You’re high up, diving through a cloud layer that looks like shredded cotton candy. The wind is howling in your ears. Then you see it—the massive, glowing outline of a Geoglyph burned into the grass of Hyrule far below. You land, find the small puddle of liquid light, and suddenly, you aren't playing a game anymore. You're watching a memory. Specifically, a Tear of the Dragon.
If you’ve spent any time in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, you know that these aren't just collectibles. They are the emotional spine of the entire experience. Honestly, Nintendo took a huge risk here. They buried the most important plot points of the game inside optional exploration. If you don't find the Tears, you basically don't know what the game is actually about. You're just a guy in green tunics hitting rocks with a stick.
But there’s a lot of confusion about how these things work, the order you should find them in, and what the "final" tear actually represents for the lore of the series.
What a Tear of the Dragon Actually Is
Basically, a Tear of the Dragon (officially known as a Dragon's Tear) is a concentrated memory. When Zelda was sent back in time to the founding of Hyrule, she left these markers behind. Each one is tied to a specific Geoglyph. When Link interacts with the pool of water at the center of these shapes, he receives a vision.
It's a clever way to handle a nonlinear story. You can find them in any order, though doing so usually messes up the emotional pacing. Imagine watching the end of a movie first, then the middle, then the beginning. It’s confusing. The game tries to nudge you toward the "right" path through the "Impa and the Geoglyphs" quest, but most players just wander off and find them at random.
The substance itself is fascinating. It’s light. It’s liquid. It’s a literal piece of a soul. In the lore, these tears are the result of "draconification"—an ancient, forbidden act of swallowing a Secret Stone to become an immortal dragon. The cost? Your humanity. Your memory. Your self. Every tear you find is a remnant of that sacrifice.
✨ Don't miss: Finding Every Bubbul Gem: Why the Map of Caves TOTK Actually Matters
The Geoglyph Hunt: More Than Just Maps
People always ask which one to get first. Start with the one near New Serenne Stable. It’s shaped like a Zonai. It’s the easiest to find and sets the stage.
Finding them is half the battle. You’ve got to get high up—use a Skyview Tower or a Zonai wing—to see the "solid" part of the tear within the lines of the Geoglyph. If you’re just running around on the ground, you’ll never see it. It’s a perspective trick. Some are hidden in trees. One is literally on the side of a cliff near the Forgotten Temple.
Why the Order Matters (A Bit)
If you find the tear showing Sonia’s fate before you even meet her in the memories, the impact is totally lost. There are 12 main tears. The 12th only appears after you’ve collected the first 11.
- Where Am I? (North Hyrule Plain)
- An Unfamiliar World (Tabantha Hills)
- Mineru's Counsel (Illumeni Plateau)
- The Gerudo Assault (Batrea Lake)
- A Show of Fealty (Saphi's Table)
- Zelda and Sonia (Hyrule Ridge)
- Sonia Is Treacherous (Lurelin Village area)
- Birth of the Demon King (North Tabantha Snowfield)
- The Sages' Vow (Talus Plateau)
- A King's Duty (Lake Hylia)
- A Master Sword in Time (Eldin Mountains)
The 12th tear drops at the Rist Peninsula. That spiral beach? Yeah, that’s where the heart breaks.
The Controversial "Final" Tear
The ending of the Dragon's Tear questline is arguably the most "un-Zelda" thing Nintendo has ever done. It’s tragic. It’s permanent—well, mostly.
🔗 Read more: Playing A Link to the Past Switch: Why It Still Hits Different Today
When you see the final memory, you realize that the Light Dragon circling the sky isn't just some random NPC. It’s Zelda. She’s been up there for tens of thousands of years. Waiting. Rotting in immortality just to repair the Master Sword for you. When that 12th Tear of the Dragon falls from the Light Dragon’s eye as it flies over the peninsula, it’s a moment of pure narrative weight.
Some players hate this. They think it's too dark for a Nintendo game. Others think it’s the best writing in the franchise since Majora's Mask. It recontextualizes every time you saw that dragon in the sky during your first 40 hours of gameplay. You weren't just looking at a monster; you were looking at the person you’re trying to save.
How to Effectively Track Them Down
Don't just use a guide. Well, okay, use a guide if you're frustrated, but try the Forgotten Temple first. Deep in the canyon at the back of the temple, there’s a room with a floor map. It shows every Geoglyph location in relation to the map of Hyrule.
Take a picture of that floor with your in-game camera.
Now, you have a reference you can check at any time. It makes the hunt feel like actual detective work instead of a checklist. Also, bring stamina food. Lots of it. You’ll be climbing a lot of weird angles to reach the centers of these shapes.
💡 You might also like: Plants vs Zombies Xbox One: Why Garden Warfare Still Slaps Years Later
Common Misconceptions About the Tears
A lot of people think you need the tears to get the Master Sword. You don't. You can literally just jump on the Light Dragon’s head if you can fly high enough. But getting the sword without the context of the tears feels hollow. The game even changes some dialogue based on whether you know the truth about the dragon or not.
Another myth: the tears disappear. They don't. Once you've seen a memory, the puddle stays there as a fast-travel point of sorts (not for teleporting, but as a landmark). You can re-watch the memories in your adventure log at any time.
The "Dragon's Tear" isn't just a quest item. It's a mechanic that teaches the player empathy through exploration. You start the game looking for a princess; you end the game realizing she's been helping you from the sky for eons.
Actionable Steps for Your Playthrough
If you’re currently staring at a map of Hyrule wondering where to go next, follow this flow to get the most out of the story:
- Visit the Forgotten Temple immediately. Do not pass go. This gives you the visual roadmap for all Geoglyphs.
- Prioritize the North and West first. The memories in the Hebra and Central regions tend to be the "earlier" parts of the story.
- Save the Rist Peninsula (The Spiral) for last. Even if you see it early, don't interact with it until you've done the others. The game won't let you see the 12th tear anyway, but the atmosphere of that area hits harder once you know the stakes.
- Look for the "Solid" Bead. When looking at a Geoglyph from the air, look for the one tear shape that is filled in with solid color. The rest are just outlines. That solid one is where the memory is hidden.
- Watch the Light Dragon after the final tear. Once the quest is "complete," the Light Dragon lowers its flight path. It becomes much easier to reach. This is your window to get the Master Sword if you haven't already.
The Tear of the Dragon questline is a masterclass in environmental storytelling. It’s rare for a game to make the world itself the narrator, but here, the very grass and stone of Hyrule hold the secret to the game’s bittersweet ending. Spend the time to find them. It’s the difference between beating a game and actually experiencing a story.