How to easily find Lightroot locations and explore the Depths in Tears of the Kingdom (TotK)

In The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, you’ll explore the land of Hyrule once again. However, certain features of the landscape have changed considerably. The Depths offer an expansive new map with some of the game’s most exciting loot. Getting around that hostile environment can be difficult until you’ve developed some good strategies, especially in the dark. Here is our guide on how to easily find Lightroot locations and explore the Depths in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

Tears of the Kingdom – how to easily find Lightroot locations and explore the Depths

When you first encounter the Depths, they are almost completely dark. To get anywhere safely at first, you need to use Brightbloom Seeds (see more information here about how to use Brightbloom Seeds). However, you can quickly burn through your supply of seeds. To ensure long-term success, seek out Lightroot locations. Once activated, Lightroots provide more persistent light. You can also visit a root to remove gloom’s effects, and they serve as fast travel points.

There are a few strategies to easily find Lightroot locations as you explore the Depths. The more of them you light, the easier you will find it to access the full region and its treasure.

Screenshot by PC Invasion

First, make sure to enter the Depths through multiple chasms. When you jump through a new chasm and glide into the Depths, you should see a nearby Lightroot you can float to. Before they are lit, Lightroots resemble glowing popcorn kernels. They are easy to spot from a distance as you descend from the surface.

Once you activate a Lightroot in a given region, branch out from there to find any others located nearby. Often, you’ll see one or more additional Lightroot locations while standing within the glow of one you have recently activated. This makes it easier to slowly radiate outward, until you have most of each region lit.

Screenshot by PC Invasion

Apply what you learned from activating shrines on the surface. I didn’t notice at first, but every Lightroot location corresponds to a shrine. In fact, Lightroots share names with their connected shrines, except spelled backward. For instance, Tikanur Lightroot in the Depths links to Runakit Shrine on the surface. If you have activated a shrine on the surface but can’t find it in the Depths, highlight its location on the overworld map. Then switch to the map of the Depths and immediately place a marker. Now you have a much better idea of where to find the root.

Find the high ground if you can’t see a promising Lightroot location. They are often on the other side of a ledge or wall, which you can’t see from the ground. However, trees and mushrooms often provide a lofty vantage point and have rest points as you ascend them. You can also climb to high ledges and towers.

Keep the above tips in mind; you should have a much easier time finding most or all of the Lightroot locations.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available on the Nintendo Switch.