Blood Moons are a returning mechanic in Tears of the Kingdom that made Link's life quite painful at times in Breath of the Wild. A Blood Moon causes all the enemies that have been slain around Hyrule to return from the dead, repopulating the pockets of peace that might have been established. This guide explains when Blood Moons rise, so players can work around them and stay safe.
Related: Tears of the Kingdom - How to Defeat Flux Construct II
Blood Moons rise every 7 in-game days in Tears of the Kingdom. This is roughly once every 3 real-time hours because of the way time passes in the game. Any time Link spends resting or time the game is paused doesn't count toward this timer. It's just in-game time that passes while Link is actively engaging with the world of Hyrule.
Players can tell when it's a Blood Moon night because the sky will turn red, the music will change and become more sinister, and red particles will start to float around the world. When this happens, players might feel overwhelmed because of the enemies that suddenly appear in specific areas. However, they won't be stronger than they normally are, the Blood Moon made us think they were the first time, but it's not the case.
Blood Moons respawn enemies around Hyrule, all ores that have been mined, and any weapons or armor Link has picked up, and improve Link's cooking. Breaking the effects down, this means that every enemy, no matter how weak or strong, that Link has killed over the past 7 in-game days will respawn in Hyrule where he first encountered it.
Secondly, all weapon drops and ore around Hyrule will respawn. This means that any caves filled with ore will be repopulated, and all weapons that have been found in certain areas, such as settlements, can be claimed again. Players can use this to gather powerful base weapons again, ready to fuse with items like Flux Construct Cores.
Finally, when Link cooks during a Blood Moon the food will receive a few additional or improved status effects. This includes a boost to any effect levels, additional heart recovery for recipes or effect duration extensions. The effect applied to Link's cooking is random, but cooking during a Blood Moon is a pretty safe way to see it through because of the long-term benefits for meals.
And that's it! Check out our other The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom guides below to help with crafting, exploring, and tackling challenges across Hyrule.
Tears of the Kingdom Complete Guide | Every Ability & How To Unlock Them | How to Get The Paraglider | How to Get & Use The Travel Medallion | All Armor Locations & Where to Find Them | All Construct Materials & Where to Find Them | All Shrine Locations & Strategies | How to Get More Heart Containers