Ever stared at a lonely rock on a tiny island and wondered if it’s hiding something? It probably is. Korok seeds are back in Tears of the Kingdom, tucked behind small puzzles across the surface and the sky, and there are more of them than ever.
This guide covers where Koroks hide, the puzzle types you’ll keep running into, how many seeds you actually need, and the fastest way to track down the ones you’ve missed.
How Many Korok Seeds Are in Tears of the Kingdom?
The numbers at a glance:
- Total seeds: 1,000, up from 900 in Breath of the Wild.
- Korok locations: 900. Most give one seed, but 100 of them are traveling Korok pairs, and reuniting a pair pays out two seeds.
- Where they are: on the surface and the sky islands. There are none in the Depths, so you can leave your Brightbloom Seeds at home for this hunt.
- What they’re for: Hestu trades seeds for extra weapon, bow and shield slots.
- The finish line: collect all 1,000 and Hestu hands you Hestu’s Gift, a famously smelly “thank you”.
The good news: you only need 421 seeds to max out every pouch. Everything past that is pure completionist pride.
How Many Seeds You Need for Max Inventory
| Pouch | Starting slots | Max slots | Seeds to max |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weapons | 9 | 19 (plus a slot for the Master Sword) | 153 |
| Bows | 5 | 14 | 108 |
| Shields | 4 | 20 | 160 |
| Total | 421 |
Each upgrade adds one slot to the pouch you choose, and the price climbs every time. The first upgrade in each pouch costs a single seed, so grab one bow and one shield slot early, then pour the rest into weapons. Since Fuse eats through weapons fast, extra weapon slots pay off the most.
Where to Find Hestu
Before Hestu will trade, you need to clear his Side Adventure, “Hestu’s Concerns”. Nintendo’s own tips place him near Lindor’s Brow Skyview Tower, northwest of Lookout Landing, early in the game. Head up the hill toward the tower and you’ll hear his “Shalaka” before you see him.
He doesn’t stay put. If he’s not there, check inside Lookout Landing, where he sets up shop later on.
Korok Puzzle Types You’ll Meet
Koroks hide behind dozens of small puzzle styles, but a handful cover most of them. Learn these and you’ll start spotting seeds everywhere.
| What you see | How to solve it |
|---|---|
| A lone rock in an odd spot | Pick it up or lift it with Ultrahand |
| A ring of stones with a gap | Put a matching rock in the gap |
| A Korok with a huge backpack | Carry or drive it to its friend (two seeds) |
| A circle of lily pads | Dive or drop into the middle |
| Balloons or a pinwheel | Shoot the targets with arrows |
| A sparkle on top of a peak or pillar | Climb up and touch it |
| A tree stump with a ring | Race to the goal before the timer ends |
| A block shape next to loose blocks | Copy the shape with Ultrahand |
| A flower that keeps moving | Chase it until it stops |
(Pro tip: if something looks too tidy or too out of place, interact with it. Koroks love hiding in plain sight.)
The Korok Pairs Are Worth Your Time
Traveling Koroks sit beside a giant backpack and can’t reach their friend on their own. Carry them, build a cart, or strap them to a vehicle with Ultrahand. If you’ve unlocked Autobuild, rebuilding the same delivery vehicle every time saves a ton of effort. Two seeds per pair makes these the best seeds per minute in the game.
A Smart Route for Korok Hunting
- Starting Point: the Great Sky Island. It’s a safe practice zone, and our Great Sky Island Korok seeds guide covers every one there.
- Towers first: activate Skyview Towers in a region before you sweep it. You’ll see the terrain and glide between puzzles faster.
- One region at a time: clear a region before moving on instead of zigzagging across Hyrule.
- Look up: the sky islands hold seeds too, often on top of structures or at the end of a small puzzle.
- Mix it with other goals: Koroks cluster around roads, stables and ruins, so hunt them while you chase shrines or the geoglyphs.
Your best bet for tracking is a map you can filter. Our TotK interactive map lets you mark what you’ve found as you go.
Finding Missing Koroks on Nintendo Switch 2
If you play the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, ZELDA NOTES in the Nintendo Switch App is a big help for the last few hundred seeds. Its Navigation feature shows your completion rate for things like discovered Koroks, and when you select a marker on the map, it guides you there with voice navigation while your in-game position updates on your phone. You don’t need a Nintendo Switch Online membership to use it.
Korok Seeds FAQ
How many Korok seeds are in Tears of the Kingdom?
There are 1,000 seeds from 900 Korok locations. The 100 traveling Korok pairs give two seeds each.
How many Korok seeds do you need to max your inventory?
421 seeds: 153 for weapons, 108 for bows and 160 for shields.
Are there Korok seeds in the Depths?
No. All Korok seeds are on the surface or the sky islands.
What do you get for collecting all 1,000 Korok seeds?
Hestu gives you Hestu’s Gift, a joke reward. The real payoff is the inventory space along the way.
Where is Hestu in Tears of the Kingdom?
Early on he’s near Lindor’s Brow Skyview Tower, northwest of Lookout Landing. Later he moves into Lookout Landing.
Nailed it? Grab 421 seeds and your pouches are maxed. The other 579 are for anyone who wants to see every last corner of Hyrule.
