How to Beat the TOTK Wind Temple: What Most People Get Wrong

How to Beat the TOTK Wind Temple: What Most People Get Wrong

You’ve finally made it. After shivering through the Hebra blizzard and bouncing off more floating trampolines than a circus act, the Stormwind Ark is right in front of you. It’s massive. It’s intimidating. Honestly, it’s one of the best moments in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. But then you land, and the map shows five locks scattered across multiple floors, and you realize this isn't just a sightseeing tour.

Most players treat the totk wind temple walkthrough like a linear checklist. Go to point A, flip switch B. That’s a mistake. The Ark is designed as a vertical playground. If you aren't comfortable jumping off the side of a massive flying boat into a freezing void, you’re going to have a hard time.

Getting the Layout: The Five Turbine Hunt

Basically, the goal is to activate five turbines using Tulin’s Gust ability. Don’t even bother trying to use a fan from your inventory or a Korok Frond; the game specifically wants Tulin to do the heavy lifting here. Once you interact with the main hatch’s green circle, five yellow dots pop up on your map.

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I’ve seen people spend forty minutes trying to find the entrance to the lower decks. Here's a tip: stop looking for stairs. The easiest way to get anywhere in this temple is to jump off the side and paraglide into the openings on the ship's hull.

The First Lock: 1F (The Easy One)

Walk north from the fast travel point. You’ll see two gated rooms. The one on the right has a broken lever. This is where Link’s Ultrahand becomes a DIY repair tool. Grab a nearby icicle—or literally any long object in your inventory—and fuse it to the nub of the lever. Pull it, the gate opens, and Tulin can blow the first turbine. Simple enough, right?

The Second Lock: The Skydive (1F Tower)

This one is literally high up. Use the massive central wind current to launch yourself as high as possible. Look for the tallest tower at the front of the ship. There are two heavy metal doors on top. Use Ultrahand to pull them open.

Now, the tricky part. You have to dive down through a shaft filled with lasers. If you hit a laser, the door at the bottom shuts. If you’re struggling with the precision, try using the Glide Suit if you’ve unlocked it. Once you land at the bottom, hit the turbine and use the nearby lever to get back out.

Solving the B1 and B2 Puzzles

Things get a bit more claustrophobic once you head below deck. The Basement 1 (B1) and Basement 2 (B2) areas are where most people get turned around.

The Cog Connection (B1 North)

Head to the northern side of the ship and look for an opening on the exterior. Inside, you’ll find a series of rotating cogs with a giant gap between them. The door to the turbine won't open because the power isn't transferring.

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Look at the ceiling. See those icicles? Shoot one down. Use Ultrahand to stick that icicle between the two cogs. It acts like a bridge, the gears start turning together, and the door slides open. It’s a classic Zelda "Aha!" moment.

The Rewind Trick (B1 South/Central)

On the opposite side, you’ll find a room with a massive spinning centrifuge. You can try to time your movement, but the easiest way is to use Recall. Wait for the platform to move, freeze it, and walk across.

The Bottom Dweller (B2)

This is the only turbine on the lowest level. You have to glide underneath the ship's "wings" on the eastern side. There’s a small opening tucked away. Land there, take out the Construct guarding the room, and let Tulin do his thing.

The Boss Fight: Why Colgera is a Skydiving Lesson

Once all five locks are blue, the central hatch opens. Out comes Colgera. This boss is terrifying to look at but surprisingly fragile if you know the secret.

Don't waste your arrows on the body. Colgera has three massive ice segments. You need to break the ice to reveal the purple core underneath. You have two choices here, and honestly, one is way cooler:

  1. The Archer Method: Use arrows fused with Fire Fruit or Bomb Flowers to shatter the ice from a distance.
  2. The Daredevil Method: This is what the developers clearly wanted. Dive through the ice. Literally. If you skydive directly onto the ice segments, Link will smash right through them, dealing massive damage.

In the second phase, Colgera starts summoning tornadoes. This is where you actually need to pay attention. Use Tulin’s gust to stay horizontal and avoid getting sucked into the vortexes. Stay above the boss as much as possible. When he teleports and comes up from underneath you, wait for him to reveal those weak points again and dive.

Essential Preparation Checklist

If you're dying constantly, it’s probably the cold, not the monsters. The Wind Temple is freezing.

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  • Cold Resistance: You need level two cold resistance. Buy the Snowquill set in Rito Village or cook a lot of Spicy Pepper dishes.
  • Arrows: Bring at least 40. Even if you plan on diving through the boss, you’ll want them for the Keese and constructs inside the ship.
  • Stamina: If you haven't upgraded your stamina wheel yet, bring some Enduring Elixirs. You’ll be doing a lot of paragliding.

Final Actionable Steps

Before you leave the temple after the boss is dead, make sure you've grabbed the hidden chests. There’s a Ruby hidden behind a set of lasers in the B1 South corridor, and a Sapphire in a chest that you have to "fish" for using Ultrahand and a long pole of attached icicles near the cog puzzle.

Once the cutscene ends, you’ll receive the Vow of Tulin. This lets you use his gust ability anywhere in Hyrule, which is a total game-changer for exploration. Your next move should be heading back to Lookout Landing to check in with Purah, or if you’re feeling bold, start making your way toward the Eldin region to deal with the Goron's "marbled rock" problem.

The Wind Temple is just the beginning. The sky is a lot bigger than it looks.