The 10 HARDEST Zelda Side Quests
The Korok Seeds
The 10 WORST Side Quests in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom
“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” (2017) In multiple “Zelda” titles, Link can complete an optional quest by collecting many copies of one item. How many he must collect and what the item is varies from game to game. Over his long career as an adventurer, he’s collected Gold Skulltula tokens, rabbits, and the missing children of a giant octopus, among others. However, while most of those cap at 100 or lower, the Korok Seeds from “Breath of the Wild” reach the staggering amount of 900. Though obtaining a single seed can be as easy as solving a simple puzzle, finding all of them in a massive world is challenging to say the least. Like other games, the seeds still offer tiered awards. But as we know, finding all of them isn’t worth it.
Bombchu Bowling
“The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” (1998) While many “Zelda” minigames are fun, there are a handful that have become the bane of fans’ existence. Bombchu Bowling is found in “Ocarina of Time’s” Market. What you have to do is simple; aim a Bombchu down a lane towards the goal three times. However, each round changes the goal’s positioning, adds another obstacle, and increases the length of the lane. You only have ten Bombchu, which are hard to aim and will likely miss or run into something. But if you want every Piece of Heart, and Bomb Bag upgrade, you have to beat it twice. Adding to the frustration is the 30 rupee price tag and the fact that you don’t know which of the 5 prizes is on the line until after you’ve paid.
Snowpeak Snowboarding
“The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess” (2006) Currently being in the middle of a “Twilight Princess” replay, I can tell you with renewed fury how awful this side quest is. After completing the Snowpeak Ruins, you can return to the area for a chance to race against Yeto and Yeta. Your race against the husband isn’t too difficult, but the race against his wife is a test in keeping your cool. She’s much faster than Yeto and will always take a massive shortcut. While you can slow her down with a sword hit, it doesn’t help all that much. If you aren’t going full speed at all times, she will pass you. The stiff and unwieldy controls guarantee at least a few crashes into walls and plunges off the side. All this for a Piece of Heart.
Maple’s Flight
“The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages” (2001) & “The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons” (2001) Earning Maple’s Piece of Heart requires a combination of good luck and quick reflexes. The witch can be found in both “Oracle of Seasons” and “Ages.” You’ll find her flying around in different areas and, if you run into her, you’ll both drop different resources. There’s a chance, though no guarantee, that one of the things she drops will be a Piece of Heart. However, when she challenges you to pick up as many items as possible, that will always be what she goes for first. She moves faster than Link, especially after eight encounters when she switches to riding a flying vacuum cleaner or in a linked game where she rides a flying saucer. If you miss out, you’ll have to return to one of her predetermined squares for another chance.
Octoball Derby
“The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds” (2013) I’m sure we’re about to dredge up painful memories for many of you, but such is the power of Octoball Derby. Found in Lorule and based on Baseball, Link must earn 100 points from 30 pitches. A regular pot is worth 1 point while gold ones are worth 5, and any crows that appear after 3 consecutive hits are worth 20. That part is simple, but controlling where the ball goes certainly isn’t, and that has made this Piece of Heart infamous. Link has three stances to switch between for the three distances. While the game tells you this, what it fails to mention is that swinging early makes the ball go right while swinging late curves it towards the left. Even knowing that, getting the timing right remains tricky.
The Cave of Ordeals
10 Hidden Zelda Quests You Never Found
“The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess” (2006) Combat in “The Legend of Zelda” is usually fairly easy to get the hang of. But when a game throws nearly 50 floors’ worth of enemies at you, it’s only natural to get a little overwhelmed. Found in “Twilight Princess’” Gerudo Mesa, the Cave of Ordeals has Link descend through increasingly tougher groups of enemies. It will obviously be harder for you depending on when you decide to tackle it and how many Heart Containers you have. If you don’t go in there stocked with potions or fairies, you might be making an early exit. Even if you do have ample health, the sheer volume of fights is still a test of strength. “Wind Waker” features the similar Savage Labyrinth, but beating the game requires having completed half of it.
Plenty of Fish in the Sea
“The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass” (2007) On Bannan Island, Link earns the fishing rod by introducing the old wayfarer to a woman he believes is a real mermaid. While a fishing rod isn’t exactly the most exciting reward, actually using it is even less so. To continue this quest, Link must catch three common fish to earn a better lure from the old man. After returning again with the next rarest fish, the pesky Rusty Swordfish, you’ll have one final catch to make: the Neptoona. This fish rarely ever appears and, like the Rusty Swordfish, can easily break off of your line. Fishing is far from the best “Zelda” mini game, and it will majorly test your patience here. The silver lining is that, since ‘Phantom Hourglass” doesn’t have Pieces of Heart, finishing this nets you a full Heart Container.
Link’s Big Poe Hunt
The Legend of Zelda: Every Version of Link Ranked
“The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” (1998) After Link travels seven years into the future, Hyrule is almost entirely destroyed and its citizens displaced. One person left within its walls is the mysterious Poe Collecter. He’ll purchase any Poe souls from Link, but promises an extra nice reward for the souls of Big Poes. There are ten of these enemies hidden around Hyrule Field, and they only appear if Link is riding Epona. Killing them and bottling their souls only requires two arrows. Unfortunately, they’ll flee immediately and disappear as soon you chase them out of their very short, programmed route. Since you won’t know that route when you first encounter them, that means a lot of annoying trial and error. The Poe Collector will give you 100 rupees for each of them, though the final reward is an Empty Bottle.
Anju & Kafei
“The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask” (2000) The story of Anju and Kafei is one of my favorite parts of “Majora’s Mask” and one of the best side quests in the series. That doesn’t change the fact that it is incredibly tough with many, many ways to screw it up. It brings in multiple NPCs, all of which must be interacted with correctly at different locations and at different times. While a big part of it is figuring out the when and where, some of its individual aspects, like Sakon’s Lair, are difficult on their own. When you factor in the game’s three-day time period, it adds another level of anxiety. If you miss an event or fail a section, there’s no trying again. You’ll just have to start your loop over.
The Trial of the Sword
The 10 BEST Zelda Breath of the Wild Side Quests
“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” (2017) And here we thought the Cave of Ordeals was challenging. Found within “The Master Trials” DLC, the Trial of the Sword comes in three levels of difficulty. By completing each one, you can increase the power of the Master Sword. That’s a whole lot easier said than done as each of the three sections takes away all armor, weapons, and resources except for the Sheikah Slate. Only by collecting what you can do you stand a chance against the progressively tougher waves of enemies. The Beginning Trials come with 12 floors, the Middle with 16, and the Final with 23. While they include resting spots with cooking pots, having to start empty handed doesn’t make them as useful. And you’ll soon be cursing each and every enemy type.
