Tzitzi-Ya-Ku General Information¶

Tzitzi-Ya-Ku is one of the game’s rare Bird Wyverns, a category exclusive to the Tzitzi-Ya-Ku and the Pukei-Pukei. Unlike its egg-thief cousin, however, you never have to fight a Tzitzi-Ya-Ku as part of an assignment… well, not directly, anyways. You do, however, need a Tzitzi-Ya-Ku Hide for the delivery request Setting Up Camp: Coral Highlands, which forces you to kill one if you wish to continue on with the story. Finding the Northeast Camp during the mandatory Coral Highlands expedition should unock the quest A Tzitzi for Science. If you hunt down the Grimalkynes in the Coral Highlands, you can also get the quest Troubled Troupers, which assigns the task to kill TWO Tzitzi-Ya-Ku. Finally, after completing the mandatory, High Rank expedition in the Wildspire Waste (where you must battle a High Rank Pukei-Pukei) you’ll unlock Say Cheese!.

Tzitzi-Ya-Ku Strengths and Weaknesses¶

The only weak spot on the Tzitzi-Ya-Ku is the head, which is also the only breakable part.

Tzitzi-Ya-Ku is vulnerable to Thunder and Ice, while not being terribly strong against any elements.

Boasting a two-star rating against all ailments, Tzitzi-Ya-Ku isn’t weak to nor strong against any ailments.

There are no real preparations to make against Tzitzi-Ya-Ku. While it’s a relatively small “large” monster and quick, it’s not such a hard target that it can’t be struck with whatever weapon you choose to bring. The only noteworthy aspect of its offense are the fins on its head, which will flash bright light over a wide area, stunning anything caught unprepared in the area. You can block the light with a shield, or dodge at just the right time, but failing that, you’ll just have to move out of the area of effect before it lands. Otherwise, the Tzitzi just deals physical damage, not hitting overly hard, but attacking fast.

Tzitzi-Ya-Ku Attacks¶

As a Bird Wyvern, the Tzitzi-Ya-Ku shares a category with the Kulu-Ya-Ku. Not only are the names and body-types similar, but both are agile, ground-based monsters that can be hard to hit for characters with slower weapons. That said, the Tzitzi-Ya-Ku is far more aggressive than its tool-using counterpart, a trait the Tzitzi-Ya-Ku fortunately doesn’t share.

The Tzitzi-Ya-Ku leaps, hops and darts constantly. If you see it pouncing back, expect it to reverse that trend with forward momentum soon enough, usually in the form of a leap attack, which comprises a great deal of the Tzitzi-Ya-Ku’s offense. Be constantly vigilant and strive to stay on the move as much as your foe, taking advantage of the recovery time between attack to hit it on the flank. Wear it down with multiple light attacks and save your big attacks for when it runs out of Stamina.

Not that leaping is all it will do. It’ll also perform bites, kicks, and tail swipes (the latter of which can be used immediately after a leap, to be fair). The Tzitzi’s most annoying - and iconic - attack involves its odd head organs, which emits a blinding flash of light. It has an incredibly long range (for all intents and purposes, you may as well consider it unlimited) that affects a wide area in front of them. The only safe places are behind the Tzitzi-Ya-Ku’s head, either to the side of or behind the beast itself, but if you have a shield you can block the flash, or a very well-timed dodge roll can evade its effects. If it hits you, you’ll be stunned and left vulnerable to the Tzitzi-Ya-Ku’s followup attacks. It’ll flash its head organs three times before finally completing the attack, during which time the Tzitzi-Ya-Ku is vulnerable itself.

The only rare drop from the Tzitzi-Ya-Ku is the Bird Wyvern Gem, which can only be dropped by it, the Kula-Ya-Ku and the Pukei-Pukei. There’s no quick way to get one, no parts you can break, you’ll just have to grind it out.