The 120 shrines in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild are one of the main challenges players face as they explore the vast expanse of Hyrule. Of these 120 shrines, 42 of them can only be discovered after completing specific shrine-quests, which can prove difficult for many players.
One tell-tale sign of a shrine quest is the oh-so-familiar accordion theme of Kass the bard. Kass will guide Link to many of these quests, however, some will need to be found on their own. Players will need to explore Hyrule’s deepest depths to overcome its challenging Labyrinths, defeat powerful Guardians, and ultimately claim the Armor of the Wild.
10 Into The Vortex
To complete the Into the Vortex side-quest, players will need to carry a ball through a swirling mass of sand, infested with Moblins, Bokoblins, Octoroks, Chuchus, and Lizalfos. Walking the ball all the way through the swirling vortex is quite the task and can be incredibly time-consuming, as Link will need to set the ball down in order to fight all of the enemies before then running back through the vortex with the little ball. Most of the vortex can be circumvented by swimming the ball through the gaps while wearing the Zora armor, or by using the stasis rune to launch the ball to the center.
9 Trial Of The Labyrinth
The Trial of the Labyrinth is one of the most difficult shrine quests in the game simply due to its powerful enemies and maze structure. In the far north-east corner of Hyrule lies Lomei Labyrinth Island, which players can reach by paragliding from the cliffs of the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab. On the island is a maze of massive walls filled with guardians and their pesky laser beams.
Head all the way to the back of the maze and then turn left. Continue until a small doorway appears and turn right. Make another right and follow this path until Link reaches a ladder. Climb the ladder and head left up the staircase, then just follow the stairs until Link stands before the Tu’Kaloh Shrine. Two other quests have similar labyrinths that will net players each piece of the Barbarian Armor set.
8 Test Of Will
Northeast of Wasteland Tower players will find three Gorons who challenge Link to a heat resistance challenge. For the first trial, wearing heat resistant Desert Voe armor will be enough to outlast the competition, but for the second trial, Link won’t be allowed to wear flame-resistant gear and will need to outlast the Gorons through actual fire. Players should remove all wood equipment and be sure to stock up on fireproof elixirs or have at least 24 hearts before attempting the second trial.
7 The Stolen Heirloom
After someone stole an heirloom from Paya, players will need to follow one of the guards, Dorian, out of Kakariko village and up the path towards the Great Fairy Fountain. Players will need to sneak otherwise Dorian will see Link and the player will need to start over. Successfully following Dorian will lead the players to a clearing where a Yiga Blademaster will appear. This is a difficult enemy for players early in the game who don’t have powerful gear or aren’t experienced in fighting members of the Yiga clan. Once defeated, Dorian will confess and give Link an orb that can be brought to activate the shrine.
6 The Spring Of Wisdom
Up the summit of Lanayru Mountain is a small spring that enterprising players may recognize as the Spring of Wisdom. Upon climbing the mountain players will discover the great dragon, Naydra, corrupted by Ganon’s blight. Link will need to utilize air-streams created by the dragon to fly into the sky and shoot the blight eyes with a bow and arrow. Shooting all of the eyes will free Naydra and shooting the dragon’s body one last time will break off a scale, which players can offer at the Spring of Wisdom to gain access to Jitan Sa’mi Shrine.
5 The Three Giant Brothers
Players passing through Mount Taran may discover a stone tablet between two flaming skulls. Examining this tablet will begin the quest The Three Giant Brothers. Players will need to travel down into Taran Pass and claim the orbs from three progressively more difficult Hinox.
Players can steal the orbs if they’re stealthy enough, otherwise, they will need to defeat each of the Hinox. Early on, players may have trouble defeating a Hinox if they don’t know to shoot at its eye or don’t have the Stealth Armor (available in Kakariko Village).
4 Shrouded Shrine
Traveling to the west side of the Thyphlo Ruins, players will discover an area shrouded in darkness, hence the name of the quest, Shrouded Shrine. Link should pick up the torch at the entrance and light all of the bird braziers throughout the ruins. Following the direction of the bird’s beak will lead Link to another brazier until players will eventually reach an open area with a glowing platform in the distance. Here, players should wander around the room, lighting all of the braziers, before continuing on to fight the Hinox with an orb around its neck. Claiming the orb and placing it on the platform will reveal the Ketoh Wawai Shrine.
3 The Test Of Wood
Damia in Korok Forest will tell players of the Test of Wood, a trial that requires the player to fight their way through a stretch of forest filled with Chuchus, Keese, Octoroks, and Stal Bokoblins without breaking any of the Forest Dweller equipment. This trial can be especially difficult due to the shock enemies that will make Link drop his weapons and restart the trial from the beginning. Make sure to use the bomb power from the sheikah slate and conserve weapon durability using headshots as much as possible.
2 Guardian Slideshow
The Guardian Slideshow quest can be activated by talking with Loone at Puffer Beach near the Faron Sea. Link will need to take pictures of three different types of Guardian enemies; Guardian Stalkers, Guardian Skywatchers, and Guardian Scouts. Guardian Stalkers can be easily found below Central Tower and Guardian Skywatchers are common around Akkala Tower. For Guardian Scouts, players will need to travel to a shrine that issues the challenge A Minor, Modest, or Major Test of Strength. Showing Loone the three pictures will award Link the ancient orb that he can then place on the nearby pedestal to activate the Shoqa Tatone Shrine.
1 Stranded On Eventide
The island of Eventide will see Link starting a unique set of trials from scratch, with nothing but the tools he can find on the island. Luckily, by dropping some equipment before the quest actually starts, players can leave themselves high-quality gear that will make the island a breeze. On the eastern side of the island between the top and right corners of the island map, players will find an orb protected by Bokoblins. Kill the enemies and bring the orb to a platform at the top of the island using Cryonis to raise it out of the water.
Another orb can be found at Koholit Rock. After killing some Moblins, use stasis to knock a heavy stone slab out of the way to grab the next orb and put it on its platform. The final orb is around the neck of a Hinox to the left. Climb up the hill and drop two large boulders on it to deal some early damage before slaying the beast. This will allow players to use the final orb and activate the shrine, completing the quest. Be sure to drop any items you want to keep as completing the quest will return Link’s original inventory.