It’s possible to repair and upgrade weapons in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. You’ll have to find a certain enemy to do it, though. Here’s our guide to help you repair and upgrade weapons in TotK using Rock Octoroks.
How to Repair and Upgrade Weapons in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
This particular method in TotK is somewhat akin to what veterans may remember from Breath of the Wild. Simply put: you’re going to need to find a Rock Octorok. The difference now is that these critters don’t just change decayed weapons into durable ones, but they can also apply additional upgrades. But, before we discuss the actual process, we’ll talk about where you can actually find these critters.
TotK Rock Octorok Locations
The Rock Octoroks in Tears of the Kingdom can be found in the Eldin region, which is northeast of Hyrule. Below, you can see several locations that I’ve marked with the sword icon.
We can summarize their locations in each area as follows:
- Goron City and Marakuguc Shrine: You’ll find a couple of these enemies north of the Shrine. There are also three more to the southwest as you leave the city. Simply follow the winding river as it leads downhill.
- Jiotak Shrine: Since Jiotak Shrine is in an underground cave, you’ll want to find a low ceiling that lets you cast Ascend. Once you’re back outside, follow the cliffside area to the northwest.
- Sibatijak Shrine: The Sibatijak Shrine area has, by far, the most number of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Rock Octoroks. From the Shrine, head past the stone archway to see four as you keep going north. Then, glide to the opposite cliffside area for two that are next to each other.
- Momosik Shrine: Lastly, Momosik Shrine along the eastern slopes of Death Mountain has at least three. A couple of these are fairly close to the Shrine as well.
How to Repair and Upgrade Weapons in Tears of the Kingdom Using Rock Octoroks
To repair and upgrade weapons in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, go in front of a Rock Octorok and select a weapon that you want to boost. Drop it, and wait for it to suck it into its mouth.
After a couple of seconds, you should see the sparkles emitting from the creature. It will then spit out your armament. The weapon being spat back at you will deal damage, so you’ll need to raise your shield or dodge sideways to avoid it.
If you look at your item, you’ll notice some changes:
- If it’s a decayed weapon, it will be restored to its pristine/new version.
- If it’s about to break (i.e., red flash), its durability will be fully restored.
- Also, if it doesn’t have an upgrade perk, there’s a possibility that it will gain one (i.e., increased attack, increased critical, higher defense for shields, and the like).
Repair and Upgrade Weapon Tips
I’ve compiled some tips based on experience on how this mechanic works:
- Each Rock Octorok you find will only be able to do its repair/upgrade mechanic once every Bloodmoon Cycle.
- Likewise, this method will not work on some items, namely unique/legendary weapons, shields, and bows.
- As soon as you spot a Rock Octorok, take a photo with the Purah Pad to save it to your compendium. Then, open your map and use the Purah Pad Sensor+ to track the creature’s other spawn locations.
- Make sure you disable your Sage Companions when doing this trick, since they can potentially take out your would-be helpers. You’d have no choice but to wait for another Bloodmoon Cycle for them to respawn.
- To save time, you can use Travel Medallions. Simply place one down near an area with several Octoroks. You’ll be able to teleport to a Travel Medallion instantly since it acts as an extra fast travel point.
- There’s a chance that Rock Octoroks might not provide the upgrade you want. As such, you’ll want to save before you drop your weapon for this trick. If you didn’t get what you need, simply load your save.
With the above tips and strategies, you should be able to repair and upgrade weapons, shields, and bows in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, thereby negating the weapon degradation mechanic. Alternatively, you could simply duplicate weapons via an exploit. In any case, you can learn more mechanics about this massive game in our Zelda: TotK guides hub.
