Spot a Bubbulfrog in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s caves? Pop it for a Bubbul gem-and turn those shiny drops into real power at the right hands.
Bubbul gems (or bubble gems) are obtained from Bubbulfrogs in caves, and since there are a lot of caves spanning the surface and sky of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and you’ll come across a lot of Bubbul gems before you know what to do with them. Continue reading to find out what to do with your Bubbul gems and what rewards you’ll receive for turning them in.
What are Bubbul gems and what do you do with them?
Bubbul gems are collectible items dropped by Bubbulfrogs, which reside on cave walls across Hyrule’s surface and sky islands in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Shoot a Bubbulfrog with an arrow to make it drop a gem before it vanishes. Trade the gems with Koltin, a wandering merchant and Kilton’s brother, for monster masks, armor pieces like the Mystic set, and rare materials such as Hinox toenails or Lynel horns.
Bubbul gems are collectibles that are dropped by Bubbulfrogs, green frog-like creatures that love to hang out on the walls of caves. These Bubbul gems can be turned into Koltin for rewards such as the Bokoblin Mask. To trade in your Bubbul gems, you must first complete the “The Hunt for Bubbul Gems!” side quest.
‘The Hunt for Bubbul Gems!’ side quest
Players can begin “The Hunt for Bubbul Gems!” by visiting Kilton and Koltin, the peculiar merchant brothers fascinated by monster parts. After meeting them near Pico Pond, Koltin expresses his desire to become a Satori and asks for Bubbul Gems, which are dropped by Bubbulfrogs found in the depths of caves across Hyrule. Each cave typically hides one Bubbulfrog on walls or ceilings, so exploration and careful observation pay off. Bringing gems back to Koltin earns unique monster-themed rewards, and his trading spot changes as players progress through the adventure.
Head over to Kilton (back from Breath of the Wild) , found at the coordinates (1231, 1205, 0020), and interact with him to be introduced to his big brother, Koltin. Koltin is looking for a Bubbul gem to turn himself into a Satori, but he can’t get his hands on one.
If you already have a Bubbul gem, you can immediately give one to Koltin to finish the side quest. If you don’t have one, head into Pico Pond Cave, the cave that Koltin walked out of during the cutscene.
Inside the cave, you’ll enter a large open room with a Bubbulfrog on the wall ahead of you. Shoot the Bubbulfrog with an arrow, causing it to drop to the floor and release a Blupee and a Bubbul gem. Return to Koltin and Kilton with the gem and give it to Koltin where he’ll eat it – hoping to turn into a Satori.
After the failure, he comes up with the only solution – he needs to eat more Bubbul gems. Koltin sets off on his journey, and Kilton tells you that he’ll head over to Tarrey Town in Akkala. If you decide to visit Kilton, he’ll tell you about Koltin’s whereabouts, so you can give him more Bubbul gems. If you can’t find him, our Koltin’s shop and Tarrey Town location explainer can help.
Where to find Bubbulfrogs for more Bubbul gems
Bubbulfrogs hide inside glowing Bubbulfrog bubbles across every cave and depth in Hyrule. Check cave entrances marked by wispy air currents on the surface or underground, as these often lead straight to them. Some appear in well-lit alcoves or near puzzles, while others cling to walls in darker tunnels. Collect them by popping the bubble with an arrow or melee strike, then gather the gems they drop. Skyview towers reveal cave clusters packed with these frogs for quick farming runs.
As mentioned, Bubbul gems are sourced from Bubbulfrogs, the frog-like creatures that hang around on the walls of caves.
You should know there is one Bubbulfrog – thus one Bubbul gem – located in each cave. This is useful to know as sometimes the Bubbulfrog can be hidden; if you cannot find one, try breaking apart rocks or searching hidden alcoves, as they might be hiding away.
Once you find a Bubbulfrog, they will often flee when you get close. That said, they shouldn’t go far, and will die in one hit or two with your arrow and a follow-up melee attack, making Bubbul gems straightforward to obtain once the frog is in sight.
Finally, though caves are common, if you want to find them quicker, you’ll often find blue, rabbit-like creatures named blupees on your travels. Follow them and it’ll take you to a nearby cave, and thus, a Bubbulfrog.
How many Bubbul gems are there in Zelda: TOTK?
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom contains 147 Bubbul gems, one from each cave’s Bubbulfrog. Players need only 46 to unlock all standard rewards from Koltin, but gathering the full set yields his paraglider fabric and concludes his storyline.
Including the Bubbul gem from Pico Pond cave, there are a total of 147 Bubbul gems in Tears of the Kingdom. After you get all of the Bubbul gems, return to one of Koltin’s shop locations to give him all of the gems that you’ve found.
For the first 47 gems, he’ll give you rewards, but won’t accomplish his dream of transforming into a Satori. Koltin’s only solution, of course, is to eat all 147 Bubbul gems. If you’d like to find out if Koltin is finally able to turn into a Satori or not, check out the section below.
[Ed note: The following video contains spoilers for Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.]
Once you give Koltin all 147 Bubbul gems, he’ll give you the “Koltin’s Fabric” paraglider design, and he’ll finally transform into a… Blupee. As shown in the video above, courtesy of BeardBear, Koltin’s shop can also be found surrounded by Blupees on Satori Mountain at the coordinates (-2299, -0325, 0347). There is nothing to purchase, as Koltin isn’t available to run the shop.
Where is Koltin located and how to find him
Koltin, the Bubbul Gem merchant in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, appears only at night (between 8 PM and 4-5 AM in-game) with his distinctive glowing balloon cart visible from afar.
He starts with an introductory encounter east of Woodland Stable (coordinates ~1208, 1214, 0020) near Pico Pond Cave after speaking to his brother Kilton-complete “The Hunt for Bubbul Gems!” quest there to unlock trading.
All Koltin Locations
Koltin cycles through 6-7 fixed nighttime spots around Hyrule (post-intro); check via Kilton’s hints at stables or Tarrey Town, or spot his cart from Skyview Towers.
| Location | Coordinates | How to Reach |
|---|---|---|
| North of Tarrey Town (Akkala) | 3662, 2064, 0168 | Ulri Mountain Skyview Tower; east from Kilton in Tarrey Town (3961, 1642, 0128) |
| South of Lookout Landing (Hyrule Field) | -0319, -0162, 0022 | Launch from Lookout Landing Skyview Tower; visible on Passeri Greenbelt hill |
| South of Popla Foothills Skyview Tower (Faron) | 0588, -2681, 0112 | Glide south through Farosh Hills past enemy camp |
| South Tabantha Snowfield | -1533, 2386, 0245 | From Snowfield Stable or Orochium Shrine; cliff overlooking Tanagar Canyon/Forgotten Temple |
| Gerudo Highlands | (near Kara Kara Bazaar) | Northeast from Kara Kara Bazaar at night; southmost ridge where canyon meets desert |
| Necluda (Cliffs of Quince) | (east of Hateno) | Climb cliffs east toward Hateno; fight Monster Forces at Fort Hateno en route |
Travel at night, approach from distance after 8 PM, and trade your collected Bubbul Gems for masks, armor sets like Miner’s or Mystic, and the Addam’s Welk paraglider fabric at 999 gems total.
What Bubbul Gem rewards does Koltin give and in what order
Koltin trades Bubbul Gems for exclusive monster-themed masks, materials, armor pieces, and a special paraglider fabric in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Rewards unlock progressively as you hand over cumulative totals (e.g., first at 1 gem, next at 3 total, etc.), requiring exactly 46 gems for all standard items-after that, he tracks the remaining 101 for a secret finale.
Reward Progression Table
| Cumulative Gems | Reward Item(s) |
|---|---|
| Bokoblin Mask | |
| Moblin Mask | |
| Hinox Toenail (x3) | |
| Mystic Robe | |
| Fire Keese Eyeball (x3) | |
| Lizalfos Mask | |
| Ice-Breath Lizalfos Tail (x3) | |
| Mystic Trousers | |
| White Lynel Mace Horn | |
| Horriblin Mask | |
| Gleeok Wing (x2) | |
| Lynel Mask | |
| Gleeok Thunder Horn | |
| Mystic Headpiece | |
| 147 (all) | Koltin’s Fabric (paraglider) |
The Mystic set (headpiece, robe, trousers) glows blue in the Depths and converts damage to Rupee loss instead. Delivering all 147 gems triggers Koltin’s transformation into a Blupee and moves his brother’s shop to Satori Mountain.
