Thick fog swirls between ancient trees, each path twisting deeper into mystery. One wrong turn, and you’re swallowed by the woods again. Here’s how to find the true route through the Lost Woods and reach the heart of Korok Forest in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
The Korok Forest is a vital location in Hyrule: it’s home to the Deku Tree, who’ll give you a very important quest. However, to get there, you must travel through the a disorienting obstacle in the Lost Woods. Heading to the Korok Forest in Breath of the Wild was a confusing journey where you had to make your way through a labyrinth of smoke in the Lost Woods, but in Tears of the Kingdom, it is slightly easier to see the Deku Tree, Hestu, and the Koroks all in one place.
If you arrive to the Lost Woods through conventional means, you’ll be met with a stone gate and a fog-covered forest. Every direction you take ends up with the fog consuming you and spitting you back out at the entrance.
You’ll exhaust every option you can think of, but there is one direction that was newly added to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom: arriving from below, thanks to the Ascendability.
Continue reading to find out how to make it through the Lost Woods and get to the Korok Forest.
How to get through the Lost Woods to reach Korok Forest in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Head to the Minshi Woods Chasm on the road toward the Lost Woods and drop into the Depths, using your paraglider to land safely. Once underground, move toward the center of the Great Hyrule Forest on your map, using Brightbloom Seeds and nearby Lightroots to keep the area visible. Follow the path through Minshi Grove to Korok Grove beneath the forest, then stand under the stone ceiling and use Ascend to shoot up into Korok Forest, bypassing the fog that constantly sends you back outside the woods on the surface.
When you first arrive to the Lost Woods, you’ll see the forest covered in smoke and a ruined stone entrance. If you try to wander through the maze, the fog will surround you and teleport you back to the beginning. Rather than trying to go through the maze, you’ll need to skip the Lost Woods entirely and traverse through the Depths.
Before heading into the Depths, we recommend that you gather some Brightbloom seeds to light up the way.
Travel to the Minshi Woods chasm located on the path to the Lost Woods at the coordinates (1063, 1655, 0167). Before diving into the chasm, place a pin on the center of the Korok Forest to help guide you in the Depths. Dive into the chasm and start heading in the northwest direction towards the center of the Korok Forest. Remember to use your Brightbloom seeds to lighten up your surroundings and avoid thegloom, the oil-like substance, on the floor.
As you get closer to the pin, you’ll begin to see the ogre trees – trees with faces on them – similar to the trees found in the Lost Woods. Climb to the top of the ogre tree to find a large poe, a ghastly tear drop, on top of the tree. Follow the direction of the large poes as they’ll guide you from treetop to treetop toward a lightroot in the distance.
Jump off of the ogre tree and glide to the non-gloom infested land in the distance. Continue towards the pin to find a path that heads to the Rikonasum Lightroot at the coordinates (0410, 2131, -0592) and a large stone platform beside it. Stand on top of the mound on the stone platform, and use Ascend to rise up into the Korok Forest.
What are the best ways to defeat Gloom Hands in the Depths
Gloom Hands in the Depths of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom are tough multi-hand enemies that drain hearts on contact and respawn if not defeated quickly, but ranged attacks from safety work best.
Primary Strategies
Climb to high ground where Gloom Hands cannot reach, then bombard them with Bomb Flower arrows (about 5-6 shots to eliminate all five). Use elemental effects like Ice Like Stones, Electric Keese Wings, or White Chuchu Jelly for area control and freezing to prevent respawns.
Defensive Tips
Prepare Sundelion meals to recover gloom-damaged hearts, and equip Depths Armor for resistance. Shake analog sticks furiously if grabbed to escape without losing hearts.
Follow-Up Fight
Defeating Gloom Hands spawns a slower Phantom Ganon; dodge its sword slashes or spins, then counterattack during recovery frames for a Flurry Rush.
How to defeat Phantom Ganon after Gloom Hands
Phantom Ganon spawns after defeating Gloom Hands in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Depths encounters and comes in sword, club, or spear variants, all surrounded by damaging Gloom.
Preparation Steps
Eat Sundelion dishes to heal Gloom-damaged hearts and cook Dark Clump meals for temporary Gloom resistance, allowing safer close-range attacks. Equip a strong melee weapon (at least 30 attack power, ideally a spear for distance) and Depths armor set for extra protection.
Combat Tactics
Stay close while circling to bait attacks, then perfect dodge (sideways for vertical swings, backward for horizontal) to trigger Flurry Rush and land multiple hits without Gloom buildup. Block dash attacks with a shield but dodge spin slams entirely; spears are easiest as all attacks dodge sideways. If he pulls a bow at range, sprint in or use Bomb Flower arrows.
Rewards
Drops include a Demon King’s Bow, Dark Clumps, and the variant’s weapon (Gloom Sword, Spear, or Club).
