Summary
So you’re nearing the end ofThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. You’ve completed your main missions, you’ve got a ton of hearts, and you’re dying to find out what exactly is going on with this Demon King fellow everyone’s been talking about. But are you sure you want to head straight there?
Tears of the Kingdom is an absolutely massive game with a ton of abilities, equipment, weapons and other secrets to find, and a lot of its content is worth tracking down before going off to experience the game’s final battle. Here are a few things you should get done before you roll credits.
Updated on July 26, 2025 by Gabrielle Castania:A year on from the launch of TOTK, and we’re still finding ways to enjoy ourselves in this version of Hyrule! We’re updating our list of things to do in TOTK before beating the game to keep it up-to-date.
10Obtain Autobuild And Defeat Master Kohga
His Fights Are Wacky And Fun
If you’ve played throughBreath of the Wild, you’ll rememberthe Yiga Clanand their eccentric leader Master Kohga. Your battle with him was a crucial part of the previous game, and it ended with Kohga dropping into a huge hole just outsidethe Yiga Clan Hideout. Unfortunately, sending Kohga plummeting into an enormous chasm turns out to have trapped himin The Depths.
You’ll need tochase him down and defeat himat various abandoned mines underground. Taking him out is well worth it before finishing up the game. For starters, you’llacquire the Autobuild abilityin the process, enabling you to automatically recreate anything you’ve built. You’ll also gain various supplies as you chase Kohga down, including crystallized charges forupgrading your battery power.
The Yiga strongholds in The Depths also haveplenty of Crystallized Charges, speaking of your Energy Cells!
9Upgrade Your Sage Abilities
The Sages are valuable aidesas you go about your journey, and they’ll come in very handy in the lead up to your final fight. As such, it’s definitely a good idea to upgrade them before you make your way to the game’s final battle,especially your favorites of the bunch.
Across the sky islands in Tears of the Kingdom, you’ll occasionally come acrosstreasure chests that contain Sage’s Wills. These are objects that function much like the Light of Blessing you receive when you complete shrines, except that four of them can be exchanged to upgrade theattack power of one of the Sages. Although Sage’s Will is an exceedingly rare item, it’s worth keeping a lookout for them.
8Gather The Divine Helms
Historically Pretty Cool
Another method of increasing your bond with the Sages will become available after assisting each of them with theirrespective regional crises. Once you’ve brought some peace to each area of Hyrule, speaking to each region’s Sage will grant you a new mission along with a hint toward finding a sacred item.
If you’re able to locate these pieces of equipment, you’ll find that they’re all helms that resemble the fourDivine Beasts from Breath of the Wild. Not only do these Divine Helms come equipped with adefensive boostand additional perks, such as Vah Naboris' helm granting shock resistance, but they’ll further increase the attack power of each of your Sage Spirits (and grant them each a cool-looking helmet to boot).
7Assist The Great Faeries
Just Don’t Mind The Moaning…
Great Fairiesare some of your most valuable allies in Zelda games, and Tears of the Kingdom is no exception. Like their previous incarnation in Breath of the Wild, the Great Faeries in this game’s Hyrule will help you toboost the stats on your equipment, which is an absolute must before confronting the game’s final boss. This time, however, it’ll take more than rupees to bring them out of their flower buds.
At some of the horse stables scattered across the kingdom, you might run into members of the Stable Trotters, a group of musicians who enjoy playing an absolute banger of a tune for passersby. Most of the band’s gone their separate ways by the time the game begins, and the Great Faeries will only emerge if you canreunite key members and bring them to the Fairy flower budsfor a private performance.
6View Every Tear Of The Dragon
Try Not To Cry, We Dare You
Similarly to its predecessor, Tears of the Kingdom spreads most of its cutscenes and story buildingacross a series of locations around Hyrule. These story beats come in the form of Dragon’s Tears, and they’re located in teardrop-shaped segments of the large geoglyphs that have appeared throughout the land.
The Dragon Tears that Link collects give him glimpses into the distant past, depicting memories of what happened to Zelda after she was transported to the kingdom’s earliest days. Even if you don’tunlock them in order, it’s absolutely worth watching each of these memories before heading toward the end of the game, as they help to make the game’s conclusion much more impactful.
5Enter Korok Forest
After You Save The Deku Tree, Of Course
The sacred home ofthe adorable Koroksand the Deku Tree, Korok Forest, is alwaysan area worth revisitingin Zelda games. This is still the case in Tears of the Kingdom, but Korok Forest isclearly not in its normal, ethereal state.
The Lost Woods leading into Korok Forest are shrouded in darkness when you arrive, and you’ll be teleported back to the entrance no matter how you attempt to enter. This mystery is worth solving though, as Korok Forest houses avariety of intriguing side quests, ahandful of shrines, and the wisdom of the Great Deku Tree to help prepare you for your confrontation with the Demon King.
4Retrieve The Master Sword
Just Stock Up On Stamina Wheels First
The legendaryMaster Swordmay have been destroyed the last time you saw it, but there is a way to get your hands on this powerful blade. Although it’s entirely optional to do so, the weapon makes a huge difference in your fight against Ganondorf, as it receives a boost of power when going againstdark, gloom-infested enemies.
If you’ve collected the Tears of the Dragon or you’ve had a conversation with the Great Deku Tree, you may have some idea as towhere you’ll find the Master Sword. Acquiring it will require a lot of stamina, but it’s unquestionably one ofthe most powerful weapons in the game.
You’ll need quite a lot of stamina to get it, though, so eitherupgrade with the Goddess Statuesas normal, or you could evenvisit the Cursed Statue beneath Lookout Landingto temporarily shift some of your Hearts into Stamina, if need be.
3Save Lurelin Village
Construction Has Never Been So Satisfying
If you’ve played Breath of the Wild, you may remember Lurelin Village, the quiet seaside village on the southeastern coast of Hyrule. Thisbeautiful little settlementhas fallen upon hard times in Tears of the Kingdom, and you have the opportunity to save them.
Not only is it extremely fun totake on the pirates invading Lurelin Village, but it also presents the opportunity to help rebuild the village with some help from the visiting construction genius, Bolson. The citizens of Lurelin Village will be sure to show their gratitude to Link as yourebuild the area, and the rewards they offer will help make sure you’re prepared for Tears of the Kingdom’s endgame.
2Acquire Each Region’s Legendary Weapons
Because The Most Powerful Weapon Is Friendship
Once you’ve investigated each regional phenomenon plaguing the kingdom, you’ll want to make a point to talk to the citizens in each respective region. Various individuals surrounding the four Sages who’ve come to assist you will present you with an opportunity to earn their region’s legendary weapons.
The weapons you’ll acquire are the same ones that your Sage Spirits use when assisting you in battle, like theLightscale Tridentand theScimitar of the Seven. You’ll also need to get your hands on a few key ingredients, with the most difficult beinga handful ofDiamonds, to create these powerful weapons.
1Fulfill Galen’s Requests To Get Rid Of Monsters
Underneath the central headquarters of Lookout Landing, you’ll find a man named Gralen near a map of Hyrule. Gralen helps to keep track of what’s going on around the kingdom, including some of the dangerous creatures who have begun to terrorize citizens everywhere.
Before heading toward your fight with Ganondorf, you may take on some of these tasks, wiping out the Demon King’s toughest minions, likeseveral Gleeoksandvarying Froxes. Gralen will be sure to reward you, and he’ll continue to supply new monsters to hunt down as you continue to complete his tasks.
