Where to find Hestu in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

find Hestu’s locations in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom can be a tough task. The character is still as elusive as he was Zelda: Breath of the Wildand unless you know where to go, you won’t be able to increase your inventory for a long time.

Don’t worry, though, as we’ll point out all the ways to find him so you can start cashing in on your hard-earned Korok Seeds. Below are the three Hestu locations we found Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and how we got to them.

But keep in mind that Hestu moves around quite a bit and the order in which he appears in certain locations seems to change based on how you personally play through the game – and where you are in terms of main story progression.

First Hestu location – Lindor’s Brow

The first Hestu location is northwest of Lookout Landing at the coordinates (-1714, 1067, 0202), follow the main road that leads to Lindor’s Brow Skyview Tower. By meeting him, the “Hestu’s worries” side adventure, which we will describe below. But remember, this won’t be the last time you’ll have to track him down.

Once you find Hestu at Lindor’s Brow, he will ask for one Korok Seed as an introduction. Then feel free to choose whichever pouch you want between weapons, shields and bows. If you have at least two more Korok Seeds with you, he will accept them for an extra slot.

After you finish giving Korok Seeds, Hestu will say that he is thinking of splitting up to the East, as he is looking for a “place to relax” somewhere nearby.

Image: Nintendo EPD/Nintendo via Polygon

I encountered Hestu during my first few hours in Hyrule. At that point, I hadn’t even reached any of the four main regions after the main quest. If you’ve progressed through the main series and skipped over Lindor’s Brow, the first place Hestu will appear is probably Lookout Landing (more on that in Part Three below).

Second Hestu location – Korok Forest

The Korok Forest is by far the best place to go if you want Hestu to stay in a fixed location. The downside is that before Hestu shows up here, you’ll first have to go through a few different trials – starting with finding your way through the Lost Woods and ending with a fight against Phantom Ganon.

We’ll cover the general steps below, but if you find yourself stuck at any point, check out our guides to getting through the Lost Woods and clearing the Korok Forest of darkness.

Image: Nintendo EPD/Nintendo via Polygon

Northeast of the castle ruins and southeast of the Great Hyrule Forest, you’ll see a path emerge from the north side of the Woodland Stable.

Around the center, just above Minshi Woods, there is a canyon that leads to the depths, at the coordinates (1033, 1660, 0157)which is aptly named “Minshi Woods Chasm”.

Dive in and you’ll end up in Minshi Grove at the coordinates (1055, 1676, -0613). You can use the illuminated pillars to know when you are approaching the ground so you can glide safely.

Image: Nintendo EPD/Nintendo via Polygon

Once you emerge in the Korok forest, you will notice that Hestu is not immediately present upon arrival. First you need to help the Deku Tree by clearing the gap in it and defeating Phantom Ganon. It’s a tough fight, but one you can overcome if you prepare accordingly.

Once the encounter is over, return to the surface (you can fast travel to the Musanokir Shrine next to the Deku Tree!) and behold, your friend Hestu is waiting for you at the coordinates (0412, 2124, 0143) from now on.

As we mentioned, after you gain access to Hestu in the Korok Forest, he will stay there from then on. If you want to avoid having to search for him manually in Hyrule, this is a good method of locking Hestu in one easily accessible place.

Third Hestu Location – Lookout Landing

If you haven’t cleared the Korok forest yet, but have already traded with Hestu at Lindor’s Brow, go to Lookout Landing.

Image: Nintendo EPD/Nintendo via Polygon

However, based on experiences of Polygon staffers, Hestu will not appear at Lookout Landing until you have progressed through the main story quests.

So if you’ve already completed at least one temple, but haven’t ventured into the Lost Woods yet, you should be able to find Hestu by a tree at the coordinates (-0220, 0063, 0018)right between the clothing store and the stable.

Image: Nintendo EPD/Nintendo via Polygon

Korok Seeds Reward from Hestu

Finding Korok Seeds and tracking down Hestu can be tricky, but the reward is worth it. (And no, we’re not talking about Hestu’s gift of golden poo.)

Whichever location you find Hestu in, you can trade Korok Seeds with him for additional slots in your pouches, allowing you to carry more weapons, bows, and shields at any time. Handing in Korok Seeds for stock space can be even more important in Tears of the Kingdom then in Breath of the Wild, as Link’s Fuse ability means there are an almost infinite number of Fuse combinations you’ll want to experiment with. Our dedicated page on how to increase your inventory walks you through the costs and the best ways to plan your upgrades.