The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom introduces a wide range of new items for Link to use throughout his journey. Many of these items are said to have originated with a long-lost society that once called Hyrule home. Known as the Zonai, this highly advanced civilization left behind several unique forms of technology, many of which Link will encounter in the earliest sections of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Not long into the opening section of the game, Link will receive a special item that houses Zonai Energy Cells. These cells allow Link to power all the various Zonai Devices he will come across in Tears of the Kingdom. However, to begin with, Link will only have one cell on a device clearly meant to hold more. This guide will explain the basic procedure that allows Link to upgrade the Energy Cell.
How to Get More Batteries in TotK
While the basic process to upgrade the Energy Cell is relatively simple, there are several steps Link must take before the task is complete. There are three main steps to upgrading the Energy Cell, which will be thoroughly explained later in the guide. The basic steps are as follows:
- Collect Zonaite: This first step is what everything else revolves around. Everything needed to upgrade the Energy Cell begins with this unique ore found often found in Hyrule's caves, as well as the Depths.
- Process Crystallized Charges: Crystallized Charges are a special resource that Link will need to upgrade the Energy Cell. He will encounter special Constructs that will refine three Zonaite into a single Crystallized Charge. There will be more opportunities to get Crystallized Charges as the game progresses, but in the early sections, a Forge Construct is the best option.
- Visit a Crystal Refinery to Upgrade: The Crystal Refinery, of which there are at least two available to Link very early in Tears of the Kingdom, will allow him to trade 100 Crystallized Charges for one new energy well. Each Cell is made up of three wells, making three upgrades required before a full Cell is complete.
Where to Find Zonaite in Tears of the Kingdom
Zonaite is new ore in Tears of the Kingdom, which is found in great abundance in caves, as well as in the Depths beneath Hyrule. In many of the caves Link will find throughout Hyrule, there will be large ore deposits. These function in essentially the same way they did in Breath of the Wild, providing various rocks and minerals when destroyed. However, Tears of the Kingdom adds a deposit that specifically provides Zonaite.
Link can get a sense of how this works in the Mining Cave (0382, -1628, 1413), which can be found in the Sky Islands quite early into Link's adventure.
Another good way to get Zonaite is by descending into the area below Hyrule known as the Depths. To reach this area, Link can simply glide down into the chasms he comes across, which are marked by red circles on the map.
These areas can be very dangerous in the early game, as they are filled with gloom-infused enemies, capable of temporarily lowering Link's max health.
Luckily, many of those enemies also drop Zonaite when destroyed. The Depths will also prove to be a good location to find Zonaite Deposits, which appear in the same form as the mines. Because the Gloom is so prevalent in the Depths, make sure to bring plenty of gloom-reversing dishes, which can be created early on by using Sundelion found on many of the Sky Islands.
Keep in mind that all Zonaite deposits are replenished after the Blood Moon .
How to Get Crystallized Charges in Tears of the Kingdom
Link can get a single Crystallized Charge by trading three Zonaite directly to Forge Constructs. In the early game, Link can find a Forge Construct in the Mining Cave mentioned earlier. However, this Forge only carries 10 Crystallized Charges at a time, and they do not refill quickly.
The better option in the earlier section of the game is to try and make it the Great Abandoned Mine in the area beneath the Great Plateau. The Forge Construct at the Great Abandoned Mine is at the following coordinates: -0856, -1936, -0522. This construct will trade Link 30 charges at a time. Aside from the basic charges, this Forge also offers Large Crystallized Charges, which are worth 20 normal charges. These require three Large Zonaite pieces, which can be found with Zonaite but are rare.
In order to access the Forge Construct in the Great Abandoned Mine, Link will have to face his old foe Master Khoga, leader of the Yiga Clan. Aside from access to the Forge Construct, the fight will reward Link with 100 Crystallized charges, enough to get the first upgrade to the Energy Cell.
How to Reach the Great Abandoned Mine:
Link can find the Great Abandoned Mine easily by entering the Depths from the Great Plateau North Chasm (-0661, -1520, 0667). Once Link hits the bottom, head southwest to find the Nogukoyk Lightroot (-0708, -1551, -0517). From the Lightroot, the mine structure is found directly to the south.
How to Upgrade the Energy Cell in Tears of the Kingdom
While there are other Crystal Refineries in the early game, by far, the easiest one for Link to use will be found just outside of Lookout Landing. Just outside the town, there will be a small structure that appears as if it came from the Sky Islands.
This is the Crystal Refinery (-0214, 0194, 0031), marked on maps with a battery symbol. Interacting with the construct will allow Link to trade 100 charges for a single Energy Cell upgrade. Link can continue this process through Tears of the Kingdom, using his newly upgraded Energy Cell to keep his Zonai Devices running for as long as he wants.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available now on Nintendo Switch.
