You’re sneaking through the Faron Woods at 2:00 AM, the rain just stopped, and your stealth meter is pinned to the max. Then you see it. A faint, golden-orange glow on the side of a thick tree trunk. That’s the Bladed Rhino Beetle TotK players spend hours hunting, and honestly, if you aren't looking at the right time, you’ll walk right past it. It is one of the most frustratingly elusive critters in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, mostly because it shares a spawn table with its cousins and hates the sunlight.
Why do you even need this thing? It isn't just for the compendium. If you want to max out the Barbarian Armor set—which is basically the gold standard for anyone who likes hitting things very hard—you're going to need a lot of them. Specifically, you need three per piece for that final upgrade. That’s nine beetles total. Sounds easy? It isn't.
Where the Bladed Rhino Beetle Actually Hides
Most guides will tell you to just "go to Faron," but that's like telling someone to find a specific needle in a haystack by saying "go to the farm." You need to be precise. The absolute best spot, verified by map data and endless player frustration, is the Bronas Forest. It’s just north of the Floria River.
The trees here are massive. You want to focus on the thick, smooth-barked trees rather than the jagged ones. But here is the kicker: they only appear at night. If the sun is up, you’re wasting your time. Set up a campfire, sit until night, and make sure it isn't raining. If it’s raining, the beetles don't come out to play, which is ironic considering Faron is a literal rainforest.
Another underrated spot is Rethel Harbor in the Lurelin Village region. There are a few palm trees scattered along the coast where these beetles hang out. It’s a smaller pool of trees to check, which makes the loop faster. You’ve also got the Mount Dunsel area nearby. Just walk slowly. Seriously. If you're wearing heavy metal armor, the clanking will scare them off before they even render on your screen.
The Stealth Factor
You basically have two choices when hunting the Bladed Rhino Beetle.
- Wear the Stealth Set (Sheikah Armor).
- Drink a high-level stealth elixir.
If you don't have at least two levels of stealth, you have to crouch-walk at a snail's pace. It’s tedious. With the Stealth Set, you can practically jog up to the tree. Once you see that orange glow, don't lunge. Just walk up and press A. If you miss, the beetle teleports into the ether, and you have to wait for a blood moon or a long distance reset for it to respawn.
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Why the Barbarian Armor Depends on It
The Barbarian Armor is legendary. It’s been a staple since Breath of the Wild, and in Tears of the Kingdom, it’s just as vital for boss rushes and Lynel hunting. The "Attack Up" buff is massive.
To get to that Tier 4 upgrade, the Great Fairy demands Bladed Rhino Beetles. This is the game's way of forcing you to engage with the environment. You can’t just buy these at a shop in Lookout Landing. You have to hunt.
- Tier 3 Upgrade: Needs 3 Bladed Rhino Beetles per piece.
- Tier 4 Upgrade: Needs more specific boss parts, but the beetles remain the primary "bottleneck" ingredient for many players.
If you’re wondering about the "Rugged" or "Energetic" versions, those are for the Soldier and Climbing sets respectively. Don't mix them up. The Bladed version is the one with the sharp, forward-facing horn. It looks aggressive because, well, it’s meant for combat buffs.
Pro-Tip: The Sensor+ Method
If you haven't upgraded your Purah Pad at the Hateno Lab, do it now. Robbie can give you the Sensor+, which allows you to track specific items in the Compendium.
First, find one beetle. Take a photo of it. It has to be a good photo where the name pops up in orange text. Once it’s in your Compendium, open your map, hit Y, and set the sensor to the Bladed Rhino Beetle. Now, your controller will beep like a Geiger counter when you're near one. This turns a blind search into a targeted extraction.
Beery the Beetle Glitch?
Some players report that Beedle (the traveling merchant) talks about these beetles constantly but rarely sells them. He doesn't. He wants them. If you have a Bladed Rhino Beetle in your inventory, Beedle will practically harass you for it, offering mediocre food in exchange. Do not give them to him. He’s a hoarder, and your armor upgrades are infinitely more valuable than a "Tough Meat and Seafood Fry."
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Cooking and Utility
If you aren't a completionist and don't care about armor, these beetles make incredible elixirs. Cooking a Bladed Rhino Beetle with a monster part creates a Mighty Elixir.
The potency depends on the monster part, but the beetle provides a significant "Attack Up" duration. Honestly though? Use a Razorshroom or a Mighty Bananas instead. Beetles are too rare to eat. Use them for the Great Fairies and keep the bananas for your morning smoothie.
Weather and Timing Specifics
Let's talk about the weather again because it's the number one reason people fail. Faron is notorious for thunderstorms. If the weather icon shows a cloud with a lightning bolt, the beetles will not spawn. You can try to pass time at a fire, but if you're under a tree, the fire will go out. Find a cave or a ledge, wait for a clear night (the moon icon), and then start your loop.
The spawn window is roughly 9:00 PM to 4:00 AM. At 5:00 AM, the game's lighting shifts to morning, and the beetles de-spawn instantly. You have a seven-minute window in real-time to clear the forest.
The Best Farming Loop
Start at the Utojis Shrine (it’s inside a cave in the Tobio’s Hollow area, but the surface above is what matters). Head south toward the valley. The trees lining the path toward the Lakeside Stable often hold one or two.
From there, warp to the Joju-u-u Shrine near the stable. Cross the bridge and head into the woods. If you use the Sensor+, you can clear about 4-5 beetles in a single night if you’re fast.
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Is it boring? Kinda. Is it worth it when you're dealing 50% more damage to a Gleeok? Absolutely.
Common Misconceptions
People think you can "grow" them or find them under rocks. You can't. Unlike lizards or frogs, beetles are strictly tree-dwellers. Also, don't bother cutting the trees down. That just destroys the spawn point until the next world reset. Just sneak, grab, and move on.
The rarity isn't just a "luck" thing; it's a "mechanic" thing. The game limits how many "rare" critters can exist in a certain radius. If you see a bunch of Sunset Fireflies, catch them or scare them away. Sometimes clearing the "slot" for a critter allows the beetle to spawn when you reload the area.
Actionable Steps for your Hunt
To make this as painless as possible, follow this specific order of operations.
- Unlock Sensor+ at the Hateno Research Lab by completing Robbie’s side quests.
- Acquire the Stealth Set from Kakariko Village (complete the "Gloom-Borne Illness" quest to lower the prices).
- Warp to Faron at night. Specifically the Bronas Forest or near the Floria Bridge.
- Take a photo of the first Bladed Rhino Beetle you see to register it.
- Set your Sensor+ to track it and walk—don't run—through the woods.
- Save your beetles. Never sell them to Beedle and never cook them unless your armor is already fully upgraded.
Once you have your nine beetles, head straight to a Great Fairy. Leveling up that Barbarian Set changes the entire endgame experience. You go from struggling against Silver Moblins to feeling like a literal god of war. It’s a grind, sure, but in a game as big as Tears of the Kingdom, these small hunting trips are what make the world feel alive and rewarding.