- Golden Bugs Guide: Catch them All to Be the Belle of the Bug Ball - August 11, 2022
- Kaepora Gaebora Guide - June 11, 2022
- Darknut Guide - June 8, 2022
There are plenty of side quests Link must complete in Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. One of the most challenging yet rewarding side quests is infiltrating the Yiga Clan Hideout and retrieving the Thunder Helm for Princess Riju. Of course, this is much easier said than done.
As Link continues on his journey to defeat Ganon, he must subdue Divine Beast Vah Naboris. In order to do so, Princess Riju of the Gerudo will need the Thunder Helm, a helmet that protects the wearer from lightning. So how does Link make this happen? Read on to find out!
Key Details Up Front
Getting the Thunder Helm for Princess Riju is no easy task. It requires that Link find the Yiga Clan Hideout, infiltrate it, and make his way to the boss undetected. It’s a dangerous, challenging, and entertaining task – try dropping bananas in front of some Yiga. You won’t regret it.
Finding the Yiga Clan Hideout
When you’re ready to take on Vah Naboris, you’ll need to go to Princess Riju to advance the story. She’ll give you your next task: recover a valuable helmet from the Yiga Clan.
First, though, you have to find the Yiga Clan Hideout. In Gerudo Town, head over to the barracks and speak to Captain Teake. You’ll find her toward the back of the room, standing up. Teake will share with you the information you need to find the Yiga Clan’s hideout. It’s located within the Karusa Valley.
When she finishes speaking, your map will update. It will point you to Karusa Valley. It’s to the northeast of Gerudo Town. If you speak with the other soldiers, they’ll tell you that one of their own, Barta, took things into her own hands and ran off looking for the hideout. She has yet to return to Gerudo Town.
Head to Karusa Valley and look for an area covered with red flags. This is how the Yiga mark their territory. Keep to the wall in an effort to dodge a group of Lizalfos. When you get to the area of your map that looks like a donut, you’ll encounter some Yiga, protecting their lair.
If you haven’t had to fight Yiga to this point, there are a few things to know. First, they’re quick. Second, they can teleport from one spot to another. This is especially frustrating if they’re carrying bows as they’ll intentionally keep far enough away that you can’t hit them.
Try shooting them with your own bow if you don’t want to wait. Once you do, you can get close enough to attack. Their defense is weak, so you should have no problem dispatching of them. The cool thing is that Yiga drop bananas, rupees, and their weapon to fight you.
When you’ve defeated the Yiga blocking the entrance, you’ll walk into a circle-shaped room. This room is full of fake doors, so be careful that you choose the right one. From the entrance, the real door to the Yiga Clan Hideout is the third one if you go counterclockwise.
You’ll see a fire logo on it. Use any type of fire weapon you have to burn it. If you don’t have a fire weapon, just grab one of the nearby torches, swipe it through the burning brazier, then set it on fire. You now have access to the Yiga Clan Hideout.
Navigating the Hideout
**Note that the game will not let you save while you’re inside the Yiga Clan Hideout. If you want to save your progress, you’ll need to return to the circle-shaped room. Dying in the Yiga Clan Hideout resets your progress.**
Look in front of you, and you’ll see someone in a cell. Run over, and you’ll find out that it’s Barta, who you were told about by the other Gerudo soldiers. She was captured and imprisoned by the Yiga.
Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do to help her at this point. She’ll suggest you leave, but we all know that’s not happening. Barta will also tell you one more thing. Something you should bear in mind: Members of the Yiga Clan like bananas.
Pick up the bananas outside Barta’s cell, then look to the left. You’ll see a Yiga walking around a square block. You can approach this section of the Yiga Clan Hideout using one of two methods:
Stealth
Using stealth is the method the game recommends and encourages. This is because the Yiga Clan Hideout is basically the Breath of the Wild level that focuses on stealth. By using stealth and bananas, you can work your way past the Yiga to get to the boss at the end of the level.
Attack
You can go this route, but it’s not recommended, and it’s the route the game wants you to take. It’s possible, but it will be a challenge. Once you attack a guard, a swarm of Yiga will descend upon you. Remember, if you die, you’ll be kicked back to the beginning and lose your progress. Sure, this wouldn’t be so bad with typical Yiga fighters, but Yiga swordsmen are much more powerful.
For the purposes of this guide, we’ll use the stealth method. However, your ability to be quiet isn’t that important during this level. What you actually need to do is avoid the Yiga. While that’s not as simple as it sounds, it also doesn’t require stealth armor or elixirs.
Avoiding the Guards
Head down the stairs toward the Yiga guard walking around a square block. You can either follow him around the block, or you can hop up on it and stay completely out of sight. The guard usually pauses at the corners, so remember that before you take the next step.
Eventually, the guard will move to the side of the block that’s closer to the stairs. Move away from the guard, down toward the guard standing in front of the doorway.
Remember not to let him see you. Grab some bananas and toss them in front of the guard. Far enough away that he has to move to get them but close enough that he sees them. Once he moves out of the doorway, head in that direction and take a left.
Follow the hall and ignore the open room on the right. Take the ladder, then follow the corridor straight. You’ll find a room stuffed with bananas. There’s also a treasure chest that has a Topaz. Return the way you came, but stop at the opening on the left.
Dropdown onto the blocks below while keeping an eye on the Yiga guard circling the block, similar to the first guard. To the left is another guard, patrolling a set of smaller blocks. This is probably the trickiest part of this level.
If you look around, you’ll see a bunch of bananas on a wooden ledge above the guard further away. Wait for the guard circling the block you’re on to be behind you, then grab your bow and shoot the ledge. The bananas will fall. When the guard moves to grab the bananas, paraglide across and make a beeline for the ladder in front of you.
Once you’re up the ladder and on top of the rafters, find the Yiga guard standing in front of the doorway. (Don’t fall down, or you’ll probably get attacked.) Once again, drop some bananas close enough to the guard to distract him. Wait for him to move, then paraglide down behind him and head to the next room.
In this room, you’ll find chests half-buried in the dirt. They contain a Ruby and two Topaz, so pull them out with Magnesis and collect your treasure. This is the last area before you head off to fight the big boss. When you’re ready, find the hidden doorway in the wall and spin it using Magnesis.
Head into the next room to take on Master Kohga.
Master Kohga
You’ve done it. You finally get to meet the boss of all those pesky Yiga who keep popping up throughout Hyrule and bothering you. There are three phases to the Master Kohga boss fight. Here’s how to beat him.
First Phase
Phase one of the boss fight consists of Master Kohga creating small boulders above his head and throwing them at you. The boulders are easy to avoid if he manages to throw them at you, but you should aim to shoot him with an arrow before he gets that far.
If done correctly, the stone will fall on him, and he’ll flip over, face in the dirt. Run over and smack him on the bottom as often as you can before he recovers.
Second Phase
After you’ve knocked him down a few times, Kohga’s health meter will drop by roughly one-third. When that happens, he’ll move into the second phase. Now he’ll conjure two boulders and move them around his body before tossing one in your direction.
When one of the rocks are right above him, hit Kohga with an arrow. The boulders should drop; however, if your timing is good, the rock above him will crack him in the cranium. He’ll hit the dirt again, giving you a chance to do some more damage.
Third (Final) Phase
When his health meter drops down to one-third, Kohga will make a massive metal ball with spikes. Bust out Magneses, take control of the ball, then smack him. You’ll have to do it a few times, but something is satisfying about it.
That’s all there is to it. Sit back, watch the cutscene, and enjoy the demise of Master Kohga. When the cutscene ends, you’ll see a treasure chest. Open it up to take possession of the Thunder Helm for Princess Riju.
FAQs
The Yiga Clan Hideout can be challenging. Let’s take a look at some of the more frequently asked questions about this part of Breath of the Wild.
Question: What do I Get for Beating the Yiga Clan Hideout?
Answer: Princess Riju will give you a Thunder Helm. It’s an upgrade to your current armor, and it makes all lightning-based attacks do half damage. This is huge considering how many thunder-based attacks there are in Hyrule.
Question: I Can’t Find Where to Go in the Room Before Fighting Master Kohga.
Answer: It’s easy to miss the hidden doorway, but keep your eyes peeled for a tile on the wall that spins like a dial when you grab it. The Yiga Clan Hideout is not only challenging but very easy to get lost in.
Question: How Many Times do I Have to hit Master Kohga?
Answer: You’ll need to drop him three times. The first time, you’ll knock his health meter down by one-third. The second two will take it down to zero. You can knock him down twice in a row for an easy victory.
Question: Master Kohga is Kicking my Butt. What’s Wrong?
Answer: Kohga has a lot of health, so he’ll take quite a few hits before going down. Try to shoot him with arrows as much as possible. That will make the battle go by much faster and will give you an advantage in the long run.
Question: How do I Get the Thunder Helm?
Answer: There’s a treasure chest in the room where you finally kill Master Kohga. It’s easy to miss, but after you watch the cutscene and he dies, run back into the room for your prize.
Thunderbolt and Lightning
Once you have the Thunder Helm, you’ll be glad you put in the time and effort to earn it. It protects you from lightning and electrocution, which means it comes in handy in a myriad of places through Hyrule as you play Breath of the Wild.
It can be tough to navigate through the Yiga Clan Hideout and defeat Master Kohga, but if you stay patient and take your time, you can get the job done. Take it back to Princes Riju and get ready to hop aboard Divine Beast Vah Naboris!
Further readings:
Akkala Ancient Tech Lab Guide – The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild