In The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the Sheikah are the race that built Hyrule’s ancient technology.
Ten thousand years before the game begins, the Sheikah developed an advanced civilization to defend Hyrule against Calamity Ganon. Their creations included the four Divine Beasts, Guardian machines, Shrines, Towers, and the Sheikah Slate.
The Sheikah were not simply inventors; they also served Hyrule’s royal family as protectors, researchers, and advisors. Impa, Purah, and Robbie are prominent Sheikah characters in the game. The Yiga Clan is a breakaway faction of Sheikah who turned against Hyrule and began serving Ganon.
A common mix-up is to credit the ancient technology to the Hylians because it was built to protect Hyrule. However, the game’s backstory specifically identifies the ancient Sheikah civilization as its creator. The technology’s distinctive blue glow, eye symbol, and shrine architecture are closely associated with the Sheikah.