Getting Started in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Welcome to Hyrule. If you're new to Tears of the Kingdom — or returning after a break — this guide covers everything you need from the opening moments to your first footsteps on the surface world.

The Story So Far

Link and Zelda investigate strange Gloom spreading beneath Hyrule Castle. They discover an ancient sealed chamber containing the mummified remains of a Gerudo king — and the seal breaks. A dark force is unleashed, Zelda vanishes, and Link is swept away with severe injuries. He wakes on the Great Sky Island, floating high above Hyrule.

Your first hours of the game take place entirely on this island. Do not rush off — the Great Sky Island is a controlled tutorial designed to teach you everything you need to survive.

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The Four Core Abilities

You will unlock four abilities on the Great Sky Island. These are your primary tools for the entire game.

1. Ultrahand

Where: In-isa Shrine

Pick up, move, rotate, and attach objects. This is the most versatile ability in the game. You can:

• Build vehicles (wheels + boards + fans = hovercraft)
• Move heavy objects onto switches
• Attach weapons and materials to create Fused items
• Construct bridges across gaps

Tip: Ultrahand has a range limit and a weight limit. Very heavy objects or objects far away may resist your grip.

2. Fuse

Where: Unlocked alongside Ultrahand

Permanently attach materials to weapons and shields. Examples:

• Rock + stick = heavy stone club
• Fire Fruit + arrow = fire arrow
• Shield + Mirror = reflective shield (deflects laser beams)

Tip: Fused weapons have the combined attack power of both items. Fusing rare materials (dragon scales, boss horns) creates extremely powerful weapons.

3. Ascend

Where: Gutanbac Shrine

Phase upward through solid ceilings. If there is solid material directly above you, you can pass through it and emerge on top. Use it to:

• Climb through cliff overhangs
• Enter locked rooms from below
• Skip difficult climbing sections

Tip: Ascend works on moving objects too — including wooden platforms, enemy vehicles, and even the roofs of enemy camps.

4. Recall

Where: Nachoyah Shrine

Reverse the recent movement of any object. The object retraces its path backward. Use it to:

• Send falling rocks back up
• Return launchers and platforms to their starting positions
• Reverse your own position if you attached yourself to a moving object

Tip: Recall shows a faint green trail before you confirm. This preview shows exactly where the object will travel — use it to plan your movement.

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Great Sky Island Survival

Temperature Management

The upper sections of the Great Sky Island are cold. Without cold resistance, your hearts will drain slowly. Options:

• Find a Spicy Pepper (red pepper growing near fires) and cook it — Spicy Sautéed Peppers grant 2.5 minutes of cold resistance
• Pick up the Archaic Warm Greaves from the first chest (keep these equipped until you reach the surface)

Hearts and Stamina

You start with 3 hearts and 1 stamina wheel. Do not waste healing items — the Great Sky Island has limited resources. Prioritize:

1. Finding food items (mushrooms, apples, peppers)
2. Cook them at a fire for better healing (+1 to +3 extra hearts)
3. Do not rush combat — Constructs (the tutorial enemies) can deal significant damage if you charge them without a plan

Combat Basics

• Flurry Rush: Dodge at the last moment (just before an enemy hits you) and time slows. Press Y repeatedly for a flurry of attacks. This is the highest DPS move in the game.
• Perfect Guard: Block an attack at the exact moment it lands to stagger the enemy.
• Headshots: Arrows to the head deal critical hits and stun most enemies. You start with 5 arrows — make them count.
• Fuse your weapons early: Even attaching a stone to a stick doubles its damage. Don't use plain sticks.

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Reaching the Surface

After completing all four tutorial shrines, you reach the Temple of Time on the Great Sky Island. Rauru, the ancient Zonai king, appears and explains Link's mission: find Zelda, stop Ganondorf, restore the seals.

The Paraglider

Purah appears via a vision and you receive the Paraglider — your most important traversal tool. With it, you can:

• Glide from any height
• Extend jumps indefinitely (limited by stamina)
• Land safely from great falls

Descending to Hyrule

Jump off the edge of the Great Sky Island and glide down. The descent takes about 2 minutes of real time if you glide freely. Your first landing zone is near Lookout Landing — a settlement run by Purah that serves as your base of operations.

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First Steps on the Surface

Go to Lookout Landing First

Lookout Landing (near the center of Hyrule) is where you should start. Here you will:

• Meet Purah and get briefed on the four Regional Phenomena
• Unlock your first Skyview Tower (fast travel point + map reveal)
• Get quests pointing you to the four corners of Hyrule
• Unlock the Camera ability from Robbie's research lab (allows photographing enemies/items)

The Four Regional Phenomena

Your main objectives are four stories, one in each corner of Hyrule:

1. Rito Village (northwest) — Snowstorm emergency
2. Goron City (northeast) — Volcano and strange behavior
3. Zora's Domain (east) — Sludge raining from the sky
4. Gerudo Town (southwest) — Sandstorm blocking access

Each culminates in a Temple (dungeon) with a boss. You can tackle them in any order — but Rito Village first is recommended for beginners (the Tulin companion is extremely useful for exploration).

Essential Early Actions

• Activate all Skyview Towers in your current region — they reveal the map and serve as launch pads to sky islands
• Find shrines — each one grants a Light of Blessing. Four Blessings = one Heart Container or Stamina Vessel
• Explore stables — they're safe resting points with cooking fires, rumors, and side quests
• Don't ignore the Depths — a vast underground world exists below every chasm. It has unique resources (Zonaite, Poes) but is very dark — bring Brightbloom Seeds

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Beginner Tips

Weapons break — that's okay. Build a habit of picking up every weapon you see and fusing materials to extend their durability. Fused weapons last longer and deal more damage.

Cook before boss fights. Meals with temporary hearts (the yellow hearts) provide a large safety buffer. Cook Hearty Truffles or Hearty Bass with other ingredients for maximum effect.

Shrines are optional but powerful. 152 shrines exist in Hyrule. Each gives a Light of Blessing. Prioritize shrines in areas where you're struggling — more hearts means more survivability.

Talk to everyone. NPCs at stables and villages give quests, hints about nearby shrines and Koroks, and occasionally free items.

The Purah Pad is your friend. Open it frequently to check your map, inventory, compendium, and quest log. The Sensor+ feature (unlocked after the Camera quest) pings nearby shrine and Korok locations.

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Quick Reference

| Item | Use | |------|-----| | Brightbloom Seeds | Throw to illuminate the Depths | | Sundelion | Cook with food to heal Gloom damage | | Spicy Pepper | Cook for cold resistance meals | | Bomb Flower | Explosive ranged projectile | | Poe | Currency for Bargainer Statues (Depths shops) | | Zonaite | Craft Zonai Devices at forges | | Light of Blessing | Exchange 4 at a Goddess Statue for Heart/Stamina |

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Ready to explore? Check the Shrines Guide for all 152 shrine solutions, or the Interactive Map to find your next destination.