With the release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Hyrule became an even larger playground of sky islands, sprawling surface terrain, and dark depths. Years after its launch, players still step into the silent boots of Link, a hero expected to save Princess Zelda and protect the kingdom from calamity. Yet many side quests in this open-world adventure reveal a different side of Hyrule's champion. Some tasks push Link into morally questionable territory, where curiosity, convenience, or reward outweigh careful judgment. From eerie agreements to outright enemy collaboration, this article examines four occasions when Link's actions seem far from heroic.

4. Who Goes There? & A Deal With The Statue 🗿

Early in the game, Jerrin can be found in the Emergency Shelter at Lookout Landing. She confides that her anxiety became so overwhelming that she swept the floor hard enough to create a hole in a rock wall. Soon after, she began hearing a voice through that hole. A more compassionate hero might pause to ask how she is feeling or encourage her to rest. Link, however, focuses entirely on the mysterious sound. After investigating the hidden passage, he digs through a few boulders and discovers a strange statue. It resembles the goddess Hylia but bears wings and demonic horns. The statue offers Link a deal: trade heart containers for stamina vessels, or the reverse. Although the creature's true motives are never explained, agreeing to this unnatural bargain suggests that Link is willing to trust a sinister unknown force. The quest quietly transforms what should be a red flag into a gameplay convenience.

3. Ousting The Giants 👹

At Lakeside Stable in Faron, an NPC named Kampo explains that three Hinox brothers have taken up residence in nearby caves. He worries that their presence will frighten travelers and damage his business, so he asks Link to eliminate them. The quest presents the Hinox as dangerous monsters, and on a first playthrough it feels like a conventional heroic errand. However, the situation becomes more troubling upon closer inspection. The Hinox brothers have not attacked the stable, raided a village, or threatened any travelers. They have simply chosen to live in abandoned caves. They only become aggressive when Link marches into their home unannounced. There is no real evidence that they are scaring away customers beyond Kampo's anxious speculation. By accepting the task, Link effectively performs an aggressive eviction. The label of monster is applied too easily, and the quest reveals how quickly a hero can become an intruder.

2. The Hunt for Bubbul Gems! 💎

Koltin is a lonely and seemingly defenseless character who becomes convinced that eating Bubbul Gems will transform him into a Bubbulfrog. His reasoning is fragile at best. Bubbulfrogs are blue, cave-dwelling creatures that mostly blow bubbles before fleeing. When defeated, they transform into Blupees and leave behind a Bubbul Gem. Some defenders of this quest argue that attacking Bubbulfrogs is acceptable because Link may be returning them to their original Blupee form. Even if that is true, a deeper problem remains. Koltin's desire for gems is portrayed less as a harmless hobby and more as a compulsion. Each gem Link delivers feeds that obsession. Koltin may reward the hero with exclusive armor pieces, but those rewards do not erase the harm to Koltin's mental and physical well-being. Instead of urging Koltin to reconsider his beliefs, Link becomes an enabler. The quest turns the legendary hero into a supplier for a destructive fixation.

1. Infiltrating the Yiga Clan & The Yiga Clan Exam 🥷

Unlike the previous examples, this entry involves literal villainy. The Yiga Clan is an enemy faction committed to opposing Link and the royal family of Hyrule. To complete the Yiga Clan Exam, Link must intentionally seek out the Yiga hideout. A guard at the entrance refuses entry until Link collects the entire Yiga Armor Set. This sends the hero across Hyrule to locate smaller Yiga bases, often fighting Yiga members to obtain the necessary pieces. The ultimate goal, however, is not to destroy the clan but to earn its trust. Once the armor is complete, Link can walk through the hideout freely, speak with merchants, and spend hard-earned rupees to fund the enemy. Wearing the Yiga Armor on the road also causes disguised Yiga attackers to leave him alone. While this is convenient, it means those same disguised enemies remain free to threaten other travelers. Link's willingness to cooperate with an enemy faction—even for practical benefits—is difficult to reconcile with his role as Hyrule's protector.

A Quick Summary of Questionable Choices

Side Quest	Questionable Action	Moral Concern
Who Goes There? & A Deal With The Statue	Link accepts a trade of health for stamina from an eerie horned statue.	Trusting a sinister entity instead of questioning its motives.
Ousting The Giants	Link eliminates three Hinox brothers living peacefully in caves.	Acting on one merchant's unfounded anxiety.
The Hunt for Bubbul Gems!	Link supplies Koltin with gems to fuel his obsession.	Enabling a destructive delusion for rewards.
Infiltrating the Yiga Clan & The Yiga Clan Exam	Link joins the enemy clan and spends rupees inside their hideout.	Cooperating with and funding an enemy faction.

Taken together, these side quests paint a more complicated picture of Hyrule's champion. The open-world structure of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom gives players the freedom to be heroic, mischievous, or morally inconsistent. Link can save the kingdom while also making shady deals, harming peaceful creatures, enabling an unhealthy obsession, and infiltrating the enemy. These moments remind players that the line between brave adventurer and unwitting troublemaker is often thinner than it first appears.