Honestly, the sheer scale of the Zelda Tears of the Kingdom side quests is enough to make anyone’s head spin. You walk ten feet in Hyrule and three NPCs are already shouting for help. One guy wants a mushroom. Another needs you to find his lost goats. Then there’s a whole musical troupe trying to wake up a giant fairy. It’s a lot.
Most players treat these as a checklist. They want the 100% notification on their map. But if you’re just chasing numbers, you’re basically missing the soul of the game. The "side content" isn't actually side content. It’s the game itself.
The Real Difference Between Side Quests and Side Adventures
Nintendo pulled a bit of a fast one on us this time. They split the extra stuff into two categories: Side Quests and Side Adventures. It sounds like semantics, but it’s really not.
Basically, Side Quests are your "one-and-done" deals. You give a guy a flint, he gives you 20 rupees, everyone’s happy. Side Adventures? Those are the heavy hitters. These are multi-step stories that actually change the world map. If you finish the Lurelin Village Restoration Project, the village actually gets rebuilt. It doesn't just stay a burnt-out husk. That’s a Side Adventure.
There are 60 Side Adventures and a whopping 139 Side Quests. If you add the 31 Shrine Quests, you’re looking at 230 individual tasks. That's excluding the Main Quests. It's insane.
The Quests Everyone Actually Cares About
You’ve probably heard people talking about the Potential Princess Sightings quest. It’s the one where you work for the Lucky Clover Gazette. Honestly, it’s one of the best ways to explore the stables. You team up with Penn—the giant Rito reporter—and investigate rumors about Zelda. Doing these isn't just for fun; it’s how you get the Froggy Armor. If you’ve ever tried to climb a cliff in the rain, you know that armor is basically a requirement for sanity.
Then there’s the Hateno Village Election. This one is weirdly political for a Zelda game. You have Cece, who wants to turn the town into a high-fashion hub, and Reede, the traditionalist mayor. It’s sort of a "Team Cece vs. Team Reede" situation. You end up running around handing out mushrooms like a campaign manager. The reward? The Cece Hat. It’s a giant, ridiculous mushroom hat. Is it stylish? Debatable. Is it a flex? Absolutely.
The Most Obscure Side Quests You Probably Missed
With 139 Zelda Tears of the Kingdom side quests, some are bound to slip through the cracks.
Take The Mystery Polluter in Gerudo Town. Most people find the messages in the bottles in the sewers but never actually finish the quest because the start point is so specific. You have to find Dalia near the orchard to realize Calyban is the one tossing rinds into the water. It’s a tiny bit of world-building that most players just run past on their way to the next shrine.
Another one is A Call From the Depths. This one starts at the Great Plateau—the starting area from Breath of the Wild. You have to find a trapped Bargainer Statue behind a breakable wall in the water. It’s one of the few quests that actually utilizes the "eye" mechanics of the Depths in a clever way. It feels more like a mini-dungeon than a standard fetch quest.
Why You Shouldn't Ignore the "Bring Peace" Missions
There are six "Bring Peace" quests scattered across the map. You join up with the Monster Control Crew—basically the Hyrule National Guard—and raid monster strongholds.
- Bring Peace to Hyrule Field!
- Bring Peace to Eldin!
- Bring Peace to Akkala!
- Bring Peace to Necluda!
- Bring Peace to Faron!
- Bring Peace to Hebra!
These are great because they make the world feel alive. You aren't just a lone hero. You're part of a literal army charging into a fort. Plus, the rewards are decent chunks of silver.
Is the 100% Completion Reward Worth It?
Let’s be real. If you do every single one of the Zelda Tears of the Kingdom side quests, what do you actually get?
If you find every well (there are 58), you get the All's Well snowglobe. It’s a key item that sits in your inventory and does... nothing. If you find all 1,000 Korok seeds? Hestu gives you a "gift" that is, quite literally, a golden piece of poop.
The real reward isn't the item. It’s the "Drip." The best rewards are the paraglider fabrics and the weird armor pieces. Helping the Stable Trotters wake the Great Fairies is mandatory if you want to upgrade your gear. Helping Addison hold up those Hudson Construction signs gives you a special fabric and some food.
It’s about the journey. I know that sounds like a Hallmark card, but in a game this big, it’s true.
Actionable Tips for Your Quest Log
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, stop looking at the total count. Focus on these specific clusters first:
- The Great Fairies: Prioritize the Serenade to a Great Fairy quests at the stables. You cannot survive the late game without armor upgrades.
- The Lucky Clover Gazette: Do these as you find them. The Froggy Armor makes exploration 10x easier.
- The Yiga Clan: Find the three pieces of Yiga Armor and head to their hideout. Completing their trials gets you the Lightning Helm (immunity to lightning) and the Earthwake manual.
- Robbie’s Lab: Go to Hateno and finish the Hateno Village Research Lab quests. This unlocks the Hero's Path and the Sensor+, which makes finding other quests (and shrines) much easier.
Don't rush it. Hyrule isn't going anywhere. If a quest feels like a chore, just warp away and go find a dragon to ride or a zonai plane to build. The quests are there to guide your exploration, not to be a second job.
Check your Adventure Log frequently. If you see a quest that's been sitting there for 50 hours, it’s probably because you need to talk to an NPC in a town you haven't visited in a while. Most quest triggers are dialogue-based, so talk to everyone with a red "!" over their head.
