In The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the iconic protagonist Link once again embarks on a perilous journey, returning to a troubled incarnation of the majestic land of Hyrule. Fans familiar with the previous installment of the series, Breath of the Wild, will recognize many familiar locations and topography on the surface of Hyrule. However, in Tears of the Kingdom, Link's journey transcends the confines of Hyrule's surface, unveiling uncharted regions both above and below for him to explore.
In Tears of the Kingdom, Link’s adventure takes him to two expansive new realms: the perilous Underground Depths and the awe-inspiring Sky Islands. While gaining access to the Depths is relatively straightforward, returning to Hyrule's surface presents a slightly unintuitive solution that may catch players off guard. Here's a guide on how to exit the Depths and return to the surface in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
What are the Depths in Tears of the Kingdom
The Depths are a sprawling underground region beneath Hyrule's surface that serve as an all-new setting for players to explore in Tears of the Kingdom. In the early Main Quest, "Camera Work in the Depths," players will embark on their initial journey through the Depths by diving into one of the many perilous Chasms. This quest tasks the player to track down Robbie and, in this process, introduces players to many key elements of the Depths, such as the debilitating Gloom and strange structures they will frequently encounter.
How to Enter the Depths in Tears of the Kingdom
To access the Depths, players can leap into one of the numerous Chasms scattered across Hyrule's surface. These Chasms are easily identifiable by the presence of black and red Gloom seeping from their expansive pits. By plunging into one of these Chasms, diving, then utilizing the paraglider, Link can descend safely into the underground and avoid taking fall damage.
While in the Depths, the player should seek out Lightroots, which are large structures containing a seed which can be interacted with to activate the Lightroot. This bathes the surrounding area in a substantial amount of light, reveals a portion of the map, and creates a fast travel point that can be used within the Depths. The player should rely on items such as Brightbloom Seeds to generate enough light to safely navigate the Depths while seeking out Lightroots.
How to Get Out of the Depths in Tears of the Kingdom
Contrary to its appearance, the Lightroot does not serve as a means to return to the surface of Hyrule, despite having what appears to be a bright opening to the surface in its center. Instead, players will need to utilize the fast travel ability and select a location on Hyrule's surface for their return.
While there are a few shallow areas in the Depths where Link can get back to the surface using his Ascend ability, the most dependable approach is to simply fast travel to any previously discovered point on the surface, such as a Shrine or Tower location. To do so, open the world map and press up on the D-Pad to display the Surface level map of Hyrule, then select any valid fast travel location to exit the Depths.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available now on Nintendo Switch.
