Locating star fragments in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom can be tricky, but it’s worth the effort. This returning resource from Zelda: Breath of the Wild has new purposes in the sequel, and getting your hands on some is somewhat more streamlined. If you’re wondering about star fragments in Tears of the Kingdom, this guide covers how to spot them, how to catch them, and how to use them.
Where to find star fragments
In a similar fashion to Zelda: Breath of the Wild, finding star fragments is a random occurrence. As you’re out in Hyrule, you’ll spot them as beams of light falling from the sky. Upon landing, the beam of light will stay in place, serving as a beacon. All you need to do is get to them and pick the item from the ground.
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There are some considerations to keep in mind. First, the star fragments won’t stay in the ground forever. If you don’t get to them after a few minutes, the beacon — as well as the item — will disappear. As a personal advice, if you see that one is about to hit the ground, and you’re somewhat far from the area, quickly do a manual save. At the very least, if you happen to miss it, you’ll have yourself a second chance.
I’m sure you’re thinking, “Well, I can just fast 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 caused the star fragment move to a different location. As such, whenever the fast travel loading screen ended and I was back in the game, I’d see the item repeating the animation and landing elsewhere. Doing this a few times, however, eventually made the item disappear altogether.
Now, there is a new way to catch star fragments in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Again, this is random, but sometimes you’ll sometimes be able to spot one alongside Link as you’re skydiving.
When this happens, you have two options: You can either keep diving and try to catch it as you slowly move close to with your paraglider (as seen in the above GIF) or simply tag along for the plummet and pick it up once it hits the ground. That said, picking up the item in mid-air is extremely satisfying, so try to do it at least once.
Bear in mind that star fragments also appear at daytime. Unlike Breath of the Wild, spending time at a campfire or sleeping until night won’t increase your chances of seeing them. As such, make sure to keep an eye out whenever you’re exploring or skydiving. You’re bound to catch one sooner than later.
What are star fragments used for in Tears of the Kingdom?
At a glance, here’s how to use star fragments in Tears of the Kingdom:
- They can be used as a (fairly rare) material for upgrading armor sets.
- They can be sold at 200 rupees a pop if you want to make money.
- You can Fuse a star fragment with a rod or a stick to shoot light beams and illuminate your surroundings.
- Alternatively, you can Fuse a star fragments with a shield to have a lantern on your back, illuminating an area around Link. This is particularly helpful for lighting up the Depths.
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While not many armor sets require for star fragments, upgrading the circlets that you can purchase in Gerudo Town do require the item, as well as other armor pieces. As such, I recommend saving as many as you can find instead of selling them: 200 rupees isn’t a high amount to justify the trade.
Now, if you’re yet to get your hands on the Miner’s Armor set, star fragments make for a great Fuse combination to light up the path around Link, especially in the Depths. The area the effect covers is far more narrow in comparison to the Miner’s Armor, but still fairly useful.
Instead of Fusing the item with a rod or stick, opting for a shield will greatly increase how long the effect lasts. Whenever you swing with a Fused weapon, you’ll inevitably reduce its durability. But with a shield, as long as you just keep it on your back, you’ll have a useful lantern for your travels underneath Hyrule.