In The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, players get to re-explore the open world of Hyrule just like they did in its predecessor, Breath of the Wild. However, not to let players down in the sequel, Nintendo also vastly expanded the map by including two new planes: the sparse Sky Islands above Hyrule, and a vast underworld known as the Depths.
Spanning nearly the entire map of Hyrule, the Depths have lots for players to uncover. There are many secrets, side quests, and benefits for players who choose to spend their playtime navigating this mysterious underground world, but these aspects of the Depths are the best reasons to check them out.
10 A Whole New Map To Explore
As previously stated, the Depths are the exact same size of the Hyrule overworld, and though they share many similarities, there are also plenty of differences between the two. Thankfully, the creators of Tears of the Kingdom have made it pretty easy to continue exploring the Depths by introducing their equivalent to Skyview Towers.
Rather than be split into different areas that can be uncovered by activating SkyviewTowers, or Sheikah Towers in Breath of the Wild, the Depths contain Lightroots, which will illuminate darkened areas of the Depths for easier exploration. These Lightroots can be challenging to find, but they all parallel Shrines of Light in Hyrule's overworld, which can make it easier to track them down.
9 Mining For Zonaite
Spending a lot of time in the Depths will also give players a lot of opportunities to mine Zonaite, a new type of mineral introduced in Tears of the Kingdom. The Depths are also home to mines where collected Zonaite can be processed into Zonai charges, granting temporary battery life; or crystallized charges, which can be traded for battery upgrades.
Thankfully, there's no Zonaite shortage in the Depths, especially if players are brave enough to confront encampments of enemies and risk taking Gloom damage. Some creatures exclusive to the Depths, such as Tiny Frox. Enemies here often drop Zonaite when defeated, which makes them also valuable kills to make the most of every excursion down below.
8 The Treasure Of The Depths
Players who ignore exploring the Depths will also miss the chance to score some rare treasure. There are plenty of rare weapons and armor pieces to be found in the Depths, often hiding in Treasure Chests or being held by shadow soldiers, which is the only way to find pristine weapons in the Nintendo Switch title.
As for the armor pieces found in the Depths, many of the rarest ones are callbacks to previous Legend of Zelda titles, including armor sets based on The Wind Waker or Twilight Princess. Challenging hordes of monsters in coliseums in the Depths will also grant players the chance to win special armor pieces like Midna's Helmet or Zant's Helmet.
7 Collecting Poes For Bargainer Statues
Upon arriving in the Depths, players may quickly discover Poe spirits in clusters throughout the area, offering a small amount of illumination where they hover. Players should also keep an eye out for Grand and Large Poes, which offer a higher value of Poes by collecting them but are much less common than individual Poe spirits.
After collecting Poes, one may wonder what they can be used for. To find that out, players will have to explore the Depths enough to find Bargainer Statues, which will accept Poe spirits in exchange for rare items or armor sets. This can especially be a valuable way to find Bomb Flowers, which can be hard to come by in the overworld.
6 Zonai Device Experimentation
The inclusion of Zonai devices and crafting mechanics really opens up the possibilities of Tears of the Kingdom. Many players online have already pulled off some incredible feats with their Zonai device ingenuity. Using up the devices players acquire through Device Dispensers can feel like a waste, but not when Link enters the Depths.
Often, players will come across areas of the Depths where a collection of Zonai devices are laid out ready to be used. This can be a great way for players to test out their ideas for Zonai device inventions, and Link can put them to good use exploring the Depths with them. Players may even create schematics they can later re-purpose in the overworld.
5 Autobuild Encourages Creativity
Of course, a big bonus of exploring the Depths early in Tears of the Kingdom is gaining access to an additional rune: Autobuild. This rune allows players to keep a catalog of their constructions and automatically recreate them, either by gathering the materials in person or by spending Zonaite to construct them out of thin air.
Not only does the Autobuild mechanic allow players to keep track of their inventions and recreate them, but it also gives players an incentive to come up with creative solutions to problems in the overworld. Don't have enough stamina to paraglide over a gap? Spend some Zonaite to build a hovercraft and fly there!
4 Facing The Yiga Clan
Exploring the Depths isn't always a safe adventure for players, but thankfully, there's not much to fear when the biggest threat is the Yiga Clan. Introduced in Breath of the Wild, these Sheikah rebels are frequent troublemakers and banana-lovers who appear throughout Hyrule causing chaos, often due to the incompetence of their leader, Master Kohga.
Though Kohga was originally faced as a miniboss in Breath of the Wild, in Tears of the Kingdom he has made the Depths his new base of operations. Players can face him several times throughout the side quest "Master Kohga of the Yiga Clan," where Link must chase him to different locations in the Depths, defeating his Zonai device vehicles.
3 Same Old Fights, Brand New Challenge
In many ways, the map of the Depths parallels the map of Hyrule. This is especially true when it comes to re-encountering boss battles. Throughout the main story of Tears of the Kingdom, players will face many bosses at the end of each temple, including Queen Gibdo of the Lightning Temple or Mucktorok of the Water Temple.
For those who want another opportunity to challenge these bosses, they can be found at different locations throughout the Depths. After defeating them once, they'll reappear elsewhere, so Link has many opportunities to face them again. For hints on where they can be found, try exploring areas of the Depths parallel to the temples' locations in the overworld.
2 Riding Stalhorses
Finding and registering horses at stables is a beloved pastime for many Tears of the Kingdom players, especially when it comes to finding rarer breeds. One of the rarest in Hyrule is the Stalhorse, a skeletal horse that only appears at night in specific locations. However, they're more frequently ridden by enemies in the Depths.
Taming a Stalhorse in the Depths is incredibly useful. These horses can cross Gloom without hurting Link, making them much more versatile at exploring the area than regular horses. However, given the lack of horse stables in the Depths, players won't get to bond with them as much, and will eventually have to let them go back to the wild.
1 Deciphering Hyrule's Hidden Lore
The mystery of the Depths is a big expansion on Hyrule's lore, offering a lot of insight players didn't have in the previous game. Exploring the lore of these mysterious caves is how players are initially introduced to them, by aiding Josha and Robbie in their investigation of mysterious statues underground.
Some fans have spread various theories about what the Depths actually are and how they originated in Hyrule, with some suggesting that they're a form of the after-life. This would explain the presence of ghostly shadow soldiers and Poe spirits, though others have theorized they could possibly be a version of Hyrule from the past.