Gloom
Gloom is a substance in Tears of the Kingdom.[1]
Characteristics
Gloom is very similar to Malice and is produced by Ganondorf. When Link comes into contact with it, it temporarily reduces his maximum Hearts. Hearts that have been depleted by Gloom will appear to be gray and broken, allowing them to be distinguished from damage taken from other sources. The Hearts damaged are always whole Hearts, meaning half or quarters of a Heart cannot be reduced. If Link has any Extra Hearts prior to taking Gloom damage, they will all be consumed at once. When Link eats Meals that grant Extra Hearts, they will restore the Hearts he has lost to Gloom, albeit unhealed. If Link is granted a certain number of temporary Hearts that the total amount of Hearts he has is greater than 40 minus the number of Gloom-stricken Hearts, then any excess temporary Gearts are not granted. For example: if Link has 38 Hearts, takes a single Heart of Gloom damage, and then is granted three Extra Hearts, he will receive only two Hearts totaling 39 Hearts. If Link dies after Gloom has reduced his Life Gauge to less than five Hearts, being revived by a Fairy will restore a maximum of five Hearts.
During "The Awakening", Gloom is shown to have the ability to permanently destroy Hearts, leaving Link with only three in his Life Gauge. Demon King Ganondorf demonstrates this again during their battle in Gloom's Origin, but only a single Heart is lost at a time. After Link's Life Gauge has been reduced to a single Heart, the Demon King's Gloom attacks will begin to deal regular damage instead.
Gloom saps the strength of individuals upon touching them, in some cases leaving them sluggish and unable to move.[2][3] Being on the Hyrule or the Sky allows Link to recover from losing Hearts to Gloom, at a rate of one Heart per second.[4] However, being in the Depths, fighting Gloom Spawn, and facing Phantom Ganon all prevent Link from recovering.[5] These factors can be mitigated by standing beneath a Lightroot or eating Food made with a Sundelion or Sun Pumpkin. Gloom Recovery will not automatically fill Hearts, but eating Meals that have healing properties that were made with the aforementioned ingredients can. Sleeping in a Bed also restores Hearts lost by Gloom and fills them. Gloom can also cover Treasure Chests, rendering them inaccessible.
Enemies in the Depths are frequently wreathed in Gloom, and they will similarly reduce Link's maximum health when attacking him. In this case, they are capable of dealing multiple Hearts-worth of Gloom damage. Elemental damage from Arrows will deal both regular and Gloom damage. Demon King Ganondorf's attacks are also able to deal higher amounts of Gloom damage.
Most Creatures that Link can ride, such as Horses, Deers, or Bears, will refuse to tread over Gloom. The only exception are Stalhorses, which are able to travel over Gloom without taking damage.[6]
Nomenclature
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Gallery
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Mineru poisoned by Gloom
See Also
References
- ↑
Large holes appeared all over the world after the Upheaval. They release gloom and are known as chasms.
— ZST: Three Big Ideas (Tears of the Kingdom)
Gloom is physically harmful to people. Direct contact should be avoided. - ↑
It'll sap your strength, and you'll end up like me...too sluggish to move...
— Bahni (Tears of the Kingdom) - ↑
If you touch gloom, it'll sap your strength and you'll end up like me—too sluggish to move!
— Bahni (Tears of the Kingdom) - ↑
You'll recover from the worst of it on your own, little by little, so long as you're on the surface.
— Bahni (Tears of the Kingdom) - ↑
But while you're in the depths, you won't recover at all. I thought I was going to die down there.
— Bahni (Tears of the Kingdom) - ↑
I have succeeded in riding a horse made of bones! It has some kind of fancy name. Stalhorse, perhaps?
— Yiga Clan Notebook (Tears of the Kingdom)
On the surface, witnesses report seeing it only at night. I saw it up there, just once.
Ever since, I've wanted the chance to ride that horse. I never thought I'd get that chance in the Depths.
However, it must be some kind of demonic beast. It ran through gloom without even noticing.
I need to practice so I don't get through off again. As soon as I recover, I'm going to find another one.
Glory to Master Kohga.