The Owl Protected by Dragons

Key takeaways

Use the following points to identify the trial quickly and avoid searching the ruins without the required Sage ability.

• Complete the prerequisite first Tulin of Rito Village must be complete so that Link has access to the Vow of Tulin. Without that ability, the stone-platform puzzle cannot be completed as intended.
• Search around the owl statue The trial’s landmark is a giant stone owl surrounded by several stone dragon heads in the Thyphlo Ruins. The supplied location is 0364, 3056, 0175.
• Use Tulin’s gust Stand on the stone platform and activate Tulin’s gust ability. The successful solution raises the platform and reveals the reward chest.
• Collect the gemstone reward The chest contains three sapphires. They can be kept for use with gemstone-related systems or sold to Ramella for a significant amount of rupees.

The Owl Protected by Dragons guide

The Owl Protected by Dragons is a Side Adventure in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, set inside the Thyphlo Ruins and built around Tulin’s gust ability.

The Owl Protected by Dragons takes place within the Thyphlo Ruins, where the researcher Kazul is investigating a group of trials connected to the ancient site. The quest belongs to the wider Investigate the Thyphlo Ruins series and focuses on a giant stone owl surrounded by several stone dragon heads. Unlike a conventional combat mission, its central challenge is recognizing the correct Sage ability for the structure in front of you.

The trial becomes available after completing Tulin of Rito Village, because Link must have access to the Vow of Tulin before the puzzle can be solved. Once that prerequisite is met, travel through the Thyphlo Ruins and look for the giant stone owl statue at coordinates 0364, 3056, 0175. The relevant platform is positioned among the dragon-head sculptures, so the statue and its surrounding shapes are the important landmarks rather than a separate enemy encounter.

Stand on the stone platform beside the owl and activate Tulin’s gust ability. Completing the trial causes the platform to rise and exposes a chest. That chest contains three sapphires, making the quest a short puzzle-focused detour with a useful gemstone reward rather than a mission built around a boss fight or a branching decision. The sapphires may also be sold to the merchant Ramella for a significant amount of rupees.

This is one of four Sage-related trials found within the Thyphlo Ruins. Each trial is associated with mastery of a specific Sage ability, and this one is the Tulin-focused challenge. The quest’s main point of interest is therefore its environmental clue: the owl, the dragon heads, and the raised platform identify the trial, while Tulin’s gust provides the solution.

Where this sits

Requirements

The essential requirement is access to Tulin’s gust through the Vow of Tulin.

• RequiredComplete Tulin of Rito VillageFinish Tulin of Rito Village before attempting this trial. Completion provides the Vow of Tulin needed to activate Tulin’s gust ability.
• RequiredReach the Thyphlo RuinsThe trial is located within the Thyphlo Ruins, at the stone owl and dragon-head landmark.
• RequiredUse Tulin’s gustThe puzzle solution requires Link to stand on the stone platform and activate Tulin’s gust ability.

Objectives

1. Find the giant stone owl in the Thyphlo RuinsUse the stone owl and its surrounding dragon heads as the primary landmark. The supplied coordinates are 0364, 3056, 0175.
2. Stand on the stone platformPosition Link on the platform associated with the owl-and-dragon arrangement before activating the Sage ability.
3. Activate Tulin’s gust abilityUse the gust while standing on the platform to complete the trial and raise the structure.
4. Open the revealed chestAfter the platform rises, collect the three sapphires from the chest.

Walkthrough

1. 01

   Unlock access to Tulin’s gust

   Finish Tulin of Rito Village

   Before entering the trial, complete Tulin of Rito Village so Link obtains the Vow of Tulin. The gust ability is the key interaction for this Side Adventure, so searching for the platform early will not provide a substitute solution.

   Watch outDo not treat this as an available early-game puzzle; the required Sage ability comes from the prerequisite quest.

2. 02

   Reach the trial area

   Travel to the Thyphlo Ruins

   Go to the Thyphlo Ruins and begin looking for the trial’s distinctive stonework. The quest is located within the ruins, and the giant owl surrounded by several stone dragon heads is a more reliable landmark than attempting to identify the trial from the surrounding terrain alone.

   Location: Thyphlo Ruins

   TipKeep the owl and dragon-head arrangement in view while searching; these sculptures distinguish the trial location.

3. 03

   Identify the correct puzzle structure

   Locate the giant stone owl

   Find the giant stone owl statue at coordinates 0364, 3056, 0175. Several stone dragon heads surround the owl, creating the visual arrangement associated with this Sage-related trial.

   Location: 0364, 3056, 0175

4. 04

   Prepare the trial’s activation point

   Step onto the stone platform

   Move onto the stone platform positioned with the owl and dragon-head sculptures. The platform is the activation point for the trial, so simply standing near the statue or examining the dragon heads is not enough to trigger the solution.

   Location: Stone platform beside the giant stone owl

   TipCenter Link on the platform before using the ability so the gust is applied to the intended structure.

5. 05

   Solve the Tulin trial

   Activate Tulin’s gust

   With Link standing on the platform, activate Tulin’s gust ability. This is the trial’s required action; using the ability away from the platform does not solve the puzzle because the platform itself must respond to the gust.

   Watch outIf the platform does not react, check that Link is standing on the platform and that Tulin’s gust has been activated rather than another ability.

   Checkpoint
6. 06

   Reveal the reward chest

   Wait for the platform to rise

   A successful gust causes the platform to rise. Let the structure complete its movement before leaving the area, because the platform’s change reveals the chest containing the quest reward.

7. 07

   Claim three sapphires

   Open the chest

   Approach the chest revealed by the raised platform and open it to collect three sapphires. This completes the practical reward portion of the trial and confirms that the owl-and-dragon puzzle was solved correctly.

   Watch outCheck the chest before leaving the ruins so the reward is not overlooked.

   Checkpoint
8. 08

   Use the quest reward

   Decide how to use the sapphires

   The three sapphires are the quest’s confirmed reward. They can be retained or sold to Ramella for a significant amount of rupees, depending on whether you prefer to keep the gemstones or convert them into currency.

   TipIf you are saving gemstones, keep the sapphires; if you need rupees, Ramella is the named merchant associated with selling them.

Mission mechanics

The trial is built around environmental recognition rather than a conventional enemy encounter. The giant stone owl identifies the main structure, while the several stone dragon heads around it signal that Link has reached one of the Thyphlo Ruins’ Sage-related trials. The important interaction point is the stone platform, not the statue itself.

Tulin’s gust is the only specifically identified ability needed for the puzzle. Link must be standing on the platform when the gust is activated, after which the platform rises. This movement is the puzzle’s success state and exposes the chest, so the player can use the platform’s response as immediate confirmation that the ability was applied correctly.

The trial also illustrates the structure of the broader Thyphlo Ruins investigation: separate locations within the ruins test the player’s familiarity with different Sage abilities. In this case, the challenge is straightforward once the correct ability and activation point have been identified, but it remains inaccessible until Tulin of Rito Village has been completed.

What works and what does not

Completion checklist

• Complete Tulin of Rito VillageThis provides the Vow of Tulin and access to Tulin’s gust.
• Reach the Thyphlo RuinsThe Side Adventure takes place within the ruins.
• Find the giant stone owlUse coordinates 0364, 3056, 0175 and the surrounding stone dragon heads.
• Stand on the stone platformThe platform is the required activation point.
• Activate Tulin’s gustThe platform must respond to the gust.
• Wait for the platform to riseIts movement reveals the chest.
• Open the reward chestCollect the three sapphires.
• Choose whether to sell the sapphiresRamella can buy them for a significant amount of rupees.Optional

Failure conditions

• Attempting the trial without Tulin’s gustTulin of Rito Village must be completed first. The source material identifies the Vow of Tulin as the access requirement for solving the puzzle.
• Activating the gust away from the platformThe objective specifically requires Link to stand on the stone platform and activate Tulin’s gust. Using the ability elsewhere does not satisfy the stated trial condition.
• Leaving before opening the revealed chestThe platform rises after a successful trial and reveals the chest containing three sapphires. Leaving without opening it risks missing the confirmed reward, although a permanent miss is not established by the supplied sources.

Rewards and drops

• Three sapphires
  The chest revealed when the stone platform rises contains three sapphires.
• Rupees from Ramella
  The sapphires may be sold to the merchant Ramella for a significant amount of rupees. The exact sale value is not specified in the supplied material.

Characters in this mission

• TulinSage whose gust ability is required to raise the platform.

Aftermath

Trivia

• The quest is one of four Sage-related trials found within the Thyphlo Ruins.
• The owl-and-dragon arrangement connects the quest’s name to its main environmental landmark.
• The trial tests mastery of a Sage ability rather than requiring a named boss encounter.
• The quest’s reward chest is revealed by the platform rising after Tulin’s gust is used correctly.

Sources

• The Owl Protected by Dragons guide — shacknews.com
• The Owl Protected by Dragons reference — gamerant.com
• Thyphlo Ruins quest guide — primagames.com
• Item and reward reference — kiranico.com
• Video guide reference — youtube.com
• Quest guide reference — gamespot.com

Relationships