How to use star fragments in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

localize star fragments in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom can be tricky, but it’s worth it. This recurring source of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has new targets in the sequel, and it’s a bit more streamlined to get your hands on some of them. If you are wondering about star fragments in Tears of the Kingdomthis guide covers how to recognize them, how to catch them and how to use them.

Where to find star fragments

In a similar way to Zelda: Breath of the Wild, finding star fragments is a random event. When you’re in Hyrule, you see them as rays of light falling from the sky. When landing, the light beam remains in place and serves as a beacon. All you have to do is approach them and grab the item from the ground.

There are some considerations to keep in mind. First the star fragments does not stay in the ground forever. If you don’t reach them after a few minutes, the beacon – as well as the item – will disappear. As a personal piece of advice, if you see one about to hit the ground and you’re a bit far from the area, do a quick manual rescue. If you miss it, you at least have a second chance.

I’m sure you’re thinking, “Well, I can just quickly travel to the nearest shrine or Skyview tower to get closer.” While your hunch is in the right place, in my experience trying this method resulted in the star fragment being moved to a different location. When the fast travel loading screen ended and I was back in the game, I saw the item repeat the animation and land somewhere else. By doing this a few times, the item eventually disappeared completely.

Now there’s a new way to catch star fragments Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Again, this is random, but sometimes you can see one next to Link while you’re skydiving.

When this happens, you have two options: you can either keep diving and try to catch it as you slowly approach with your paraglider (as seen in the GIF above) or just follow along to the plumb line and pick it up as soon as it hits the ground . That said, picking up the item in the air is extremely satisfying, so try to do it at least once.

Please note that star fragments also appear during the day. unlike Breath of the Wild, spending time by a campfire or sleeping until nightfall will not increase your chances of seeing them. Therefore, make sure to keep an eye out when you are exploring or skydiving. You’re bound to catch one sooner rather than later.

What are star fragments used for in Tears of the Kingdom?

Here’s how to use star fragments at a glance Tears of the Kingdom:

• They can be used as (quite rare) material for armor set upgrades.
• They can be sold for 200 rupees a pop if you want to make money.
• You can fuse a star fragment with a rod or stick to shoot beams of light and illuminate your surroundings.
• Alternatively, you can fuse star fragments with a shield to have a lantern on your back that illuminates an area around Link. This is especially useful for illuminating the depths.

Image: Nintendo EPD/Nintendo via Polygon

While not many armor sets are needed for star fragments, you do need the item for upgrading the circles that can be bought in Gerudo Town, as well as other armor pieces. Therefore, I recommend saving as many as you can find instead of selling them: 200 rupees is not a high amount to justify trading.

If you don’t already have your hands on the Miner’s Armor set, Star Fragments make a great Fuse combo to light up the path around Link, especially in the depths. The area covered by the effect is much narrower compared to the miner’s armor, but still quite usable.

Instead of fusing the item with a rod or stick, opting for a shield will greatly increase the duration of the effect. Whenever you swing a fused weapon, you inevitably decrease its durability. But with a shield, as long as you keep it on your back, you have a handy lantern for your travels under Hyrule.