TotK FAQ

Rain makes surfaces slippery, causing Link to slide. To climb in rain, use the Froggy Armor set (available from Koltin the Satori) which grants slip resistance. You can also use Ascend to pass through ceilings instead of climbing, or wait for rain to stop at a campfire. The Climbing Gear set does NOT prevent rain slipping — only the Froggy set does.

There are 15 Skyview Towers in Tears of the Kingdom. Activating each tower reveals a portion of the Surface map and launches Link into the sky, allowing you to paraglide to nearby Sky Islands. The first tower you activate is Lookout Landing Tower. Each tower has a small puzzle or challenge to unlock it.

The Depths are accessed through chasms found across Hyrule's Surface. Bring Brightbloom Seeds (throw them to light dark areas), Sundelions for anti-gloom meals, and strong weapons. Activate Lightroots (which mirror shrine locations above) to illuminate large areas and create fast-travel points. The Depths contain Poes for Bargainer Statues, Yiga Clan bases, and rare ore deposits.

The Glide armor set is obtained from Dive Ceremonies on three Sky Islands. The Glide Shirt is at Courage Island (southeast sky), Glide Tights at Bravery Island (northeast sky), and Glide Mask at Valor Island (southwest sky). Each requires completing a skydiving challenge within a time limit. The full set bonus grants Impact Proof, negating fall damage.

The Giant White Stallion (found on the Tabantha Tundra) and the Golden Horse (from the side quest in the Akkala region) are special unique horses. For raw stats, find wild horses in the Upland Lindor or Akkala Highlands with 4/4/5 or 5/3/5 stat spreads. Epona can be obtained via the Smash Bros. Link amiibo and has balanced 4/4/4 stats with a gentle temperament.

Korok Seeds are hidden in puzzles across Hyrule. Look for: rock circles to complete, lonely trees with a missing apple, pinwheel balloon targets, rock piles to lift, racing challenges, and sparkle trails on the ground. Sky Island Koroks often involve landing on specific targets. Reuniting Korok pairs (carrying one to another) grants two seeds at once. Use the Korok Mask from the Depths to detect nearby Koroks.

The Purah Pad is your Sheikah Slate replacement in TotK. It functions as your map, ability selector, quest log, compendium, and fast-travel device. Use it to place pins and stamps on the map, track quests, manage your Autobuild blueprints, and take pictures for the Hyrule Compendium. Upgrade it at Hateno's tech lab for the Sensor+ and Travel Medallion features.

There are four Great Fairies in TotK: near Woodland Stable, by Kaysa near Outskirt Stable, at Cotera by Dueling Peaks Stable, and Mija near Snowfield Stable. Unlike BotW, you must complete side quests involving the Stable Trotters musicians to unlock each fairy. Each Great Fairy upgrades your armor to the next level, with the fourth fairy unlocking max upgrades.

Jump into any chasm (dark bottomless holes) found across Hyrule's surface. There are over 20 chasms scattered around the map. The easiest entry point is the Hyrule Field Chasm near Lookout Landing. Paraglide down to slow your descent and activate the nearest Lightroot immediately for a fast travel point. Bring Brightbloom Seeds, Sunny meals, and strong weapons.

Launch yourself from any Skyview Tower to reach high altitude, then paraglide to nearby Sky Islands. Some islands are also accessible via Zonai launchers found on the surface or other Sky Islands. The Great Sky Island (tutorial area) is accessible from the start. Use Recall on falling rocks near towers to ride them upward for extra height.

Lightroots are glowing tree-like structures in the Depths that serve as fast travel points and illuminate the surrounding area. There are 120 Lightroots, each positioned directly below a corresponding Surface shrine. Activate them by touching them. Their names are the reversed names of the shrine above — use this to predict locations.

There are 147 caves in Tears of the Kingdom. Each cave contains at least one Bubbulfrog (for Koltin's quest), treasure chests, ore deposits, and sometimes unique enemies or NPCs. Cave entrances are found behind waterfalls, in cliff faces, under ruins, and inside wells. Listen for dripping water sounds to find hidden entrances.

Yes, there are 58 explorable wells across Hyrule. Jump into any well near a village or settlement to discover underground areas with treasure, secret passages, and sometimes NPCs. Some wells connect to cave systems. Check every well you find — many contain rare items and unique encounters.

There are approximately 147 Bubblfrogs hidden in caves throughout Hyrule, The Depths, and Sky Islands. One appears in nearly every named cave. Each drops one Bubbul Gem when defeated — used to trade with Koltin for exclusive rewards including monster masks, Mystic Armor, and eventually the Evil Spirit Armor set. They do not respawn after Blood Moon, making each a one-time collectible.

Wells are small circular openings found near settlements and roadsides — they're typically 1–2 rooms deep and contain a chest or single item. Caves are full exploration zones with multiple rooms, enemies, Brightbloom puzzles, ores, and a Bubbulfrog. Caves appear on the map when near them. Wells don't appear on the map until discovered. Both count toward cave/well completion totals tracked in the Adventure Log.

Tarrey Town construction continues from BotW — visit Hudson at the town site northeast of Lake Akkala. The construction questline "A Walk on the Wild Side" requires gathering specific materials including lumber (via Ultrahand from wood sources), stone, and Zonaite ore. Each construction phase adds new buildings and NPCs. Completing the full construction unlocks exclusive shops, a stable-like service, and some unique armor pieces. It's one of the most rewarding side quest chains.

There are exactly 1,000 Korok Seeds in Tears of the Kingdom — the same count as Breath of the Wild. They're traded to Hestu for inventory expansion upgrades (weapon, bow, and shield slots). You don't need all 1,000 for full inventory — max upgrades require approximately 441 seeds total. The remaining 559 seeds beyond the max-upgrade threshold yield no practical reward. The "true" reward for getting all 1,000 is a humorous item from Hestu.

Yes — each of the 120 Lightroots in The Depths is positioned directly below a surface Shrine. The Lightroot name is the same letters as its mirror shrine, but reversed (e.g., "Mayachideg Shrine" becomes "Gedihcayam Lightroot"). If you have activated a surface shrine, you know exactly where the corresponding Lightroot is in The Depths below it. This mirror system makes navigating The Depths much easier once you understand it.

The Depths is accessed through Chasms — dark holes in the ground scattered across Hyrule. There are 120 Chasms in total. The first accessible Chasm is in Central Hyrule near Hyrule Castle. When falling into a Chasm, use your Paraglider (X) to slow descent. Each Chasm lands near a Lightroot — activate it for a fast travel point. The Depths mirrors the surface layout — the area beneath your entry chasm corresponds to the surface location above.

Caves are marked with a glowing blue entrance (usually a small opening in a cliff face). Finding them: (1) Set Sensor+ to Caves for audio pings when nearby. (2) Look for glowing blue spots on cliff faces — especially near rivers and coastlines. (3) Explore behind waterfalls — many caves hide behind water curtains. (4) Listen for running water sounds underground. (5) Brightbloom Seeds light up cave interiors for exploration. Caves contain Bubbulfrogs, ore deposits, shrine chests, and Zonai materials.

Geoglyphs are 12 massive ground paintings spread across Hyrule, created by the Light Dragon over centuries. Each contains a glowing tear (memory point) at its center that reveals a story memory when collected. Together they tell the full backstory of Zelda and Ganondorf. To find them: view your map from altitude (Skyview Tower launch) — geoglyphs appear as large irregular shapes on the terrain. After collecting all 12, a 13th final memory unlocks, revealing how to find the Master Sword.

The Depths map is revealed by activating Lightroots — one for each Shrine on the surface. Each Lightroot is located directly below its corresponding surface Shrine. To efficiently map the Depths: (1) Teleport to a surface Shrine. (2) Find a cliff edge or use Recall to get airborne. (3) Use Ascend if underground. (4) Drop through a Chasm into the Depths. (5) Navigate to the Lightroot directly below. There are 120 Lightroots total. Activating them also removes Gloom in the surrounding area.

Methods to reach Sky Islands: (1) Skyview Towers — primary method, launches you into the air near island clusters. (2) Stacked Zonai fans + a platform (Ultrahand build). (3) Hoverbike — fan + fan + steering stick, the fastest sky travel method. (4) Balloons + Flame Emitter — slow but works. (5) Recall on falling boulders from sky islands (stand below, wait for a rock to fall, Recall it back up). (6) From cliff tops, launch with a rocket shield. Check your map for nearby Sky Island positions.

Depths survival tips: (1) Activate Lightroots immediately — they create safe Gloom-free zones. (2) Cook Sundelion meals before descending — they restore Gloom-reduced heart containers. (3) Wear Dark Tunic (Bargainer Statue) for passive Gloom resistance. (4) Avoid standing in Gloom pools. (5) Brightbloom Seeds illuminate areas (throw ahead or fuse to arrows). (6) Large Brightbloom Seeds illuminate wide areas. (7) Depths enemies inflict Gloom on hit — maintain distance or use ranged attacks.

The Paraglider is obtained from Purah at Lookout Landing after completing the first Regional Phenomenon (Rito Village temple is easiest to reach early). Full sequence: (1) Leave Great Sky Island. (2) Reach Lookout Landing. (3) Speak with Purah. (4) Complete the Hyrule Castle intro quest. (5) Head to Rito Village via Hebra region (northwest). (6) Complete Wind Temple. (7) Return to Purah — she gives the Paraglider. You can also do any other Regional Phenomenon first if you reach a different region.

Chasms (Depths entrances) are scattered across Hyrule: Major chasms include Hyrule Castle Chasm (center, leads to Gloom Source), Akkala Chasm (northeast), Eldin Chasm (north), Lanayru Chasm (east), Necluda Chasm (southeast), Faron Chasm (south), Gerudo Chasm (southwest), Tabantha Chasm (northwest), Hebra Chasm (north), and many smaller chasms in valleys and plains. The map shows Chasm icons once you're near them. There are 31 chasms total across the surface.

Rain prevents climbing in TotK (surfaces become too slippery). Solutions: (1) Wait for rain to stop — weather cycles every few minutes. (2) Use Ascend ability on rock faces (go through the surface from below). (3) Fuse spikes to your boots via armor fuse (not available in base game without mods). (4) Build a ladder using Ultrahand-attached boards or platforms. (5) Use a Zonai Rocket to bypass the wall entirely. (6) Fast travel away, wait, return. Climbing food (Energizing or Enduring meals) helps but doesn't fully solve the rain problem.

Bubbulfrogs are glowing green frogs hidden inside caves — one per cave, with approximately 147 total across Hyrule, the Depths, and Sky Islands. They appear hanging from cave ceilings or walls and drop down when disturbed. Defeat them with any weapon or arrow to earn one Bubbul Gem per frog. Bubbul Gems are traded to Koltin (found near Woodland Stable and later at various camps) for exclusive rewards: Monster Masks that disguise you as Bokoblins, Moblins, Lizalfos, or Horriblins, Mystic Armor pieces that convert incoming damage to rupee loss, and eventually the Evil Spirit Armor set. Bubbulfrogs do not respawn, making each a permanent one-time collectible.

The Gerudo Sky Island (North Gerudo Sky Archipelago) is accessed by launching from the Gerudo Highlands Skyview Tower and paragliding northwest, or by using a Zonai launcher platform on the surface. The island chain hosts the Valor Island Dive Ceremony (one of three needed for the full Glide Armor set) and several shrines. Bring cold-resistance gear or meals as the high-altitude Gerudo sky region is freezing despite being above the desert. Tulin's wind boost significantly extends your glide range when hopping between the scattered island segments.

There are 120 Lightroots in the Depths, each positioned directly below a corresponding Surface shrine. Activating a Lightroot illuminates a large surrounding area, creates a fast-travel point, and restores all Gloom-damaged hearts. The Lightroot name is the exact reverse of the shrine above it — for example, Iun-orok Shrine above becomes Koro-nui Lightroot below. Use this mirror system to navigate: if you know where a shrine is on the surface, you know exactly where its Lightroot is in the Depths below. Activating all 120 Lightroots fully illuminates the Depths map.

Autobuild is unlocked in the Great Abandoned Central Mine in the Depths and lets you instantly recreate any previous Ultrahand construction from your build history. Activate it with L to open the ability wheel and select Autobuild, then choose a blueprint from your history or favorites. If the required Zonai materials are not nearby, Autobuild uses your Zonaite reserves to materialize them. Save the hoverbike (two fans plus a steering stick) as a Favorite immediately after building it for the first time. Autobuild makes repeated vehicle creation trivial and is the key to efficient sky island and Depths exploration.

The Depths map is revealed progressively by activating Lightroots — each Lightroot illuminates its surrounding area on the Depths map layer. There is no single action that reveals the full Depths map at once unlike Surface Skyview Towers. Jump into any chasm to enter the Depths, find the nearest Lightroot, and activate it to begin mapping. The Depths map is accessed by pressing the L button on your map and toggling to the Depths layer. Focus on Lightroots directly beneath major surface landmarks first to build a usable navigation grid before venturing further into unmapped darkness.

The Korok Mask is found in the Depths beneath the Lost Woods (the area north of Hyrule Castle). Drop into the Minshi Woods Chasm to enter the Depths in that area, then navigate to the large chest near the Maca Lightroot. The Korok Mask causes a distinctive rattling noise and visual effect when a nearby Korok is present — making Korok Seed hunting significantly more efficient. Equip it while exploring and listen for the leaf-rattle sound. It was first available in Breath of the Wild as a DLC reward; in TotK it is obtainable without any DLC.

Some Koroks in TotK are found separated from a friend they are trying to reach. These Koroks appear carrying a giant backpack and will ask Link to help carry them to their friend's location. Pick up the Korok with Ultrahand and carry, place on a vehicle, or use a sled/raft to transport them to the other Korok waiting nearby. When reunited, both Koroks give you two Korok Seeds total (one from each). These friend-reunion Koroks appear across all regions and range from trivially easy carries to multi-stage vehicle builds. There are 200 such pairs hidden among the 1,000 total Korok Seeds.

Hestu the giant Korok appears in three locations throughout TotK. First encounter: on the road just east of Lookout Landing (near the Lindor's Brow Skyview Tower area) shortly after leaving the Great Sky Island. Second encounter: near Woodland Stable in the Eldin region. Third and permanent location: Korok Forest inside the Lost Woods north of Hyrule Castle. At each location, trade Korok Seeds to Hestu to expand your weapon, bow, and shield inventory slots. Maximum inventory: 20 weapon slots, 14 bow slots, and 20 shield slots, requiring approximately 441 total Korok Seeds.

TotK has several major Sky Island clusters: the Great Sky Island (tutorial area, starter devices, early shrines), the Thunderhead Isles above the Faron Sea (dark stormy sky region, Thunderhead Shrine chains, Sundelion farming), the North Akkala Sky Archipelago (northeast sky, multiple shrines, Zonaite ore), the Eldin Sky Archipelago above Death Mountain (fire-themed sky islands, Flamebreaker gear needed), the Lanayru Sky Archipelago above Zora's Domain (water-themed, shrines), the Gerudo Sky Archipelago (frozen sky islands above the desert), and the Courage, Bravery, and Valor Islands for the Dive Ceremony Glide Armor challenges. Each cluster has 3-8 shrines, treasure chests, Zonai Capsule Dispensers, and rare materials.

Wells are small underground shafts found near stables, towns, and villages across Hyrule. There are 58 wells total. Inside wells you can find: (1) Treasure chests — always at least one chest with weapons, armor, or materials. (2) Bubbulfrogs — some wells contain a Bubbulfrog (Bubbul Gem drop). (3) Korok Seeds — a Korok occasionally hides inside wells. (4) NPCs — certain side quests involve talking to characters hiding in wells. (5) Cave passages — some wells open into connected cave systems. Notable well rewards: the Hateno Well contains a Korok, the Kakariko Well connects to an extensive underground passage, and the Lookout Landing well has a hidden chest with an early-game weapon. Wells are one of the most overlooked exploration locations — check every village well for guaranteed loot.

Lightroots in the Depths serve three functions: (1) Illumination — activating a Lightroot creates a wide pool of golden light that permanently removes Gloom from the surrounding area, making exploration safer and allowing crops/resources in the illuminated zone to thrive. (2) Fast travel — each activated Lightroot becomes a fast travel point on your map, letting you warp directly to it. (3) Map reveal — Lightroots reveal the corresponding section of the Depths map. There are 120 Lightroots in TotK, each directly below one of the 120 surface shrines. The names of Lightroots are anagrams of their corresponding surface shrine name (e.g., Nisoij Lightroot is below Jinodok Shrine). The Depths Bargainer Statues sell Poes for valuable goods and are always near a Lightroot. Activating all 120 Lightroots unlocks a full Depths map.

Sky islands are floating landmasses above Hyrule accessible through multiple methods: (1) Skyview Towers — all 15 Skyview Towers launch Link into the air when activated, reaching low and mid-altitude sky islands. (2) Ascend ability — some sky islands are directly above cave or cliff entrances; use Ascend through the ceiling to emerge on the island. (3) Paraglider from altitude — climb mountains or launch from Skyview Towers, then glide toward nearby sky islands. (4) Zonai Devices — build a flying vehicle using Wings, Fans, and Rockets to reach higher sky islands. (5) Dragon riding — grab Farosh, Naydra, or Dinraal to hitch a ride to high altitude. (6) Recall on falling rocks — some rocks fall from sky islands; use Recall to ride them back up. The Great Sky Island (tutorial island) is reached via the opening cutscene. Temple sky islands have dedicated access routes explained by each quest.

There are 1,000 Korok Seeds in Tears of the Kingdom. They are collected by solving small environmental puzzles scattered across Hyrule: matching pinwheel patterns, lifting rocks near cliffs, completing rock arrangements, racing to targets, balloon shooting, etc. Korok Seeds are exchanged with Hestu (the large Korok with maracas) for inventory upgrades. Exchange rates for upgrades: 1 seed for the first melee weapon slot upgrade, scaling up to 15+ seeds per upgrade slot for late game. Maximum inventory capacity (all upgrades purchased): 20 melee weapon slots, 14 bow slots, 20 shield slots. Collecting all 1,000 Korok Seeds and trading them to Hestu rewards the Korok Mask (detects nearby Koroks) and the Golden Poop trophy — a joke reward that references the franchise's sense of humor. Completionists note: 999/1000 is considered the practical goal, as the 1000th seed is intentionally hard to find.