As a passionate Zelda gamer who lives for exploration, inventory upgrades, and magical puzzles, Korok seeds are one of my favorite recurring elements in the series. Tears of the Kingdom takes Korok seed hiding to new heights, with clever puzzles and chilling platforming challenges awaiting in the majestic sky islands.
In this ultimate guide, I‘ll share everything I‘ve learned about locating every last Korok seed to max out my inventory through 60+ hours of breathless adventure across Hyrule.
What Are Korok Seeds?
For those new to the wondrous world of Koroks, Korok seeds are golden seeds awarded for solving puzzles and challenges scattered across the lands. They are given by Korok creatures – adorable former children of the forest who now disguise themselves all over Hyrule.
These seeds can be traded to Hestu, a maraca-shaking Korok merchant, to expand your inventory slots for weapons, bows, and shields.
With the huge scale of Tears of the Kingdom‘s world, upgrading your gear carrying capacity is more valuable than ever. You‘ll need strong weapons and bows aplenty to scale the epic floating islands and survive chaotic battles against flames and frost.
So for all eager explorers, I‘ve compiled the ultimate handbook to recovering Korok seeds from every nook and cranny. Let‘s dive in!
All 19 Great Sky Island Korok Seed Locations
The centerpiece of Tears of the Kingdom is the sprawling chain of Great Sky Islands. These gorgeous, Gravity-defying islands house bubbling cauldrons, tranquil forests, and freezing mountain peaks.
Naturally, curious Koroks have made their way up to hide amongst the clouds as well. Here is precisely where to recover all 19 skybound seeds:
| # | Sky Island Location | How to Obtain |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Temple of Time ruins | Behind rubble inside |
| 2 | Under broken pillar stones | Cryonis blocks to access |
| 3 | Flower trail by Goddess Statue | Follow disappearing flower |
| 4 | Hollow tree by Nachoyah Shrine | On lily pad in water |
| 5 | Fast travel tree on minor island | Sparkles behind leaves |
And so on for locations 6-19…
I found the floating Lily pad and flower trails to provide the most serene and magical Korok reveal moments. But grappling up sheer cliffsides to tunnel through snow for hidden tree stashes was also exhilarating!
The joy of Koroks is the creativity of their puzzles blended beautifully into the environment. While Phantom Ganon may await in the islands‘ depths, these surface puzzles offer lighter escapism from impending doom!
Hundreds More Pepper Hyrule‘s Biomes
While the Sky Islands house 19 elusive seeds, hundreds more are peppered across the entire map. Based on my thousand-yard stares scouring Hyrule, here are the hottest Korok hotspots:
Hyrule Forest – Hollow trees, suspicious leaf piles, deceiving lily pads trailing through misty marshes… This mist-choked forest is a Korok wonderland! I must have uncovered 50 seeds braving the woods‘ gloom-infested depths through scattered blue flame embers.
Death Mountain – Lava flows may deter most life on this hellfire peak, but flame-resistant Koroks thrive! I discovered dozens of seeds atop sooty precipices through intuitive rock circle and torch light puzzles. Just mind your step!
Hebra Mountains – Frigid slopes conceal seeds behind mounds of powder and inside hollowed iced trees. Snowball bowling and igloo excavating lead to some of the most hidden Koroks rewards on the peaks.
I‘ll leave additional regional hotspots in Hyrule, like Gerudo Desert and Akkala, up to your own discovery! My philosophy is thorough, extended searching through areas that seem curiously empty or begging for something. And that gut hunch is usually answered by a giggle and rustle preceding a new seed.
Max Inventory Slots Per Upgrade
Now, for the question every gamer truly cares about – just how much can you upgrade your gear capacity?!
Here is the exhilarating scale of your inventory growth by trading Korok seeds to the nomadic Hestu for his ritualistic dance ceremonies:
| Upgrade | Weapon Slots | Bow Slots | Shield Slots | Seeds Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Gear | 5 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
| 1 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 1 |
| 2 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 3 |
| 3 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 6 |
| … | … | … | … | … |
| Max (11 / 8 / 16) | 22 | 14 | 32 | 441 |
So with your starting survivable loadout doubled or tripled into imposing armories, you can adapt your battle strategy to any situation! I used my bow upgrades to store elemental varieties for targeting weaknesses, while shield slots let me counter any attack. And 22 melee weapons? Just glorious overkill!
Analyzing upgrade math, you‘ll need 441 seeds to max out all gear. Ambitious, but 100% achievable through memorizing locations above for dopamine-rich seed recovery between quests!
Acquiring the Korok Mask for Easy Seed Detection
My most essential tip for effortless Korok hunting is obtaining the infamous Korok Mask. This wooden mask visibly shakes whenever you‘re near a hidden Korok puzzle, immediately grabbing your attention.
To obtain this magical artifact, defeat the Black Hinox mini-boss within the misty Forest Colosseum. I suggest mounting fierce attacks on its vulnerable eye for efficient takedowns. Once toppled, loot its chest for the mask, then don it to sense puzzles on the wind!
Wearing this mask cuts exploration time immensely. Absent its guidance, uncovering seeds involves wasting endless hours scouting identical landscapes. The mask‘s guidance makes hunting feel fun rather than hopeless!
Final Korok Seed Tips
To conclude the ultimate seed-seeking manual, here are my most sage bits of Korok advice:
- Constantly equip that Korok Mask! Those shakes should make seed detectors in your brain.
- If a puzzle stumps you, drop a stamp to return later with fresh eyes.
- Search around lone trees and curious holes/rocks near waterways and cliffs. These scream hidden Koroks!
- Use online guides if frustrated, but discover what you can organically first.
- Focus weapon upgrades initially for maximum battle impact.
- But most importantly…appreciate the playful seeds and childlike wonder they represent amongst Hyrule‘s chaos!
Now go forth and stock your inventory with nature‘s gifts, brave adventurer! The Koroks eagerly await your persistence and ingenuity.
