10 Things You DIDN'T Know About Zelda Tears of the Kingdom

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Zelda Tears of the Kingdom

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re looking at some fun facts, Easter Eggs, and secrets you may not know about “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.”

The Best Places for Fairies

Like every other game in the series, Fairies are highly useful in “Tears of the Kingdom.” But in a vast open world, they can be hard to come by. One of the best places to find them, told to Link by Numar at Lurelin Village, is the nearby Lover’s Pond at night. As long as you don’t already have fairies, a group spawns by the pond at 5 PM. They can also be found in large numbers on certain sky islands, namely Courage and Valor Island, where Link performs diving challenges. You still have to have fewer than two in your inventory, but they reliably spawns at the ponds on both islands, which can be easily warped to.

Trouble in Paradise

There are a ton of NPCs across “Breath of the Wild” and “Tears of the Kingdom.” And there are some interesting updates to small, individual stories that not every player will pick up on. In “Breath of the Wild,” Link meets a couple in Rito Village on their honeymoon. Jogo is worried his new wife will ask for a divorce since she hates the location. This is accurate; Juney complains, since they could have gone somewhere like Gerudo Town, with its fancy jewelry, or Zora’s Domain, with its “weird, spiritual fish people.” Link can ease the tension by giving her a Baked Apple, completing a small side quest. Interestingly, in “Tears of the Kingdom,” they’ve now separated. Jogo is still found in the Hebra region, this time with new companion, Yammo, seeking out a professional shield surfing teacher. And Juney has since visited Gerudo Town, having learned to craft Sand-Seal toys for children, which are the basis for a mini-game. It seems like they’re both better off.

Purah’s Fashion Commentary

Purah became a fan favorite upon her reintroduction in “Tears of the Kingdom.” Always keeping watch on things in Lookout Landing, she’ll give advice depending on your point in the story. But she’ll also comment on what Link is wearing. She’s one of several NPCs who don’t take kindly to Link wearing the Yiga Clan set. She’ll also humorously chastise Link if he wears nothing. Wearing the Champion’s Leathers, she’ll be glad to see that Link reclaimed them. And, befitting a historian, she even recognizes the Ancient Hero’s Aspect. Though it doesn’t make much impact on your experience, it’s always nice to get some extra dialogue from Purah.

Stunning Rays

Many players already know that Mirrors, although used to good effect in certain puzzles, take on a much more valuable use when fused to a shield. During the day, Link can use a Mirror Shield to deflect sunlight into enemy eyes, stunning them. But the extent of its usefulness might be lost on some players when it comes to higher-difficulty enemies. On top of regular enemies, this can stun Sand Seals, and even some overworld minibosses like Hinoxes and Gloom Spawn. The downside, of course, is that they don’t work at night or in the Depths. However, they also don’t work on Lynels, but we’ll talk about a different trick for them later.

Bribing with Fish

After rescuing Lurelin Village and rebuilding its homes and establishments, Link gets access to a ton of free stuff on every visit. And you can exploit this to earn more. One reward for Link’s bravery is a free play of a gambling mini-game, run by Cloyne. Link picks one of three chests, and the Rupee inside corresponds to the rarity of one of three prizes. You can only play once a day, unless Cloyne smells Roasted Porgy on you. There is always a group of them sitting in the fire nearby outside. Give him two, and Link can always get all three prizes.

The Wonder of Dragon Parts

Dragon parts are some of the rarer materials in “Tears of the Kingdom.” As such, they come with a nice bonus you can exploit. Link’s Zonai builds will disappear if he gets a certain distance from them. But if you attach a dragon part, this distance is significantly increased. And this carries over to your Autobuilds, with no need to keep using valuable resources. As for the non-friendly dragons in the game, Gleeoks, their horns might seem a little weak for how strong the creatures are. But they’re the only elemental fuse items that never run out of energy, just coming with the shortcoming of decreased weapon range.

A Better Surf

Introduced in “Breath of the Wild,” shield surfing was a fun, quick way to get down a hillside or, better yet, a steep frozen peak. The developers made it a little better in “Tears of the Kingdom” through letting Link fuse materials to his shield. There are a few viable Zonai devices, namely the sled and the cart. However, those tend to still be a little rocky when it comes to making precise movements. The best option, especially when getting rid of friction, is ice. An ice block shield will work, but the ice will eventually melt. The best options are frozen fish and frozen meat, for a long, smooth ride.

Seeking the Dondons

As Link completes steps in Penn’s side quest, he’ll learn of the Dondons, a newly uncovered race of creatures that Link can feed luminous stones in order to get rarer gems next visit. You’ll finish the quest, and get a reward. But if Link returns to the NPCs who mentioned having heard about these mysterious beasts, they’ll give him extra goodies for the information. You can get a swift carrot from the boys at Duelling Peaks Stable, an Endura Carrot from Breen at Woodland Stable, and a Pony Point after looking at some Dondon drawings from the owner of the Wetland Stable.

Stunlocking a Lynel

Lynels are still challenging foes to come across in “Tears of the Kingdom.” But just like in “Breath of the Wild,” Link grows strong enough to handle them. Better yet, some players figured out a way to essentially stunlock them with the proper fused weapon, a Muddle Bud Arrow. Once Link gets the Lynel stunned through a crit, where he can climb on their back, the Lynel will eventually throw him off. While entering bullet time, firing a Muddle Bud arrow at the Lynel’s head, which must also be a crit, will stun the Lynel all over again, allowing you to repeat the process.

The Gleeok’s Hidden Move

There are a couple of minor details about the Gleeoks that some players might not ever see. If they’re not standing idly, waiting for Link to show himself, then they’re often seen flying around. But they do have a walking animation, which one might perform if only you try to bait it towards you. Another detail most players might never see is a tail swipe attack. Most of the time, the Gleeok fires blasts and beams at Link, or blows him backwards with a strong gust from its wings. If you can get close enough not to be blown away, the Gleeok will make a tail swipe in a final attempt to get you to back up.

Do you know of any other fun facts about “Tears of the Kingdom” you think others don’t? Be sure to share them with us in the comments, and we’ll see you next time!