How to Upgrade Armor in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
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Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
How to Upgrade Armor in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
How to Upgrade Armor — Step by StepArmor Upgrade TipsArmor upgrading in Tears of the Kingdom follows a clear efficiency curve — the jump from base to Level 2 provides the biggest practical benefit (Set Bonus activation, significant defense increase) at the lowest material cost. Levels 3 and 4 require increasingly rare drops from Silver enemies, Lynels, and boss monsters, with diminishing returns per upgrade level. For most of the main story content, having your primary armor set at Level 2 is sufficient. Level 3–4 upgrades are most valuable for the Depths exploration (high enemy damage), the Colosseum challenges, and endgame content where Silver enemies deal 3–4 hearts per hit. The Soldier’s Armor in particular becomes extremely powerful at Level 4 (20 defense per piece, 60 total) since it uses moderately rare but farmable materials compared to the exotic drops required for sets like the Ancient Hero’s Aspect. For a comprehensive breakdown of which armor sets are best for different playstyles and stages of the game, the armor tier guide covers every set’s location, materials, and Set Bonus value.
FAQ
⚡ Quick Answer
Armor Upgrade Levels — Defense ValuesUpgrade armor at a Great Fairy Fountain — you need to find and unlock them first by completing the «Serenade to a Great Fairy» side quests. Each piece upgrades up to 4 times using monster drops and materials. Upgrading all 3 pieces of the same armor set to Level 2 activates a Set Bonus (e.g. full Snowquill set at Level 2 = Unfreezable). The nearest Great Fairy is Cotera near Kakariko Village in Necluda.
| Level | Defense per piece | Total (3-piece set) | Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base | 3 | 9 | Just equip it |
| Level 1 ★ | 5 | 15 | Basic monster materials |
| Level 2 ★★ | 8 | 24 | More materials — Set Bonus activates here |
| Level 3 ★★★ | 12 | 36 | Rare monster drops required |
| Level 4 ★★★★ | 20 | 60 | Boss drops + rare materials |
1
Find and unlock a Great Fairy Fountain. There are 4 Great Fairy Fountains in Hyrule, each requiring a specific quest to unlock. The easiest to access early is Great Fairy Cotera near Kakariko Village — follow the main story to Kakariko and the side quest «Serenade to a Great Fairy» triggers automatically. To unlock Cotera: find the Stable Trotters musical group near Woodland Stable and convince them to travel to Cotera’s fountain. Each subsequent Great Fairy requires its own musical quest — unlock all 4 for maximum upgrade access across the map. The other three are near Snowfield Stable (Tera), Woodland Stable (Mija), and Gerudo Canyon Stable (Kaysa).
2
Talk to the Great Fairy and select the armor piece to upgrade. Once unlocked, approach a Great Fairy Fountain and press A to interact. The Great Fairy emerges from the flower bud and offers to upgrade your armor. Select any piece of armor currently in your inventory — she shows the required materials and Rupee cost for the next upgrade level. You can upgrade any armor piece at any Great Fairy regardless of where you found it — there’s no location restriction on which Fairy upgrades which set. The Rupee cost increases with each level: Level 1 = 10 Rupees, Level 2 = 50 Rupees, Level 3 = 200 Rupees, Level 4 = 500 Rupees per piece.
3
Collect the required materials before upgrading. Each armor piece requires specific materials per upgrade level — usually a combination of monster drops and natural materials. Common early upgrade materials: Bokoblin Horn, Bokoblin Fang, Bokoblin Guts (from Bokoblins — most common early enemy), Moblin Horn, Moblin Fang (from Moblins in open fields), and various Keese parts (wings, eyeballs from cave bats). Check the upgrade requirements before farming — each armor set uses different materials. The Hyrule Compendium (camera + register monsters) shows where each monster drops what item. Materials from the same monster type are interchangeable across upgrade levels.
4
Upgrade full sets to Level 2 first — this activates the Set Bonus. Upgrading a full 3-piece armor set (head, chest, legs) to Level 2 activates a Set Bonus — an additional passive effect that applies as long as all three pieces are equipped at Level 2+. This is the most efficient upgrade target: Level 2 requires relatively common materials, and the Set Bonus often provides effects as good as potions (Unfreezable, Fireproof, Stealth Up, etc.). Priority sets to get to Level 2: Snowquill (Rito Village — Unfreezable in cold areas), Flamebreaker (Goron City — Fireproof for Death Mountain), Climber’s Bandanna set (Speed Climb bonus — essential for exploration).
5
The best armor sets to prioritize upgrading. Not all armor is worth upgrading to Level 4 — focus your rare materials on sets you wear most. Champion’s Leathers (Link’s default outfit — obtained via Purah at Lookout Landing) upgrades to strong defense and is always available. Soldier’s Armor (bought in Hyrule Castle Town ruins or treasure chests) is the best pure-defense set for general combat — affordable upgrade materials. Ancient Hero’s Aspect (obtained after completing all shrines) provides no set bonus but excellent base defense at Level 4. For the full armor tier list and which sets are worth maxing out, see the complete armor guide.
6
Farm monster materials efficiently using Blood Moon timing. The Blood Moon respawns all defeated enemies — occurring roughly every 7 in-game days (or triggered manually by waiting at a campfire). For farming Bokoblin parts at high volume: find a Bokoblin camp, clear it, rest at a nearby campfire until Blood Moon, repeat. Equipping the Bokoblin Mask or Horriblin Mask (crafted at the Mask Maker in Tarrey Town) lets you walk through Bokoblin camps without triggering combat — allowing selective targeting of specific Bokoblin types that drop the materials you need. For rare star-fragment and Lynel materials needed at Level 3–4, stock up on Rupees to buy materials from vendors in Tarrey Town and Hateno Village.
→Unlock all 4 Great Fairies before farming materials — each unlocks faster upgrades nearby: having all 4 Great Fairies active means you can upgrade armor at whichever fountain is closest to your current location instead of traveling across the map. The quests to unlock them are straightforward — find the Stable Trotters musicians at each nearby stable and bring them to the fountain. Complete all 4 in sequence early in the game.
→Level 2 Set Bonus eliminates the need for environmental resistance cooking: once your Snowquill set reaches Level 2 (all 3 pieces), you become Unfreezable — cold environments deal no damage without any food buffs. Same for Flamebreaker (Fireproof at Level 2) and Rubber armor (Electric Resistance at Level 2). Reaching Level 2 on region-specific sets before entering those regions frees your cooking for pure attack and healing meals. See the cooking guide for optimal meal combinations once environmental resistances are covered by armor.
→Lynel parts are the best high-level upgrade materials — kill Lynels efficiently: White-Maned and Silver Lynels drop the highest-tier upgrade materials (Lynel Saber Horn, Lynel Guts) needed for Level 3–4 upgrades on top-tier sets. The most efficient Lynel farming location is the Floating Colosseum in the Depths (accessible via a Chasm near Hyrule Stadium) — it contains 6 Lynels in sequence that respawn with every Blood Moon. Use Flurry Rush (perfect dodge → attack) and mount-riding during stun phases to deal maximum damage.
→Don’t upgrade fashion armor (Archaic sets, early decorative pieces) — prioritize combat sets: several early-game armor pieces like the Archaic Tunic, Hylian Hood, and decorative sets look appealing but have weak upgrade scaling. Save your rare materials for sets with strong Set Bonuses or high base defense. The Soldier’s Armor and Snowquill/Flamebreaker/Rubber sets provide the best return on upgrade investment for most of the game’s content.
→Check the Compendium entry for each monster to see their exact drop table: open the Camera Rune and photograph any monster to register it in the Hyrule Compendium. The entry shows exactly what materials that monster drops and at what rarity. This eliminates guesswork when farming specific upgrade materials — you’ll know exactly which enemy type to target before spending time at a camp.
How do you upgrade armor in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom?Unlock a Great Fairy Fountain by completing the «Serenade to a Great Fairy» side quest near each fountain (find the Stable Trotters musicians nearby). Then approach the fountain, interact with the Great Fairy, and select any armor piece to upgrade using monster materials and Rupees. Each piece upgrades up to 4 times.
Where are the Great Fairy Fountains in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom?There are 4 Great Fairy Fountains: Cotera (near Kakariko Village, Necluda), Mija (near Woodland Stable, Eldin), Tera (near Snowfield Stable, Hebra), and Kaysa (near Gerudo Canyon Stable). Each requires a musical quest with the Stable Trotters group to unlock before she will upgrade armor.
What does upgrading armor to Level 2 do in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom?Upgrading all 3 pieces of the same armor set to Level 2 (★★) activates the Set Bonus — a passive effect active as long as all three pieces are equipped. Examples: Snowquill set Level 2 = Unfreezable in cold areas. Flamebreaker set Level 2 = Fireproof. Climbing set Level 2 = Speed Climb bonus. Set Bonuses are stronger than food buffs and require no maintenance once unlocked.
What materials do you need to upgrade armor in Zelda TotK?Materials vary by armor set but Level 1–2 upgrades typically require common monster drops like Bokoblin Horns, Bokoblin Fangs, Moblin Horns and natural materials. Level 3–4 upgrades require rarer drops from higher-tier enemies like Lizalfos, Hinox, and Lynel parts. Check the Hyrule Compendium (photograph monsters) to see exact drop tables before farming.