwata** (Dec. 6, 1959 – July 11, 2015)
The Lord of the Mountain (nicknamed Satori) is said to be a tribute to the late Nintendo President and CEO Iwata, who passed away before he had the chance to see the finished game. Iwata - a gamer at heart - had been a great influence on the development of Breath of the Wild, to the point that the team he worked with felt that he was still watching over the project even after his passing:
In an interview with *The New Yorker*, Breath of the Wild’s director Hidemaro Fujibayashi said;
“When he passed away, there were moments we’d come up with an idea which we’d be excited to talk to Iwata about. Then we’d remember he was no longer here. Miyamoto told me it was the same for him. He’d come up with an idea at the weekend and would feel excited to speak to Iwata about it on Monday, only to remember. The sadness runs deep. This is approaching spiritual talk, but we had the sense that he was watching over our work. That became a source of motivation, a drive for us to improve and be better.”
Since Iwata never had the chance to experience the finished world he helped create in all its beauty, I wanted to at least take his avatar on a tour across Hyrule. Breath of the Wild's world has been my "happy place" for over four years now, and the least I can do to thank everyone who workend on this piece of art, is to highlight the things I love about it. I think Iwata would have been happy, knowing that people all around the globe still enjoy Breath of the Wild even years after the initial release.
"On my business card, I am a corporate president. In my mind, I am a game developer. But in my heart, I am a gamer."
- Satoru Iwata
