The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Ver. 1.4.3 Patch Notes: Black Hinox Bug Fixed

Nintendo has released version 1.4.3 for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, addressing a persistent bug that prevented some players from earning a key collectible after defeating a formidable Black Hinox in Hyrule Castle, the company announced Monday.

The update, which rolled out globally on Feb. 17, 2026, for both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 consoles, fixes an issue where the Black Hinox — a rare, one-eyed cyclops miniboss lurking in the depths beneath Hyrule Castle — would incorrectly display as “undefeated” even after players vanquished it. This glitch blocked completionists from obtaining the Hinox Monster Medal, a trophy essential for advancing the Monster Control Crew side adventure and unlocking cosmetic monster masks at the Tarrey Town theater.

“By downloading the update data, players will be able to obtain the Hinox Monster Medal,” Nintendo stated in its official patch notes, ensuring retroactive credit for those already affected. The changelog also notes that “several other issues have been addressed to improve the gameplay experience,” though specifics remain undisclosed — a common practice for minor stability tweaks.

The Black Hinox bug had frustrated dedicated explorers since at least mid-2025, with players reporting on forums like Reddit that the beast failed to register as defeated despite confirmed kills during quests in the castle’s subterranean library area. One Reddit user in April 2025 questioned its spawn, while others shared videos of despawning glitches in related caves. Social media sleuth OatmealDome highlighted the fix on X, posting official Japanese notes that mirrored the English version.

This patch arrives amid Nintendo’s yearlong celebration of the Zelda franchise’s 40th anniversary, marking the 1986 debut of The Legend of Zelda on the Famicom. Both Tears of the Kingdom and its predecessor Breath of the Wild received simultaneous updates, with the latter jumping to version 1.9.0. That patch adds Thai language support for Switch 2 (text-only, with English audio fallback) and general fixes, underscoring Nintendo’s commitment to its evergreen titles.

Since its May 2023 launch, Tears of the Kingdom has sold over 21 million copies worldwide, cementing its status as one of the best-selling Switch games and a critical darling with a 96/100 Metacritic score. Nintendo has supported it with 20+ patches, evolving from launch-day crashes to quality-of-life enhancements like amiibo unlocks for Sage figures (Sidon, Tulin, Yunobo, Riju) and Portuguese (Brazil) text revisions.

The update coincides with enhanced Switch 2 compatibility, including paid upgrades via Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. Players on original hardware need not upgrade to benefit from the fix, which applies universally.

Community response has been muted but positive, given the niche nature of the bug. On X, Spanish outlet TLoZeldaES noted the medal unlock, while ZELDCAST praised fixes across both games. Nintendo Life comments joked about the Thai addition (“It’s about Thai-me!”) and lamented lack of Wii U support, but many appreciated the free longevity boost: “Free updates = more stable horse games.”

To install, connect your console to the internet, highlight the game icon on the HOME Menu, press + or – , select “Software Update” > “Via the Internet.” Auto-updates are recommended for seamless delivery. Save data remains intact.

Nintendo’s ongoing tweaks reflect a philosophy of polish over abandonment, especially as rumors swirl of a new 3D Zelda for Switch 2. With Tears of the Kingdom‘s Ultrahand and Fuse mechanics still inspiring fan creations, this patch ensures every corner of Hyrule — even its darkest castles — yields its rewards.

The fix arrives just in time for anniversary events, including potential in-game bonuses tied to Switch News channels. As one X user quipped, “Now I can finally complete my monster collection without exploits.”