Korok Seeds are hidden everywhere throughout the vast world of Hyrule in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Collecting these items is vitally important to improving the player's experience on their journey. Korok Seeds can be given to Hestu to expand Link's inventory, in turn, allowing more bows, shields, and weapons to be held at one time. There are a total of 900 of these collectibles in the game, and only fans looking to 100% Breath of the Wild should take on this daunting task. Unfortunately, players that spend the absurd amount of time needed to collect all the Korok Seeds are rewarded with a joke gift, adding insult to injury.
The expansive land of Hyrule is filled with mystery and adventure. Players are encouraged to go out of their way to explore the world, discovering puzzles and new challenges. On their journey, fans come across a cast of colorful characters, including Hestu. He is the self-proclaimed greatest musician of the Korok Forest.
Players can find Hestu in multiple locations, changing spots throughout the game. This delightful character gives Link the task of collecting all 900 Korok Seeds in Breath of the Wild. Players can find the items scattered throughout all of Hyrule. By the time fans speak with Hestu, they are bound to have gathered at least a few Korok Seeds. These little collectibles make Link's journey to defeat Ganon much easier, by allowing the musician to expand the player's equipment slots.
Expanding Link's Inventory In BOTW
Before players can give the Korok Seeds to Hestu, they must find his maracas. This side quest can be started by talking to the big Korok South of Kakariko Village. Players will find the instruments in a treasure chest located at a nearby Bokoblin camp. Once returned, Hestu will use his magic to expand Link's inventory, in exchange for the Korok Seeds. Along with upgrading Stamina and Heart Containers in Breath of the Wild, increasing the amount of equipment carried can be just as important.
Every weapon in the game has durability and breaks when that number reaches zero. Running out of equipped swords, shields, or bows at an inopportune moment can lead to death. Players ideally want to be using weaker weapons, saving stronger ones for more challenging foes. At first, Hestu only requires one Korok Seed to upgrade an equipment slot. However, this number increases with each improvement granted. A total of 441 Korok Seeds are needed to fully upgrade each slot. The Bow pouch can be enhanced 8 times, the Weapon pouch can be enhanced 11 times, and the Shield pouch can be enhanced 16 times. Gathering 441 Korok Seeds is no easy task, but finding all 900 can take dozens of hours.
The Challenge Of Collecting All Korok Seeds In Breath of The Wild
Link can find most Koroks on his journey by solving small puzzles, but the hardest-to-find Korok Seeds in BOTW can be tricky to discover. An easily-missed opportunity to acquire one of these collectibles is located in Cora Lake. There, players will find a well-camouflaged puzzle, where a metal block needs to be placed into position. The object can be located at an odd angle in the water with Magnesis. Cryonis then needs to be used to form an ice pillar between the puzzle and the rocks, allowing Link to once again use Magnesis and carry the metal block over to the structure. The game also features several Koroks that are actually hidden out in the open.
Three wooden fences are lined up and located near the Serenne Stable in the Rowan Plain. To find this hidden Korok, players must jump over all three structures in a row with a horse. This can also be done with any other form of transportation Link can ride that is not a horse in BOTW. The Korok will be revealed as soon as all three fences are jumped over. This seed can be easily missed because there is no indicator as to why players should pass over each wooden structure. Sometimes, the Korok Seed puzzles are not as difficult to solve, as they are frustrating.
On top of a boat-shaped house in Lurelin Village is a series of rocks. This type of puzzle is commonly found throughout Hyrule and players can acquire the collectible, by placing a rock in the empty spot to complete the pattern. However, the way the game wants fans to put a stone on the roof can be rather tedious. On the cliffside behind the boat, there is a rock that can be propelled onto the building by a combination of Stasis and weapons, similar to the Stasis tricks players have discovered in BOTW. The angle of the trajectory can be very frustrating to get right, resulting in some clever adventurers finding an alternative method. On the opposite side of the boathouse, there is a palm tree that can be cut to fall on the building. By freezing the log with Stasis, a rock can be carried up to the puzzle on the roof. This one Korok Seed is notorious for how long it took many fans to complete.
Breath Of The Wild: Hestu's Gift Is A Lame Reward For Finding All Korok Seeds
Players have to wonder at the amazing reward they will earn from Hestu upon completion of this daunting task. The item is called Hestu's Gift, which resembles a golden pile of feces, and is purely ornamental. It is at this point players may realize that the Korok Seeds are not actually seeds at all, but rather Korok droppings that go inside Hestu's maracas. The in-game descriptions for the collectibles and the final Korok Seed reward both mention a "distinct smell" or "It smells pretty bad." In an IGN interview with Game Director Hidemaro Fujibayashi, he said, "We just kind of thought it would be funny to make that a big joke." While this may seem like an odd prank to foreign audiences, the choice to make Hestu's Gift a pile of golden poop is connected with Japanese culture.
According to an article in The Japan Times, the "Kin no unko," or golden pile of poop, was a humorous good luck token sold during the height of Japan's economic depression in the early 2000s. The souvenir eased the minds of citizens because the item was a pun. "The Japanese word for poop (unko) starts with the same “oon” sound as a completely unrelated word that means 'luck.'" This is a very common type of wordplay, often found in Japanese literature.
Most players will need a guide to find all the Korok Seeds in BOTW. Locating 900 of these collectibles is no easy task and receiving a golden pile of feces as a reward, can come across as rather insulting. However, solving every puzzle helps players to realize how much care was put into even the smallest aspects of the game. While Hestu's Gift may not have any purpose in-game, The Legend of Zelda series has always been about the adventure, not the destination.
Source: IGN, Japan Times