Look, we’ve all been there. You’re paragliding off the Great Plateau, the music is swelling, and you think to yourself, "I'm going to find every single one of them." Then you realize there are 900. Nine hundred little woodland spirits hiding under rocks, behind waterfalls, and on top of icy peaks that require three layers of cold resistance just to breathe. It’s a lot. Honestly, it’s probably too much for most people. But if you’re hunting for botw korok seed locations, you aren't just playing a game; you're doing digital archaeology.
The reality of Breath of the Wild is that the map is a masterpiece of distraction. It’s designed to pull you away from the main quest every thirty seconds. You see a circle of lilypads? That’s a Korok. A weirdly lonely rock on a mountain? Korok. A pinwheel spinning in the wind? You guessed it. But after the first hundred or so, the novelty starts to wear off and the grind sets in. You realize that Hestu’s dance is cute, but your inventory space is a precious commodity that requires a literal mountain of seeds to maximize.
The Strategy Behind the Scavenger Hunt
You can’t just wing this. If you try to find all the botw korok seed locations by just wandering around, you will still be playing this game in 2030. Most players hit a wall around the 400-seed mark. That’s because the game’s distribution isn't even. Some regions, like the Central Hyrule plain or the lush forests of Faron, are absolutely packed. Others, like the Gerudo Highlands, feel like a barren wasteland where you’ll climb for twenty minutes just to find a single "Ya-ha-ha!"
Basically, you need to categorize what you're looking for. The game uses a few specific templates. There are the "natural patterns," like the stone circles where one rock is missing. Then there are the "timed trials," where you step on a stump with a leaf icon and have to race to a yellow ring. And don't forget the archery challenges—those tiny balloons floating near bridges or under eaves are easy to miss if you aren't looking up constantly.
Why the Korok Mask is Non-Negotiable
If you have the DLC, go get the Korok Mask immediately. Seriously. It’s in the Lost Woods, tucked away in a chest inside a hollow tree. Without it, finding the more obscure botw korok seed locations is basically impossible unless you’re staring at an interactive map on a second monitor the whole time. The mask shakes and makes a little chime whenever a Korok is nearby. It’s the difference between a frustrating search and a guided tour.
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Regional Hotspots and Hidden Nightmares
Let’s talk about the Great Plateau first. It’s the tutorial area, sure, but it’s dense. You’ve got the one under the bridge, the one on top of the Temple of Time, and that sneaky one hiding in the freezing pond near the Cryonis shrine. Most people miss the one behind the waterfall near the Owa Daim shrine because they’re too busy trying not to slip and fall to their death.
Then you have the Dueling Peaks. This region is a vertical nightmare. You’ll spend half your time managing stamina bars. There’s a specific Korok near the top of the southern peak that requires you to complete a stone pattern, but the stones are way down the slope. It’s annoying. It’s tedious. But it’s necessary if you want that 100% completion mark.
Hyrule Castle is another beast entirely. It’s arguably the most dangerous place to hunt for seeds because of the Guardians, but it also contains some of the most rewarding botw korok seed locations in terms of sheer density. There’s one at the very tip-top of the highest spire. Getting there requires either a lot of Revali’s Gale uses or some very patient climbing while avoiding laser beams. It’s exhilarating and terrifying at the same time.
The Problem with the Woods
Faron is beautiful, but the verticality and the rain make it a slog. You’ll find a lot of seeds hidden in the Durian trees—look for three trees in a row and pick the fruit until they all match. It’s a common puzzle type, but in the thick jungle of Faron, these trees blend in perfectly. You’ve got to keep your eyes peeled for symmetry. Nature in Hyrule isn't naturally symmetrical, so if you see three of anything lined up perfectly, something is up.
Misconceptions About the 900 Total
Here is the thing most people don't realize: you don't actually need all 900 seeds to max out your inventory. You only need 441. The remaining 459 are essentially just for bragging rights and a very "special" (read: disappointing) reward from Hestu. If you’re just looking to carry more bows and shields, stop at 441. Save your sanity.
The developers at Nintendo, including director Hidemaro Fujibayashi, have hinted in interviews that the sheer volume of seeds was meant to ensure that no matter which path a player took through the world, they would find enough to upgrade their gear. It wasn't necessarily intended as a mandatory checklist for every single player. It was meant to be a reward for curiosity, not a chore. But for the completionists among us, it became the ultimate chore.
Specific Types of Puzzles to Watch For
- The Offering Bowls: You’ll see statues, usually near Kakariko or in the snowy regions, with bowls in front of them. One bowl will have an apple or a spicy pepper. Just drop the matching item in the empty bowl. Kinda simple, but easy to walk past.
- The Dive: If you see a circle of logs or lilypads in a body of water, don't just swim to it. You have to jump from a height and land in the center.
- The Boulder Hole: You find a hole in the ground and a large boulder nearby. Use Stasis or just push it. This is peak physics-engine fun until the boulder bounces over the hole and rolls down a mountain. Then it's just pain.
- The Hidden Glitter: Sometimes you’ll see a trail of sparkling leaves running around on the ground or up a tree. You have to "catch" it. It's basically a game of tag with a ghost.
- The Cube Patterns: These are the Magnesis puzzles. Two sets of metal blocks, one is "wrong." Move the loose block to make them match. These are usually stuck to cliff faces, making them visible from a distance if you’re using your scope.
The "Impossible" Seeds
There’s a legendary seed in Lurelin Village on top of a building shaped like a boat. There are rocks on the ground and a circle of rocks on the roof. Getting the rock up there is a nightmare. Most people use Octo Balloons or a very specific Stasis hit. It’s the kind of puzzle that makes you want to throw your Switch across the room. But that’s the charm of botw korok seed locations—they force you to use the game’s systems in ways you never intended.
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Managing the Grind Without Burning Out
Don't try to do this all at once. Seriously. Break it down by Sheikah Tower region. Clear out the Akkala region, then go do a quest. Clear out the Great Hyrule Forest, then go hunt some Lynels. If you spend ten hours straight just looking for seeds, the game loses its magic. It stops being an adventure and starts being a spreadsheet.
The community-driven Zelda Dungeon Interactive Map is basically the gold standard for this. It lets you check off seeds as you find them. Without a tracking tool, you will eventually find yourself at 899 seeds, staring at the map, wondering which one you missed. That is a dark place to be. Trust me.
Actionable Next Steps for the Hunt
First, prioritize the Great Plateau and the areas surrounding the first few stables you encounter. These provide the "easy" seeds that will get your inventory to a respectable size early on. Second, if you're serious about the full 900, get that Korok Mask from the DLC immediately; it’s located in the Lost Woods in a chest labeled "EX" near the entrance. Third, use a checklist or interactive map from the start. Marking them off in real-time prevents the "899-seed heartbreak" later. Finally, focus on the 441 seeds required for max inventory before worrying about the "Hestu’s Gift" reward, as the utility of extra slots far outweighs the cosmetic 100% completion mark.
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Focus on the clusters around Hyrule Castle and the major mountain ranges last, as these require the most stamina and specialized gear. By the time you reach those, you’ll have the climbing gear and Revali’s Gale to make the verticality manageable. Stay patient, keep your arrows stocked for those balloon puzzles, and remember to look under every suspicious-looking rock.