You're standing on the peak of a snowy mountain in Hebra, your stamina bar is flashing red, and the Sheikah Sensor is beeping like crazy. It’s a familiar feeling. Honestly, finding every shrine in Breath of the Wild isn't just a completionist's errand; it’s basically the core DNA of the game. Most people think they’ve seen it all after hitting the big 120, but the sheer scale of the landscape makes missing a single orange-glowing entrance almost inevitable.
It’s about the journey, right?
The game dropped back in 2017, but the community is still obsessed. Why? Because Nintendo didn't just hide these things behind bushes. They baked them into the geography, the weather, and the lore of Hyrule itself. If you're looking for that final hit of spirit orbs to max out your hearts or stamina, you've got to understand how the world is actually laid out.
The 120 (and more) challenge
Let's get the numbers straight. There are 120 base shrines in the original release. If you’ve got the DLC (The Champions' Ballad), that number jumps up by another 16. That’s a total of 136 puzzles, combat trials, and "Blessing" shrines scattered across 15 different regions.
Some are easy. You literally walk into them while following the main road to Kakariko. Others? They’re buried under piles of destructible rock or require you to stand naked on a pedestal during a blood moon. Yeah, the "Under a Red Moon" quest is still the one that makes everyone lose their minds. You spend hours waiting for the sky to turn red just to unlock one door.
Why the Great Plateau is just a taste
You start with four. Oman Au, Ja Baij, Keh Namut, and Owa Daim. These teach you the basics—Magnesis, Bombs, Cryonis, and Stasis. But the real game starts once you paraglide off that cliff. The difficulty curve isn't linear. You might stumble into a "Major Test of Strength" with three hearts and a tree branch. You will die. Frequently.
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The Regional Breakdown: Where they hide
Every region has its own "vibe" for how shrines are hidden. In the Central Tower region, shrines are often out in the open but guarded by Guardians. In Hebra, it's all about cave systems. If you aren't looking for those little "piles of rocks" against the side of a cliff, you're going to miss half the shrines in the Northwest.
Look at the Gerudo Desert. It’s a flat expanse, but it’s deceptive. Sandstorms mess with your map. You have to follow statues pointing swords in specific directions or wait for the sun to hit a pedestal at a specific angle. The "Seven Heroines" quest is a classic example of environmental storytelling where the shrine is the reward for paying attention to the history of the world.
The Trial of Strength Fatigue
I’ll be real: the combat shrines can get a bit repetitive. Whether it's a Minor, Modest, or Major test, you're fighting the same Scout Guardian. But these are essential. They aren't just for the Spirit Orbs. They are the primary way players farm Guardian parts and high-tier weapons like the Ancient Battle Axe++. If you’re trying to find every shrine in Breath of the Wild, you’ll likely find yourself wishing for a puzzle instead of a fight by the 20th time you see that orange circular arena.
Hidden Mechanics: The Sheikah Sensor+
If you aren't using the upgraded sensor from the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab, you're making life unnecessarily hard. Symin and Purah aren't just there for the plot. Upgrading your slate lets you track specific items, but the default "Shrine" setting is your best friend.
However, the sensor has a weakness. It measures 3D proximity. It doesn't tell you if the shrine is 500 feet below you in a flooded cavern. This leads to the "Sensor Ghosting" phenomenon where players run in circles around a mountain peak when the entrance is actually at the base of the cliff behind a waterfall.
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The Shrine Quests you probably missed
There are 42 specific Shrine Quests. These don't just "show up" on your map. You have to talk to specific NPCs—like Kass, the accordion-playing Rito—or read ancient stone tablets.
- The Lost Pilgrimage: Following a tiny Korok through a foggy forest without being seen.
- The Serpent’s Jaws: Finding the Spring of Courage in the middle of a dense Faron jungle.
- Eventide Island: The game strips you of everything. No clothes, no food, no weapons. It’s a survival mini-game that culminates in a shrine.
Eventide is often cited by experts as the peak of BotW's design. It forces you to use the mechanics you’ve ignored—like using Octo Balloons to lift slabs or using Magnesis to beat enemies with metal crates.
The "Final" Shrines and the Reward
What happens when you actually find every shrine in Breath of the Wild? You get a quest called "A Gift from the Monks." You head to the Forgotten Temple in the Tanagar Canyon. Inside, behind a swarm of decayed Guardians, you find three chests.
Inside is the Set of the Wild.
It’s the classic green tunic. It feels right. It also has a massive defense stat when upgraded. But honestly? The real reward is the teleportation map. Having 120 (or 136) fast-travel points makes Hyrule feel like your backyard. You stop being a survivor and start being a god.
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Mastery of the environment
Finding the shrines teaches you how to read the map. You start noticing "suspicious" geometry. A perfectly circular group of trees? Shrine. A lone pedestal in the middle of a lake? Shrine. A weirdly placed pile of snow? Probably a shrine.
It’s a masterclass in level design. Most open-world games use "Points of Interest" markers that clutter your HUD. BotW uses "visual magnets." You see something weird on the horizon, you go there, and you're rewarded.
Actionable Steps for the Completionist
If you’re stuck at 119 and losing your mind, don't just wander aimlessly. Use these specific tactics to track down the stragglers:
- Check the Hero’s Path: If you have the DLC, turn on the "Hero's Path" mode on your map. Look for large gaps where you haven't walked. If there’s a giant blank spot on your map, there’s a 90% chance a shrine is hiding there.
- The Waterfall Check: Breath of the Wild loves hiding things behind water. Fly down every major river in Lanayru and Faron.
- Talk to the Stables: Many Shrine Quests are triggered by talking to people at stables. If you’ve skipped the "social" aspect of the game, you’ve likely skipped several shrines.
- Listen for Kass: If you hear accordion music in the middle of nowhere, drop everything and follow it. He is the key to some of the most complex environmental puzzles in the game.
- Verify the "Blessing" Shrines: Sometimes you’ve completed the "quest" but forgot to actually enter the shrine to get the orb. Ensure all your icons on the map are blue, not half-orange.
Getting through every single one is a grind, but it’s the only way to truly say you’ve conquered this version of Hyrule. Go finish that map.