Shrines make their triumphant return inThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. You can still find most of these shrines littered across the map, though a few require you to complete Shrine Quests to unlock them.
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Tears of the Kingdom’s Shrine Quests come in many different forms, from quests assigned by specific Hylian citizens to puzzles strategically placed across the land and sky. Not only are the shrines associated with Shrine Quests often extremely rewarding, but the quests themselves can be a blast to complete.
9The White Bird’s Guidance
One of the best Shrine Quests in Tears of the Kingdom is a direct nod to a similar quest from Breath of the Wild. In that game, you’d seek out an area of the mountains near Rito Village resembling a large white bird, with a shrine located underneath the bird’s stomach.
In Tears of the Kingdom, the white bird returns, butit’s changed like most of this sequel’s Hyrule. This time, it’s perched upon the shadow of the village’s large center column. If you climb the column and glide toward the mountains at just the right time, you’ll spot the bird and the shrine nearby.
8The East Hebra Sky Crystal
Most of the Shrine Quests in Tears of the Kingdom will involve the mysterious green crystals of the Zonai. You’ll often be tasked with transporting these crystals from one location to another, as marked by the beams of light they emit, and the challenge of moving them effectively over large stretches of land or sky can yield some surprising results.
One of the more straightforward crystal shrines is the East Hebra Sky Crystal. You’ll find this crystal behind a wall of vines on a sky island in the East Hebra Sky Archipelago. Near it, you’ll find a large floating Zonai block, along with fans and a control system. Flying is always fun in Tears of the Kingdom, and transporting this crystal to its destination is as enjoyable as its sounds.
7A Pretty Stone And Five Golden Apples
If you can make your way into the Korok Forest and help the Great Deku Tree there, you can chat with the friendly little Koroks who live there. Much like they did in Breath of the Wild,these Koroks bring Link a whole host of requests, and many of their tasks will lead him directly into Shrine Quests.
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One such quest involves a Korok named Damia, who will trade you a crystal for fiveGolden Apples. You may already have the goods with you, but if not, you may venture deep into the Lost Woods, fighting the creatures who’ve made a home in the dangerous bog there. It’s always a blast to adventure into this forsaken forest, and this Shrine Quest is one of the best ways to do so.
6Maca’s Special Place
You’ll find Maca, another of the Koroks who reside in Korok Woods, standing along a path near the Great Deku Tree. Speak to him to learn about a special place in the forest that he loves because there’s a “green swirl” nearby, as well as a sky island, which is visible from it.
Unfortunately, Hylians are unable to visit this secret spot through the forest, so you’ll need to find another way to this shrine-like spotting that “green swirl” from the perspective of the sky island. Quests combining the land and skies are a treat in Tears of the Kingdom, and including the intriguing Korok Forest in the mix adds to the adventure.
5The Necluda Sky Crystal
The Necluda Sky Crystal is located in the Necluda Sky Archipelago. Like other Sky Crystal quests, you’ll need to bring this large green gem to the shrine associated with it, but this one begins with a fight against a large Flux Construct.
This fight is unique in that there are Zonai springs located across the battlefield, giving you an advantage over the construct you’re facing. After beating it, you’ll use even more cleverly placed springs to bounce the crystal back to its shrine and complete the quest.
4The Death Caldera Crystal
On the east side of Death Mountain toward Deep Akkala, you’ll spot the familiar arch of a shrine that’s missing its large stone in the center. After interacting with it, the beam of light it emits will point you to a cave carved into the side of Death Mountain itself.
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Inside this cave, you’ll find mine carts to transport the crystal back out, but you’ll also run intoan intimidating Igneo Talusready to protect it. This fight against one of the few scorching Igneo Talus in the game makes retrieving the crystal that much more satisfying.
3The Gerudo Canyon Crystal
Another of the crystal transportation quests, this one takes place on land near the Gerudo Canyon. You’ll find an empty shrine plot point down a shallow river, which you might decide to ride down via something like a sled or a small boat.
Getting back up to the shrine with the crystal, however, is an entirely different matter. Thankfully, there are stone slabs and large wheels nearby, enabling you to build a massive all-terrain vehicle capable of climbing the small hills and trekking back up the river.
2The Lake Hylia Crystal
If you’ve been anywhere near Lake Hylia, you’ll likely have noticed a large, swirling whirlpool in the center of it. This anomaly would stand out to any traveler, but to solve its riddle, you’ll want to begin in the sky islands directly above it.
On a small sky island in the Faron Sky Archipelago, you’ll find a crystal instructing you to follow its green beam of light. Interestingly, this beam points straight down, indicating that you’ll need to drop the crystal into the whirlpool raging in Lake Hylia. If you dive into the water with the crystal, you’ll find the En-oma Shrine in a cave underneath, bringing a surprising end to the mystery.
1The High Spring And The Light Rings
If you climb the Hebra Mountains until you reach the Spring of Wisdom at their peak, you’ll come across one of the best Shrine Quests in the entire game. Link will encounter an individual named Nazbi who passes along a riddle: “Skim across snow, from spring high in the heavens to the mountain below. Pass through the rings of light to see the Light of Blessing.”
To complete the Shrine Quest, you’ll want to fly to the nearby sky islands and initiate the green light ring. A time trial will begin where you jump from the island to the mountain, shield surfing through each green ring as you progress toward your goal. The entire thing is a blast and great use of the fan-favorite shield surfing mechanic.
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