Master Kohga is a vibe. Honestly, there is no other way to put it. While every other villain in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is busy being ancient, brooding, or literally trying to end the world through pure malice, the "Top Banana" of the Yiga Clan is out here just trying to vibe in the Depths. He’s the boss you love to beat up, not because he’s terrifying, but because he’s hilarious.
If you played Breath of the Wild, you probably remember him falling down a giant hole and assumed that was that. Game over, right? Nope. In Tears of the Kingdom, we find out he didn't just survive—he essentially thrived. He fell into the Depths, dusted himself off, and decided to start a mining corporation based entirely on Zonai technology and a personal vendetta against Link.
The Return of the King (of Bananas)
You’ll first run into Master Kohga of the Yiga Clan during the "A Mystery in the Depths" questline. Most players stumble onto this because Josha is obsessed with statues underground. You follow the eyes of these creepy, towering stone figures until you hit the Great Abandoned Central Mine.
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It’s a classic setup. You think you’re just getting the Autobuild ability (which is arguably the best power in the game), and then—poof. There he is. He’s still got the mask. He’s still got the belly. But now, he has a monster truck.
His role this time around is actually pretty significant for the lore. He’s not just a random encounter; he’s the one providing the breadcrumbs that lead you toward Ganondorf’s actual location. He calls him the "Magnificent One," which is just so on-brand for Kohga’s fanboy energy.
Why his boss fights are different this time
In the previous game, Kohga mostly just threw rocks at you. In Tears of the Kingdom, he’s an engineer. Sort of. Every time you find him in a different Abandoned Mine, he has a new "ultimate weapon" that he’s clearly very proud of.
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- Great Abandoned Central Mine: He starts with a spiked battle car. It’s slow. It’s clunky. Basically, you just shoot him with an arrow to stun him and then go to town with your best sword.
- Abandoned Gerudo Mine: He takes to the skies. He’s got a glider with flamethrowers. This one is annoying because he moves fast, but the strategy is the same: knock him off the seat.
- Abandoned Lanayru Mine: He’s on a boat. He’s got Yiga minions with him. It’s a literal naval battle in the dark.
- Abandoned Hebra Mine: The finale. He brings out a giant Zonai Construct and challenges you to a boxing match inside a laser ring.
It’s ridiculous. It’s camp. And it’s one of the few questlines that actually makes the Depths feel like a lived-in space rather than just a dark pit of gloom.
Finding the Hidden Mines
If you’re trying to track him down, don't just wander aimlessly. The game tells you to "follow the statues," and it actually means it. Each major mine is located directly beneath its corresponding surface city.
For example, the Abandoned Gerudo Mine is right under Gerudo Town. The Hebra one is under Rito Village. If you’ve already found the Lightroots under the main towns, you basically already know where Kohga is hiding.
The rewards are actually worth the effort, too. Every time you beat him, you get a "Huge Crystallized Charge" (worth 100 normal ones). If you’re trying to upgrade your battery so you can actually fly a hoverbike for more than thirty seconds, Master Kohga is your best friend. He’s essentially a walking battery farm.
The Scheme of the Yiga
Besides the charges, you get Schema Stones. These are pre-built Autobuild designs. Are they all useful? Kinda. The Hovercraft and the Bolt Boat are cool for a few minutes, but let's be real—most of us just end up building the same two-fan hoverbike anyway. Still, for the completionists out there, you can't get the full set without finishing Kohga's side adventure.
What happens at the end?
Without spoiling the literal last frame, the final showdown in the Hebra Mine is pure Team Rocket energy. Kohga never really learns his lesson. He tries one last "ultimate move" involving a bunch of rockets, and... well, let’s just say he exits the game in the most spectacular way possible.
There's a lot of fan theory work going on right now about where he actually went. Some people think he was blasted into the Sky Islands, while others think he might have actually left the atmosphere. Given how the Yiga Clan operates, he’s probably just somewhere eating a banana and plotting a very inefficient revenge.
Essential Tips for the Kohga Questline
If you're heading down there, keep these things in mind:
- Bring plenty of arrows. Every single fight requires you to knock him out of a pilot's seat. If you run out of arrows, you’re going to have a very bad time trying to throw weapons at a moving plane.
- Keese Wings are your secret weapon. When he’s flying around in the Gerudo or Hebra mines, his vehicles are fast. Fusing a Keese Wing to your arrow makes it fly further and straighter, making it way easier to hit him from a distance.
- Use the environment. In the final Construct fight, you don't even need to be a combat god. Just knock him into the electrified ropes of the boxing ring. The environment does half the work for you.
- Don't forget to talk to Josha. After you finish the whole thing, go back to Lookout Landing. There’s some extra dialogue and rewards that people often miss because they think the quest ends in the Depths.
Master Kohga might not be the most "difficult" boss in Tears of the Kingdom, but he’s easily the most memorable. He adds a layer of personality to the Depths that would be sorely missing without him. Plus, it’s just satisfying to see a villain who is clearly having as much fun being "evil" as we are having playing the game.
To wrap this up, if you haven't finished the Kohga questline yet, stop what you're doing and head to the Great Plateau North Chasm. It's the fastest way to the Central Mine. Get your Autobuild, get your crystallized charges, and show the Yiga Clan why they should probably just stick to the banana business.
Next Steps for Players:
- Pin the Abandoned Mines on your map by looking at the surface town locations.
- Stock up on at least 50 arrows and some Aerocuda or Keese wings before the Gerudo Mine fight.
- Visit the Yiga Clan surface hideout in the Gerudo Highlands if you want the Yiga Armor set to sneak into their other bases.