20 MORE Hidden Secrets in Zelda Tears Of The Kingdom
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VOICE OVER: Johnny Reynolds
WRITTEN BY: Johnny Reynolds
"Tears of the Kingdom" has more secrets to uncover than most other games. For this list, we'll continue exploring Easter Eggs and other hidden details in Nintendo's fantasy masterpiece. As always, some spoilers lie ahead. Our list of more hidden secrets in "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom" includes Mipha Court Homage, Pyper's Animated Dance, Helping a Hidden Cucco, Teacher's Pets, and more!
Script written by Johnny Reynolds
Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re going over 20 More Hidden Secrets in “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.” You know the drill. For this list, we’ll be looking at another group of hidden details and Easter Eggs found in the latest “Zelda.” And as always, spoilers lie ahead. If you think we missed something, be sure to check out our previous videos on secrets in “Tears of the Kingdom.” And if there’s still something you feel no one is talking about, let us know about it in the comments!
Once an enemy and now a currency, you can find Poe souls scattered all over the Depths. Finding huge numbers of them underneath ruins on the surface makes a lot of sense. But there are certain Poes whose placement seems much more specific than others. Directly underneath Gerudo Desert’s Arbiter’s Grounds is a cemetery swarming with Gibdo. But there are also single Poes found in coffins, implying that soul’s importance. Underneath Lover’s Pond of the Faron Region is a heart-shaped island in the middle of a lake with two Souls on it. That love story couldn’t have had a happy ending.
When Nintendo created many of the new NPCs for “Tears of the Kingdom,” it had a lot of fun in making their names puns. The most obvious examples are the members of the Stable Trotters. Mastro, Violynne, Beetz, Pyper, and Eustus all have names that point to their position in the group. That last one stumped many of us, and the best explanation is that Saint Eustace of Christianity is frequently depicted playing a horn. In Lookout Landing, you may have found a perpetually sleeping NPC named Nappin, or one looking at a map named Atmus. Personally, it took me an embarrassingly long time to realize that Addison is literally holding up advertisements.
Speaking of the Stable Trotters, the group’s youngest member is Pyper, a flute player you’ll first come across at Highland Stable in the Faron region. When he jams with his bandmates, Pyper has a unique playing animation where he’ll stomp his feet back and forth. If you found this familiar, or at least odd, there’s a reason for this. It’s nearly identical to the animation used for the Skull Kids in “Ocarina of Time.” What’s the meaning of this? We have no idea. But considering the in-game lore tells us these are the results of children wandering into the Lost Woods, we’d advise Pyper to stay far away from the Great Hyrule Forest.
Some side quests are more easily missed than others. ‘Legend of the Great Sky Island’ is found back at the tutorial area and hidden atop the Temple of Time, a place many likely never thought to look. There, you’ll find a steward construct who offers Link a challenge: light three torches on nearby sky islands without touching the ground. Having the Zora armor is a must considering the many, many waterfalls, and you have 12 in-game hours or 12 real-life minutes to complete it. Once you do, the construct will tell you a brief story about the Great Sky Island and give Link the Zonai Fabric for his paraglider.
‘A Call From the Depths’ is a side quest that begins on the Great Plateau and takes Link to the Depths. It has him go to four different areas where the stone eyes of a Bargainer Statue lie. He then has to toss them into nearby chasms and take them to their owner in the Depths. The quest itself isn’t very secret, but some players noticed the significance of each chasm’s location. They’re the same spots as the tutorial Shrines from “Breath of the Wild” where Link earns his rune abilities. There’s probably no significance to this, but it’s a way to re-experience the starting area from the first game.
The dragon’s tears are easier to find than the memories of “Breath of the Wild.” Still, just like that game, it’s extremely likely you’re going to unlock these cutscenes out of order. But, if you cared to, the game actually does give you the chronological sequence in which to experience them. The geoglyph quest will take you to the Forgotten Temple fairly early; in fact, right after you get the first one. Here, you’ll find a stone map of Hyrule, as well as the Geoglyphs depicted across the wall. Well, there’s your order right there. You’d have to remember this brief moment, and either return or take pictures, something I’m betting most of us didn’t do.
There are a ton of musical Easter Eggs within “Tears of the Kingdom.” And the Geoglyphs feature one of the most well-hidden ones. While ripping the game’s soundtrack, Reddit user TheLazyHydra noticed that while every Geoglyph uses the same basic piece, they also each have a separate one that plays at the end before it loops back. These are only a few seconds long each, but by piecing them all together, you can hear the same notes as those in the melody of the game’s main theme. It can be a bit hard to make out considering they use completely different instruments and a slower tempo, so we encourage you to take a listen yourself. But the notes are definitely there.
While wearing the Yiga armor, members of the group will believe Link is one of their own, and so won’t attack him. He can also get into their hideout, but should he remove his hood, he’ll be tossed out and the Clan will attempt to murder him as per usual. You can surprise most Yiga members this way, with there being one exception. The armor also gets access to the Yiga Blademaster Station, which houses a Shrine quest. If you remove the mask while inside, the Blademaster will think you look familiar, but won’t be able to place you. This is probably because it would be annoying to warp back to this Shrine and be immediately forced to switch armor, but it’s a funny interaction nonetheless.
Given their tumultuous history, certain members of the Sheikah also have some interesting reactions to Link’s Yiga armor. While most NPCs speak to you normally, important ones will not take kindly to your fashion choices. At Lookout Landing, Purah will criticize you for dressing in poor taste while Josha will get scared and accuse you of trying to prank her. In Kakariko Village, Paya will tell you that, as leader, she can’t be seen talking to someone dressed like you. Dorian will also call it poor taste, but has a far more interesting reaction if you sneak into his house while his daughters are asleep. He’ll eventually show up and, at first, mistake Link for an assassin. Considering his wife was murdered by the Yiga, it’s pretty mean-spirited.
When not tormenting poor Dorian, you can head down the Kakariko Village well to learn a bit more about his family. Whether you go alone or follow his daughter Cottla, the well holds a few neat Easter Eggs. Some players noticed disturbing blood stains on the walls, a possible reference to the Bottom of the Well mini-dungeon in “Ocarina of Time.” You can find a secret garden and diary left by Dorian’s late wife, giving you recipes of her family’s favorite meals. If you ascend from the diary’s spot, you’ll end up on a hill with a single Silent Princess. Since the flower is left at gravestones and monuments throughout the kingdom, it’s a nice nod to the woman whose death left such an impact.
There’s a lot of wholesomeness to be had in Hateno Village. Two side quests see Link help out at the newly-built school to the delight of the children. They’re easy enough to finish and get you access to Uma, an NPC who tends a garden and grows crops for you. Afterwards, there’s not really any reason to go back to the school unless you want to. If you do, you’ll find a show of appreciation stuck to one of the walls. The children will have been so impressed with Link’s lessons that they will have drawn a cute picture of themselves together.
Look, there are a ton of caves in “Tears of the Kingdom.” And unless you frequently visit Cherry Blossom trees, it’s likely you’ll miss a few. One of the more well-hidden ones is the Mount Floria cave. It actually serves as a great shortcut from the Faron region to the Necluda one, but both its entrances are a bit out of the way. While the one in the North is by the dead end of a river by Hickaly Woods, the one in the Faron region is hidden behind the waterfall of Riola Spring. Always remember to check behind waterfalls.
The Gerudo's eighth heroine puzzled a lot of players in “Breath of the Wild.” Thankfully, we got an answer in “Tears of the Kingdom,” but visiting her statue in the Gerudo Highlands is still worthwhile. The statue now has a giant gem on its chest, which Link must reflect light into using a mirror. Doing so will cause the gate where its face should be to rise, giving you access to a piece of the Tingle armor and a Bubbulfrog. If you played “Ocarina of Time,” this sequence will undoubtedly remind you of the Spirit Temple, which of course was in the Gerudo region. There, Link had to use the Mirror Shield to solve a very similar puzzle.
In our first video, we talked about how if Link is wearing one of the Divine Helms, the corresponding Sage spirit will wear the ancient version used by Sages of the past. For a while, I wondered why Mineru, the fifth Sage, was left out of the fun. But as some of you pointed out, she wasn’t. Although there are only 4 Divine Helms, wearing the helm of the Zonaite Set produces a similar effect in Mineru. Not only is it a nice aesthetic change, but just like the others, wearing this increases her damage output.
Of all the Champions in “Breath of the Wild,” Mipha’s death had perhaps the greatest impact on her people. In “Tears of the Kingdom,” we see that the Zora have built a monument to her on Ploymus Mountain. It’s hard to tell until after you’ve cleared the sludge, but an aerial view of Mipha Court shows its design is the same as the Zora symbol; three circles encompassed by scales. Also used as a symbol for Nayru, Goddess of Wisdom, this design was first seen in “Ocarina of Time,” although a little different, with the Zora’s Sapphire. In a similar vein, just listen to the opening piano note of the area’s music: it’s the exact same as “Ocarina’s” title theme.
There are several NPCs in “Tears of the Kingdom” that seem like they should offer a side quest, but don’t. One is Kaifa at the South Akkala Stable. She’s a bit down in the dumps over her missing Cucco, who’s too lonely to lay eggs on its own and whose sad squawks she can hear at night. This leads you to the stable’s well, but after finding the Cucco there, you don’t get the opportunity to tell Kaifa about it. Even if you get the Cucco out, you won’t get any kind of prompt and Kaifa won’t even react. What you’re meant to do is put another Cucco down there, prompting the missing one to supply you with eggs whenever you return.
In case you missed our Short on the matter, there’s a well-hidden NPC who can turn your ruined meals into something far better. North of Kakariko Village lies Rikoka Hills, where you’ll find some derelict houses. Down the nearby well is Moza, who, for the low price of five Rupees, will turn either dubious or rock-hard food into Monster Stew. How many hearts the stew gives you depends on the ingredients you used in the initial dish. But it’s definitely a spot worth marking on your map in case you mess up again.
With the Mother Goddess Statue in the Forgotten Temple having fallen over, one quest sees Link restore it by offering a claw from the three main dragons at each Goddess Spring. This quest gets you the White Sword of the Sky, an obvious nod to “Skyward Sword.” But the quest itself is also a layered reference. In “Skyward Sword,” Link must eventually power up the Master Sword by tracking down three Sacred Flames, each one representing one of the Golden Goddesses. Afterwards, the Master Sword is fully awakened by Zelda. The three dragons in “Tears of the Kingdom'' are named after the Goddesses, and act as stand-ins for Sacred Flames. While one game increases the power of Link’s sword, the other gives him a new one.
Across Hyrule, Link can help three groups of soldiers, twice each, in defeating a group of monsters. The ‘Bring Peace’ quests are great in showing Hylians stand up for their home, but it’s also interesting to see which NPCs Nintendo chose to lead these battles. All three were in “Breath of the Wild.” Toren is found at the Tabantha Bridge Stable, incapable of climbing to look for the nearby Great Fairy. Hoz is a lone, self-made soldier patrolling the East Akkala Stable. And Flaxel is rescued by Link when she can’t defend herself against monsters. The point being they’re all at weak points in the previous game, but have grown stronger and responsible enough to lead their own troops.
After “Breath of the Wild” was released, director Hidemaro Fujibayashi revealed its map was partially inspired by his hometown of Kyoto, Japan. That’s also where Nintendo’s headquarters are located, and so a new Easter Egg was added on top of this for “Tears of the Kingdom.” Thanks to Reddit user Chubby_Bub, we now know that the location of each Shrine on the surface corresponds to a landmark in the real-life city. Nintendo also scrambled or removed letters of each landmark to name its Shrines. For example, when both maps are laid on top of each other, the In-Isa Shrine of Hyrule Field lines up with the Saiin train station of the downtown area. Pretty clever, Nintendo.
Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re going over 20 More Hidden Secrets in “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.” You know the drill. For this list, we’ll be looking at another group of hidden details and Easter Eggs found in the latest “Zelda.” And as always, spoilers lie ahead. If you think we missed something, be sure to check out our previous videos on secrets in “Tears of the Kingdom.” And if there’s still something you feel no one is talking about, let us know about it in the comments!
Poe Placement
Once an enemy and now a currency, you can find Poe souls scattered all over the Depths. Finding huge numbers of them underneath ruins on the surface makes a lot of sense. But there are certain Poes whose placement seems much more specific than others. Directly underneath Gerudo Desert’s Arbiter’s Grounds is a cemetery swarming with Gibdo. But there are also single Poes found in coffins, implying that soul’s importance. Underneath Lover’s Pond of the Faron Region is a heart-shaped island in the middle of a lake with two Souls on it. That love story couldn’t have had a happy ending.
All in the Name
When Nintendo created many of the new NPCs for “Tears of the Kingdom,” it had a lot of fun in making their names puns. The most obvious examples are the members of the Stable Trotters. Mastro, Violynne, Beetz, Pyper, and Eustus all have names that point to their position in the group. That last one stumped many of us, and the best explanation is that Saint Eustace of Christianity is frequently depicted playing a horn. In Lookout Landing, you may have found a perpetually sleeping NPC named Nappin, or one looking at a map named Atmus. Personally, it took me an embarrassingly long time to realize that Addison is literally holding up advertisements.
Pyper’s Animated Dance
Speaking of the Stable Trotters, the group’s youngest member is Pyper, a flute player you’ll first come across at Highland Stable in the Faron region. When he jams with his bandmates, Pyper has a unique playing animation where he’ll stomp his feet back and forth. If you found this familiar, or at least odd, there’s a reason for this. It’s nearly identical to the animation used for the Skull Kids in “Ocarina of Time.” What’s the meaning of this? We have no idea. But considering the in-game lore tells us these are the results of children wandering into the Lost Woods, we’d advise Pyper to stay far away from the Great Hyrule Forest.
Legend of the Great Sky Island
Some side quests are more easily missed than others. ‘Legend of the Great Sky Island’ is found back at the tutorial area and hidden atop the Temple of Time, a place many likely never thought to look. There, you’ll find a steward construct who offers Link a challenge: light three torches on nearby sky islands without touching the ground. Having the Zora armor is a must considering the many, many waterfalls, and you have 12 in-game hours or 12 real-life minutes to complete it. Once you do, the construct will tell you a brief story about the Great Sky Island and give Link the Zonai Fabric for his paraglider.
Eyes of the Beholder
‘A Call From the Depths’ is a side quest that begins on the Great Plateau and takes Link to the Depths. It has him go to four different areas where the stone eyes of a Bargainer Statue lie. He then has to toss them into nearby chasms and take them to their owner in the Depths. The quest itself isn’t very secret, but some players noticed the significance of each chasm’s location. They’re the same spots as the tutorial Shrines from “Breath of the Wild” where Link earns his rune abilities. There’s probably no significance to this, but it’s a way to re-experience the starting area from the first game.
Chronological Order
The dragon’s tears are easier to find than the memories of “Breath of the Wild.” Still, just like that game, it’s extremely likely you’re going to unlock these cutscenes out of order. But, if you cared to, the game actually does give you the chronological sequence in which to experience them. The geoglyph quest will take you to the Forgotten Temple fairly early; in fact, right after you get the first one. Here, you’ll find a stone map of Hyrule, as well as the Geoglyphs depicted across the wall. Well, there’s your order right there. You’d have to remember this brief moment, and either return or take pictures, something I’m betting most of us didn’t do.
Full Circle
There are a ton of musical Easter Eggs within “Tears of the Kingdom.” And the Geoglyphs feature one of the most well-hidden ones. While ripping the game’s soundtrack, Reddit user TheLazyHydra noticed that while every Geoglyph uses the same basic piece, they also each have a separate one that plays at the end before it loops back. These are only a few seconds long each, but by piecing them all together, you can hear the same notes as those in the melody of the game’s main theme. It can be a bit hard to make out considering they use completely different instruments and a slower tempo, so we encourage you to take a listen yourself. But the notes are definitely there.
Unaware Blademaster
While wearing the Yiga armor, members of the group will believe Link is one of their own, and so won’t attack him. He can also get into their hideout, but should he remove his hood, he’ll be tossed out and the Clan will attempt to murder him as per usual. You can surprise most Yiga members this way, with there being one exception. The armor also gets access to the Yiga Blademaster Station, which houses a Shrine quest. If you remove the mask while inside, the Blademaster will think you look familiar, but won’t be able to place you. This is probably because it would be annoying to warp back to this Shrine and be immediately forced to switch armor, but it’s a funny interaction nonetheless.
The Yiga and the Sheikah
Given their tumultuous history, certain members of the Sheikah also have some interesting reactions to Link’s Yiga armor. While most NPCs speak to you normally, important ones will not take kindly to your fashion choices. At Lookout Landing, Purah will criticize you for dressing in poor taste while Josha will get scared and accuse you of trying to prank her. In Kakariko Village, Paya will tell you that, as leader, she can’t be seen talking to someone dressed like you. Dorian will also call it poor taste, but has a far more interesting reaction if you sneak into his house while his daughters are asleep. He’ll eventually show up and, at first, mistake Link for an assassin. Considering his wife was murdered by the Yiga, it’s pretty mean-spirited.
The Kakariko Well
When not tormenting poor Dorian, you can head down the Kakariko Village well to learn a bit more about his family. Whether you go alone or follow his daughter Cottla, the well holds a few neat Easter Eggs. Some players noticed disturbing blood stains on the walls, a possible reference to the Bottom of the Well mini-dungeon in “Ocarina of Time.” You can find a secret garden and diary left by Dorian’s late wife, giving you recipes of her family’s favorite meals. If you ascend from the diary’s spot, you’ll end up on a hill with a single Silent Princess. Since the flower is left at gravestones and monuments throughout the kingdom, it’s a nice nod to the woman whose death left such an impact.
Teacher’s Pets
There’s a lot of wholesomeness to be had in Hateno Village. Two side quests see Link help out at the newly-built school to the delight of the children. They’re easy enough to finish and get you access to Uma, an NPC who tends a garden and grows crops for you. Afterwards, there’s not really any reason to go back to the school unless you want to. If you do, you’ll find a show of appreciation stuck to one of the walls. The children will have been so impressed with Link’s lessons that they will have drawn a cute picture of themselves together.
Mount Floria Cave
Look, there are a ton of caves in “Tears of the Kingdom.” And unless you frequently visit Cherry Blossom trees, it’s likely you’ll miss a few. One of the more well-hidden ones is the Mount Floria cave. It actually serves as a great shortcut from the Faron region to the Necluda one, but both its entrances are a bit out of the way. While the one in the North is by the dead end of a river by Hickaly Woods, the one in the Faron region is hidden behind the waterfall of Riola Spring. Always remember to check behind waterfalls.
The Eighth Heroine’s Puzzle
The Gerudo's eighth heroine puzzled a lot of players in “Breath of the Wild.” Thankfully, we got an answer in “Tears of the Kingdom,” but visiting her statue in the Gerudo Highlands is still worthwhile. The statue now has a giant gem on its chest, which Link must reflect light into using a mirror. Doing so will cause the gate where its face should be to rise, giving you access to a piece of the Tingle armor and a Bubbulfrog. If you played “Ocarina of Time,” this sequence will undoubtedly remind you of the Spirit Temple, which of course was in the Gerudo region. There, Link had to use the Mirror Shield to solve a very similar puzzle.
Mineru’s Mask
In our first video, we talked about how if Link is wearing one of the Divine Helms, the corresponding Sage spirit will wear the ancient version used by Sages of the past. For a while, I wondered why Mineru, the fifth Sage, was left out of the fun. But as some of you pointed out, she wasn’t. Although there are only 4 Divine Helms, wearing the helm of the Zonaite Set produces a similar effect in Mineru. Not only is it a nice aesthetic change, but just like the others, wearing this increases her damage output.
Mipha Court Homage
Of all the Champions in “Breath of the Wild,” Mipha’s death had perhaps the greatest impact on her people. In “Tears of the Kingdom,” we see that the Zora have built a monument to her on Ploymus Mountain. It’s hard to tell until after you’ve cleared the sludge, but an aerial view of Mipha Court shows its design is the same as the Zora symbol; three circles encompassed by scales. Also used as a symbol for Nayru, Goddess of Wisdom, this design was first seen in “Ocarina of Time,” although a little different, with the Zora’s Sapphire. In a similar vein, just listen to the opening piano note of the area’s music: it’s the exact same as “Ocarina’s” title theme.
Helping a Hidden Cucco
There are several NPCs in “Tears of the Kingdom” that seem like they should offer a side quest, but don’t. One is Kaifa at the South Akkala Stable. She’s a bit down in the dumps over her missing Cucco, who’s too lonely to lay eggs on its own and whose sad squawks she can hear at night. This leads you to the stable’s well, but after finding the Cucco there, you don’t get the opportunity to tell Kaifa about it. Even if you get the Cucco out, you won’t get any kind of prompt and Kaifa won’t even react. What you’re meant to do is put another Cucco down there, prompting the missing one to supply you with eggs whenever you return.
Dubious Food Fixer
In case you missed our Short on the matter, there’s a well-hidden NPC who can turn your ruined meals into something far better. North of Kakariko Village lies Rikoka Hills, where you’ll find some derelict houses. Down the nearby well is Moza, who, for the low price of five Rupees, will turn either dubious or rock-hard food into Monster Stew. How many hearts the stew gives you depends on the ingredients you used in the initial dish. But it’s definitely a spot worth marking on your map in case you mess up again.
The White Sword of the Sky
With the Mother Goddess Statue in the Forgotten Temple having fallen over, one quest sees Link restore it by offering a claw from the three main dragons at each Goddess Spring. This quest gets you the White Sword of the Sky, an obvious nod to “Skyward Sword.” But the quest itself is also a layered reference. In “Skyward Sword,” Link must eventually power up the Master Sword by tracking down three Sacred Flames, each one representing one of the Golden Goddesses. Afterwards, the Master Sword is fully awakened by Zelda. The three dragons in “Tears of the Kingdom'' are named after the Goddesses, and act as stand-ins for Sacred Flames. While one game increases the power of Link’s sword, the other gives him a new one.
From Pretenders to Defenders
Across Hyrule, Link can help three groups of soldiers, twice each, in defeating a group of monsters. The ‘Bring Peace’ quests are great in showing Hylians stand up for their home, but it’s also interesting to see which NPCs Nintendo chose to lead these battles. All three were in “Breath of the Wild.” Toren is found at the Tabantha Bridge Stable, incapable of climbing to look for the nearby Great Fairy. Hoz is a lone, self-made soldier patrolling the East Akkala Stable. And Flaxel is rescued by Link when she can’t defend herself against monsters. The point being they’re all at weak points in the previous game, but have grown stronger and responsible enough to lead their own troops.
Hometown Inspirations
After “Breath of the Wild” was released, director Hidemaro Fujibayashi revealed its map was partially inspired by his hometown of Kyoto, Japan. That’s also where Nintendo’s headquarters are located, and so a new Easter Egg was added on top of this for “Tears of the Kingdom.” Thanks to Reddit user Chubby_Bub, we now know that the location of each Shrine on the surface corresponds to a landmark in the real-life city. Nintendo also scrambled or removed letters of each landmark to name its Shrines. For example, when both maps are laid on top of each other, the In-Isa Shrine of Hyrule Field lines up with the Saiin train station of the downtown area. Pretty clever, Nintendo.
