With Tears of the Kingdom's map being even bigger than Breath of the Wild's, players have a plethora of locations to discover and explore. The map spans from the soaring heights of the Sky Islands to the plunging Depths beneath the land, and the sprawling land of Hyrule, and is packed with all sorts of items, locations, and enemies to discover.
However, players will soon discover that some areas are much more dangerous than others. They may come across some of the most treacherous locations in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom on their own, but others are tucked out of the way, and require some exploring to find. In most cases, the greater the danger, the greater the reward, so many players may find themselves looking forward to the challenge.
10 The Depths
Most players can agree that after spending some time anywhere in The Depths, the entire region is a pretty dangerous place to be. For one, environmental hazards can pose a serious threat to any player. The entire area is dark, with very low visibility, and players who don't look where they're going can find themselves running into trouble, or even just off a cliff. The Depths also have hazardous Gloom sprawled throughout the landscape, that can take away a player's health permanently, until they return to the surface.
Another problem players will come across down here is the Gloom versions of enemies. These creatures can also sap away Link's health with their attacks and are noticeably tougher to defeat than their surface-dwelling counterparts. With its limited health pool and buffed-up enemies, The Depths was built with danger in mind.
9 Yiga Clan Hideout
The Yiga Clan Hideout is located East of the Gerudo Highlands Skyview Tower. Approaching the Hideout may seem too easy to believe. However, players trying to enter the Hideout without the Yiga Clan Uniform will find the base is locked down, and they'll be ambushed. Multiple Footsoldiers and a Blademaster will attack the player, and it can be a pretty tough fight.
Once players have acquired the uniform, they can make their way inside and take part in some training challenges. Finishing them all will allow players to unlock some pretty sweet gear.
8 Lone Island Coliseum
Lone Island Coliseum can be found just under the Eventide Island Chasm. Players looking to grow their collection of clothing items will eventually find their way here, as the reward for completing this Coliseum is Midna's Mask - a pretty rare find. However, in order to complete the Coliseum, players must first battle their way through increasingly difficult waves of enemies.
Before they head down to the Coliseum, players should make sure they stock up on some elemental items, and bring plenty of arrows with them. Having some Bomb Flowers for the later rounds would also be helpful, to really whittle down the enemy's larger health pools.
7 Eventide Island
Whilst not as challenging as its predecessor in Breath of the Wild, Eventide Island still remains a dangerous place. The island is the base of operations for the pirates who keep attacking poor Lurelin Village. To help thwart their plans, and save the village from their ongoing assault, players must take out three camps of enemies spread throughout the island.
The island has plenty of natural hazards, and a lot of the enemies that players will come across are blue and black, so they should be prepared for a decent fight. Completing this challenge will allow players to unlock Eventide Island's shrine, which will be especially handy for those wanting to return.
6 Gerudo Desert / Toruma Dunes
Reaching Gerudo Town for the first time can be a tricky experience for most players. The sand shroud makes visibility almost impossible and completely blocks the map, making it difficult to navigate. Players will also need to make sure they bring along both heat-resistant and cold-resistant gear, as the temperatures fluctuate dramatically in the region.
Environmental hazards aren't the only thing players have to worry about though. Players will also have to deal with the Gerudo Desert's inhabitants, including the various Gibdos, and even the occasional Molduga. Not only that, players will have to deal with lightning-based enemies, who can stun them in place with their attacks.
5 Spectacle Rock
Located next to the Gerudo Canyon Skyview Tower, Spectacle Rock certainly lives up to its name and will give thrill-seeking players plenty to keep them busy. In this small area, players can find mud that they will quickly sink into, a Rare Stone Talus, and a Flame Gleeok. Of course, this can be an absolute nightmare for an unprepared player, strolling in unaware of what awaits them.
However, for players looking to farm high-level enemies and bosses, Spectacle Rock is the perfect challenge. The Stone Talus is the easier boss of the two, by far, and is a great way to farm gems and minerals. The Gleeok, however, will prove to be a much tougher challenge, and players should probably wait until they're later on in the game to try and take this beast on.
4 Coliseum Ruin
The Coliseum Ruins are one of the coolest locations in the game and serves as an epic arena for a boss battle with a Thunder Gleeok. For players wanting to take on this challenge, the Coliseum Ruins can be found South-West of the Hyrule Field Skyview Tower, across Aquame Lake.
It's recommended that players wait for this area until they've leveled up quite a lot, and have some weapons powerful enough to take this beast down. The Gleeok's attacks can kill Link in one hit when he's not got many hearts, so the area is too dangerous for players who haven't completed many shrines.
3 Lurelin Village
After speaking to the shopkeeper in Lookout Landing, players will learn that Lurelin Village has been invaded by pirates. Once they have made their way there, players will discover the shopkeeper was right; the town has been swarmed with monsters. This includes Black-Bokoblins, Black-Lizalfos, and Black-Moblins.
Players will have to make their way through a couple dozen of these creatures, without dying. Clearing out Lurelin Village is no easy feat, and players need to make sure they're fully prepared to wipe out these foes in one sweep - if they die, they will have to restart the mission, making the location particularly dangerous.
2 The Gerudo Sky
Lurking above the Thunder Temple, players will find a floating arena that hosts the King Gleeok. The unnamed island itself is rather difficult to reach. It's high up, far away from any Skyview Towers, and there aren't any nearby Sky Islands. The closest islands that players will find are within the North Gerudo Sky Archipelago. From here, players will have to find some Zonai devices that will help them cover the distance to the island hosting King Gleeok.
This boss is a lot tougher than its counterparts, as each head has its own different element. Players must come prepared to counter each element to take this boss out. The island is difficult to get to, and the boss is even tougher, but the treacherous journey will certainly be worth it.
1 Gloom's Approach
Some players may have accidentally come across this location early on in their playthrough if their curiosity got the best of them at the Hyrule Castle Chasm. Once they reach the bottom, players will be met with a dark, creepy area covered with sprawling Gloom. Once they start looking around, they'll soon discover the area has its own inhabitants.
Gloom's Approach is one of the toughest locations players will come across. The area is filled with Gloom versions of Silver enemies, such as Horriblins, Moblins, Lizalfos, Like Likes, and even a Lynel. Gloom's Approach is a serious challenge for any player, and anyone wanting to fight their way through this location will need to come prepared, with the best loot they can find, and as many stamina/health upgrades they can get.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available for the Nintendo Switch.