There are a plethora of incredible side quests in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, but even the best of these can be surprisingly hard to find. TOTK splits the game’s journal into Side Quests and Side Adventures, the latter of which are often longer or more complex diversions from the main story. Scattered far and wide across the kingdom, the sheer size of Hyrule’s map in TOTK means that discovering them all requires intensive exploration.

There are 139 official Side Quests in Tears of the Kingdom, along with 60 Side Adventures and 31 Shrine Quests. This gives players a total of 230 missions to complete alongside the Main Quests in TOTK. These side quests can be as simple as collecting a few items or as difficult as facing a powerful miniboss like a Gleeok or Frox. Most of these quests are formally triggered by speaking to a specific NPC, although in many cases (such as item-collection requests), it is technically possible to finish the quest beforehand and receive the reward immediately. This, however, requires the player to find the related NPC, which isn’t always easy.

TOTK’s Legend Of The Great Sky Island Is Very Well Hidden

The Side Adventure "Legend of the Great Sky Island" can be particularly hard to come across naturally. This is a shame, as it is one of the most unique and challenging side quests in the entire game and gives some interesting rewards upon completion. However, as the name suggests, it is located on the Great Sky Island and, more importantly, appears only after Link has made significant progress in the game. As a result, it is easy for many players to assume that there is nothing more to do on the immense island, with the possible exception of seeking out some hidden Koroks.

"Legend of the Great Sky Island" does have one visual clue indicating its existence, in the form of smoke-like green light rising from the roof of the airborne Temple of Time. This can be seen from a distance when Link is in the sky around the Great Sky Island, but again, players have little reason to return there after the opening portion of the game. Moreover, the Sky Island’s Crystal Refinery, perhaps the Island’s only game-long point of interest, is located in a cave next to Nachoyah Shrine, so visitors are unlikely to step outside and see the signal.

However, even if players look in the correct direction, depending on their game progress, the Side Adventure may not even be active, further hiding its existence. In order to cross the vast distances involved in Legend of the Great Sky Island, Link needs to take advantage of several waterfalls and climb them to regain altitude. This means that he needs to have the Zora Armor, as the Side Adventure will not be available without it being obtained beforehand. In addition to this, it seems that two of the regional quests also need to be completed before the quest will appear.

Legend Of The Great Sky Island Requires Extensive Preparation

Once players do find the Side Adventure, they are presented with a unique challenge by a Steward Construct. "Legend of the Great Sky Island" has the player glide across the Great Sky Island in order to light three large bonfires without touching the ground before returning to the Steward. Link is given 12 in-game hours to do so, which translates to 12 minutes in real-time. The trial is timed by the bell, which regularly rings out across the island, leading to the starting time of the adventure at 7 AM. This also ensures the player’s attempt is made with full daytime visibility.

It is important to note that despite being located in the tutorial area, "Legend of the Great Sky Island" is not a quest that can be completed without ample preparation. It takes a large amount of stamina to maintain gliding for such long distances, even with the stamina-restoring benefits of climbing waterfalls. This, in turn, means the player will need to collect several Stamina Vessels, prepare a lot of Stamina-restoring food in advance, or do both before being able to complete this side quest.

Of course, earning Stamina Vessels means completing Shrines for their Lights of Blessing. Although cooking can supplement this, it is clear that finishing this small adventure requires Link to do plenty of exploring elsewhere in Hyrule first, even before taking the other requirements into account. This also suggests that the intended method of finding this Side Adventure is Link seeing the signal by chance from a distance while crossing the sky later in the game, providing players with a sense of surprise and discovery. However, the degree of luck involved also means that some may never see the signal or may take a long time to do so.

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In any case, once Link is successful, the player can claim their rewards with the knowledge of a job well done and a firmer understanding of their airborne capabilities. Completing "Legend of the Great Sky Island" earns Link the Zonai Fabric for his Paraglider, but the Steward Construct also tells Link the story behind the Great Sky Island and its Temple of Time being raised into the sky. Naturally, this carries some interesting implications for the lore of Tears of the Kingdom and the history of Hyrule, especially as it seems to imply that the Great Plateau’s temple is a Hylian replacement for the Zonai’s.

The Legend of the Great Sky Island Side Adventure is a test of stamina and gliding skill, and there are some interesting rewards for completing this TOTK side quest. However, its location and starting requirements also make it rather hard to find independently. With the average player likely believing that they have fully explored the Great Sky Island long before the quest even becomes available, the chances of them coming close enough to see the signal flare are remarkably low. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has hidden this side quest quite effectively, which is unfortunate considering its unique design and appeal.

Source: Nintendo of America/YouTube