Giant Ancient Cores are rare materials in Zelda: Breath of the Wild. You need these ancient cores to upgrade high-quality armor so you can take on tougher bosses like Ganon. Zelda BOTW giant ancient cores are found all over the Hyrule map, but certain locations and enemies are more likely to provide Giant Ancient Cores.
Due to its usefulness and importance in Zelda BOTW, finding Giant Ancient Cores is a not-so-easy task. That is why we have crafted this resourceful guide to help you locate these worthy materials.
Get Giant Ancient Cores From Enemies In Zelda BOTW
As giant ancient cores are rare material, even more than regular ancient cores, there aren’t a lot of ways you can get them in Zelda BOTW. There are mainly two ways to farm giant ancient cores. First by defeating powerful enemies, and second by visiting different Shrines in certain regions in the game.
Not every enemy drops Giant Ancient Cores when it is killed. Like the rarity of this material, the creatures holding it are also rare to find and tough to take down. The most common creatures are Guardians, including Guardian Stalkers, Skywatchers, and Turrets. However, Decayed Guardians do not provide any of these materials.
Since the drop rate is very low, the ideal way to farm Giant Ancient Cores from enemies is to save your game before defeating a guardian and if the enemy doesn’t drop the cores, simply reload the save and try again. Keep repeating this method till you get a Giant Ancient Core as a drop.
For this farming method, we recommend going after Guardian Stalkers, as they are the easiest to kill and the fastest way to get Giant Ancient Cores. Look around Hyrule Castle and Torin Wasteland to easily find some Guardians, which you can kill and farm in Breath of the Wild.
With the Master Sword in hand, you can deal bonus damage to Guardians, which should help you quickly farm for Giant Ancient Cores.
From Shrines And Chests
The easier and faster way to get Giant Ancient Cores in Zelda BOTW is by visiting the following shrines and completing their tasks. Completing the Shrine Trials in each shrine will reward players with a Giant ancient core. It is important to note you can only acquire these Giant Ancient Cores once as they do not respawn.
Shora Hah Shrine
This shrine is located in the Eldin Region of Hyrule. Its specific trial is the Blue Flame.
Mirro Shaz Shrine
An easy-to-complete shrine that finds its home in the Woodland region. The specific trial for the Mirro Shaz shrine is Tempered Power.
Kah Okeo Shrine
Its dwelling place is Rayne Highlands. Completing the Kah Okeo shrine requires pursuing the Wind Guide trial, which is long and tough.
Dah Hesho Shrine
A shrine is located in the Akkala region, east of Tarrey Town. A Minor Test of Strength trial must be completed in Dah Hesho shrine.
Kuhn Sidajj Shrine
This shrine is located in the Woodland region and can be accessed through Korok Forest. It contains only a chest containing a Giant Ancient Core and does not require trial.
Maag Halan Shrine
This shrine is part of the Woodland region. Since you have already proven your worth by finding the shrine, there is no trial in this one.
Ritaag Zumo Shrine
This shrine is located in the Akkala region, east of the Akkala Highlands. Like the above two shrines, it contains only a chest and no trial.
Can you buy Giant Ancient Cores in Zelda BotW?
The merchant Telli sells Giant Ancient Cores in Zelda BotW. He appears in front of Hateno Village after 5:00 AM. However, this isn’t a reliable way to acquire large quantities of this resource.
This is because he carries a singular Giant Ancient Core, and the fact that he appears at a designated time slot means you’ll have to wait considerable amounts of time to purchase it from him again.
What are Giant Ancient Cores used for in Breath of the Wild
Giant Ancient Cores in BOTW can be used at Ancient Tech Labs as they are necessary for upgrading armor parts like:
Ancient Helm: Requires two giant ancient cores for the 4th upgrade.
Ancient Cuirass: Requires two giant ancient cores for the 4th upgrade.
Ancient Greaves: Requires two giant ancient cores for the 4th upgrade.
Moreover, you can also sell these cores at the Ancient Tech Lab to obtain rare weapons like the Ancient Shield and Ancient Bow. When buying these weapons, you will lose x2 Giant Ancient Cores and a chunk of your rupee and ancient gear collection.
Lastly, Kilton buys this resourceful material in exchange for 100 Mon. However, it is highly recommended not to do this trade, as these rare materials are a lot more valuable than what Kilton offers.
