Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom — Depths Exploration and Lightroot Guide
Introduction
The Depths are the third and most alien layer of Hyrule — a vast underground world spanning the entire map, permanently dark, covered in Gloom, and teeming with enemies that deal Gloom damage (reducing max hearts). Exploring the Depths is mandatory for main story progression, Zonaite farming for battery upgrades, and finding the 120 Lightroots that correspond one-to-one with Surface Shrines.
This guide covers every aspect of Depths exploration: optimal entry points, the Lightroot network and its mapping logic, resource farming locations, the 34 Yiga Clan hideouts and Kohga boss gauntlet, Bargainer Statue locations and trades, and the Ghost Pristine weapon mechanic.
Depths Entry: Top 5 Chasm Locations
There are 35 Chasms (entry holes) spread across Hyrule. The best five for initial exploration:
| Rank | Chasm Name | Surface Location | Why Enter Here |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hyrule Field Chasm | Directly south of Lookout Landing | Central starting point. Lands you near the Great Abandoned Central Mine (Autobuild + first Lightroot + Miner's Mask). |
| 2 | Great Plateau North Chasm | North side of the Great Plateau | Lands you in the Great Plateau Depths — dense Lightroot cluster, straightforward terrain. |
| 3 | East Akkala Plains Chasm | East Akkala, near the Ancient Tech Lab | Lands you near the Akkala House of Bones (Ghost Pristine weapons), Bargainer Statue, and east-side Lightroot network. |
| 4 | Gerudo Canyon Chasm | Gerudo Canyon Pass | Lands you in the Gerudo Depths — Muddle Bud and Puffshroom farming paradise. Higher difficulty due to Gibdo enemies. |
| 5 | Death Mountain Chasm | Goron City, Death Mountain crater | Lands you in the Eldin Depths — Zonaite and Large Zonaite mining heaven. Fireproof armor required. |
Descent tip: Before diving, shoot a Brightbloom Seed arrow straight down to illuminate the landing zone. The Depths floor is not visible from the surface — without a light source, you drop into total darkness and risk landing on Gloom.
Lightroots: The Depths Map Network
How Lightroots Work
Lightroots are the Depths equivalent of Surface Shrines. Activating a Lightroot permanently illuminates a 15-meter radius around it and — critically — permanently reveals the surrounding Depths map area, identical to Skyview Towers on the Surface. Each Lightroot's name is the reverse of its corresponding Surface Shrine's name. The coordinates are identical: a Shrine at (100, 200, 0) on the Surface has a Lightroot at (100, 200, -500) in the Depths.
This 1:1 correspondence is the most powerful navigation tool in the game. If you've found a Lightroot but can't find the Surface Shrine, check the Lightroot's map position, mark it, return to the Surface, and head to those exact coordinates. Conversely, if you've found a Surface Shrine but haven't activated the corresponding Lightroot, mark the Shrine on the Surface map, descend into the Depths, and navigate to the marked coordinates.
Lightroot Activation Strategy
With 120 Lightroots to find, a systematic approach prevents aimless wandering:
Phase 1: Follow the central path. From the Hyrule Field Chasm, activate Lightroots along the direct north-south and east-west axes of the Depths. These form a "Cross" of illumination across the map, granting visibility into side corridors.
Phase 2: Target Skyview Tower-corresponding Lightroots. The 15 Skyview Tower locations on the Surface each have a Lightroot directly beneath them. These are the major Depths landmarks and are always located near navigable paths.
Phase 3: Fill in the gaps region by region. Starting from a known Lightroot, move outward in expanding circles. Each new Lightroot reveals adjacent map areas, making the next Lightroot visible.
Phase 4: Edge-of-map Lightroots. The Lightroots at the map borders are the hardest to reach — they're guarded by high-level enemies and separated by Gloom-covered terrain. Save these for last, when you have full battery, the Miner's Set, and Gloom-healing Sundelion meals.
Depths Terrain Navigation
The Depths mirror the Surface — but inverted. Where the Surface has mountains, the Depths have chasms and valleys. Where the Surface has rivers, the Depths have impassable walls. Understanding this inversion makes navigation intuitive:
- Surface water = Depths wall. Any river or lake on the Surface is an unclimbable wall in the Depths. The Depths map is divided into isolated sections corresponding to Surface landmasses divided by water.
- Surface mountain = Depths valley. Mountains sink into the Depths, creating deep valleys filled with Gloom and high-level enemies.
- Surface shrine = Depths Lightroot. Always. No exceptions.
The Depths beneath Central Hyrule (around the Great Abandoned Central Mine) is the most interconnected zone. The Depths beneath Hebra is sparse. The Depths beneath the Gerudo Desert is dense with resources.
Resource Farming: Depths vs Surface
The Depths are the primary source for certain materials that are rare or nonexistent on the Surface.
Zonaite and Large Zonaite
Locations: Zonaite deposits cluster near Lightroots and Abandoned Mines. The densest Zonaite zone in the game is the Eldin Depths (beneath Death Mountain) — the volcanic terrain is packed with Zonaite veins.
Mining efficiency: Fuse a Cobble Crusher (Goron City shop) with a Soldier Construct Horn for a "Stone Breaker" weapon. One swing destroys a Zonaite deposit. A standard weapon requires 3+ swings. A full sweep of the Eldin Depths with a Stone Breaker yields 200-300 Zonaite and 20-40 Large Zonaite.
Spending: Zonaite is used for Autobuild blueprints (3 per component), Crystallized Charge trades at Forge Constructs, and armor upgrades (Zonaite Set, Miner's Set).
Bomb Flowers
Locations: Bomb Flowers grow near large trees in the Depths — specifically near the glow-tree clusters scattered across the map. The Depths beneath the Great Plateau and the Depths beneath the Gerudo Desert have the densest tree clusters.
Farm loop: Start at the Great Abandoned Central Mine. Head north toward the Dueling Peaks Depths. Every tree cluster has 2-4 Bomb Flowers. A 15-minute loop yields 40-60 Bomb Flowers — enough for a full play session's combat.
Puffshrooms
Locations: Puffshrooms grow near Mushroom Trees in the Depths — distinctive tall mushrooms with glowing caps. The Depths beneath Faron (south) have the highest Mushroom Tree density.
Farm loop: Enter the Depths from the Faron Chasm (near Lakeside Stable). The entire southern Depths is a Mushroom Tree forest. Each tree has 2-3 Puffshrooms. A 10-minute loop yields 30-50 Puffshrooms.
Muddle Buds
Locations: Muddle Buds grow on smaller mushroom trees in clusters. The Depths beneath the Gerudo Desert and the Depths beneath the Great Hyrule Forest are the best farming zones.
Farm loop: The Gerudo Depths is the richest zone — but the Gibdo enemies make it high-risk. Enter from the Gerudo Canyon Chasm, stay on the edges of the Gibdo spawn zones, and harvest Muddle Buds from the edges. 50+ Muddle Buds per 20-minute loop.
Sundelions
Sundelions are the only ingredient that restores Gloom-damaged hearts. They grow on Sky Islands exclusively — not in the Depths. However, they're essential for Depths exploration. Farm Sundelions on the Great Sky Island (the starting island) — the ring of islands surrounding the Temple of Time has 6-8 Sundelion spawns that reset every Blood Moon.
Dark Clumps
Locations: Dark Clumps are dropped by Gloom enemies (Gloom Spawn, Phantom Ganon). They're also found in chests within the Depths. Used for Depths Set armor upgrades and Sundelion cooking for enhanced Gloom recovery.
Farm: Gloom Spawn spawn at fixed locations in the Depths. The spawn beneath the Great Abandoned Central Mine (southwest chamber) is the most accessible. Each Gloom Spawn kill drops 1-3 Dark Clumps. Phantom Ganon (the armored form that emerges from a Gloom Spawn after damage) drops 3-5 Dark Clumps plus Demon King's Bow (up to 60 damage, scales with max hearts).
Yiga Clan Hideouts and Kohga Boss Gauntlet
Yiga Hideout Mechanics
34 Yiga Clan hideouts are scattered throughout the Depths. Each is a small wooden fortress marked by a Yiga Frog statue outside and a Yiga emblem on the door. Inside: 3-5 Yiga Footsoldiers and a Blademaster, a chest containing a Crystallized Charge (or 20 Charges in Large Crystallized form), and a schematic stone that teaches a new Autobuild blueprint.
Hideout layout: Each hideout follows the same template — entry room with 2 Footsoldiers, central chamber with 1 Blademaster and 1 Footsoldier, and a back room with the chest and schematic. The Footsoldiers use bows and teleport. The Blademasters use wind-slash attacks.
Efficient clear strategy: Enter with a 5-shot Savage Lynel Bow and Bomb Flower arrows. One volley into the entry room kills both Footsoldiers. One volley into the central chamber kills the Blademaster and Footsoldier. Total clear time: 15 seconds per hideout.
Kohga Boss Encounters (4 Phases)
Master Kohga, the Yiga Clan leader, must be fought four times across different Depths arenas to unlock the final Autobuild schematic. Each encounter unlocks after completing the previous one.
Kohga 1: Great Abandoned Central Mine. The first encounter, triggered automatically during the Autobuild quest. Kohga drives a Zonai vehicle into the arena. Strategy: use Recall on the vehicle to send it back at Kohga, knocking him off. Repeat 3 times.
Kohga 2: Gerudo Depths Arena. Kohga uses a Zonai boat on a Gloom river. Strategy: shoot the boat with Shock Fruit arrows to disable it, then melee Kohga.
Kohga 3: Lanayru Depths Arena. Kohga uses a Zonai flying machine. Strategy: use Keese Eyeball arrows to track the flying machine, then Rocket Shield launch into the air for melee combos.
Kohga 4: Hebra Depths Arena. Final encounter. Kohga uses a massive Zonai Construct. Strategy: standard Construct combat — target the weak point (glowing eye) with arrows, then melee when it collapses. Repeat 4 times. Defeating Kohga 4 unlocks the final Autobuild schematic: the Hover Cycle.
Post-Kohga Rewards
After defeating all four Kohga encounters, the Large Crystallized Charges the Yiga hideouts drop increase in value. The Blademaster in each hideout also drops a Mighty Bananas ×5 bundle — a niche healing item.
Bargainer Statues: Locations and Trades
Bargainer Statues are massive stone faces in the Depths that trade Poes (blue spirit flames found throughout the Depths) for unique armor, weapons, and materials. There are 7 Bargainer Statues total.
| Statue | Location | Unlocks After Visiting |
|---|---|---|
| Lookout Landing Statue | Josha's lab, Lookout Landing (Surface — the only Surface statue) | Always available |
| Great Abandoned Central Mine Statue | Main chamber, next to the Steward Construct | Always available |
| Plains Bargainer Statue | Central Depths, southwest of the Great Mine | Visit Lookout Landing statue |
| Cliff Bargainer Statue | East Depths, near Akkala House of Bones | Visit Plains statue |
| Wellspring Bargainer Statue | North Hebra Depths | Visit Cliff statue |
| Central Bargainer Statue | Central Depths, north of the Great Mine | Visit Wellspring statue |
| Grand Bargainer Statue (Big Brother) | Temple of Time Depths (Great Plateau Depths) | Visit Central statue |
Bargainer Statue Trade Catalog
| Item | Poes Cost | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Hood of the Depths | 300 | Armor (Gloom Attack Resist head) |
| Tunic of the Depths | 150 | Armor (Gloom Attack Resist body) |
| Gaiters of the Depths | 200 | Armor (Gloom Attack Resist legs) |
| Dark Tunic | 150 | Armor (Night Speed Up, Stal disguise) |
| Dark Trousers | 200 | Armor (Night Speed Up, Stal disguise) |
| Dark Hood | 300 | Armor (Night Speed Up, Stal disguise) |
| Tunic of Memories (BotW) | 400 | Armor (cosmetic) |
| Ancient Blade | 50 | Arrow fuse (50 power, instant kills non-boss) |
| Muddle Bud ×5 | 16 | Arrow fuse |
| Puffshroom ×5 | 16 | Arrow fuse |
| Bomb Flower ×5 | 16 | Arrow fuse |
| Sundelion ×5 | 24 | Cooking (Gloom recovery) |
| Dark Clump ×5 | 10 | Cooking / Armor upgrade |
| Large Crystallized Charge | 100 | Battery upgrade |
Poes farming: Poes are the glowing blue orbs found everywhere in the Depths. They're most abundant near Lightroots, Bargainer Statues, and Abandoned Mines. Walking through the Depths with the Miner's Set (glow effect) makes Poes easier to spot — the blue glow contrasts with the green Gloom. A 30-minute Depths walk yields 300-500 Poes. Grand Poes (larger, rarer blue orbs) yield 5 Poes each.
Ghost Pristine Weapons
What Are Ghost Pristine Weapons?
Throughout the Depths, stone cairns (small piles of rocks with a weapon standing upright on top) are scattered across the terrain. These are "Ghost Pristine" weapons — un-decayed versions of Surface weapons with higher base damage and durability. The ghosts (shadowy figures) holding these weapons correspond to fallen soldiers from the Imprisoning War.
Pristine vs Decayed: A Pristine Royal Guard's Claymore has base damage of 39. The decayed version (found on the Surface) has base damage of 32. Pristine weapons also have approximately 25% more durability.
How to Obtain Pristine Weapons
Pristine weapons spawn on Ghost cairns. When you first visit a cairn, a specific weapon type is present. If you take it, the cairn is empty until the next Blood Moon. The weapon type that spawns depends on the cairn's location — Akkala Depths cairns tend to spawn Royal and Royal Guard weapons, Gerudo Depths cairns spawn Gerudo weapons, and Zora Depths cairns spawn Zora weapons.
Pristine weapon scaling: Pristine weapons scale with your hidden world level (based on enemies defeated). At low world level, you'll see Traveler's and Soldier's weapons. At high world level (after defeating multiple Lynels and Bosses), you'll see Royal, Royal Guard, and Zora weapons. The scaling is not visible — if you're seeing low-tier Pristine weapons, defeat more Lynels and Gleeoks to advance the hidden level.
Best Pristine Weapon Cairns
| Cairn Location | Weapon Type | Base Damage (Pristine) |
|---|---|---|
| Akkala House of Bones (east Akkala Depths) | Royal Guard's Claymore | 39 |
| Gerudo Depths (south of the Gerudo Canyon Chasm) | Gerudo Scimitar / Gerudo Claymore | Scimitar: 20, Claymore: 30 |
| Zora Depths (beneath Zora's Domain) | Zora Sword / Zora Longsword | Sword: 12, Longsword: 15 |
| Central Depths (Great Plateau) | Royal Broadsword | 21 |
| Eldin Depths (beneath Death Mountain) | Cobble Crusher / Boulder Breaker | Crusher: 48 |
Akkala House of Bones: The single best Pristine weapon location. Found in the eastern Depths, northeast of the Abandoned Akkala Mine. A two-story stone structure filled with Ghost cairns. Each cairn has a Royal or Royal Guard Pristine weapon. The structure respawns completely every Blood Moon. A single visit yields 8-12 Pristine weapons.
Depths Boss Rematches
After defeating a Temple Boss on the Surface, a rematch arena appears in the Depths at the corresponding location. These arenas are always located in circular stone amphitheatres marked by a Gloom sigil in the center. The boss rematches drop Huge Crystallized Charges on first defeat (100 Charges) and Large Crystallized Charges (20 Charges) on subsequent defeats.
| Boss | Depths Arena Location | Arena Coordinates (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Colgera | Hebra Depths, northwest corner | (-3500, 3000, -600) |
| Marbled Gohma | Eldin Depths, northeast | (2500, -2500, -700) |
| Mucktorok | Lanayru Depths, east | (3500, -500, -600) |
| Queen Gibdo | Gerudo Depths, southwest | (-4000, -2500, -700) |
| Seized Construct | Faron Depths, south | (250, -4000, -600) |
| King Gleeok (special) | Central Depths, beneath Hyrule Field | (0, 0, -600) |
The King Gleeok in the Depths is not tied to a Temple and is optional. It drops a Gleeok Wing and Gleeok Guts of each element — the best single source for Gleeok parts.
Gloom Management
Understanding Gloom
Walking on Gloom (the red-black substance covering much of the Depths floor) deals damage over time and reduces max hearts. Each heart lost to Gloom is greyed out and cannot be healed by normal food. Only Sundelion-cooked meals or returning to the Surface restore Gloom-damaged hearts.
Gloom Prevention
| Method | Duration | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Gloom Resistance (Depths Set) | Permanent while worn | Reduces Gloom damage from enemy attacks by 50% (Level 2+ set bonus) |
| Sundelion Meal (5 Sundelions) | Instant | Restores up to 15 Gloom-damaged hearts. Cook 5 Sundelions together for maximum recovery. |
| Wing Shield Surfing | While shield surfing | Wing-fused shields float 2m above ground, avoiding Gloom contact entirely. |
| Mineru's Construct | While piloting | Complete Gloom immunity — the Construct body takes Gloom damage, not Link. |
| Hover Bike | While riding | Fans keep the vehicle above Gloom. Any Zonai vehicle with sufficient lift avoids ground contact. |
Anti-Gloom Loadout (Optimal)
For extended Depths exploration: Wear the Depths Set (Level 2+ for Gloom Attack Resist), carry 10 Sundelion meals (5 Sundelions each), always have a Wing shield for ground traversal, and deploy the Hover Bike between Lightroot activations. This combination makes the Depths safe for indefinite exploration.
Depths Map Completion Checklist
| Goal | Count | Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Lightroots | 120/120 | Systematic region-by-region from central axes outward |
| Bargainer Statues | 7/7 | Unlock in chain order (Lookout Landing → Great Mine → Plains → Cliff → Wellspring → Central → Grand) |
| Yiga Hideouts | 34/34 | Collect Crystallized Charges and Autobuild schematics |
| Kohga Defeats | 4/4 | Complete at arenas in order |
| Depths Boss Arena Clears | 6/6 + optional Gleeok | One clear each for Huge Crystallized Charges, repeat per Blood Moon for farming |
| Ghost Pristine Weapons | Collect as needed | Akkala House of Bones per Blood Moon |
| Crystallized Charges | 4,500 total for max battery | Boss farming + Yiga hideouts + Zonaite trading |
