Wondering what to do with Zelda Tears of the Kingdom Bubbul Gems? Dropped by cave-dwelling Bubbulfrogs, these snowflake-like gems can be traded with a merchant named Koltin, whose brother Kilton you might recognize from the first game. But where do you find Koltin, and what do you get for handing in the gems? Are they even a worthwhile collectible at all, given the mighty presence of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom Korok Seeds threatening to keep you plenty busy? Well, there's definitely a lot more to these mystical froggy gemstones than meets the eye.
Here's what you need to know about TOTK Bubbul Gems, including what they have to do with the mysterious Satori you might find wandering Hyrule beneath the cherry blossom trees.
Zelda Tears of the Kingdom Bubbul Gems explained
Zelda Tears of the Kingdom Bubbul Gems: what are they
In Tears of the Kingdom, Bubbul Gems are collectible gemstones that can only be obtained by killing Bubbulfrogs. These giant, pale blue creatures crawl around in cave systems, and though they won't attack you, they're very quick to hop away.
After shooting a Bubbulfrog, it will drop a Bubbul Gem. After collecting a certain number of gems, you can then trade them with the monster merchant Koltin. He rewards the player with monster costumes and special items that you wouldn't normally be able to get. Sadly you can't use the Zelda Tears of the Kingdom dupe glitch to cheat your way into getting more Bubbul Gems, but we'll go through how you can get more gems quickly in just a moment.
Zelda Tears of the Kingdom Bubbul Gems: How to use
To use Bubbul Gems in Tears of the Kingdom, you need to have tracked down Koltin. We found him while heading to the Eldin Canyon region, but once you've completed his side quest The Hunt for Bubbul Gems you'll be able to spot his Night Shop in various places along your travels.
Koltin also has a set location near Tarrey Town in the Alakka region, though he still will only appear at night. Unlike a regular trader, you exchange Bubbul Gems for items through an ascending tier list, paying for the next item and never getting an option about what you buy.
Zelda Tears of the Kingdom Bubbul Gems: Koltin's location
Koltin is found first at the Woodland Stable, East of Hyrule Castle and Southwest of Death Mountain, right next to Pico Pond. Behind the Stable, along Pico Pond to the East, is an ugly, multicoloured hot air balloon with a short figure next to it. Speak to him, and you'll get a little introduction to the Brothers Kilton and Koltin.
Koltin wants a Bubbul Gem - you can either give him one in your inventory, or go into the cave he just came out of and kill the Bubbulfrog inside to get one off it, either works. After you give it to him, he'll give you a Bokoblin Mask as a reward, but then vanish.
To find Koltin's shop afterwards, head to Tarrey Town, the little settlement on Lake Akkala in the South Akkala highlands. On the North side of the Town you'll find his brother Kilton, who points at a cliff nearby where the shop will be waiting.
It's important to know that Koltin's shop only appears at night, after 9.00PM, but otherwise you can find him at the exact coordinates: 3661, 2064, 0168, on Ulri Mountain North of Tarrey Town and East of the Ulri Mountain Skyview Tower. His balloon shop certainly sticks out, so if you're close by, it shouldn't be hard to spot.
However, after that Koltin will start to move around. He still only appears at night, but his location will change. You'll be able to see his balloon from a distance, but if you need to know where he is, talk to his brother at Tarrey Town as mentioned above.
What can you buy with Bubbul Gems?
Bubbul Gems are exchanged with Koltin for a mix of things, but generally he exchanges them 2-5 at a time for either unique clothing (including monster masks that can disguise you to certain enemies), or rare monster parts, like pieces from Hinoxs. He won't change what he sells until you buy something - so there's no point waiting for him to change his next item for sale.
Zelda Tears of the Kingdom Bubbul Gems and Satori connection
Bubbul Gems are, as mentioned, dropped by Bubbulfrogs, which are unique creatures that are found in caves. They do not respawn, so once you kill one, it won't come back at any point, and you'll have to find a new cave.
There's actually a way to find TOTK Bubbul Gems easily - if you make an offering to a Satori, it will reveal where to find the Bubbul Gems. Here's what to do:
- Head to any of the Cherry Blossom Trees (listed below) across the game - they'll have a Shrine beneath them.
- Put an apple or piece of fruit into the Shrine
- A cutscene will trigger that shows a Satori - a blue rabbit/elk thing - appear.
- Every cave with a Bubbulfrog in will have its entrance marked temporarily with blue light you can see from a distance. This lasts roughly an in-game day.
This is your chance! Run around getting those Bubbulfrogs and Gems to bring back to Koltin before the Satori's blessing disappears - he'll certainly appreciate it.
All Cherry Blossom Tree and Satori locations
There are 8 Cherry Blossom Trees located around Hyrule at all the locations above. Each one does the same thing - put a piece of Fruit in the Shrine at its base and you'll get a visit from the Satori marking the nearby caves with Bubbulfrogs!
- Satori Mountain
- Passer Hill
- Gerudo Canyon
- Romani Plains
- Darunia Lake
- Zodobon Highlands
- Guchini Plain
- Ebon Mountain
Mystic Armor set
The main reward for giving Koltin Bubbul Gems is the Mystic Armor Set, handed out in pieces as you progressively give him more and more gems, and interspersed with a lot of monster parts.
The Mystic Armor set is... not great, at least in our estimation. It reduces damage taken, but you lose Rupees each time you're hit. You can use our Zelda Tears of the Kingdom Rupees guide to try and balance out that loss, but it's far better just to get some regular upgrades on armor, unless you're incredibly flush with cash.
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