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Complete the four Shrines on Great Sky Island, visit the Temple of Time, then follow the marker on the surface to meet Purah at Lookout Landing. Progress through Crisis at Hyrule Castle to get the Paraglider before setting out on Regional Phenomena. From there, the game leaves the order of the four regional objectives up to you.
Great Sky Island: complete the four Shrines
Great Sky Island is the tutorial area, but its Shrine abilities remain central to solving problems throughout Hyrule. Look around each room for objects and environmental clues before deciding what to do. If you are stuck, bring out Ultrahand and scan the surroundings: objects you can grab change color, and they may reveal the way forward.
Ukouh Shrine: learn Ultrahand
Ultrahand lets Link move and rotate objects, then attach them to other structures. At Ukouh, use it to join a board and a hook to make a way across.
In-isa Shrine: learn Fuse
Fuse joins an object to a weapon or shield, adding an effect. Use a boulder fused to a weapon to break through a wall. You can also fuse a Fire Fruit to an arrow and shoot the leaves to ignite them.
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- Enhanced performance and visuals exclusive to the Nintendo Switch 2.
- Explore the skies, caves, and vast lands of Hyrule in a massive open-world adventure.
- Wield new and returning abilities to craft solutions, vehicles, and weapons.
- Discover the mystery behind the spreading gloom threatening the kingdom.
- Use the ZELDA NOTES app to share, compare, and earn daily bonuses.
Gutanbac Shrine: learn Ascend
Ascend lets Link pass upward through ceilings. Look for a suitable surface above you and use the ability to reach higher ground.
Nachoyah Shrine: learn Recall
Recall reverses an object’s movement. Use it to solve the Shrine’s moving-object puzzle and reach the exit.
After obtaining all four abilities, go to the Temple of Time. From there, you can descend to the Kingdom of Hyrule.
On the surface: follow the marker and get the Paraglider
After landing, follow the circle marker to the indicated location and talk to Purah to start Crisis at Hyrule Castle. If you cannot see the marker, open the Adventure Log and select To the Kingdom of Hyrule. Continue the quest to receive the Paraglider. It makes travel across the map much more practical, so it is worth prioritizing before you roam far from the starting area.
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- Ultrahand: Using the new Ultrahand ability, Link can pick up, move, and rotate almost any object, and can even attach objects together to create bridges, vehicles, and more!
- Fuse: Magically fuse almost any object to Link’s current weapon, shield, or arrow to increase durability, damage, or even add a new effect. Experiment with lots of different combinations to come up with surprising—and sometimes hilarious—results!
- Ascend: Add a new dimension to your exploration with Ascend, which gives Link the ability to pass through solid objects above him. Rise up through ceilings, hillsides, and even certain enemies to create seemingly impossible shortcuts.
- Recall: Use Recall to make objects in motion move backward through time, letting Link ride fallen boulders skyward, recover thrown weapons, or send projectiles back where they came from.
Start Regional Phenomena in the order that suits you
Once you have the Paraglider, talk to Purah again to trigger Regional Phenomena. The four regional objectives can be tackled in any order; the game does not require a fixed sequence.
One suggested first route: Hebra and Rito Village
Nintendo suggests heading northwest toward Hebra and Rito Village as a beginner-friendly option because the area is near Lookout Landing. Prepare for cold conditions before setting out. This is a suggested starting point, not a ranking of the four regions: no single order is established as best for every player.
Use the map to choose your next destination
Pin Shrines with the Scope so their locations appear on your map. This makes it easier to plan a route around nearby discoveries and return to points of interest without relying on memory.
Make exploration and combat easier
Expand your weapon, shield, and bow capacity
Give Korok Seeds to Hestu to increase your inventory capacity. Hestu moves, so if you do not find him where expected, look around Lindor’s Brow Skyview Tower or Lookout Landing.
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- The Legend of Zelda - Tears of the Kingdom
Upgrade armor when you are ready
Great Fairies can upgrade armor and reduce the damage Link takes. The route to the first upgrade starts with Potential Princess Sightings! at the Lucky Clover Gazette, followed by Serenade to a Great Fairy at Woodland Stable.
Use materials for more than damage
- Bomb Flowers: Create explosive area damage.
- Puffshrooms: Provide cover that can help you ambush enemies.
- Muddle Buds: Can make enemies fight one another.
- Dazzlefruit: Creates a flash that blinds enemies.
Skip fights that are not worth the risk
Many enemy types follow a red, blue, black, and white strength progression. If your gear is limited or a fight is going badly, avoiding combat is a valid choice; you do not need to defeat every foe you encounter.
Choose between hearts and stamina thoughtfully
Four Lights of Blessing can be exchanged at a goddess statue for either a heart container or a stamina vessel. Balance the two as your needs change. If combat is giving you trouble, Nintendo suggests prioritizing hearts.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Optional progression: Autobuild and Purah Pad tools
Unlock Autobuild
Autobuild is obtained through A Mystery in the Depths. To start that quest, you need to complete Camera Work in the Depths and at least one Regional Phenomena area.
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- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom /Switch
Unlock additional Purah Pad features
The Hateno Village Research Lab quest can unlock the Shrine Sensor, Travel Medallion, Hero’s Path, and Sensor+. These tools are optional aids for finding places, managing travel, and tracking exploration rather than prerequisites for starting the regional objectives.
Walkthrough aids: check your game edition
ZELDA NOTES is exclusive to the Nintendo Switch 2 Editions of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom; its features should not be assumed to apply to the original Nintendo Switch version. For the Tears of the Kingdom Switch 2 Edition, the app includes map navigation with periodically updated in-game position, achievement progress, Voice Memories, play data, daily bonuses, amiibo functionality, photo editing, item sharing, and Autobuild schematic sharing. Nintendo says a Nintendo Switch Online membership is not required to use the app or ZELDA NOTES. Check which game edition you own before relying on these features.
Players who prefer a physical reference can also consider The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – The Complete Official Guide by Piggyback. Simon & Schuster lists it as a 2023 guide, with hardcover and trade paperback formats, covering quests, Shrines, caves, side content, enemies, items, game systems, and maps for the Surface, Sky, and Depths. It is an optional printed reference, not a newly updated edition.
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