Uncover the Hidden Gems of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom: Must-Try Activities Beyond the Main Quest

Highlights

Tears of the Kingdom

With over 100 side quests and 60 side adventures, this game provides an expansive open-world experience that extends beyond the main storyline, offering hours of gameplay. Some of the tasks players can partake in include capturing images for each stable, triumphing over all the monsters in Hyrule, delving into the vast Depths, and locating and repairing every sign for Addison.

The game presents a challenge for completionists who seek to find and give all Bubbul Gems to Koltin, locate all Koroks along with their 1000 seeds, and explore the entire Depths in order to earn special rewards and achievements.

Tears of the Kingdom is filled with hidden secrets, side-quests, and enjoyable adventures. It serves as an outstanding example of an open-world game, where players are encouraged to follow their curiosity without being penalized. With over 100 side quests and 60 side adventures, which are essentially longer or more significant quests, Tears of the Kingdom provides ample content. Moreover, the main storyline alone offers hours of gameplay, making it a worthwhile and rewarding investment.

6 Take Pictures For Every Stable

For certain gamers, the allure lies in locating and fulfilling all the supplementary missions and adventures. By doing so, players can thoroughly explore the game's expansive world and uncover its myriad hidden secrets and tempting rewards. However, there exist additional tasks and challenges that truly separate the completionists from the rest. Thanks to the vast realm of Tears of the Kingdom, there is a multitude of activities beyond the main storyline to engage in.

While technically a side quest, this particular quest may go unnoticed by many players. In Hyrule, there are a total of fifteen stables, and what some players might not have observed is that each stable has a few empty frames adorning its walls. These frames, featuring the insignia of the Stable Association, blend in rather inconspicuously.

Investigating one of these empty frames will prompt the stable owner to speak to Link. The primary aim of the Stable Association is to enhance the appearance of all the stables by providing frames for hanging paintings. However, each stable owner has their own unique vision for the artwork but lacks any reference. To assist them, Link must embark on a vast exploration of Hyrule, capturing photographs of specific locations, and then present them to the respective owner at the stable. Notably, every main stable is equipped with at least one frame, making this endeavor a time-consuming endeavor.

5 Defeat Every Monster

This quest in Breath of the Wild is a familiar one, but with a twist. Instead of being overseen by Kilton, it is now monitored by Gralens of the Monster Control Crew. If you speak to Gralens in the Lookout Landing bunker, you will be given a series of six quests. In these quests, Link is tasked with defeating a Gleeok, Hinox, Talus, Frox, Molduga, and Flux Construct.

Once players successfully defeat one of each monster, the quests will be completed. However, Gralens will continue to monitor the number of undefeated bosses in Hyrule. To earn the achievement, players must locate and defeat every single monster. Once Link accomplishes this, speaking to Gralens will result in a rewarding shiny gold medal, solidifying his status as a legendary monster hunter. There is no embarrassment in utilizing a guide to assist in keeping track of these battles, as there are a total of 13 Gleeoks.

Over 60 Hinox

4 Moldugas

40 Frox

Over 30 Flux Constructs

Over 80 Stone Talus

4 Discover The Depths and Find Every Bargainer Statue

The Depths, a vast new expansion in Tears of the Kingdom, offers double the area for exploration. Located directly beneath Hyrule, it boasts the same size as its surface counterpart. With hours of gameplay, players will be engrossed in unraveling all the hidden treasures it has to offer.

One of the goals that players should strive for is to fully explore The Depths. Although it may require a significant amount of time and commitment, players who manage to activate every lightroot in the game will be rewarded with the Dispelling the Darkness Medal. While this medal does not serve a specific purpose, it symbolizes the player's unwavering dedication as a beacon of light in Hyrule.

Another important objective in The Depths is to locate all the Bargainer Statues. Players who are not familiar with Bargainer Statues may not have spent much time in this area, but they will encounter the first one next to Josha in Lookout Landing. Scattered throughout The Depths are a total of 7 Bargainer Statues, and discovering them will grant Link the ability to purchase various key items using Poes instead of rupees. It is advisable for players to uncover these Bargainer Statues early on in the game, as Link will then have the opportunity to repurchase legendary weapons and armor such as Biggoron's Sword and the Fierce Deity armor set.

3 Find and Fix Every Sign for Addison

Every rider who has traveled across the countless roads of Hyrule has surely come across Addison, struggling on the side of the road with a sign from President Hudson. Addison's responsibility is to display these signs to promote Hudson Construction, a familiar name to players of Breath of the Wild. However, Addison is not skilled in this task and struggles to keep the sign upright long enough to secure it to the ground.

To complete this extensive task, players will need to assist Addison a remarkable 81 times. Using Ultrahand, players must strategically place various construction materials around the sign to ensure its stability, allowing Addison to secure it. The difficulty of each sign will vary, with some already relatively stable and others teetering on the brink. This quest is particularly rewarding as Addison generously offers players multiple useful rewards each time they aid him. If players can successfully assist Addison with all his signs, a very special gift awaits as a token of his appreciation.

2 Find Every Bubbul Frog and Give All Bubbul Gems to Koltin

Players may have already noticed a new addition to the numerous caves and tunnels in Hyrule called Bubbul Frogs. If you've ever wondered why some caves have a strange tick on the map while others don't, it's because the tick only appears after defeating the Bubbul Frog inside. Each Bubbul Frog will drop a Bubbul Gem, which players can collect without knowing their purpose for quite some time.

To initiate this process, players need to head to the Woodland Stable in Eldin and meet with the monster-enthusiast Kilton once again. This time, Kilton will be accompanied by his never-before-seen brother, Koltin, who desperately wants to transform into a Satori, a mythical creature in Breath of the Wild that some players may be familiar with. Completing the assigned quests during this encounter and locating Koltin allows Link to trade in Bubbul Gems for a variety of helpful and unique rewards. With over 100 Bubbul Frogs to find, this challenge can be quite time-consuming.

1 Find Every Korok

Koroks in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are a divisive element. Some players enjoy the challenge of finding these woodland creatures, while others consider it a difficult task. Tears of the Kingdom introduces a new way to obtain Korok seeds, with Link encountering crying explorer Koroks who wish to be reunited with their travel companions.

Regardless of players' opinions on their adorableness, Koroks are the most daunting aspect of the game for those aiming for a 100% completion rate. There are a staggering total of 1000 Korok seeds to collect, scattered throughout Hyrule in various locations such as cliff sides, logs, lakes, roadsides, rocks, grassy areas, and more. These troublesome little creatures are undoubtedly the most significant challenge in any Zelda game, and deciding to undertake the task of finding all of them is no small feat.

Franchise The Legend of ZeldaPlatform(s) SwitchReleased May 12, 2023Developer(s) NintendoGenre(s) AdventureMetascore 96