Let’s be real. If you’ve spent any time wandering around the Gerudo Highlands or exploring the Depths, you’ve probably developed a healthy amount of resentment toward the Yiga Clan. They show up at the worst possible times—usually while you’re trying to harvest a rare lizard or climb a cliff in the rain—just to poof into existence and throw a windcutter at your head. But honestly? Infiltrating the Yiga Clan in TotK is one of the most rewarding side adventures in the entire game. It’s not just about the gear, though the gear is incredible. It’s about the sheer absurdity of Link pretending to be a loyal follower of Master Kohga.
Most players stumble onto the Yiga questline by accident. Maybe you found one of their weirdly tidy camps in the middle of nowhere, or you followed a trail of Mighty Bananas into a trap. But if you want to actually get inside their secret headquarters—the big one tucked away in the Karusa Valley—you can't just knock on the front door. They’ll laugh at you. Then they’ll kill you.
You need the uniform first (And no, one piece isn't enough)
The biggest mistake people make is thinking they can just waltz into the hideout with a single piece of the Yiga armor set. It doesn’t work like that. The Yiga are paranoid. They’re obsessive. They have a dress code. To successfully manage infiltrating the Yiga Clan in TotK, you have to track down three specific pieces of armor scattered across Hyrule.
The Yiga Mask
Your first stop is usually the Great Plateau. Remember the Old Man’s hut from Breath of the Wild? The Yiga have moved in. It’s a bit of a fixer-upper now, surrounded by those iconic pointed wooden spikes. When you approach, you’ll be jumped by a couple of footsoldiers. They aren't particularly tough if you’ve got a decent bow, but don't get cocky. Once they’re gone, head inside. You’ll meet a tailor who was forced to make the uniform. He’ll hand over the mask. One down.
The Yiga Tights
For the legs, you’re heading to the Maritta Branch Lab in the Aldor Foothills. It’s north of Hyrule Field. This place is crawling with Yiga, but the real challenge is just finding the hole in the ceiling once you’re inside. Use Ascend. It’s the solution to 90% of your problems in this game, yet we all forget it exists for the first fifty hours. Once you’re in the rafters, you’ll find another captive who gives you the tights.
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The Yiga Armor (Chest Piece)
The final piece is at the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab. This is way up in the northeast corner of the map. It’s the place Robbie used to live before he moved to Lookout Landing. The Yiga have turned it into a recruitment center, which is hilarious if you think about it. Beat the guards, go inside, talk to the designer. Now you have the full set.
Getting into the Karusa Valley Hideout
Once you look like a disgruntled ninja, head to the Gerudo Highlands. The entrance is at the end of a long canyon. If you aren't wearing the full set, the door won't even budge. Put on the outfit. Look in the mirror. You look ridiculous. Good.
Walk up to the door. The guard will scan you, realize you're wearing the official "I Hate Link" merchandise, and let you in. This is where the fun starts. Inside, you aren’t a hero. You’re just another recruit. You can talk to the NPCs, and they’ll give you some genuinely funny dialogue about how much they love bananas and how much they fear Master Kohga’s "magnificent" belly.
The Bladetights and the Earthwake Technique
Why are you even doing this? Well, besides the thrill of the undercover sting, there are mechanical benefits. Talk to the Blademaster standing in the middle of the large training arena. He’ll offer you a series of combat trials.
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- Trial 1: Defeat 3 footsoldiers in under a minute. Reward: The Yiga Fabric for your paraglider. It's okay, but not the prize.
- Trial 2: Defeat 6 footsoldiers. Reward: The Earthwake Manual. This is the big one. It lets you perform that ground-shaking attack the Yiga use, and the best part is it doesn't use any weapon durability. You just hold your hand out and a spike of rock travels through the ground. It’s great for clearing out weak mobs without wasting your good Royal Broadsword.
- Trial 3: Defeat 9 footsoldiers. Reward: Lightning Helm.
Wait. The Lightning Helm? If you played the first game, you know this is basically a god-tier item. It makes you completely immune to lightning. In a game where metal shields turn you into a human lightning rod, this is a literal life-saver.
The Depth of the Yiga Subplot
Infiltrating the Yiga Clan in TotK isn't just about the surface world. If you really want to see how deep the rot goes, you have to go down. The Depths are covered in Yiga outposts. They’ve built entire mining operations down there to harvest Zonaite.
I’ve found that the best way to deal with these outposts is to use their own technology against them. They love vehicles. They love planes with cannons attached to the front. If you sneak up on an outpost, you can often find a Schema Stone—a blueprint for a pre-built machine. These are invaluable for navigating the dark.
One thing the game doesn't explicitly tell you: the Yiga in the Depths are much more organized than the ones on the surface. They have logs you can read. These logs explain that they are actually trying to help Ganondorf (the "Magnificent One") by rebuilding his army. It adds a layer of actual stakes to their silliness. They aren't just banana-obsessed weirdos; they’re a legitimate logistical backbone for the Demon King’s forces.
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Common misconceptions about the disguise
I see this on forums all the time: people think the Yiga mask gives you a stealth bonus. It doesn’t. Not really. It just makes you "one of the guys." If you try to sneak past a Moblin while wearing the Yiga gear, he’s still going to see you and he’s still going to smash you into a pancake.
Also, don't try to talk to the Yiga while you're holding a weapon. They get jumpy. Keep your hands empty, act natural, and don't accidentally press the attack button near a Blademaster unless you're ready for a very short, very violent fight.
What to do after you've "joined"
After you’ve cleared the trials and grabbed the Lightning Helm, you might think you’re done. You aren't. There’s a secret shop in the hideout that sells some of the best arrows and "stealth" food in the game. Plus, you can buy the Eightfold Longblade, which has a unique property where its wind-cleave attack does massive damage if you time it right.
Honestly, the best part of infiltrating the Yiga Clan in TotK is the change in perspective. You go from seeing them as annoying pests to seeing them as a functional (if incompetent) organization. It’s one of the few times Link gets to interact with the "enemy" without a sword being drawn immediately.
Your next steps in the Karusa Valley:
- Check the back rooms: There are several chests hidden behind false walls and in the rafters of the main hideout. Don't just leave after the trials.
- Take photos: If you’re a completionist working on your Compendium, the Yiga hideout is the safest place to get high-quality photos of their weapons and elite soldiers.
- Visit the Depths entrance: There is a chasm right near the hideout that leads directly to a major Yiga mining facility. Now that you have the Earthwake technique, testing it out on the miners is strangely satisfying.
- Keep the mask on: Try talking to NPCs in Gerudo Town or Hateno Village while wearing the full Yiga set. The reactions are... varied. Some people are terrified, while others just think you have terrible taste in fashion.
Getting inside the clan isn't just a checkbox on a completionist list. It's the most personality the game gives to its antagonists. Take your time, read the notes on the desks, and definitely don't forget to grab the bananas on your way out. They’re free, after all.