There are a lot of similarities between Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and its predecessor, Breath of the Wild. One of the major recurring mechanics is a large tutorial island in which players are meant to learn their powers by completing a variety of tasks inside special shrines. The Zonai shrines are considerably different in appearance than the Sheikah of old, but the tasks inside are largely the same.
Here’s all the information you need to know about how to complete all of the Great Sky Island shrine locations in Tears of the Kingdom, so be wary of the early game spoilers below.
Where are all the Great Sky Island shrines in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom?
There are a total of four shrines on the Great Sky Island that are meant to teach you the basic abilities of the game. TOTK lets you approach three of these in any order, but the last one is locked until you’re able to get inside the Temple of Time due to the help of an old friend.
Related: How many Shrines are in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom?
You won’t be able to access the fourth temple until you open the Temple of Time and unlock the Recall ability. At this point, the last Shrine will become available and allow you to upgrade your heart container and leave the tutorial island.
Ukuoh Shrine: Ultrahand
The Ukuoh Shrine will be pointed out to you first, as completing the shrine unlocks one of Link’s most useful abilities—the Ultrahand.
The Ultrahand will allow you to stick objects together to solve puzzles, make new vehicles, and more throughout your time in TOTK, so it’s wise for you to get it early. It will also make getting to the other shrines much easier.
The actual shrine’s challenge involves building a series of bridges by attaching flat pieces of metal together. This puzzle can be accomplished by using the ability to attach the ends of the platforms together to make a longer bridge.
Gutanbac Shrine: Ascend
Just like on the tutorial island in BOTW, players have to learn how to defend against the elements and venture out into the cold. Since there’s no real way to find warm clothes before the end of the tutorial, you’ll need to take advantage of the many hot peppers scattered around the map. Throw them into a pot with other food or by themselves and you’ll get a cold resistance buff.
The ability that you get from this shrine is Ascend, and is fairly simple in concept: Ascend allows you to rise up vertically through almost any surface. The trial is fairly easy as long as you understand how the ability works. Ascend is invaluable in TOTK and helps reduce some of the time you’ll spend climbing.
In-isa Shrine: Fuse
Getting to the In-isa Shrine can be a bit tricky because it requires a mechanic that isn’t introduced and needs to be found. There are likely other ways to reach the shrine, but the movable platform located to the east is one of your best bets in getting across a small gap that gets you to the island where, after a short climb, the shrine will open for you.
This may be one of the easier shrines to beat, as Fuse lets you combine some of your weapons with the materials available to you near the shrine. The Fuse ability is pretty obvious once you learn it, but there is a puzzle that becomes available before you’re taught how to use it. In that instance, aim with your bow and press the “Up” button on the right Joy-Con.
Nachoyah Shrine: Recall
This shrine will unlock back where you started and doubles as the opportunity for the player to learn about fast travel. Simply return to the Room of Awakening and then travel to the objective marker, which will lead you to the Nachoyah Shrine. As stated above, you’ll need to visit the Temple of Time and watch a cutscene before you acquire the Recall ability in full.
Related: All abilities and how to get them in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
The trial itself is fairly easy and just requires you to move platforms to reach the final blessing. After you complete this, head back to the goddess statue at the Temple of Time and enter the door to begin your actual journey in TOTK.
Published: May 13, 2023 08:42 pm