October DealsAmazon USOctober deal check: compare before you payAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.Check DealsClean PCRecommendedOne scan can reveal what keeps slowing WindowsLook for cleanup and repair opportunities.Run ScanOctober DealsAmazon USDeal season is back - check today's better picksAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.See Picks×
Skip to content
DocumentaryTube
Admit one · Blog

How a Zelda Red-Dye Recipe Appeared in John Boyne’s Novel

A red-dye recipe from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild appeared in John Boyne’s novel. Contemporary reports traced it to a Google search, while leaving room for another literary interpretation.
Opened Runtime2 min Written byDocumentaryTube Team
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

A list of ingredients from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild turned up in John Boyne’s novel The Traveller at the Gates of Wisdom. Contemporary reports traced the apparent mix-up to a Google search for red-dye ingredients—but Boyne reportedly said he could not recall exactly how he found the recipe.

What Zelda recipe appeared in the novel?

The recipe was for red dye in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. GameSpot identified its ingredients as an apple, a spicy pepper, a Hylian shroom, a sunshroom, a ruby, a fire keese wing and a red lizalfos tail. The unmistakable fantasy names made the list stand out when it appeared in a novel set across historical periods.

These are fictional game items, not ingredients from a historically validated dye recipe. The poisoning use described in the novel is fictional too; the game list provides no evidence about real-world toxicity. GameSpot’s August 3, 2020 report gives the recipe and discusses its appearance in the book.

How did it get into The Traveller at the Gates of Wisdom?

Reports said writer Dana Schwartz traced the list to a Google search for ingredients used to dye clothes, which led to a Breath of the Wild dye guide. John Boyne, author of The Traveller at the Gates of Wisdom, reportedly responded with amusement. In an August 5, 2020 report, Gamereactor quoted him saying, “I don’t remember but I must have just Googled it,” followed by, “Note to self: never talk about poisons in a novel again.” Those quotations were reproduced in secondary coverage; they are not independently verified here against the original posts. Gamereactor’s account and ComicBook.com’s report describe the search explanation.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Was the reference definitely an accident?

Boyne’s reported explanation was that he probably found the recipe through a Google search, though he did not remember the precise process. That is the clearest account of how the ingredients got there, but it does not settle every possible reading of the passage.

GameSpot also noted reviewer Jonathan McAloon’s view that the conspicuous reference might work as a deliberate device, unsettling the novel’s historical integrity. The book moves across eras, so it is not simply a conventional historical novel. That interpretation is distinct from Boyne’s reportedly amused explanation; the available reports do not establish that he intended the Zelda reference as a literary device.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

More from the Screening Room

  1. Does NEON Have a New Horror Movie It Won’t Show Us? What’s VerifiedAdmit one · BlogDoes NEON Have a New Horror Movie It Won't Show Us? What's VerifiedOpened09 OCT 2026Runtime1 min
  2. What the Official NCIS: Origins Trailer Reveals About Young GibbsAdmit one · BlogWhat the Official NCIS: Origins Trailer Reveals About Young GibbsOpened09 OCT 2026Runtime2 min
  3. What Makes a Translation Great? Ten Literary Translators Weigh InAdmit one · BlogWhat Makes a Translation Great? Ten Literary Translators Weigh InOpened09 OCT 2026Runtime3 min
Recommended PC Tool
Recommended PC Tool
Windows Errors? Fix Them Before They SpreadFree repair scan
Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You DownFree scan - exact matches

Two free Windows tools

One Free Minute Could Fix That PC

Before you go - each of these free tools takes about a minute and tackles what quietly slows a Windows PC down.

Special offer. View Outbyte info, uninstall instructions, EULA, and Privacy Policy.