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Talk to townspeople and villagers as you explore Hyrule: Nintendo says an exclamation point in a character’s speech bubble marks a quest giver. When you have a quest, press the Minus button to open the Adventure Log, read its hint, and use the map or minimap marker to return to the relevant person or place. If you get stuck, examine the surroundings, speak with nearby characters, try recently acquired abilities or items, and consider whether the quest depends on a story milestone.
How to find side quests in Tears of the Kingdom
Conversation is the main discovery method Nintendo highlights. Speak with villagers, townspeople, and other peaceful characters you encounter; some offer a request, point out a local problem, or direct Link toward someone who needs help. Play Nintendo’s guide, “Time to tackle Hyrule?,” says an exclamation point in a character’s speech bubble signals that the person has a quest. It is a useful cue, but exploration and conversation remain important even when you are not actively looking for a marker.
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Nintendo’s “Beginning Your Journey” guide also recommends chatting with peaceful characters because they can share important details and new objectives. That advice is especially useful in places you have just reached: a conversation can tell you what is happening locally and give you a lead to follow. Talk to people you pass rather than treating every settlement as a place to visit only when the main story sends you there.
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Search places you have not visited
Explore unfamiliar parts of Hyrule and check in with people in settlements, villages, and other populated locations. Nintendo recommends talking to characters, searching places you have not visited, and experimenting with Link’s abilities and Zonai devices. The route you take through the world can differ from another player’s, so not every optional objective will arrive in the same order.
If you are looking for more quests, combine two habits: speak to people where you are, then investigate nearby places that seem relevant to what they said. A character’s mention of a person, request, or local issue gives you a practical lead; the Adventure Log can help you follow it after the conversation. Keep exploring rather than assuming that a single pass through an area reveals every optional task.
Try not to limit your search to a particular route or a fixed order of regions. Nintendo notes that players’ exploration paths can differ, and recommends both exploring and experimenting. If you have recently learned a new ability or started using a Zonai device in a new way, keep that in mind when you encounter an unusual local problem; those tools can help with exploration as well as quest progress.
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Return after story progress
Some quest chains depend on progress elsewhere. If a person or place does not offer the next step you expected, make a note of the quest and revisit after advancing the main story or another relevant objective. This is particularly worth considering when a chain points toward a later stage rather than an immediate task. For example, Nintendo Life’s list of Side Adventures places later Great Fairy serenades after “Serenade to a Great Fairy.”
That example is a reminder to distinguish a missing clue from a prerequisite. If you have reached the right place and spoken with the relevant characters but cannot trigger the next step, look at the chain’s earlier objectives and consider what else you have completed. You do not need to assume that every stalled quest is caused by story progress; use the log and the quest’s specific wording to decide whether to keep investigating or come back later.
What counts as an optional quest?
“Optional quest” is a broad description, not one single in-game category. Side Quests, Side Adventures, and Shrine Quests are separate categories. The first two are useful distinctions when deciding whether you are starting a relatively small request or a longer, story-linked chain. They can both matter to your playthrough even though they are optional in relation to the main story.
| Category | What to expect | Rewards or role | Published count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Side Quests | Generally smaller tasks, often with less narrative weight or involvement from key characters than Side Adventures. | May award money, items, or armor. | 139 in Nintendo Life’s guide published June 16, 2023. |
| Side Adventures | Usually longer, story-linked quests involving important NPCs or special rewards. | May unlock Purah Pad features, inventory expansion, or clothing upgrades; some lead to other optional content. | 60 in Nintendo Life’s guide published June 16, 2023. |
| Shrine Quests | A distinct quest category, not interchangeable with Side Quests or Side Adventures. | Varies by quest; a comparable reward summary is not established in the sources cited here. | A comparable verified total is not established in the sources cited here. |
The counts in the table are Nintendo Life guide statistics, not totals published by Nintendo. They describe those guides as published in 2023 and should not be treated as a current official completion target or a complete tracker for every kind of optional content.
How the categories differ in practice
Think of the categories as a way to understand the usual scale and role of a task, not as a ranking of which kind is best. A Side Quest is generally a smaller request and may pay out money, an item, or armor. A Side Adventure is more often a longer, story-linked chain involving key characters or a special reward. Those descriptions are general patterns: they do not promise a particular length, difficulty, or reward for every individual quest.
Dependencies can matter as much as rewards. Some Side Adventures lead into other optional content, so finishing the opening task can make additional activities available. The Great Fairy serenade chain is one example: Nintendo Life’s Side Adventures guide places later serenades after “Serenade to a Great Fairy.” If you are choosing what to do next, a chain that unlocks something else may be more useful than a one-off request, depending on what you want from your playthrough.
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All three categories are optional in relation to the main story, but “optional” does not mean irrelevant. A task may offer an upgrade or open another optional chain even if it is not needed to complete the main story. Conversely, do not assume that completing one category means you have finished every type of optional activity. Keep your goal specific: Side Quests, Side Adventures, and Shrine Quests are tracked as distinct categories.
Why some optional quests are worth doing
A Side Quest can offer a useful item, armor, or money; a Side Adventure can connect several characters and unlock features or upgrades. Some optional content also gates other optional content. Nintendo Life identifies “Serenade to a Great Fairy” as a prerequisite for access to many Great Fairies, so a quest that looks like a self-contained errand may be the opening step in a longer chain.
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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Use the category as a rough guide to scale and narrative weight, not as a guarantee of difficulty, length, or reward. A Side Quest is not necessarily trivial, and a Side Adventure is not automatically required to finish the main story. The value of an optional objective depends on what it unlocks and what you want from your playthrough.
How to track active quests and find their objectives
Press the Minus button to open the Adventure Log. Nintendo Support’s “General Tips for Playing The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” says the log lets you review quests you have started and finished, and that many entries include hints or reminders about how to complete them. Select the quest you want to work on and use the listed clue to decide where to go next.
Nintendo’s beginner guide explains that the next objective can be shown in the log, with a destination marked by a circle on the map and minimap. That marker is a navigation aid, not a replacement for the written clue: read both, especially if the objective tells you to speak to someone or inspect a particular place. Checking the Adventure Log is also a quick way to see whether you have already started or finished a quest before searching for its giver again.
Nintendo Support sums up the feature this way: “You can review any quests you’ve started (and finished) by pressing the – (Minus) Button and navigating to the Adventure Log. Many list hints or reminders on how to complete the quest.” The guidance appears in “General Tips for Playing The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom,” accessed October 9, 2026. In practice, the log is both a record of your quest history and a reminder of the next useful lead, rather than just a list of names.
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A practical routine for a new quest
- Record what the person asked. After a conversation starts a quest, note the request, the named person or place, and any details that sound like a clue.
- Open the Adventure Log. Press Minus, find the quest, and read its objective and any hint or reminder.
- Follow the map cue. Use the destination circle on the map or minimap to orient yourself, then compare it with the written objective.
- Investigate when you arrive. Look around the named place and talk to nearby characters if the next action is not obvious.
- Check the log again after progress. When the objective changes, use the new entry rather than relying on an earlier instruction.
- Confirm completion in the log. Nintendo says the Adventure Log includes finished quests, so use it to verify that the task is recorded as complete.
This routine keeps a clue, a destination, and the current objective together. It is more reliable than trying to remember several conversations after moving on to other activities.
What to do when a quest stalls
When an objective stops being clear, treat the log entry as the starting point for troubleshooting. Nintendo advises studying the area and using trial and error; its beginner guidance notes that progression often hinges on newly acquired items and abilities. Avoid repeating the same action without checking whether the quest points to a different person, location, or tool.
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Work through the clue in order
- Reread the exact objective. Identify whether it asks you to reach a place, find a person, investigate something, or use an item or ability. Do not substitute a remembered detail from a different quest.
- Return to the named person or location. If the marker leads to a broad area, search the surroundings for the relevant character or clue rather than assuming the marker itself is the final interaction.
- Speak to nearby characters. Someone else may provide context or indicate what has changed. This follows Nintendo’s general advice to talk with peaceful characters and use conversations to learn about objectives.
- Inspect the environment. Look for details that match the wording of the quest. Nintendo’s guidance is to study the area and try possibilities; the correct action varies by objective.
- Try a recently acquired ability, item, or Zonai device if it fits the clue. Nintendo notes that newly acquired tools can be important to progression. Treat them as possibilities suggested by the objective or setting, not as a universal solution.
- Consider a prerequisite. If the quest appears to be part of a chain, advance related story or optional objectives and return later. The Great Fairy serenade chain is one documented example of a later step following an earlier one.
These steps are meant to narrow the problem, not to suggest that every quest uses the same puzzle logic. The exact prerequisites and solutions vary. If the clue still does not resolve the issue, search for a walkthrough using the quest’s precise title; similar names can lead to instructions for a different task.
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Nintendo’s update history documents historical fixes for progression issues in named quests and adventures, including “Hateno Village Research Lab,” “Lurelin Village Restoration Project,” “Village Attacked by Pirates,” “The Incomplete Stable,” and “Seeking the Pirate Hideout.” If you have followed the objective and a required interaction still appears impossible, check whether the game has an available update before concluding that you missed a clue. Those documented fixes were released in 2023; they are evidence that some progression problems have been addressed, not proof that a particular current issue is a known bug.
Checking for an update is a sensible troubleshooting step when a required interaction appears impossible, but it is not a diagnosis. The historical update notes name specific quest issues; they do not establish that every stalled quest is a bug or that an update will resolve an unrelated blocker. Continue to compare the quest title and current objective with the situation in the game.
How to find a side quest you think you are missing
First decide what “missing” means for your goal. If you want another objective to do, talk to people in the area you are exploring and follow their leads. If you are trying to find an unfinished task, use the Adventure Log to review started and finished entries. If you want to complete every optional quest in a category, use a category-specific checklist alongside the in-game log rather than treating one guide’s count as a complete measure of everything in Hyrule.
- No quest has started: Explore an unfamiliar area and speak with villagers, townspeople, and peaceful characters. Watch for the speech-bubble exclamation point cue.
- A quest is active but unclear: Read its current log entry, follow the map or minimap marker, then inspect the relevant person or place.
- A familiar chain has no next step: Check whether it depends on story progress or an earlier quest. Revisit the relevant characters after advancing other objectives.
- Your checklist and log do not match: Confirm that both refer to the same category and exact quest title. Side Quests, Side Adventures, and Shrine Quests are distinct categories.
- You suspect a bug: Check for a game update, then consult a walkthrough for the exact quest title if the issue persists.
For broad completion, be precise about the target: completing all Side Quests is not the same as completing all Side Adventures or Shrine Quests. Nintendo Life’s 2023 guides report 139 Side Quests and 60 Side Adventures, but those separately published counts do not establish an official all-content total or prove that every other optional objective is covered.
Those guide totals can help you decide which checklist to consult, but they should not replace the game’s own record. Nintendo Life published both the “All Side Quests” and “All Side Adventures” guides on June 16, 2023. The figures—139 Side Quests and 60 Side Adventures—are attributed to those guides, not presented as Nintendo’s own official totals. The material cited here does not give a comparable verified total for Shrine Quests.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When to use a walkthrough
Nintendo’s support tips recommend looking for an online walkthrough if you remain stuck. Start with the full quest title from the Adventure Log, then check that the walkthrough describes the same objective and stage you are on. This matters for longer chains: a guide may cover a later step, or a similarly named quest, and its directions may not fit your current clue.
Use a walkthrough to resolve a specific blocker—such as an unclear prerequisite or the next action at a named location—rather than abandoning the Adventure Log. The log helps confirm which quest is active and what the game currently expects; the walkthrough can then provide a quest-specific solution. If the described action does not match your log entry, check the title and quest stage before assuming your game is behaving incorrectly.
Searching with the exact title also helps narrow results when a quest is one part of a longer chain. Compare the walkthrough’s stated step with the current Adventure Log entry, and use only directions that match your objective. Nintendo’s general tips support turning to online walkthroughs when needed, but the specific instructions still need to match the quest and stage you are actually playing.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find side quests in Tears of the Kingdom?
Talk to townspeople, villagers, and other peaceful characters as you explore. Play Nintendo says a quest giver has an exclamation point in the speech bubble. Explore places you have not visited, too, since conversations and exploration can reveal leads.
How do I know if an NPC has a quest?
Look for the exclamation-point cue in the character’s speech bubble. If you are unsure, speak with the character anyway: Nintendo also recommends talking with peaceful characters to learn details and acquire objectives.
Where do I see my active quests in TotK?
Press the Minus button to open the Adventure Log. It lists quests you have started and finished, and many entries provide a hint or reminder. A destination circle can appear on the map and minimap.
How do I finish a side quest?
Read the quest’s current Adventure Log entry, follow its map or minimap marker, and use the written clue to decide what to do at the destination. Speak to relevant nearby characters, inspect the surroundings, and try an ability or item if it fits the clue. Check the log again to confirm completion.
What should I do if a quest is stuck?
Reread the exact objective, return to the named person or place, talk to nearby characters, and study the area. Consider whether the chain depends on another quest or story progress, and try a recently acquired ability, item, or Zonai device if it fits. If progress still seems impossible, check for an available game update and search a walkthrough by the exact quest title.
Are Side Quests and Side Adventures the same?
No. They are distinct categories. Side Quests are generally smaller tasks, while Side Adventures are usually longer and more story-linked. Nintendo Life’s guides published June 16, 2023, report 139 Side Quests and 60 Side Adventures; those are guide counts, not Nintendo-published totals.
Are optional quests required to finish the main story?
They are optional in relation to the main story, but some can unlock useful rewards or other optional content. For example, Nintendo Life identifies “Serenade to a Great Fairy” as a prerequisite for access to many Great Fairies.
The Bottom Line
To find and finish optional quests in Tears of the Kingdom, talk to people as you explore, watch for the exclamation-point speech bubble, and use the Minus-button Adventure Log to track objectives and clues. When progress stalls, revisit the relevant person or place, inspect the area, consider recently acquired tools or prerequisites, and use a walkthrough keyed to the exact quest title if needed.
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