Take the time to explore every inch of Hyrule in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (TotK), and you’ll start to notice a familiar structure—the Shrine. These small, glowing temples are more than just eye-catching landmarks. You can’t afford to ignore them if you want a serious edge in your adventure. Shrines offer quick travel points, test your puzzle-solving skills, and keep your progress moving forward with real in-game rewards. In fact, many players treat Shrine completion as a handy metric for overall progress. Whether you’re seeking extra stamina or just want an excuse to stretch your gray matter, shrines in TotK are worth your attention.
Total Number of Shrines in TotK
How many shrines can you expect in Tears of the Kingdom? Let’s cut right to the chase: TotK contains a total of 152 Shrines. That’s a substantial increase over its predecessor, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which featured just 120. So, if you’re tracking your progress or aiming for completion, set your sights on that bigger target. 152 is the “magic number” you’ll keep seeing as you trek across Hyrule’s diverse terrain.
It pays to get organized early. Create a checklist, digital or paper, so you know how many shrines are left. Skipping this step makes it easy to lose track, especially as you push past the 100-mark. For new and returning players, marking shrine locations as you go will save you hours later.
Distribution of Surface Shrines
Of the 152 total shrines in TotK, a whopping 120 are found on the Surface—the familiar, sprawling lands of Hyrule you know and love. Think of them as milestones spread across the main map, guiding your journey from region to region. You’ll find Surface Shrines in these eight main regions:
- Central Hyrule
- Hebra
- Eldin
- Faron
- Gerudo
- Akkala
- Lanayru
- Necluda
For example, Central Hyrule offers a concentrated cluster of shrines that let you fast travel while you tackle castle quests or challenge tough enemies. In contrast, outer regions—like Hebra’s snowy mountains or Gerudo’s deserts—spread their shrines farther apart. Expect tougher travel conditions as you chase down every last shrine along that endless path.
Keep an eye out for shrine entrances, sometimes camouflaged among ruins, forests, cliffs, or even behind waterfalls. The shrines’ variety in appearance often hints at the puzzle inside. That being said, don’t hesitate to use pins or custom markers to track tricky locations.
Exploring Sky Shrines
Tears of the Kingdom introduces a striking change from Breath of the Wild: floating islands in the sky. Here, you’ll find 32 Sky Shrines—distinct, standalone structures perched above Hyrule’s clouds. These shrines are not just vertical versions of their Surface counterparts. The journey to reach them often brings unique challenges, such as using Zonai devices, glider rides, or traversal puzzles.
One well-known example is the Great Sky Island, which hosts some of the first shrines you’ll encounter in the opening hours of TotK. These early Sky Shrines serve as training grounds, offering practical tutorials that set a useful foundation for the rest of your game. Other clusters of Sky Shrines appear around regional sky archipelagos positioned above Lanayru, Eldin, and other regions.
Tackle Sky Shrines methodically. First, plan your route upwards using Skyview Towers. Travel light, but bring enough stamina or food for midair climbs. If you get stuck, step back and analyze your toolkit—sometimes a simple Zonai gadget is the missing piece.
Absence of Shrines in the Depths
It’s important to set realistic expectations: there are zero Shrines in the Depths, the vast and foreboding underground layer of TotK’s world. If you’re accustomed to stumbling upon shrines everywhere you turn up top, the Depths may come as a shock. Instead, you encounter “Lightroots”—glowing waypoints often directly beneath surface shrines.
Don’t underestimate Lightroots. They operate as valuable checkpoints and illumination sources, chasing away the oppressive darkness below. While they do not offer Lights of Blessing or heart containers, Lightroots make exploring the Depths much less punishing. Try pairing your above-ground shrine discoveries with trips below to find their matching Lightroots. This approach rewards thorough explorers and helps you create a one-to-one completion system across both layers.
Benefits of Completing Shrines
Completing shrines in TotK isn’t just about ticking boxes—it’s about earning “Lights of Blessing.” Each completed shrine awards you a single Light of Blessing, and these act as the game’s core currency for character growth. Collect four Lights of Blessing, then visit a Goddess Statue at key settlements or prominent locations. Here, you can exchange those four for either a Heart Container (more health) or a Stamina Vessel (more stamina for running, climbing, or gliding).
Another key benefit: shrines serve as fast travel points across the map, letting you move between distant regions with minimal downtime. When you’re running a boss rush, chasing Korok seeds, or squeezing in a quick session, shrine teleports become indispensable.
That being said, you can’t afford to buy purely into one stat. If you dump all Lights of Blessing into health, stamina will lag. Find a balance that fits your playstyle. For example, early explorers might prioritize stamina for climbing, while combat-heavy players might load up on heart containers for boss battles.
Variety in Shrine Designs
One thing is certain: you won’t get bored doing shrines in TotK. The game designers have packed in wide-ranging challenges. Here’s how they commonly break down:
- Puzzle Shrines: These test your logic and creativity. You might move blocks with Ultrahand, redirect lasers, or arrange water flows. Sometimes the simplest solution is the hardest to see.
- Combat Trials: Prepare for battle against constructs, mini-bosses, or waves of enemies. You’ll need solid weapons, upgraded armor, and quick reactions. Take the time to restock before tackling tougher combat shrines.
- Quest-locked Shrines: These don’t test skill directly. Instead, they’re unlocked by completing a unique quest, side mission, or piece of exploration. Sometimes just finding the entrance is challenge enough.
- “Blessing” Shrines: After completing an outside puzzle or world quest, the shrine itself offers a free reward—just walk in and grab your prize.
Mix up your routine. If one puzzle stumps you, switch to a combat shrine. This keeps your momentum up and ensures you’re earning Lights of Blessing with less frustration.
Comparison to Breath of the Wild
This wouldn’t be a practical article if we skipped the numbers. Breath of the Wild gave you a grand total of 120 shrines. Tears of the Kingdom raises that bar to 152. For new players, that’s an increase of 32 shrines—or 26% more content just in this feature alone.
That extra count translates to more Lights of Blessing, more character upgrades, and more map coverage. The addition of Sky Shrines, in particular, adds a new layer of exploration and verticality you can’t afford to miss. Is it a game-changer? Not in the flashy sense, but for completionists and action-oriented players alike, the expanded count means more to see, solve, and master.
Don’t make the mistake of assuming that more shrines just means more busywork. Each one is carefully crafted, and often fits tightly with its location or the surrounding lore. The variety holds up—expect fewer repeats than you got in older Zelda games.
Conclusion
To get the most out of Tears of the Kingdom, keep these numbers top of mind: 152 total shrines (120 on the Surface, 32 in the Sky) and zero in the Depths. Each shrine is worth the effort, granting you Lights of Blessing and access to upgrades that keep your adventure moving forward.
Don’t fall behind. Create a running list or checklist and check off shrines as you go. Treat each shrine as both a waypoint for fast travel and a steady stream of upgrades to make boss battles less stressful. Use regional categories to thoughtfully plan your route. For those building knowledge for later playthroughs, anchoring shrine knowledge will save you dozens of hours.
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In summary, shrines are more than just collectibles—they’re the backbone of progression in TotK. Use them wisely, weigh the risks and the rewards, and be prepared to commit. Completion takes time, but the benefits—for health, stamina, and overall world mastery—are too good to pass up. Treat your shrine quest like you would a weekly review meeting: track, assess, and adapt. That consistency, both in business and adventure, pays off—every single time.
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