In The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, players will embark on a quest to discover 900 Koroks, adorable woodland creatures secretly scattered throughout the kingdom of Hyrule. These enchanting beings provide perplexing riddles and obstacles, rewarding the player with valuable Korok Seeds once they are overcome. In total, there are 1000 Korok Seeds to be earned and exchanged with Hestu, a lively Korok who uses maracas to unlock additional inventory slots.
Among the various types of Korok puzzles, one type involves a stump with a chain and corks on either side. The objective is to extract the cork from the stump, unveiling the hidden Korok and earning a Korok Seed. Tears of the Kingdom boasts 26 of these engaging cork-pulling puzzles, highlighting the importance of players acquainting themselves with the diverse strategies needed to conquer these challenges. Let us now delve into the strategies for unraveling Korok cork-pulling puzzles in Tears of the Kingdom.
How to Solve Korok Cork Pulling Puzzles
Although not as common as other Korok puzzles, players may come across a few cork puzzles during their adventures without actively searching for them. While they may appear straightforward to solve, directly pulling out the cork using the Ultrahand won't work due to the chain's insufficient length. Instead, Link will need to rely on his Fuse ability and employ various techniques. Below are four distinct approaches to unraveling Korok cork-pulling puzzles in Tears of the Kingdom:
Fusing a Rocket Zonai Device
Fusing and Using Recall
This technique offers a solution to address all puzzles involving Korok cork, although it necessitates the utilization of a Rocket Zonai Device. It is recommended to consider utilizing this approach only as a last resort, unless the player possesses a surplus of these devices. Simply merge the Rocket with the cork and hit it, prompting the rocket to launch and carry the cork away, thereby liberating the Korok from the stump.
To make use of this technique, the player must first acquire an item, like a rock, by employing the Ultrahand. From the starting point at the stump, proceed to draw a sizable circle directly in front of it, firmly grasping the rock throughout. Upon reaching the stump once again, at the culmination of the circular motion, release the object and amalgamate it with the cork.
Fusing a Heavy Object
To initiate the desired action, utilize the Recall power and direct it towards the rock, thereby prompting it to travel in the opposite course along the trajectory delineated by the circle you previously drew. By continuing to propel the rock away from the stump, a certain distance will be reached, ultimately resulting in the extraction of the cork.
To solve certain puzzles, you can try attaching a heavy object to the cork. In many cases, there will be large objects nearby that you can use. Once the object is attached, gravity will take over and pull the cork out effortlessly. This technique is especially effective for cork pull puzzles located on mountaintops or cliffs, such as the one at the peak of the Hebra Mountains.
Dunking the Cork Underwater
To conquer the Korok cork pulling puzzles scattered throughout Tears of the Kingdom and earn their Korok Seed rewards, players can follow these strategies. If the cork is submerged in a body of water within the stump, use the Ultrahand to grasp the cork and submerge it as deeply as possible. Afterward, release the Ultrahand, allowing the cork to bounce back up and pop out of the water, dislodging it from the stump and revealing the Korok.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available for the Nintendo Switch.