Depths Survival Guide — Gloom, Lightroots and Underground Navigation

The Depths is Tears of the Kingdom's third world layer — an enormous underground realm directly mirroring Hyrule's surface geography. It is pitch dark, saturated with Gloom, and home to unique enemies and rare materials. Mastering it requires understanding its navigation system, Gloom management, and the Lightroot network that illuminates your path.

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Understanding the Depths

The Depths spans the same geographic area as surface Hyrule, mirrored exactly. Hyrule Castle sits directly above the Central Depths. Death Mountain above the Eldin Depths. Every surface landmark has a corresponding underground position.

Key facts:

• Total darkness until lit by Brightbloom Seeds or Lightroots
• Gloom covers most surfaces — contact reduces your maximum heart containers
• 120 Lightroots illuminate sections of the map and serve as fast travel points
• Lightroots mirror the exact positions of surface shrines (and their names are anagrams of shrine names)
• Mine cart tracks connect major underground locations

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Entering the Depths

Access the Depths through chasms — large openings in the surface. Major entry points:

| Chasm | Surface Location | Depths Zone | |-------|-----------------|-------------| | Hyrule Castle Chasm | Below Hyrule Castle | Central Depths (story-relevant) | | Great Plateau Chasm | Great Plateau south edge | Southern Central Depths | | Eldin Canyon Chasm | North of Eldin | Eldin Depths | | Lanayru Chasm | East Hyrule | Lanayru Depths | | Gerudo Canyon Chasm | Southwest desert edge | Gerudo Depths |

Tip: Open the paraglider as you fall through a chasm to control your landing. Gloom pools often wait at the bottom — steer toward visible rock or elevated ground.

Pre-Entry Checklist

Before every Depths session, ensure you have:

• Sundelion meals x5+ (Gloom heart recovery)
• Brightbloom Seeds x30+ (navigation lighting)
• Enduring meals (extra stamina for traversal)
• Fairies x3 (automatic revival if hearts hit zero)
• One strong melee weapon (Depths enemies are standard HP)
• Bow + spare Brightbloom Seeds for arrow fusing (illuminating shots)

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Managing Gloom

Gloom is the defining hazard of the Depths. It appears as dark red-purple substance covering floors, walls, and enemy weapons. Contact temporarily removes heart containers — not just hearts, but the actual maximum containers. Normal food cannot restore Gloom-drained containers.

Gloom Damage Sources

• Floor Gloom: Walking on Gloom-covered ground drains containers steadily
• Gloom Hands: Hand-like enemies that grab Link and deal massive Gloom damage
• Gloom weapons: Some Depths enemies wield Gloom-infused weapons that pass Gloom damage through shields
• Gloom water: Dark pools that function like floor Gloom but in liquid form

Recovering Heart Containers

Only two methods restore Gloom-drained containers:

1. Sundelion meals — Yellow wildflowers found on sky islands. Each Sundelion in a cooked meal restores approximately 1 container. A 5x Sundelion skewer restores 5 containers.
2. Lightroot activation — Standing in an activated Lightroot's glow fully restores all Gloom-drained containers instantly.

Avoiding Gloom Contact

• Travel on elevated surfaces: Mine cart tracks, ancient ruins, and rock formations are typically Gloom-free
• Throw Brightbloom Seeds ahead: Illuminated ground reveals Gloom pools before you step in them
• Build Zonai vehicles: A sled or board with Zonai fans glides over Gloom without touching it
• Use Ascend: When trapped in a Gloom-heavy area, Ascend through ceilings to bypass floor hazards

Tip: The Depths Armor set (purchased from Bargainer Statues with Poes) provides Gloom resistance at two-star upgrade and above. This is the single best quality-of-life investment for Depths exploration.

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Lightroots — The Underground Map

The Depths map starts completely dark. Activating Lightroots illuminates circular zones and creates fast travel points.

How Lightroots Work

Each Lightroot, when activated:

• Illuminates a large radius around it on the Depths map
• Creates a permanent fast travel waypoint
• Fully restores all Gloom-damaged heart containers
• Reveals the local terrain on your map

The Mirror Rule

Lightroots are positioned at the exact mirror coordinates of surface shrines. Their names are anagrams of the corresponding shrine name. This means:

• If you cannot find a Lightroot, open the surface map, find the shrine at those coordinates, drop into the nearest chasm, and navigate directly below
• Conversely, activating a Lightroot tells you a shrine exists at those same coordinates on the surface

Efficient Lightroot Activation

1. Enter a chasm in a known region
2. Activate the nearest Lightroot (look for the faint glow in the darkness)
3. From its illuminated zone, identify the next dark area
4. Navigate toward it — the next Lightroot is typically 500-800 meters away
5. Throw Brightbloom Seeds to illuminate your path between roots
6. Activate and repeat

Tip: Giant Brightbloom Seeds illuminate a much larger area than regular ones. Save them for navigating between distant Lightroots where you need maximum visibility.

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Navigation Without the Map

In unexplored (dark) zones, use these techniques:

Mirror Navigation

Open your surface map and identify your position. The Depths geography mirrors it exactly:

• Surface rivers correspond to underground canyons
• Surface mountains correspond to underground rock spires or valleys
• Surface roads roughly align with underground mine cart tracks

Mine Cart Tracks

Ancient mine cart tracks run throughout the Depths. They are elevated above Gloom, connect major locations, and lead toward Lightroots and Zonai facilities. Attach a Zonai fan to a mine cart for powered transportation along tracks.

When lost, find a track and follow it. Tracks always lead somewhere significant.

Landmark Recognition

| Landmark | Indicates | |----------|----------| | Mine cart tracks | Paths to facilities (Gloom-free, elevated) | | Blue-glowing flowers | Proximity to a Lightroot | | Large stone pillars | Ancient Zonai construction zones | | Massive statues | Bargainer Statue (Poe trader) | | Red Gloom rivers | Avoid — deep Gloom channels |

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Poe Farming

Poes are blue flame spirits floating near Depths landmarks. Collect them and trade them at Bargainer Statues for exclusive items.

High-Density Poe Locations

• Clusters around every Lightroot
• Abandoned mine complexes
• Near Bargainer Statues themselves
• Along Gloom river banks (risky but dense spawns)

Bargainer Statue Shop Priorities

| Item | Poe Cost | Priority | |------|---------|----------| | Depths Armor (Hood) | 150 | Buy first — Gloom resistance | | Depths Armor (Tunic) | 150 | Buy second | | Depths Armor (Trousers) | 150 | Buy third | | Dark Clump | 16 | Fuse material (low priority) |

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Depths-Specific Enemies

Gloom Hands

Multiple red hands that pursue and grab Link. Stay at range and use arrows, bomb flowers, or Yunobo rolls. Destroying all hands spawns Phantom Ganon — have a combat meal ready before the last hand dies.

Frox

Large amphibious creatures unique to the Depths. Attack their weak point (glowing ore deposits on their back) by climbing on top or using bomb arrows. Drop Froxite for crafting.

Gloom-Coated Standard Enemies

Bokoblins, Moblin, and Lizalfos with Gloom coating. Same AI patterns as surface versions but their attacks deal Gloom damage. Fight from elevated positions when possible to avoid simultaneous floor-Gloom contact.

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Quick Tips

• Never enter without Sundelion meals — Gloom drains containers faster than expected
• Lightroots restore everything — when in trouble, push toward the nearest glow
• Follow mine cart tracks when lost — they always lead somewhere useful
• The Depths mirrors the surface — use your surface map knowledge for underground navigation
• Fuse Brightbloom Seeds to arrows — shooting illuminating arrows lets you scout ahead safely from distance
• The Master Sword powers up to 60 attack everywhere in the Depths due to ambient Gloom presence

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See also: Depths Guide | Gloom Guide | Lightroot Guide | Poe Farming Guide