Dragon's Tears Guide — Zelda's Memories

Dragon's Tears are the 12 glowing memory orbs hidden at geoglyph sites across Hyrule, plus a 13th memory that unlocks the game's true ending. Collecting them all reveals the complete story of what happened to Princess Zelda — and the devastating sacrifice she made to save Hyrule from Ganondorf.

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What Are Dragon's Tears?

When you first explore Hyrule's surface, you'll notice massive patterns carved into the earth — geoglyphs that can only be fully seen from the sky. Each geoglyph contains a teardrop-shaped pool of shimmering liquid somewhere along its design. These pools are Dragon's Tears: crystallized memories from Zelda's time in the ancient past.

There are 12 geoglyphs scattered across Hyrule, each tied to one chapter of Zelda's story. The memories play out in a fixed narrative sequence, though you can collect them in any order. Once you have all 12, a 13th and final memory becomes available — this one triggers the true ending cutscene.

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How to Start the Quest

The Dragon's Tears quest, called Impa and the Geoglyphs, begins in Kakariko Village. Find Impa near the village entrance — she's investigating the strange geoglyphs that appeared across Hyrule since the Upheaval. She'll show you a journal with an aerial sketch of one geoglyph and ask you to investigate.

Alternatively, the journalists at the Lucky Clover Gazette stable near Rito Village are running a story on the geoglyphs. Speaking with Penn and editor Traysi will also orient you toward the teardrops scattered across the land.

Either path works — the quest is the same regardless of who introduces it.

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Finding the Geoglyphs Efficiently

Each geoglyph is enormous — typically several hundred meters across — so the key to locating the teardrop pool is altitude. Use Skyview Towers and Sky Islands to get high enough to see the full pattern beneath you.

Tips for Efficient Collection

• Purah Pad Sensor: Once you've found one Dragon's Tear, set the sensor to track the teardrop icon. It pings when you approach the next one.
• Skyview Towers first: Unlock all 15 Skyview Towers early. From the top of each tower, scan the terrain below for geoglyph patterns — they're massive ground carvings visible from tower height.
• Check the map edges: Geoglyphs are spread across every region, including Akkala, Faron, Lanayru, and the Gerudo Highlands. Don't neglect far corners of Hyrule.
• Night visibility: Dragon's Tears glow brighter at night. In visually busy terrain, approaching after sunset makes the teardrop pool much easier to spot.
• No order required: Tears can be collected in any sequence. The Adventure Log labels them 1–12, but the story resolves properly regardless of your collection order.

Geoglyph Locations by Region

| Region | Memory Subject | |--------|----------------| | Hyrule Field | Rauru and Sonia observe ancient Hyrule | | Eldin (south) | Sonia teaches Zelda time manipulation | | Akkala | Mineru counsels Rauru on the coming threat | | Lanayru | Zelda arrives in the ancient era, meets Rauru | | Central Hyrule | Sonia reveals the Secret Stone's power | | Faron | The ancient Sages make their vow | | Necluda | Rauru and the Sages confront Ganondorf | | Gerudo Desert | Ganondorf's origin and transformation revealed | | Tabantha | The Imprisoning War — Rauru's sealing | | Tabantha (north) | Zelda learns the full scope of her sacrifice | | Deep Akkala | Zelda makes her ultimate decision | | Hyrule Ridge | Rauru's final message to Link |

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The Story They Tell

Each memory fills in a chapter of Zelda's journey after she was swept into the distant past at the beginning of the game. Taken together, the 12 memories reveal:

• Zelda's arrival in ancient Hyrule and her growing friendship with Queen Sonia and King Rauru
• The discovery of Ganondorf's true ambitions and his theft of a Secret Stone to transform himself into the Demon King
• The ancient Sages taking their oaths — the lineages that connect to TotK's present-day companions
• Rauru's sacrifice — he uses his own Secret Stone to imprison Ganondorf beneath Hyrule Castle, at great cost
• Zelda's agonizing decision to swallow her Secret Stone and transform herself into a dragon — the Light Dragon — so she can carry the Master Sword through the centuries until Link can retrieve it

This last revelation is the emotional heart of Tears of the Kingdom's story. Zelda did not disappear or die in the ordinary sense. She is still present, circling Hyrule above the clouds — but no longer human, and with no memory of who she was.

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The 13th Memory — True Ending

After collecting all 12 Dragon's Tears, return to Impa at Kakariko Village (or check the Adventure Log for the updated marker). She will direct you to a final location — the Forgotten Temple in northwest Hyrule — where the 13th memory waits.

The 13th memory is Zelda's final words before her transformation: her farewell, and the full weight of what she is giving up. It is widely regarded as one of the most moving moments in the Zelda series.

Watching this 13th memory unlocks the true ending cutscene that plays after defeating the final boss. Without it, you see only the standard ending. With it, Zelda's full arc resolves — the meaning of the Light Dragon, and what it cost.

Bonus reward: A chest at the Forgotten Temple altar after the 13th memory contains the Glide Shirt — an armor piece that reduces falling damage and enhances paraglider maneuverability.

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Tips

• Dragon's Tears cannot be missed permanently — they stay in the world until collected.
• If you can't locate a Tear on a geoglyph, ascend directly overhead using a Skyview Tower launch and look straight down — the glowing teardrop stands out clearly from 200+ meters up.
• The geoglyphs themselves are invisible from ground level. If you're wandering Hyrule's surface and suddenly notice strange carved lines in the hillside, you're inside a geoglyph — get altitude to find the Tear.

Dragon's Tears are the beating heart of Tears of the Kingdom's narrative. Don't rush through them — Zelda's story deserves to be heard in full.

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Story Quest — Memories — Geoglyphs