Materials are collectible items in Tears of the Kingdom that can be used for fusion, cooking, and upgrading armor. Thus, it's important for players to get in the habit of farming materials by collecting anything they see. Inanimate materials are easier to farm than living materials. One example of a living material is the Hyrule Bass.
The Hyrule Bass prefer the rivers and ponds in Hyrule Field. Given Tears of the Kingdom's grand world, pinning down their exact location can be tricky. Before heading out to fish for the Hyrule Bass, players are advised to bring along arrows and a bow they don't mind breaking
Hyrule Bass Locations
There are two ways of farming Hyrule Bass:
- Look around Hyrule (recommended: Bottomless Pond)
- Buy them
If fishing, it may be best to equip armor that enhances Link's swim speed. Players may also want more stamina wheels so that they don't drown when trying to collect the bass in the water. Otherwise, players can use the Ultrahand Ability after shooting a fish with an arrow.
One way of obtaining Hyrule Bass without swimming after them or using arrows is to throw a Shock Fruit (or Yellow Chuchu Jelly) in the water. Be careful, as throwing Shock Fruit into water will generate a dome of elecricity. If Link is too close, he'll get shocked and drop his weapons or shield. Despite the dangers of this method, it's arguably the most recommended. One Shock Fruit can take out a handful of Hyrule Bass. Once they float up to the surface, Link can dive in and collect them, or use Ultrahand.
Bottomless Pond
Hyrule Bass swim in the Bottomless Pond at 0500, -0556, 0064. The closest Fast Travel Point is the Tajikats Shrine (0344, -1006, 0016), which is near the Riverside Stable. Bottomless Pond is just north of both of these landmarks. Otherwise, head southeast from Lookout Landing.
Look in the larger part of Bottomless Pond. There will be Hyrule Bass and Staminoka Bass. It's easier to reach them from one of the giant lily pads. Players can either use a bow or Shock Fruit to fish.
Avoid using Bomb Flowers. Firing a Bomb Flower at the fish will kill them, but it will also cook them. This will turn the Hyrule Bass into Roasted Bass. When a fish is roasted, it will classify as a "meal" and thus cannot be cooked.
Lookout Landing
If players have rupees to spare, they can buy three Hyrule Bass at the Lookout Landing store. As players progress through the "Regional Phenomena" main quest, more merchandise will be added. So, if by some chance the merchant doesn't have anything set up for Hyrule Bass, go and complete one of the main quests (i.e, "Tulin of Rito Village," "Yunobo of Goron City," "Sidon of Zora's Domain," "Riju of Gerudo Town."), then return to Lookout Landing.
One Hyrule Bass is 24 rupees; getting all three is 72 rupees. While they're not extremely expensive, players may be better off getting their own Hyrule Bass and saving their rupees for something more valuable, such as armor. Shops will restock every 24 hours in-game. Pass time at an inn, or wait at a campfire.
Where to Use Hyrule Bass
Ironically, Hyrule Bass can be eaten in their raw form. It only restores one heart to Link's health, so he's better off cooking it first. Hyrule Bass can be used in any recipe that calls for non-specific fish. One example is the Meat and Seafood Fry meal (as well as its variants):
- x1 Hyrule Bass
- x1 Raw Meat
A Roasted Bass is made when Link drops a Hyrule Bass into the fire (not a cooking pot), and picks it back up after a few seconds. Roasted Bass restore a heart and a half. It's not much better than a raw Hyrule Bass.
More importantly, Hyrule Bass can be used for upgrading armor, which can only be done by a Great Fairy. Players will need to start the "Potential Princess Sightings!" side adventure (Lucky Clover Gazette), then complete the "Serenade to a Great Fairy" at the Woodland Stable. This will unlock the locations of the other Great Fairies. To max out an armor's capability, players will need every Great Fairy Fountain unlocked.
Here's the armor that calls for Hyrule Bass:
Level | Required Materials (per Armor Piece) | |
|---|---|---|
Zora Set | ★★ |
|
Getting the Zora Set (and all other armor sets) to level 2/★★ will unlock the Set Bonus. In this example, the Zora Set's Bonus is "decreased stamina use when dashing in the water." Therefore, this upgrade may be worth the trouble of farming 15 Hyrule Bass.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available for Nintendo Switch.