The Most Rewarding Side Quests In Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom takes after its predecessor, Breath of the Wild, by featuring a vast and open Hyrule populated with all sorts of characters. While there's already plenty to do in the game just from completing the main story, there are also countless side quests and objectives that players may not even encounter during their playthrough.

Some of these optional side quests will even grant additional benefits for players who are adventurous enough to explore. From secret game mechanics, to expanded worlds, and unique weapons and armor, these side quests should not be ignored by anyone who wants to spend countless hours playing Tears of the Kingdom.

Updated on March 9th, 2025, by Blaise Santi: There are lots of side quests that will occupy players' time in Tears of the Kingdom outside of the main story, but some quests require a little more effort. Called Side Adventures in-game, these quests often contain multiple side quests within them, each with their own tasks and objectives, including uncovering mysteries and plotlines across the Hyrule region. For these two new quests we've included on this list in its latest update, we've gone in depth on each side quest required to complete the entire Side Adventure. However, they're well worth the effort, given what players are rewarded with when it's all said and done.

18 The Mayoral Election

Hateno Village Has A Choice To Make

Quest #1: Team Cece or Team Reede?

Hateno Village is going through some changes in Tears of the Kingdom, the biggest being an upcoming election between incumbent mayor, Reede, and fashion designer, Cece. Upon arriving, players will be tasked with drumming up support for Cece by delivering Hylian Shrooms to her eight supporters (who can be recognized by their unique mushroom-like hats) throughout the town, which will reward them with a Big Hearty Truffle. Meanwhile, speaking to nearby NPCs will unlock a series of other quests related to the election.

Quest #2: A New Signature Food?

After having accepted "Team Cece or Team Reede," players can find Reede in his home near the Hateno Village inn. While he's in the middle of an election against Cece, he's currently preoccupied with a different approach to earning the support of voters: food! He's trying to recall a recipe from his childhood but needs a reminder about the specific key ingredient. Spoiler alert: it's Hateno Cheese. Players can learn this by speaking to Reede's daughter, Koyin, near the pond in Hateno Village. Reede will reward them with a hefty 100 Rupees.

Quest #3: Cece's Secret

"Cece's Secret" will start once players talk to Sophie, who can be found outside the Ventest Clothing Boutique. Sophie is worried that Cece is keeping a secret from her. Sophie tasks Link with following Cece at night to see what she's up to. Players must actually wait until nighttime in the game, and they'll notice that Cece leaves her shop and sneaks into the silo across the village. To make sure Cece doesn't spot them, players have to trail her from a higher vantage point, and then, rather than follow her directly inside the silo, enter from a window near the roof. After spying on Cece, they can return to Sophie and accept a reward of 10 Ironshrooms.

Quest #4: Reede's Secret

Like "Cece's Secret," "Reede's Secret" will start after players speak to Reede's wife, Clavia, who is wandering around Hateno Village. Just like Cece, Clavia is worried that Reede is up to something in his shed and advises Link to go snooping at noon when he's not there. However, players will find that it's locked, so they'll have to sneak in through the Hateno Village North Well, which will allow them to enter from below. Inside, players need to read Reede's diary and then report back to Clavia with what they find, and they'll be rewarded with 10 Hylian Tomatoes.

Quest #5: The Mayoral Election

After completing the previous quests, it's time to return to the Ventest Clothing Boutique for a final cutscene in which Reede and Cece set aside their differences. For completing the entire Side Adventure, players will get two things from Cece: one being her signature hat, which is useless as armor but makes Link look a lot more fashionable. The other reward is a service from Ventest Clothing Boutique, where players can sell or replace any clothes they've lost for a fee.

17 Potential Princess Sightings!

Live Your Dream As A Hylian Journalist

When players are around Rito Village for the main storyline, make sure to stop by the Lucky Clover Gazette, where meeting the suave Penn and his assistant Traysi will get them hired to investigate reported sightings of Princess Zelda across Hyrule. Each sighting takes place at a different stable across Hyrule, with each granting the player increasing rewards. The quests themselves are pretty straightforward (and are best experienced spoiler-free), but here's where players need to go to find each Side Quest in the adventure:

• Serenade to a Great Fairy - Woodland Stable
• The Beckoning Woman - Outskirt Stable
• Gourmets Gone Missing - Riverside Stable
• The Beast and the Princess - New Serenne Stable
• Zelda's Golden Horse - Snowfield Stable
• White Goats Gone Missing - Tabantha Bridge Stable
• For Our Princess! - Foothill Stable
• The All-Clucking Cucco - South Akkala Stable
• The Missing Farm Tools - Wetlands Stable
• Princess Zelda Kidnapped?! - Dueling Peaks Stable
• An Eerie Voice - Highland Stable
• The Blocked Well - Gerudo Canyon Stable

After completing all 12 quests and getting all the rewards from the Lucky Clover Gazette, players can reunite with Penn at Washa's Bluff, where they will also meet Kass, the bard from Breath of the Wild. It's a great reward for long-time fans of the franchise.

16 The Hunt For Bubbul Gems

Blend In With Enemies By Trading Rare Items

Those who have spent time exploring caves in Tears of the Kingdom have likely encountered Bubbulfrogs, glowing, elusive toads that drop collectible Bubbul Gems when killed. It can be easy to miss exactly what these Bubbul Gems can be used for, unless players happen to run into Kilton and Koltin, a pair of brothers who hang out near the Woodland Stable in Eldin.

Players can simply give Koltin a Bubbul Gem in order to receive a reward of a Bokoblin Mask, which allows Link to blend in with monsters of the same type. By completing the subsequent side adventure, The Search for Koltin, players will also unlock the ability to trade Bubbul Gems to the merchants in exchange for rare Armor pieces.

15 The Ultimate Dish?

Prevent Dubious Food Poisoning

It's quite difficult to become a master chef in Tears of the Kingdom, as any experimentation can result in wasting ingredients on Dubious Food, which may still restore hearts but at a random rate. Rock Hard Food can also be created by cooking inedible items, and given the limited food inventory space, it can be a nuisance to deal with these mismatched recipes.

However, there's a saving grace in "The Ultimate Dish?," a quest begun after speaking with Moza in the Rikoka Hills Well near Kakariko Village. By providing Moza with Dubios Food or Rock-Hard Food, she can fix them for the low price of 10 rupees, turning them into edible Monster Stews. It's a simple, easy quest that unlocks a pretty convenient friend for players who can't quite cook well.

14 Amber Dealer

Fetch A Higher Price For Rare Ores

This quest, "Amber Dealer," might seem like a bit of a lose-lose at the start, considering it has to be activated by trading all your ore to two shifty Gorons in Goron City for a mere three rupees. However, players don't actually have to part with their materials, as they'll be saved by the Gerudo merchant Ramella, who offers to buy ten Amber for a steeper price than most other merchants.

After successfully trading off the Amber (which might take some time if you're low on ore), Ramella becomes available as a consistent ore merchant, offering a higher price for topaz, rubies, sapphire, and diamonds. For players in serious need of money, Ramella is an incredible asset to have in order to quickly get rid of ore for ridiculous amounts of rupees.

13 The Shrine Explorer

An Ancient Makeover For Link

This side quest may be easy, but it can only be unlocked after players do the impossible: conquer all 152 shrines scattered across Hyrule. While this is an incredibly difficult endeavor for players of any expertise, "The Shrine Explorer" will come with a pretty great reward. First, players must travel back to the Temple of Time in the Sky Islands.

Returning to the starting point of Tears of the Kingdom, they will be rewarded with the Ancient Hero's Aspect Armor. When worn, this special Armor set disguises Link as a Zonai, which comes with 12 base defense. When fully upgraded, however, the Ancient Hero's Aspect offers a whopping 84 defense, making it the highest in the entire game.

12 Zelda's Golden Horse

A Unique Addition To Link's Steed Collection

There are many suitable horses to discover roaming the lands of Hyrule, but few are as special as Zelda's golden horse, the reward for a side adventure of the same name. This quest can be encountered during the "Potential Princess Sightings!" Storyline, beginning when players travel to the Snowfield Stable in the Tabantha region.

After learning from Penn that Zelda's special horse has gone missing, players can find it roaming in North Tabantha Snowfield, though there may be a Gleeok on the path. If players can avoid triggering the sub-boss fight, the horse can be claimed and returned to the stable, where Link will be given a Royal Bridle and Royal Saddle to keep it stored.

11 The Incomplete Stable

A Simple Task That Leads To A Convenient Reward

Out of all the side quests in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, "The Incomplete Stable" might be one of the easiest. To unlock it, players must first complete one of the four temples in the "Regional Phenomena" main quest. After that, they must find Karson at Lookout Landing, who is lamenting the dismal state of the base's stable.

All that's needed to fix the titular unfinished stable is to use Ultrahand on a nearby plank of wood to cover the roof. Once it's complete, Karson will grant players access to the stable, which happens to be the only one in the entire Hyrule Field area. There are few greater rewards than easy access to a stable in a location players will often visit.

10 Hestu's Concerns

Increase Inventory Space By Finding Koroks

One returning aspect of Breath of the Wild involves the presence of Hestu, a large Korok who accepts Korok seeds in exchange for expanding Link's inventory of bows, weapons, or shields. In Tears of the Kingdom, this mechanic is turned into a side quest called "Hestu's Concerns," where Link must return one Korok seed to Hestu by finding him in Hyrule.

After completing the side quest, players can offer up an increasing amount of Korok seeds to continue expanding their inventory. This is especially useful later in the game when players will want to stock up on weapons as they battle much more difficult bosses and spend time exploring the cavernous Depths and their high-powered monsters.

9 Serenade To A Great Fairy

Increase The Potential Of Every Armor Piece

The Great Fairies that were present throughout Hyrule in Breath of the Wild also return in Tears of the Kingdom, offering to upgrade Link's armor for various rare materials. While there are four different Great Fairies to awaken, the first one that players must discover is at the Woodland Stable, where the player can accept the quest "Serenade to a Great Fairy."

Before accessing this quest, Link must have first been tasked by the Lucky Clover Gazette to investigate sightings of Zelda at various stables in Hyrule. At the Woodland Stable, Link must team up with a musical troupe and help them travel to the Great Fairy Fountain and play music to awaken the Great Fairy Tera, who will now offer to upgrade Link's armor.