Secrets & Easter Eggs
Hyrule is filled with hidden content the game never tells you about. From secret bosses lurking in the Depths to Zelda franchise callbacks spanning decades, this guide uncovers every major secret in Tears of the Kingdom.
🕳️ Secret Caves (147 Total)
Tears of the Kingdom features 147 caves hidden across Hyrule. Each contains a Bubbulfrog whose Bubbul Gem can be traded at Koltin's shop. Here are the most notable ones.
Crenel Hills Cave
Located in Central Hyrule near the Crenel Hills, this cave has a hidden backroom behind breakable rocks. Inside you'll find a rare Pristine weapon and the Bubbulfrog.
Pro Tip
Use Ascend from the lower chamber to reach a hidden upper ledge with an extra chest.
Hebra Great Skeleton Cave
Deep in the Hebra Mountains, this cave contains the skeleton of a massive Leviathan. The cave itself holds ice-encased treasures that require fire to melt. A full Sapphire lies behind the skull.
Ancient Columns Cave (Tabantha)
Hidden beneath the Ancient Columns, this cave features a Like Like mini-boss guarding a chest with the Rubber Helm. The Bubbulfrog hides behind a bombable wall in the back.
Pro Tip
Defeat the Like Like by shooting its exposed mouth when it opens to attack.
Ploymus Mountain Cave
Accessible by swimming up the waterfalls near Zora's Domain, this cave holds a Zora Spear and connects to a hidden grotto with a Fairy Fountain. The Bubbulfrog is on the ceiling—use an arrow.
Coliseum Ruins Cave
Underneath the Coliseum, accessible via a crack in the floor. Contains a Lynel weapons cache and one of the rare Diamond deposits in the game. Also home to a Horriblin mini-boss.
🥚 Easter Eggs & Zelda References
TotK is packed with callbacks to previous Zelda titles. These are the best-hidden references scattered across Hyrule.
Lon Lon Ranch Ruins
The ruins in Central Hyrule near Hyrule Castle correspond to the location of Lon Lon Ranch from Ocarina of Time. The stone walls match the original layout, and if you use Ultrahand on the rubble, you can find what appears to be the old corral walls.
Spectacle Rock
The iconic twin-peaked rock from the original Legend of Zelda (1986) appears in the Gerudo Highlands region. Its distinctive silhouette is unmistakable when viewed from the right angle, and there's a Korok puzzle at its peak.
Koholit Rock (Link's Awakening)
Named after Koholint Island from Link's Awakening, Koholit Rock sits near Lurelin Village. A mural on the rock face depicts what appears to be the Wind Fish—a direct nod to the dream-island adventure.
Tingel, Ankel & Davdi Islands
Three islands off the northeastern coast are named after Tingle and his brothers from Majora's Mask and Wind Waker. Tingel Island even has a Korok hiding in a spot that mirrors Tingle's original map-selling location.
Eventide Island Callback
Returning from Breath of the Wild, Eventide Island in TotK now features new sky-based challenges above it. The original trial's pedestals remain, and interacting with them triggers a subtle chime from BotW.
Arbiter's Grounds Reference
In the Gerudo Desert, the ruins of a coliseum-like structure reference the Arbiter's Grounds dungeon from Twilight Princess. The Mirror of Twilight's pedestal location is marked by an unusually shaped rock formation.
🛡️ Secret Armor Sets
Some of the best armor in the game is hidden behind obscure quests, exploration challenges, or the Depths. None of these sets appear in shops.
Majora's Mask
Found in a chest in the Depths beneath the Eldin region. The mask makes most enemies non-hostile (similar to the Dark Link disguise), but only works on basic enemies—not bosses or Lynels. Coordinates approximately (-1157, 2657, -0843).
Pro Tip
Combine with stealth armor for virtually undetectable exploration of enemy camps.
Tingle's Outfit (Hood, Shirt, Tights)
All three pieces are found in the Depths in separate chests. The Hood is near the Korok Forest root, the Shirt near the Gerudo Canyon root, and the Tights near the Eldin root. The set provides no combat bonus but has a hidden night-speed boost.
Phantom Armor Set
The Phantom Armor (Helmet, Armor, Greaves) is found in three chests in the Depths. Each piece provides an Attack Up bonus. The full set grants Attack Up Lv. 3 equivalent, making it one of the best early-game damage sets since it requires no upgrades.
Pro Tip
The Phantom Armor cannot be upgraded at Great Fairy Fountains, so it falls off late-game compared to upgraded Barbarian armor.
Fierce Deity Armor Set
All three pieces (Mask, Armor, Boots) are found in the Depths in chests near coliseum-like structures. The set provides Attack Up at every piece and is upgradeable at Great Fairy Fountains, making it the best offensive armor in the game when fully upgraded.
Evil Spirit Armor (Dark Link)
Purchased from Bargainer Statues in the Depths using Poes. The full set costs 4,200 Poes and provides stealth plus makes you look like Dark Link. It functions identically to the Stealth Set but with a unique appearance.
🌑 Depths Secrets
The Depths mirror the surface world but hide their own economy, currency, and dangers. This underground realm holds critical late-game secrets.
Forge Constructs (Weapon Upgrading)
Forge Constructs are ancient Zonai machines found near Lightroots throughout the Depths. They allow you to upgrade Zonaite weapons and armor using Large Zonaite — functioning like a Depths-specific crafting bench. There are 4 Forge Constructs total, each in a different Depths quadrant. They also sell Zonai Charges and allow Autobuild schematic storage expansion.
Pro Tip
Farm Frox near each Forge Construct for a consistent Zonaite supply. Black Frox drop Large Zonaite reliably.
Autobuild Schematics from Yiga Depths Bases
The Yiga Clan has built large machinery caches throughout the Depths. Each cache contains a Yiga Schematic — a Zonai war machine blueprint that Autobuild can use to construct powerful vehicles instantly. There are 5 schematics total: a cannon cart, a flame tank, an electric hovercraft, a combat walker, and a siege balloon. Find them by following Yiga Clan banners in the Depths.
Pro Tip
The flame tank schematic (Yiga base near Eldin Depths) is the most combat-useful — it produces a fire-cannon vehicle for clearing Gloom-heavy zones.
Bargainer Statues
There are 16 Bargainer Statues in the Depths, each unlocking new items for purchase with Poes. The first statue (Great Abandoned Central Mine) offers basic items. As you discover more statues, each one expands the shared inventory—eventually offering the Dark Tunic set, exclusive armor, and Muddle Buds.
Poe Economy
Poes are the currency of the Depths. Small Poes (worth 1) are scattered everywhere, Large Poes (worth 5) appear near Lightroots and bosses, and Grand Poes (worth 20) appear near major Depths landmarks. You need approximately 14,000+ Poes to buy everything from all Bargainer Statues.
Pro Tip
Use Sensor+ to track Poes. Clear Depths camps for Large Poe clusters.
Gloom Resistance & Recovery
Gloom damage reduces your maximum hearts temporarily. The only ways to recover Gloom hearts are: returning to the surface, standing in Lightroot light, cooking with Sundelions, or using the Depths' rare warm light patches. The full Depths Armor set provides Gloom resistance.
Depths-Surface Mirror Map
Every Lightroot in the Depths corresponds to a Shrine on the surface—with its name spelled backwards. For example, the Iayusus Lightroot corresponds to Susuyai Shrine. Use this to navigate the Depths by checking your surface map.
Yiga Clan Hideout (Depths)
The Yiga Clan has a massive base in the Depths. Inside, you'll find schematics for Zonai war machines, the Yiga armor set, and lore about their alliance with Ganondorf. The base is heavily guarded with patrolling Yiga members and traps.
⭐ Skyward Secrets
The sky islands above Hyrule hide rare materials, unique puzzles, and routes that intersect with dragon flight paths.
Star Fragment Farming
Star Fragments fall from the sky between 9:00 PM and 5:00 AM, landing on the surface. They're used for high-level armor upgrades. The best farming method is to stand on a high sky island, watch for the shooting star, mark its landing spot, and glide down to collect it.
Pro Tip
Light a campfire on the Lookout Landing Skyview Tower platform, wait until night, and scan the horizon. Star Fragments always land within visual range.
Dragon Flight Paths (Sky Routes)
All three dragons pass through the sky islands at certain points in their routes. Dinraal flies near the Eldin Sky Archipelago, Naydra near the Lanayru Sky, and Farosh through the Faron sky region. Jumping onto a dragon from a sky island is the easiest way to farm horn shards.
Sky Island Puzzles & Flux Constructs
Several sky islands host Flux Construct bosses (I, II, and III) that drop valuable Zonai charges and rare materials. Flux Construct III on the hardest sky islands drops Large Zonai Charges. Use Ultrahand to pull out the glowing cube core from the construct's body to stun it.
Thunderhead Isles
A permanent thunderstorm shrouds these islands above the Faron region. Inside you'll find the Joku-u Shrine, a dragon-themed labyrinth, and the path to the Thunderhead—one of the most atmospheric areas in the game. Metal equipment will attract lightning.
Courage, Wisdom & Power Islands
Three special sky archipelagos, themed after the Triforce pieces, contain trials that reward you with the Charged, Mighty, and Mystic armor sets. Each island tests a different playstyle—combat, puzzle-solving, and stealth respectively.
🔧 Tricks & Exploits
These community-discovered tricks will save you time and resources. Some may be patched in future updates.
Infinite Arrow Farming
Go to any enemy camp with Bokoblins wielding bows. Equip a high-defense armor set and let them shoot at you. Their missed arrows stick in the ground and can be picked up. The best spot is the Coliseum where multiple archers fire simultaneously. You can collect 100+ arrows in minutes.
Pro Tip
The Hyrule Castle gatehouse area with Lizalfos archers is another excellent farm spot.
Shield Surfing Spots
The best shield surfing runs in TotK: Hebra Mountains (longest downhill), Mount Lanayru (ice = no durability loss on shields), Gerudo Highlands (sand reduces friction), and the Forgotten Temple exterior (speed + distance). Frozen surfaces don't consume shield durability at all.
Pro Tip
Use a Mineru-fused sled for zero shield durability loss on any terrain.
Hoverbike (Zonai Build)
The most famous Zonai exploit: attach two fans to a steering stick in a V-shape, angled slightly upward. This creates a stable hoverbike that consumes minimal battery. It trivializes traversal and can be stored in Autobuild for instant recall. Costs about 1/3 of a full battery per flight.
Flying Machine (Wing + Fans)
Attach two fans to the back of a Zonai Wing and one fan pointing downward at the center. This creates a long-range glider that can cross massive distances. Launch from a sky island for maximum range. Add a steering stick for directional control.
Duplicate Fuse Materials
Certain techniques allow you to keep fuse materials after fusing. Fuse a rare material to an arrow, then quickly pause and unequip your bow before the arrow fires. The material may duplicate in some versions. This has been partially patched but variants exist.
Pro Tip
Always save before attempting exploits. Some may corrupt save data on certain game versions.
Recall Trick for Infinite Height
Drop an object, stand on it, then use Recall. The object rises back to its previous height with you on it. Chain this with Ascend through sky islands to reach areas far above the normal sky ceiling. Works with any recallable physics object.
Rock Octorok Weapon Repair
Rock Octoroks — the spitting stone enemies found in Eldin — will inhale any weapon or shield you drop near them before spitting it back. The returned item has its durability completely restored AND gains a random bonus (Attack Up, Durability Up, etc.). This is the only way to repair weapons in TotK. Each Octorok can only be used once per Blood Moon cycle.
Pro Tip
The best use is repairing a Royal Guard's Claymore — the game's highest base damage sword despite its fragility. After Octorok repair it becomes durable enough for sustained Lynel farming.
Blood Moon Trigger Method
A Blood Moon occurs automatically every ~7 in-game days, but you can trigger one manually. Stand at Hyrule Castle's Sanctum area and rest at a campfire until midnight on any night where the in-game timer is past the threshold. The sky turns red immediately. Use this to respawn Silver Lynels, dragon drops, and Depths enemies on demand.
Pro Tip
Keep track of time since your last Blood Moon. The game shows subtle sky color changes in the hours before an automatic trigger — a faint red tint appears at dusk.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many hidden caves are there in Tears of the Kingdom?
There are 147 caves hidden throughout Hyrule. Each cave contains a Bubbulfrog whose Bubbul Gem can be traded at Koltin's shop for unique rewards like enemy masks and the Mystic armor set.
Where can I find secret armor sets in TotK?
Secret armor sets like Majora's Mask, Tingle's Outfit, Phantom Armor, and Fierce Deity Armor are all found in treasure chests scattered throughout the Depths. None of these sets appear in shops — they must be discovered through exploration.
What are the best easter eggs in Tears of the Kingdom?
TotK contains many Zelda franchise callbacks including Lon Lon Ranch ruins from Ocarina of Time, Spectacle Rock from the original Zelda, Koholit Rock referencing Link's Awakening, and islands named after Tingle from Majora's Mask and Wind Waker.
How do Blood Moons work in TotK?
Blood Moons occur every 2 hours and 48 minutes of real-world gameplay time (7 in-game days). They reset all defeated enemies and foraged materials. Cooking during the Blood Moon animation between 11:30 PM and midnight guarantees a critical success on any recipe.
Explore More Guides
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Nintendo Switch — pick up your copy on Amazon
Affiliate disclosure: Hyrule Archive may earn a commission from purchases made through Amazon links on this site at no extra cost to you.
