You probably tried to walk into the woods from the standard entrance. We all did. You see that thick, swirling mist, you hear those eerie woodwinds start to kick in, and suddenly—poof—you’re back at the gate. It’s frustrating. In The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, solving the Lost Woods was all about following the wind and embers. But if you’re trying that in Tears of the Kingdom, you’re basically banging your head against a brick wall. The Lost Woods Totk experience has been fundamentally rewired, and it’s honestly one of the smartest subversions Nintendo has pulled off in years.
The woods are broken. Literally.
If you talk to the NPCs hanging around the outskirts, they’ll tell you the forest is "choking." There’s a gloom problem, and it’s not just a surface-level aesthetic choice. The traditional path is barred because the Great Hyrule Forest is effectively in lockdown. To get in, you have to stop thinking about the X and Y axes and start thinking about the Z.
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The Depths are the only real way in
Forget the torches. To reach the heart of the forest and speak to the Great Deku Tree, you have to go under it. This is where most players get stuck for hours. They scour the perimeter of the woods looking for a gap in the fog that doesn't exist. Instead, you need to head to the Minshi Woods Chasm, located just southeast of the forest's edge.
Once you dive down, the vibe changes instantly. It’s dark, it’s oppressive, and you’re navigating the Korok Grove from below. The geography of the Depths mirrors the surface; where there are mountains above, there are canyons below. Where there is a forest above, there is a massive root system below. You’re looking for a specific landmark called the Rikonasum Lightroot. It sits directly beneath the center of the Lost Woods.
Navigating the Depths isn't just a walk in the park. You'll need plenty of Brightbloom seeds. Without them, you're just wandering into Gloom-infested trees that will sap your max health before you even see the "Ascend" point. Once you reach the stone platform directly under the Great Deku Tree, use your Ascend ability. You'll phase through hundreds of feet of solid rock and pop up right in the middle of Korok Forest.
Why the Great Deku Tree is acting so weird
When you finally arrive, the atmosphere is unsettling. Nobody is talking. The Koroks are swaying like zombies. The Great Deku Tree himself looks like he’s rotting from the inside out. This is a massive departure from the vibrant, bustling hub of the previous game.
The "quest" here isn't a puzzle; it's a dynamic combat encounter. You have to go inside the tree. There’s a chasm at the base of his trunk leading to a secret chamber in the Depths. Down there, you’ll face a Gloom Spawn—those terrifying "Gloom Hands" that haunt everyone's nightmares.
Pro tip: Don't just swing your sword wildly. Use Bomb Flowers or Topaz-fused arrows to stun all five hands simultaneously. If you kill them one by one, they just regrow. It’s a nightmare loop. Once the hands are gone, Phantom Ganon spawns. He’s a glass cannon; he hits like a freight train but has predictable telegraphs. Flurry Rush is your best friend here.
Clearing the fog for good
After you beat Phantom Ganon, the forest "wakes up." The gloom lifts, the Koroks start chirping again, and the Great Deku Tree regains his senses. This is actually a crucial plot point for the Master Sword questline. Unlike Breath of the Wild, where the sword was just sitting in a pedestal waiting for you to have enough hearts, the Lost Woods Totk story reveals the sword's actual location in real-time.
Because the sword is "moving," the Deku Tree provides a tracking marker on your map. It’s a narrative pivot that makes the forest feel like a living part of the world rather than just a static puzzle box.
What about the side shrines?
Once the fog is cleared, you can actually explore the rest of the woods. There are several shrines hidden within the shroud, like the Musanokir Shrine (Swing to Hit) and the Ninjis Shrine. Some of these require "Korok Trials," much like the first game, but they’re generally more forgiving once the main gloom threat is neutralized.
- Macasura Shrine: Found near the entrance, focuses on the "T-shaped" Joy-con-like puzzles.
- The Puppel Trial: A classic "follow the Korok without being seen" stealth mission.
- Walton’s Riddle: He’s at the top of the Deku Tree. Prepare to bring him specific items like apples and pumpkins.
The Lost Woods Totk isn't just a repeat of the 1986 Legend of Zelda "Up, Left, Down, Left" sequence. It’s a multi-layered environmental puzzle that forces you to use the game's new verticality. It rewards curiosity but punishes those who refuse to adapt to the new mechanics of the Depths.
Actionable Insights for Navigating the Forest
If you're heading into the woods right now, keep these three things in your inventory or you're going to have a bad time:
- At least 15 Bomb Flowers: Essential for the Gloom Spawn fight under the tree. Without AOE damage, those hands are nearly impossible to manage.
- Sunny Veggie Porridge: Cook Sunshrooms or Sundelions with Hylian Rice and Milk. You’ll need this to repair the "cracked" heart containers caused by the gloom under the forest.
- A Forest Dweller’s Sword: You can find these scattered around the forest after clearing the gloom. They have a unique "Resilience" property that lets you reuse burst-on-impact materials (like puffshrooms) multiple times.
Before you go, make sure you have at least two full stamina bars. The Master Sword quest that follows the Lost Woods requires a stamina check, not a heart check. If you have all hearts and no stamina, you’ll clear the forest only to realize you can’t actually claim your prize yet. Focus on shrines in the Central Hyrule area first to beef up that green circle. Once you’re prepped, dive into the Minshi Chasm and start your descent. The forest is waiting.