Korok Forest — Complete Guide

Korok Forest is the spiritual home of the Korok people and the Great Deku Tree in Tears of the Kingdom. Unlike in BotW, entering Korok Forest in TotK requires navigating the Lost Woods from below — through the Depths layer underneath Hyrule Ridge — because the surface entrance is sealed by Gloom. The forest harbors a questline tied to Ganondorf's Gloom invasion, three shrines, and the only place to trade Korok Seeds for inventory expansion upgrades.

How to Reach Korok Forest

The Old Way (Blocked)

The surface entrance through Lost Woods (at coordinates -0784, 0827, 0137) is sealed by a Gloom barrier in TotK — the Gloom has invaded from below, and the Great Deku Tree's entrance is blocked. Attempting to enter through the traditional BotW route triggers Gloom damage.

The TotK Way: Depths Route

1. Enter the Depths via the Minshi Woods Chasm (coordinates: -0784, 0827, -0147) — directly below the Lost Woods entrance. Jump in or paraglide down.
2. Activate the Korok Forest Lightroot in the Depths below the forest — this reveals the forest's location on the Depths map and provides a respawn anchor
3. Navigate through the Gloom in the Depths — use Brightbloom Seeds and Gloom-resistant armor (Depths Set) for the path through the infected underground section
4. Find the underground entrance to Korok Forest — a vine-covered ascent tunnel in the Depths below the forest that connects upward into the forest floor
5. Ascend or climb through the tunnel into Korok Forest proper

Preparation:

• Depths Set (reduces Gloom damage) — purchased from Bargainer Statues
• Brightbloom Seeds x10 — for illuminating the Depths path
• Sundelion meals — restore Gloom-reduced hearts
• Full stamina — climbing out of the Depths tunnel requires stamina

The Great Deku Tree Questline

Upon entering Korok Forest, the Great Deku Tree is sick — infected by Gloom Hands that have invaded from the Depths below. This triggers the questline "Destroy Ganondorf's Gloom" (or similar — the questline name varies by progression):

1. Talk to the Great Deku Tree — explains the Gloom infection
2. Descend into the Deku Tree's roots (accessible from inside the tree) — follow the Gloom into the root system
3. Defeat the Gloom Hands inside the tree — multiple waves spawn in the confined underground root chamber
4. Defeat Phantom Ganon (boss) — spawns after all Gloom Hands are eliminated; a challenging boss fight in a tight arena
5. Collect the reward — Great Deku Tree thanks Link, Korok Forest is cleansed

Phantom Ganon fight tips:

• The root chamber is small — Phantom Ganon teleports constantly
• Z-target and track movement; wait for attack windows
• Flurry Rush after dodging his sword strikes is highly effective
• He has four phases, each with slightly faster speed
• Recommended: 8+ hearts, good weapon (25+ attack), a shield for parrying

Shrines in Korok Forest

Three shrines are located within Korok Forest:

| Shrine | Name | Type | Location | |--------|------|------|----------| | Musanokir Shrine | Swing to Hit | Puzzle | Northeast corner of forest | | Mayachideg Shrine | Mayachideg's Blessing | Blessing (chest only) | Northwest, near Deku Tree roots | | Riogok Shrine | Force Transfer | Puzzle | South forest edge |

Musanokir Shrine — Swing to Hit

A pendulum and momentum puzzle — use Ultrahand to swing weighted objects and knock targets in sequence. Three rooms of increasing complexity. Approx. 15 minutes.

Mayachideg Shrine — Blessing

No puzzle. Straight to the chest and altar. Contains a Large Zonai Charge and Light of Blessing. Fastest shrine in the forest.

Riogok Shrine — Force Transfer

Physics-based push puzzle — transfer force from moving platforms through chain reactions to activate switches. The most complex of the three. Recall is very useful here.

Hestu and Korok Seed Exchanges

Hestu is the giant Korok who manages inventory expansion in TotK. He appears in multiple overworld locations before settling permanently in Korok Forest after you complete his initial questline.

Hestu's final location: Near the Great Deku Tree in the center of Korok Forest.

Korok Seed exchange rates:

| Upgrade | Seeds Required | Inventory Expanded | |---------|---------------|--------------------| | Weapon slot 1 | 1 Seed | +1 weapon slot | | Weapon slot 2 | 2 Seeds | +1 weapon slot | | Weapon slot 3 | 3 Seeds | +1 weapon slot | | ... | Increasing | Each subsequent upgrade costs more | | Max weapon slots | ~75 total Seeds | 11 slots maximum | | Bow slots | Similar scaling | Up to 8 bow slots | | Shield slots | Similar scaling | Up to 8 shield slots |

Total Korok Seeds in TotK: 1000 seeds. You need approximately 441 total for full inventory expansion. The remaining ~559 are collectable but only grant you a humorous "reward" from Hestu.

Korok Seeds Near the Forest

Several Korok Seeds are hidden within and around Korok Forest:

• Stump interaction — small orange mushroom stumps throughout the forest; interact with them for a seed
• Rock circle puzzle — rock formations around the forest perimeter require completing patterns
• Balloon shooting — balloons in tree canopies around the north edge
• Moving flower chase — flowers appear and move through the forest; follow each to completion
• Lily pad arrangement — near the small pond west of the Deku Tree; arrange the pads to match a pattern

Tips

• The Depths route is mandatory — don't waste time trying to force the surface entrance open
• Defeat the Gloom Hands inside the Deku Tree before any major boss fights — they drop valuable Poes and clearing them heals the forest
• Mayachideg Shrine's Large Zonai Charge is worth grabbing immediately on forest entry — easy pickup
• Hestu's final location allows unlimited Seed exchanges — stockpile Seeds through exploration before visiting
• The forest exterior has multiple Bubbulfrogs in hollow logs and cave openings at night

Related Guides

• Zonai Charge Farming — Mayachideg Shrine's Large Charge contributes to your stock
• TotK Tips — general exploration tips including Depths navigation
• Armor Sets — Depths Set essential for the Gloom path to reach the forest