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The iconic Master Sword is making a comeback in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and while there are numerous ways to get it, one of the simplest ways is to unlock it as part of the main quest, Trail of Master Sword.
In order to start the Trail of the Master sword quest in Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, players first need to complete the Find the Fifth Sage quest, which can be unlocked by completing the Regional Phenomena questline along with the Crisis At Hyrule Castle - Floating Castle quest. Finding the fifth Sage itself requires completing two quests, Guidance from Ages Past and Secret of the Ring Ruins. Once players have wrapped up all of this and spoken with Purah at the Lookout Landing, the Trail of the Master Sword quest will automatically pop up in the quest menu.
Completing The Quest
Before you can start the quest, it is crucial to ensure that you have at least two Stamina Vessels. Without this, you will not be able to get the Master Sword at the end of the quest. You can simply complete shrines to upgrade your Stamina Vessels, or exchange one of your Heart Containers with the Horned Statue. The first thing players need to do as part of the quest is to head to the Great Hyrule Forest, which is located right north of Lookout Landing. You can reach the area by taking the path north of the Woodland Stable.
Players need to talk to the Deku Tree which is right in the center of the Great Hyrule Forest. However, just like Breath of the Wild, the path is not going to be straightforward. When players try to go inside the Forest, they will notice a thick fog that prevents them from going inside. If players try to approach from above, they will face the same problem as well. The only way to reach the objective is by going from below, via the Depths. Players need to head to the Minshi Woods Chasm which is in the southeastern part of the area. Go inside the red crater to reach Minshi Grove.
How To Reach The Deku Tree
In order to unlock the map, you can simply go towards the Uihcoke Lightroot towards the south and activate it. From there, you need to keep heading northwest, to reach the exact center of the area, the Korok Grove. there are a couple of Lightroots leading up this area as well, Eknupup Lightroot and Rikonasum Lightroot which can make treading the path easier for you.
Additionally, right after you drop, there is a Zonai Device Storeroom on your left which can help you get some vehicles to make your journey easier. There is an enemy on the way, Gloom Spawn Hands, which can be quite annoying. Thankfully, if you fly to Korok Grove instead, you will be able to avoid it, so it is recommended to take that path.
Once you reach the center, you will see a platform that will allow you to use your Ascend ability to reach the surface. After Ascending, you will reach the Korok Forest directly right in front of the Deku Tree. Unfortunately, the Deku Tree will not speak with you, and you need to cleanse it. Firstly, it is recommended that you visit the Musanokir Shrine which is right near the Deku Tree to create a Fast Travel point. After that's done, enter the Deku Tree by following the path beneath it. You will find a crater that you can jump into to get into the Deku Tree Chasm.
Defeating Gloom Spawn Hands & Phantom Ganon
The moment you land on the ground, you will see a number of Gloom Spawn Hands swarming you. Agility is the key in this part of the quest as if you take too long to deal with the Gloom Spawn Hands, they can make things really difficult for you. The best way to deal with them is by using as many Bomb Flowers as you can, as they spawn in groups and the Bomb Flower's area of effect damage can prove to be really useful in this situation. Additionally, it is recommended that you have dishes with Sundelions as it will help you regain the health depleted by gloom. If you end up getting swarmed, Ascend to the platforms nearby to catch a break.
After you have dealt with the Gloom Spawn Hands, Phantom Ganon will appear and you need to take him down. Thankfully, this is much easier than the previous battle. Unlike the previous section, patience here is the key. Phantom Ganon is surrounded by Gloom all the time so it is pointless trying to hit it. Instead, you need to wait for it to attack you and dodge, giving you an opening to perform a flurry attack. This should whittle down his health significantly, and you should be able to get the better of him in a few more such attempts.
Fast travel to the Musanokir Shrine to get back to the Korok Forest, and you will notice that everything has returned to normal now. Climb the Deku Tree's roots to reach a platform, which will allow you to talk to it. Interact with the Great Deku Tree to get the location of the Master Sword, and complete the Trail of the Master Sword quest. In order to get the Master Sword itself, players need to complete the next quest, Recovering the Hero's Sword.