Trail of the Master Sword

Key takeaways

Use this quest when you want a direct story route to information about the Master Sword, but remember that the sword can also be discovered through other story content.

• Reach the Great Deku Tree through The Depths The fog around Great Hyrule Forest makes the underground route through The Depths the important approach for this quest.
• Prepare for Phantom Ganon The quest’s key combat encounter takes place inside the Deku Tree Chasm, where Phantom Ganon blocks progress.
• Restore the Great Deku Tree The tree’s recovery is the story turning point that allows Link to learn more about the Master Sword.
• This is not Trial of the Sword Trail of the Master Sword is a Tears of the Kingdom main quest and is separate from Breath of the Wild’s Trial of the Sword challenges.

Trail of the Master Sword overviewSpoilers

Trail of the Master Sword is a main quest about finding the Great Deku Tree and learning where the legendary Master Sword has gone.

Trail of the Master Sword sends Link toward the Great Hyrule Forest after the main-story events surrounding Guidance from Ages Past and Find the Fifth Sage. The immediate goal is not simply to search the forest from above: the fog surrounding the forest prevents a straightforward approach, so the route into the Great Deku Tree is reached through The Depths. This makes the quest a navigation and preparation challenge as much as a story objective.

The central obstacle is the Great Deku Tree’s affliction. Link must reach the Deku Tree Chasm and confront Phantom Ganon inside it, then save the Great Deku Tree so that the tree can provide information about the Master Sword. The encounter is a major combat gate, and players who arrive without healing supplies, suitable weapons, or a way to manage a confined fight may find the underground section considerably more demanding than the surface journey.

Once the Great Deku Tree is safe, the quest points Link toward recovering the Master Sword and adds context to Princess Zelda’s plan to restore the blade for the fight against the Demon King. The quest is directed rather than absolutely mandatory for discovering the sword: players can learn about its location through other story material, including the Dragon's Tears memory questline. Trail of the Master Sword should also not be confused with Trial of the Sword, the separate challenge content from Breath of the Wild.

Where this sits

Requirements and preparation

The quest is associated with late main-story progress and a demanding underground encounter. The exact equipment loadout is flexible, but preparation makes the Deku Tree Chasm section safer.

• RequiredComplete Guidance from Ages PastThe supplied quest material lists this main objective among the objectives that can enable Trail of the Master Sword.
• RequiredComplete Find the Fifth SageThis main-story objective is also identified as a prerequisite or enabling objective for initiating the quest.
• RequiredA route into The DepthsThe Great Hyrule Forest is shrouded in fog, so plan to reach the Great Deku Tree from below rather than relying on a direct surface approach.
• RecommendedCombat suppliesBring healing items, reliable weapons, and enough resources for the Phantom Ganon encounter. The sources do not establish a single mandatory loadout.
• RecommendedLight for underground navigationA dependable way to illuminate The Depths helps with navigation and reduces the risk of losing the intended route before reaching the Deku Tree Chasm.

Objectives

1. Find the Great Deku TreeTravel toward the Great Hyrule Forest and use The Depths to bypass the fog surrounding the region.
2. Defeat Phantom Ganon in the Deku Tree ChasmClear the major encounter inside the chasm so the Great Deku Tree can be freed from its affliction.
3. Learn the location of the Master SwordAfter the Great Deku Tree is saved, follow the resulting story guidance toward recovering the legendary blade.

WalkthroughSpoilers

1. 01

   Complete the listed prerequisites.

   Finish the story objectives that open the route

   Complete Guidance from Ages Past and Find the Fifth Sage before treating Trail of the Master Sword as an active objective. These objectives place the quest later in the main story and help ensure that the Great Deku Tree route is available.

   TipIf the quest does not appear, review the main-story objectives before searching the forest.

2. 02

   Reach the area of the Great Deku Tree.

   Travel toward Great Hyrule Forest

   Make your way to the region surrounding the Great Deku Tree, but do not assume that the visible forest entrance is the correct way to reach the objective. The fog is the defining obstruction and is why the quest points you toward an underground approach.

   Location: Great Hyrule Forest

   Watch outTrying to force a direct route through the forest fog can leave you searching without making progress toward the intended entrance.

3. 03

   Bypass the fog by taking the underground route.

   Enter The Depths

   Find an access point that lets Link descend beneath the forest and continue through The Depths. Once underground, use illumination and landmarks to keep moving toward the area beneath the Great Deku Tree rather than wandering away from the forest region.

   Location: The Depths

   TipMark useful underground landmarks as you travel so a defeat or accidental detour does not turn the approach into a blind search.

4. 04

   Reach the interior area where the affliction is being fought.

   Locate the Deku Tree Chasm

   Continue through the underground route until you reach the chasm beneath the Great Deku Tree. The chasm is the transition from navigation to the quest’s central combat sequence, so pause before entering if your healing or weapon supply is low.

   Location: Deku Tree Chasm

5. 05

   Get ready to defeat Phantom Ganon.

   Prepare for the Phantom Ganon encounter

   Organize healing items and your preferred combat weapons before committing to the fight. The encounter takes place in an enclosed underground area, making it important to watch Link’s surroundings as well as Phantom Ganon’s attacks.

   Location: Deku Tree Chasm

   Watch outEntering without enough recovery resources can force a retreat or a reload if the encounter overwhelms Link.

6. 06

   Defeat Phantom Ganon.

   Defeat Phantom Ganon

   Fight Phantom Ganon inside the Deku Tree Chasm and prioritize survival over rushing damage. Avoid standing in a vulnerable position after an attack, create room when the arena becomes crowded, and use openings after Phantom Ganon’s attack tells rather than trading hits repeatedly.

   Location: Deku Tree Chasm

   Checkpoint
7. 07

   End the Great Deku Tree’s affliction.

   Save the Great Deku Tree

   After Phantom Ganon is defeated, the Great Deku Tree is freed from the affliction that blocked the quest’s purpose. Continue through the resulting interaction instead of leaving immediately, because the tree’s information is the key progression reward.

   Location: Great Deku Tree

8. 08

   Learn where to continue the search for the Master Sword.

   Listen for the Master Sword lead

   Speak with the Great Deku Tree after the danger has passed and follow the conversation about the legendary sword. This is the point at which the quest turns its combat success into a directed lead for recovering the Master Sword.

   Location: Great Deku Tree

   Watch outThe quest contains major story information about Princess Zelda and the Master Sword, so advance only if you are comfortable with those spoilers.

Mission mechanics

The quest’s defining mechanic is route selection. Great Hyrule Forest is covered by fog that prevents the normal direct approach, while The Depths provides the way to bypass that obstruction. The underground journey therefore functions as a spatial puzzle: the player must recognize that the target above is connected to a location below and maintain direction through a dark environment.

The combat portion is concentrated in the Deku Tree Chasm rather than spread across a long sequence of named objectives. Phantom Ganon is the key encounter, so resource management before entering matters more than following a complicated puzzle solution. Healing, weapon durability, visibility, and the ability to create space all affect how forgiving the encounter feels.

The quest also has flexible progression. It points players toward the Master Sword, but it is not the only way to discover information about the weapon. The Dragon's Tears memory questline can reveal the sword through a different story route, meaning players may encounter the quest after already learning some of its intended information.

PhasesSpoilers

1. 1

   Underground approach

   Starts: Entering The Depths beneath the forest

   Navigate from the underground access route toward the Deku Tree Chasm while managing darkness and resources.

   • Keep a clear sense of direction instead of exploring every branching path.
   • Use illumination before moving into unfamiliar sections so hazards and terrain changes are visible.
2. 2

   Phantom Ganon confrontation

   Starts: Reaching the afflicted interior of the Deku Tree Chasm

   Defeat Phantom Ganon to remove the threat affecting the Great Deku Tree.

   • Close-range pressureTell Phantom Ganon moves into Link’s space and begins an attack sequence.Answer Keep room to retreat, avoid panic dodges, and punish the recovery window after the attack ends.
   • Arena pressureTell The enclosed area leaves fewer safe directions when Link stays near an obstacle or wall.Answer Reposition toward open ground before committing to an attack so Link has space to respond.
   • Do not spend all healing items early in the encounter.
   • Prioritize readable attack windows over repeated exchanges of damage.
3. 3

   Conversation with the Great Deku Tree

   Starts: Phantom Ganon is defeated

   The tree is saved and provides the story information that directs Link toward the Master Sword.

   • Remain in the area after the fight and complete the conversation before moving on.
   • Treat the dialogue as the quest’s progression reward rather than expecting a separate combat item.

Phantom Ganon in the Deku Tree ChasmSpoilers

• Location
  Deku Tree Chasm
• Health
  Not specified in the supplied material.

Prepare before entering, keep the fight in open space where possible, and respond to Phantom Ganon’s attack openings instead of trading damage. The sources identify the enemy and location but do not establish a specific weakness, health value, or required weapon type.

Failure conditions

• Link is defeated during the Phantom Ganon encounterThe combat sequence must be retried from the most recent save or checkpoint state.
• Link enters the encounter without adequate suppliesLow healing or poor weapon durability can make the enclosed fight significantly more difficult, even though no fixed equipment requirement is stated.
• The underground route is abandoned or divertedLeaving the intended route through The Depths does not complete the objective of reaching the Great Deku Tree through the fog-shrouded forest.

RewardsSpoilers

• Master Sword location information
  The Great Deku Tree provides information that guides Link toward recovering the legendary sword.
• Great Deku Tree restored
  Defeating Phantom Ganon removes the affliction affecting the tree and allows the related story conversation to proceed.
• Story insight about Princess Zelda
  Completing the quest gives context for Princess Zelda’s plan to restore the Master Sword for the fight against the Demon King.

Characters in this missionSpoilers

• LinkThe playable hero who follows the route and confronts the threat in the Deku Tree Chasm.
• Phantom GanonThe major enemy inside the Deku Tree Chasm.
• Princess ZeldaHer plan to restore the Master Sword is given additional context by the quest.

AftermathSpoilers

Checklist

• Complete Guidance from Ages PastListed as a main-story objective that can precede this quest.
• Complete Find the Fifth SageListed alongside the other main-story prerequisite.
• Prepare healing items and durable weaponsRecommended before entering the Deku Tree Chasm; no exact loadout is mandatory in the supplied material.
• Reach the Great Hyrule ForestThe surface region contains the target, but the fog prevents a simple direct approach.
• Enter The DepthsUse the underground route to bypass the forest fog.
• Find the Deku Tree ChasmThis is where the central encounter takes place.
• Defeat Phantom GanonRequired to resolve the Great Deku Tree’s affliction.
• Speak with the Great Deku TreeComplete the post-battle interaction to receive the Master Sword lead.
• Check whether Dragon's Tears has already revealed the swordThe alternate questline can provide related information before or independently of this quest.Optional

Trivia

• The quest’s title refers to the search for the Master Sword rather than to a repeat of Breath of the Wild’s Trial of the Sword challenges.
• Trail of the Master Sword uses The Depths as the practical way around the fog that surrounds Great Hyrule Forest.
• The Master Sword can be discovered through another route, including the Dragon's Tears memory questline, so the quest is not necessarily every player’s first exposure to its location.

Sources

• Trail of the Master Sword quest guide — PowerPyx
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom quest reference — Fextralife
• Tears of the Kingdom quest guide — IGN

Relationships