How to get out of wells in Tears of the Kingdom

The world of Hyrule is big and dangerous in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Even something simple like going to the well for a drink of water can wind up being an adventure. What if you fall in, and what if you can’t get back out? Here is our guide on how to get out of wells in Tears of the Kingdom.

Tears of the Kingdom – how to get out of wells

Like most worlds where people enjoy drinking water, Hyrule has its fair share of wells. You can find them near towns, stables, old buildings, Skyview Towers, and more. They are easy to identify, consisting of a round circle of stones with a hole at their center. If you drop down that hole, you’ll often find an underground area that might include monsters, random travelers, or precious resources. Surprisingly, they often contain relatively little water.

If you fall or jump into a well, you might look around and realize there’s no ladder to climb back to the surface. Sometimes there will be, but sometimes not. To get out of a well when no ladder is available, you have a few options. There’s no need to panic, at least not initially.

Screenshot by PC Invasion

The first thing to remember is that you can always get out of a well simply by fast traveling to the nearest available site. This is not ideal, of course. If you wandered far afield before finding that fateful well, you might lose a lot of progress if you didn’t activate any nearby shrines. Before you go that route, look for alternate exits. There might be another route to follow, perhaps hidden behind a weak wall you can smash with a stone weapon.

However, even if you’ve hit an apparent dead end with no way out but up, there are typically options available. The most direct way out is to use the Arise ability. Wells tend to be fairly shallow, with low ceilings. Just look at the rocky ceiling overhead and target it with your ability. Typically, you will find your light is green, meaning you can burrow through the rock and arrive on the surface in some interesting places. Like me, you may figure this out on your own when you are trying to figure out how to activate the Sahasra Slope Skyview Tower.

Screenshot by PC Invasion

How to complete the Fell into a Well! side quest

Some wells feature objects you can manipulate to reach the surface when that proves necessary. This is true of the well featured in the Fell into a Well! side quest, located on the southeastern end of Applean Forest, near the road and Rebonae Bridge. When you descend that well, you meet a character named Dillie who is trapped because the ladder broke.

Look around for part of that ladder and use the Ultrahand ability to grab it along one end. Then rotate it so it dangles vertically. Attach the end of the ladder you’re holding to the bottom of the one hanging from the ceiling. Then talk to Dillie and you can both easily leave. He will reward you with a Purple Rupee.

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