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QuestmajorMain storyModerate

The Dragon's Tears

The Dragon's Tears is a main-story quest in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom that sends Link to investigate Geoglyphs, collect their Dragon's Tears, and uncover memories concerning Princess Zelda and Hyrule's past.

RoleInvestigate the Geoglyphs and recover the memories hidden within their Dragon's Tears.
Statusavailable
Importancemajor
RewardStory revelations and access to the final hidden Dragon's Tear.
TimeVaries by route and exploration pace.
  • Quest typeMain story
  • Primary activityExploration and memory collection
  • Surface Geoglyphs11
  • Hidden final tear1
  • Combat focusLow
  • Main areaHyrule

The quest's progression is tied to collecting Dragon's Tears rather than defeating a boss. The final hidden tear appears after the 11 Geoglyph tears have been collected.

Key takeawaysSpoilers

Use the following points to plan the investigation without treating the quest as a combat-only objective.

  • Search the drawings, not just the map Each Geoglyph contains one Dragon's Tear, but the tear is a specific object within the larger design. Search from above whenever possible so the complete outline and its solid tear are easier to distinguish.
  • Memories are the quest's main evidence Interacting with a tear immediately triggers a flashback. These scenes are the primary way the quest reconstructs the past and should be viewed as soon as possible if you want the story context to guide the search.
  • The Forgotten Temple provides guidance The map and murals in the Forgotten Temple are useful reference material for locating the Geoglyphs. They can reduce the need to discover every drawing by broad exploration alone.
  • The final reveal follows the 11 surface tears The quest does not end with the first group of Geoglyphs. Once all 11 have been collected, a hidden 12th tear becomes available and completes the memory sequence.

The Dragon's Tears overviewSpoilers

The Dragon's Tears is an investigation quest built around Hyrule's Geoglyphs: enormous ground drawings that conceal collectible Dragon's Tears and memory sequences.

The quest begins when Link encounters the Sheikah elder Impa, who draws his attention to the mysterious Geoglyphs spread across Hyrule. Rather than treating the markings as ordinary environmental decorations, the quest uses them as a trail of evidence. Each site contains a Dragon's Tear, and interacting with it activates a flashback that expands the history surrounding Princess Zelda's disappearance and the upheaval affecting the kingdom.

There are 11 Geoglyphs placed across the map, with one Dragon's Tear associated with each drawing. The visible shape of a Geoglyph indicates the broad location of its tear, but the object itself may be positioned away from the most obvious part of the drawing. A practical approach is to gain elevation, inspect the full design, and search for the single solid tear among the many empty markings before landing.

The memories gradually shift the quest from a map-wide search into a historical investigation. They introduce King Rauru and Queen Sonia, identified as the first rulers of Hyrule, and provide context for the events that precede the present-day story. After the 11 surface tears have been collected, a 12th hidden tear appears, completing the sequence and revealing the consequence of Zelda's sacrifice: she transformed into the Light Dragon to help restore the kingdom.

The Forgotten Temple is an important support location for this investigation. Its map and murals provide guidance toward the Geoglyph sites, making it a useful place to revisit if the next drawing is difficult to identify from the world map alone. The quest is therefore most effective when approached as a combination of exploration, environmental reading, and optional-memory viewing rather than as a conventional combat mission.

The major revelations in this quest are best treated as spoilers. The memories are not merely background collectibles: together they explain what happened to Princess Zelda and connect the ancient history of Hyrule with Link's current objective. Players who want to preserve the narrative reveal should collect the tears in their own order and avoid reading the final sections of this page first.

Where this sits

InvestigationMeet Impa and learn that the Geoglyphs contain clues.
CollectionFind the Dragon's Tear at each of the 11 Geoglyphs.
RevelationFollow the final clue to the hidden 12th tear.
  1. 1Meet ImpastartThis encounter introduces the Geoglyph investigation.
  2. ●Investigate the GeoglyphsquestSearch the large ground drawings across Hyrule.
  3. 3Collect the 11 Dragon's TearsobjectiveEach surface Geoglyph contains one tear and one memory.
  4. 4Find the hidden 12th tearcompletionThe final tear becomes available after the others are collected.

The quest advances through discovery and memory collection rather than a linear chain of combat encounters.

Requirements

The essential requirement is reaching the investigation with Impa. Because the Geoglyphs are distributed throughout Hyrule, exploration tools and reliable navigation make the quest substantially easier.

  • RequiredMeet ImpaThe questline begins after Link meets Impa and receives encouragement to investigate the mysterious markings.
  • RequiredAccess to the surface of HyruleThe Dragon's Tears are found within Geoglyphs spread across the overworld, so the investigation requires traveling between surface regions.
  • RecommendedA way to gain elevationSkyview Towers, hills, cliffs, gliding, or other aerial approaches help reveal the full shape of a Geoglyph and make the tear easier to identify.
  • RecommendedVisit the Forgotten TempleIts map and murals provide guidance for the Geoglyph locations and are especially useful when a drawing is difficult to locate from memory.

Objectives

  1. Investigate the GeoglyphsTravel to the large ground drawings throughout Hyrule and examine their shapes from a useful vantage point.
  2. Find the Dragon's Tear at each GeoglyphSearch the drawing for its single tear and interact with it to trigger the associated memory.
  3. View the memoriesThe flashbacks provide the historical evidence needed to understand the quest's connection to Princess Zelda.
  4. Locate the hidden final tearAfter the 11 Geoglyph tears are collected, follow the new clue to the 12th hidden tear.

WalkthroughSpoilers

  1. 01

    Begin The Dragon's Tears.

    Speak with Impa and accept the investigation

    Find Impa and listen to her explanation of the strange Geoglyphs. This conversation establishes that the markings are connected to memories and turns the map-wide search into an active main-story objective.

    Location: Impa's introductory encounter

    TipRecord the broad shape of the first Geoglyph before leaving; the drawing is easier to recognize from the air than from ground level.

    Checkpoint
  2. 02

    Investigate the Geoglyph.

    Examine the first Geoglyph from above

    Travel to the first marked drawing and gain enough height to see most of its outline. Search for the one Dragon's Tear rather than interacting with every visible marking, since the correct object is the tear that triggers the memory.

    Location: The first Geoglyph site

    Watch outApproaching only from ground level can leave parts of the drawing hidden by slopes, trees, or terrain.

    Checkpoint
  3. 03

    Collect a Dragon's Tear.

    Interact with the Dragon's Tear

    When the solid tear is located, approach it and interact with it to start the flashback. Allow the memory to finish if you want the narrative clue before moving on, because the scenes are the quest's principal record of Hyrule's past.

    Location: Within the active Geoglyph

    Checkpoint
  4. 04

    Learn where additional Geoglyphs can be found.

    Use the Forgotten Temple as a route guide

    Visit the Forgotten Temple when you need help identifying the remaining drawings. Its map and murals provide location guidance, allowing you to compare the markings with the shapes seen across Hyrule instead of searching without a reference.

    Location: Forgotten Temple

    TipReturn to the temple whenever the next drawing is difficult to distinguish on the world map.

  5. 05

    Continue the Geoglyph investigation.

    Travel between the remaining Geoglyphs

    Move across Hyrule one drawing at a time, using elevated viewpoints before committing to a landing. The sites are spread across the map, so towers, ridgelines, and other high ground are valuable for confirming the full pattern and reducing wasted searching.

    Location: Surface regions throughout Hyrule

    TipMark a drawing after locating it so you do not repeatedly revisit the same site.

  6. 06

    Collect all surface Dragon's Tears.

    Search each drawing for its single tear

    At every new Geoglyph, inspect the entire design and look for the filled tear among the empty shapes. The tear may not be at the part of the drawing that first catches your eye, so circle the site or change elevation if the expected object is not visible.

    Location: Each of the 11 Geoglyph sites

    Watch outLeaving after finding only an interesting section of the drawing can cause the actual tear to be missed.

  7. 07

    Piece together what happened to Princess Zelda.

    Trigger every available memory

    Interact with each discovered Dragon's Tear before moving on to the next site. The flashbacks introduce historical figures including King Rauru and Queen Sonia and gradually connect their era to the present-day mystery surrounding Zelda.

    Location: Dragon's Tear memory sites

  8. 08

    Complete the 11-tear investigation.

    Confirm that all 11 Geoglyph tears are complete

    Continue checking the map and your quest progress until every surface Geoglyph has been investigated. The hidden final tear does not become available until the initial set has been collected, so a missing memory usually means one drawing still needs to be searched.

    Location: Hyrule map and Geoglyph sites

    TipIf progression appears to stop, revisit the Forgotten Temple's guidance and compare its murals with the drawings you have already visited.

    Checkpoint
  9. 09

    Find the 12th Dragon's Tear.

    Follow the clue to the hidden 12th tear

    Once the 11 Geoglyph tears are complete, pursue the new location indicated by the quest. This final tear is hidden rather than incorporated into one of the original surface drawings, so treat the new objective as a separate destination.

    Location: The hidden final-tear location

    Watch outThis is the quest's major narrative payoff; read the final memory only if you are ready for the central Zelda reveal.

    Checkpoint
  10. 10

    Complete The Dragon's Tears.

    View the final memory and finish the investigation

    Interact with the hidden Dragon's Tear to trigger the concluding memory in the sequence. The revelation explains that Zelda became the Light Dragon as a sacrifice intended to help restore the kingdom, completing the historical investigation.

    Location: Hidden 12th Dragon's Tear

    Checkpoint

Mission mechanics

The quest uses visual search as its central mechanic. A Geoglyph is a large image spread across the ground, and the player must understand the drawing as a whole before locating the relevant Dragon's Tear. Elevation is more important than combat strength: a high viewpoint makes the pattern readable, while a ground-level approach can turn the site into a confusing collection of partial shapes.

Each tear also functions as a memory trigger. The investigation therefore has two layers: physically reaching a site and interpreting the story that appears after interaction. The memories are persistent story evidence rather than temporary combat events, so players can treat the quest as a paced lore trail and travel away from a site after the flashback has been viewed.

The Forgotten Temple changes the search from blind exploration into a guided map-reading exercise. Its murals and map can be consulted when the next Geoglyph is unclear, while the overworld itself supplies the height and navigation opportunities needed to inspect each drawing. There is no need to defeat a quest boss to advance the core investigation; completion is tied to the tear sequence and the final hidden location.

What works and what does not

Strengths

  • The Geoglyphs turn the open world into a visual investigation, giving distant landmarks a clear story purpose.
  • The memory triggers provide a direct connection between exploration and narrative progression.
  • The Forgotten Temple offers an in-world guidance system instead of requiring every location to be discovered by chance.
  • The quest rewards patient exploration with historical context rather than making combat the only form of progress.

Weaknesses

  • The map-wide spread of the Geoglyphs can make the route feel indirect if the player does not use elevation or the Forgotten Temple's guidance.
  • A tear can be difficult to spot when terrain obscures part of a drawing, particularly when approached from the ground.
  • The final hidden tear is not part of the original visible set, so players may think the quest has stalled after completing the 11 surface sites.

Best uses

  • Follow the quest alongside ordinary Hyrule exploration so the travel between Geoglyphs does not become a separate chore.
  • View memories as they are found when you want the story revelations to build in sequence.
  • Use the quest as a low-combat break between shrine, dungeon, or regional objectives.

Completion checklist

  • Meet Impa and start the Geoglyph investigation.This establishes the quest and its central mystery.
  • Visit the Forgotten Temple.Inspect the map and murals for location guidance.
  • Locate the Dragon's Tear in each Geoglyph.There are 11 surface Geoglyph tears.
  • Activate every discovered memory.Interacting with a tear triggers its flashback.
  • Check for any Geoglyph that has not yet been searched.A missing memory usually indicates an incomplete site.
  • Find the hidden 12th Dragon's Tear.It appears after the 11 surface tears are collected.
  • View the final memory.This completes the quest's central historical revelation.

Dragon's Tears and memoriesSpoilers

  • 01
    Dragon's Tears

    Where: Within the Geoglyphs across Hyrule

    The quest includes 11 tears hidden in the 11 surface Geoglyphs. Interacting with each one activates a flashback memory.

  • 02
    Hidden 12th Dragon's Tear

    Where: Revealed after the 11 Geoglyph tears are collected

    This additional tear is separate from the original surface drawings and completes the quest's memory sequence.

Failure conditions

  • Leave a Geoglyph before finding its tearThe investigation does not advance until the correct Dragon's Tear is located and activated. Return to the drawing and search the portions that were hidden or overlooked.
  • Stop after the 11 surface tearsThe quest has a further objective after the initial Geoglyph set. The hidden 12th tear must also be found and activated for the investigation to conclude.
  • Lose track of an unvisited drawingBecause the locations are distributed across Hyrule, it is possible to confuse visited and unvisited sites. Use the map, quest progress, and Forgotten Temple guidance to identify the missing location.

On failure

The quest is exploration-based and does not use a conventional boss-fight failure state. Progress is preserved through the discovered tears and memories, so an unsuccessful trip or interrupted search generally means returning to the relevant site rather than restarting the entire investigation.

Rewards and dropsSpoilers

  • Dragon's Tear memories
    Each collected tear triggers a flashback that reveals another part of the historical narrative.
  • Story information about Hyrule's past
    The memories introduce King Rauru and Queen Sonia and explain events connected to Princess Zelda.
  • Final narrative revelation
    Completing the sequence reveals Zelda's transformation into the Light Dragon and the sacrifice associated with restoring the kingdom.

Characters in this missionSpoilers

AftermathEnding spoilers

The final memory changes the meaning of the search

The completed memory sequence explains that Zelda shed the Dragon's Tears after transforming into the Light Dragon. Her transformation was a sacrifice intended to help restore the kingdom, so the Geoglyph investigation becomes a direct explanation of Zelda's absence and the larger stakes of Link's journey.

Trivia

  • The quest's collectible objects are called Dragon's Tears, while the large drawings that contain them are called Geoglyphs.
  • The 11 visible Geoglyphs are followed by a hidden 12th tear, making the final discovery distinct from the original map-wide search.
  • The Forgotten Temple contains both a map and murals connected with finding the Geoglyphs.
  • The memories connect the ancient rulers King Rauru and Queen Sonia with the quest's investigation into Princess Zelda.

Sources

Relationships

characters

locations

  • Forgotten TempleInvestigation referenceIts map and murals guide the search for the Geoglyphs.