Tears of the Kingdom is chock-full of new abilities for Link to use to hilarious effect and plenty of places to explore, making it an impressive follow-up to the already incredible Breath of the Wild. That being said, one new addition I could absolutely do without is Gloom Hands. These monstrous disembodied hands with eyes that travel in packs are the stuff of nightmares and all I can do is try to escape their wrath.
Thankfully, there is a way to beat these enemies with ease. I wish I had known it earlier, so now I am trying to save you from suffering the same fate. Here is how to put a quick end to Gloom Hands in Tears of the Kingdom.
I don’t know what possessed Nintendo to create such terrifying monsters in a game that is otherwise pretty chill. The Gloom Hands are nightmare fuel. In addition to looking terrifying, they are also deceptively quick and incredibly dangerous. Gloom lowers the number of hearts you have during combat and if these enemies grab you, you can quickly find yourself reloading your last save in hopes of avoiding these menacing hands.
The simplest tip to beating Gloom Hands and escaping with your life is to keep your distance as much as possible. If they get near you, it will be game over. So, focus on attacking from a distance with arrows, throwable objects, or long spears if needed. But the key is to make use of Link’s new Fuse ability.
Fuse allows you to combine any object with any other object. Helpfully you can attach things to arrows, shields, and weapons to create an arsenal filled to the brim with interesting side effects when used. If you happen to have a plethora of Bomb Flowers on you then these will do some damage, but the item you really want to rely on when facing down a pack of Gloom Hands is the Muddle Bud.
The Muddle Bud is a fusible time that confuses enemies and can lead them to harm their own allies, and even themselves. When added to an arrow and shot directly at a Gloom Hand’s glowing eye, the ensuing confusion will lead it to quickly deplete its own health. This will either destroy it outright or leave it in a weekend state that you can finish off.
Another item that can be useful is the Dazzle Fruit, which blinds Gloom Hands leaving them more open to attacks. It doesn’t get the job down quite as well as Muddle Bud but it is great in a pinch. Make sure to stock up on both items when you find them. Muddle Bud is most commonly found in the Depths, while Dazzle Fruit resides in the Sky Islands.
With this combination at your disposal, the dread at the appearance of a pack of Gloom Hands quickly disappears. The tables have turned in your favor and you are now the hunter! No more running and hiding for you, roam Hyrule with no worries!
“It's dangerous to go alone!” Check out more of Inverse’s Tears of the Kingdom coverage:
- THE INVERSE REVIEW: Tears of the Kingdom Is the Best Nintendo Switch Game Ever Made
- Tears of the Kingdom’s Best New Mechanic Could Change the Series Forever
- Why Zelda Speedrunners Plan to Take It Slow With Tears of the Kingdom
- Tears of the Kingdom Doubles Down on Breath of the Wild’s Best Inspiration
