You’re falling. The wind is whipping past Link’s ears, the music is swelling with that familiar piano trill, and you spot it—that telltale glow of green-teal light swirling into the sky. Another one. You’ve probably done a hundred of them by now, yet you find yourself diving anyway. Shrines in Tears of the Kingdom are weirdly addictive, even when they’re driving you absolutely insane with a physics puzzle that feels like it was designed by a chaotic toddler.
The Zelda team at Nintendo did something gutsy here. They took the 120-shrine template from Breath of the Wild and basically said, "Okay, but what if the player could break everything?" That’s the core of why these 152 mini-dungeons feel so different. In the previous game, there was usually a "correct" way to finish a shrine. In Tears of the Kingdom, the developers seem to be leaning back in their chairs, watching you build a 40-foot bridge out of logs because you couldn't figure out the intended catapult mechanic, and just nodding. They let you cheat. Honestly, that’s the best part.
The Evolution of the Shrines in Tears of the Kingdom
Most people don't realize that the shrines serve a much more aggressive technical purpose this time around. In Breath of the Wild, they were tests of logic. In Tears of the Kingdom, they are basically a glorified tutorial for the Ultrahand and Fuse abilities. You aren't just solving a puzzle; you’re being taught how the game’s internal physics engine handles friction, torque, and weight distribution.
Take the "Proving Grounds" shrines. These are the ones that strip you of all your gear and leave you standing there in your underwear with a wooden stick. They’re divisive. Some players hate them because they lose their 40-damage Lynel bows, but these shrines are actually masterful level design. They force you to use the environment—a stray fan, a spike plate, or a Construct’s own fallen horn—to survive. It’s a pure test of the game’s combat mechanics without the crutch of high-level armor.
The sheer scale is also different. We went from 120 to 152. Some are on the surface, some are tucked away in caves that require a ten-minute trek just to find the entrance, and some are floating thousands of feet in the air. The "Light of Blessing" reward remains the same, but the journey to the green pedestal has become much more vertical.
Why Some Players Feel "Shrine Fatigue"
Let's be real for a second. By the time you hit shrine number 130, you might be feeling a little burnt out. There's a specific cadence to these things. Enter, activate the terminal, watch the cutscene, solve the puzzle (or cheese it), watch the exit cutscene, and leave. It’s a loop.
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The frustration usually stems from the "Rauru’s Blessing" shrines. You find a hidden cave, navigate a complex series of tunnels, fight a Black Hinox, and finally reach the shrine only to realize... the shrine is the reward. There’s no puzzle inside. For some, this feels like a letdown. But if you look at the design intent, the "puzzle" was the trek through the cave itself. The game is rewarding your exploration, not your ability to move a block onto a pressure plate.
Still, the repetition of the UI can grate on you. The loading screens, while fast, still break the flow of exploration. You’re in the middle of this massive, seamless world, and then—bam—you’re in a sterile, blue-and-gold pocket dimension. It’s a jarring transition that reminds you that you’re playing a video game, which is the one thing Nintendo usually tries to make you forget.
The Secret MVP: The Crystal Quests
The most interesting shrines in Tears of the Kingdom aren't even inside the shrines. They’re the ones where the green stone is missing. You find the base, a beam of light shoots out, and you have to haul a giant glowing emerald across a mountain range or through the sky.
This is where the game’s "emergent gameplay" really shines. You might see a beam pointing across a massive chasm. Do you:
- Build a complex flying machine with three fans and a steering stick?
- Attach the crystal to a rocket and just hope for the best?
- Try to carry it by hand while fighting off a pack of Aerocudas?
There was one instance near the South Hyrule Sky Archipelago where I spent forty minutes trying to launch a crystal onto a rotating platform. I failed miserably about a dozen times. Finally, I just fused the crystal to a shield, hopped on a wing, and dove. It worked. The game didn't care that I didn't use the "intended" catapult. It just checked the box. That’s the magic of this system.
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Dealing with the Lightroots Connection
If you’re struggling to find the last few shrines on the surface, you’re probably ignoring the Depths. This is the single biggest "Aha!" moment for most players. Every single shrine on the surface has a corresponding Lightroot directly beneath it in the Depths.
The names are even inverted. If you find the Yamiyo Shrine on the surface, the Lightroot below it is the Omiyau Lightroot. It’s a literal mirror. This isn't just a neat Easter egg; it’s a vital navigation tool. If you see a massive dark patch in your Depths map, you know there’s a shrine directly above that spot on the surface. If you see a shrine on your surface map but no Lightroot below it, you know exactly where to dive into a chasm.
The "Cheese" Factor: Is it Ruining the Game?
There is a loud corner of the internet that thinks the ability to bypass puzzles with rockets or bridges makes the shrines "too easy." I’d argue the opposite. Solving a puzzle the "wrong" way often requires more creativity than doing it the right way.
If a shrine wants you to use a series of gears to move a platform, but you decide to use a Hover Stone and a spear to create a makeshift staircase, you’re still engaging with the systems. You're just being an engineer instead of a student. The developers at Nintendo, including Eiji Aonuma, have gone on record saying they love seeing people "break" their games. The shrines are a sandbox. If you want the challenge of doing it the intended way, you can. If you want to use a Bomb Shield to jump over the final gate, the game respects that too.
Essential Tips for Shrine Hunting
If you’re going for that 100% completion mark, you need a strategy. Don't just wander aimlessly.
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- Upgrade your Sensor: Get to Hateno Village as soon as possible and help Robbie with his research. The Shrine Sensor is non-negotiable for finding the ones hidden behind breakable walls or inside deep wells.
- Look for Cherry Blossom Trees: These aren't just for show. Offer a piece of fruit at the small altar, and Satori will light up every cave entrance in the region. Since many shrines are hidden in caves, this is your best friend.
- The Sky is a Grid: The sky shrines are often spaced out very deliberately. If you see a massive gap in the sky map, there’s probably a shrine-related island you haven't triggered yet.
- Caves have "Bubbulfrogs": If a cave has a checkmark on your map, you’ve found the Bubbulfrog. If it doesn't, there’s likely a hidden path you missed—and that path frequently leads to a shrine.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Lore
There’s a common misconception that the shrines were built by Rauru just for Link. While they are "Shrines of Light" designed to ward off ancient evil, they also serve as anchors for the land itself. Notice how many of them are placed near geoglyphs or ancient ruins. They aren't just random gameplay markers; they are part of the Zonai's attempt to stabilize a world that was literally falling apart during the first Imprisoning War.
When you enter a shrine and see the two statues—Rauru and Sonia—you’re seeing a memorial. Each "Light of Blessing" you receive is basically a fragment of their power, preserved for thousands of years. It’s a bit morbid if you think about it too long, but it adds a layer of weight to the grind.
Moving Forward: Your Path to 152
If you’re sitting at 140 shrines and pulling your hair out, take a break from the surface. Go to the Depths. Map out every Lightroot. Once your Depths map is fully illuminated, flip back to the surface map. You will see the gaps immediately.
Don't feel pressured to finish every shrine as soon as you see it. Some are much easier once you have more battery capacity or specific Zonai devices like the Steering Stick. The beauty of Tears of the Kingdom is that the world doesn't go anywhere. That green glow will still be there after you've explored the desert or fought a dragon.
The real "reward" for finishing all 152 shrines isn't just the health and stamina. It’s a specific armor piece called the Ancient Hero's Aspect. It’s... a choice. Visually, it’s one of the most unique items in the game, and it completely changes Link’s appearance to look like the legendary hero from the tapestry in Breath of the Wild. It’s a badge of honor that says you’ve mastered every physical and logical challenge the Zonai could throw at you.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Sync your maps: Go to the Depths and find five Lightroots. Immediately mark the corresponding spots on your surface map with a pin. You’ll likely find at least one shrine you missed.
- Visit Robbie: If you don't have the Shrine Sensor+ yet, go to the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab. It makes finding "hidden" shrines (the ones that don't have a visible green glow) significantly less frustrating.
- Check your caves: Look for any cave icons on your map that don't have a checkmark. Set your sensor to "Bubbulfrog" and head inside; you'll often find a shrine hidden behind a false wall or a pile of sediment.
- Stock up on Hover Stones: Keep a few in your inventory. They are the "universal key" for cheesing almost any shrine that involves moving platforms or crossing large gaps.
Go get that 152. It’s a long haul, but the view from the final shrine makes it worth it.