In The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, players will embark on a quest to find 900 Koroks, charming forest creatures hidden throughout Hyrule. These whimsical beings offer puzzles and challenges, rewarding the player with valuable Korok Seeds upon completion. There are a total of 1000 Korok Seeds to be earned and exchanged with Hestu, a lively Korok who plays the maracas to unlock additional inventory slots.
Among the various types of Korok puzzles, one type involves a stump with a chain and corks on each side. The goal is to remove the plug from the stump, unveiling the hidden Korok and earning a Korok Seed. Tears of the Kingdom features 26 of these cork-pulling puzzles, making it important for players to familiarize themselves with the different methods to solve these challenges. Let's explore the strategies for solving Korok cork-pulling puzzles in Tears of the Kingdom.
How to Solve Korok Cork Pulling Puzzles
While not as common as other Korok puzzles, players may encounter a handful of cork puzzles during their adventures without explicitly having to hunt them down. While they seem simple enough to solve, pulling out the cork directly with the Ultrahand won't work due to the chain's short length. Instead, Link will need to utilize his Fuse ability and employ various techniques. Here are four different approaches to solving Korok cork-pulling puzzles in Tears of the Kingdom:
Fusing a Rocket Zonai Device
This method provides a solution for all Korok cork puzzles, but it requires using a Rocket Zonai Device. It is advisable to reserve this method as a last resort unless the player has an abundance of these devices. Simply fuse the Rocket to the cork and strike it, causing the rocket to take off and carry the cork away, freeing the Korok from the stump.
Fusing and Using Recall
To utilize this method, the player needs to grab an object, such as a rock, using the Ultrahand. Starting and ending at the stump, draw a large circle in front of it while holding the rock. When reaching the stump at the end of the circle, drop the item and fuse it with the cork.
Then, activate the Recall ability to target the rock, causing it to move in the opposite direction along the path of the circle you drew. As the rock moves far enough away from the stump, it will eventually pull out the cork.
Fusing a Heavy Object
For some puzzles, fusing any heavy object into the cork can do the trick. Oftentimes, these puzzles will have nearby large objects that Link can utilize. Once the object is connected to the cork, gravity will take over, pulling the cork out naturally. This method works best for specific cork pull puzzles found on mountaintops or cliffs, including one situated atop a summit in the Hebra Mountains.
Dunking the Cork Underwater
If the cork is submerged in a body of water within the stump, use the Ultrahand to grab the cork and push it as deep as possible into the water. Release the Ultrahand, and the cork will bounce back up, popping out of the water and dislodging it from the stump, thus revealing the Korok.
By employing these strategies, players should have little trouble conquering the Korok cork pulling puzzles scattered throughout Tears of the Kingdom and earning their Korok Seed rewards.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available for the Nintendo Switch.
