In Tears of the Kingdom, we all begin our adventure on the Great Sky Island, which acts as the tutorial area for the game, plus gives us access to our new abilities and runs us through what we need to know before heading down to the ground of Hyrule. Today I’m going to walkthrough the shrines, how to get Link’s abilities, plus how to get Link’s clothes, so you are prepared for the adventure ahead in Tears of the Kingdom.

The Great Sky Island is comparable to the Great Plateau in Breath of the Wild. Link wakes up, has to complete 4 shrines and encounters a ghostly figure. This time it’s not King Rhoam, it’s Rauru, who is going to act as your guide for the Great Sky Island. Rauru can be found all over the Great Sky Island, and if you see him, that’s generally a good sign you are going in the right direction. Before I dive into the details, it’s worth pointing out you can complete these activities in varying order. Today I am going to walkthrough how I tackled The Great Sky Island, but if you did it differently that’s great (plus I’d love to hear about it in the comments).

Wake Up, Link

After the opening scenes of the game where Zelda dissappears and Link is mortally wounded from the Malice attack, Link wakes up on the Sky Islands. His arm was beyond repair, and it had to be replaced with Rauru’s. After you wake up, pick up the decayed Master Sword so you can slash your way out of the cave. Make your way through the cave where you have to dive off a couple of platforms, and soon you’ll come to a chest where you’ll get the Archaic Legwear. These are basic legwear, but it’ll save Link from wandering around in his underwear. Keeping going forward and out of the cave and you’ll be prompted to jump. This is what Tears of the Kingdom is all about, jumping from a great height and skydiving, and you’ll be treated to a great opening.

Temple of Time

After a few moments diving you’ll splash into the water, then at this point you’ll want to want to pick up a branch and fight off the Soldier Construct and head for the Temple of Time. You’ll come across a Steward Construct, this time it’ll give you the Purah Pad. This belonged to Princess Zelda and it’s going to be an important tool on your adventure. The Steward Construct points you towards The Temple of Time and says you have to find Princess Zelda. The Temple of Time is marked on your map, so make your way there. On your way you might other constructs – both Soldier and Steward. The Soldier’s protect the Sky Islands, so they’ll attack you, but if you pick up a branch then you’ll be able to fight them off and take their weapons. The Stewards will give you advice for your journey.

You won’t be able to access the Temple of Time just yet, as Rauru says you have to unlock 3 blessings before you can enter. Rauru explains you have to power up the arm to enter, plus he was the one that saved your arm by replacing it with his own. Rauru says you have to visit 3 shrines on the Great Sky Island to gain the power neccessary to open the door.

Journey to Ukouh Shrine

The first shrine is closest to the Temple of Time and is called Ukouh Shrine, this is going to grant you the Ultrahand ability, allowing you to combine items together. It’s relatively easy to get to this one, you don’t have to do any complex traversal; you can walk, swim and climb your way there. To make your life a little easier, you can use the Purah Pad from the entrance of the Temple of Time and put a marker on it.

Ukouh Shrine (Ultrahand)

When you enter the shrine Raura will grant you Ultrahand, and this shrine is all about using your new ability. First of all grab the concrete slab and position it so you can walk over the gaps. Next, you’ll want to combine two slabs together to make a long one, and then position that to get over the large gap. This will give you a ncie introduction to Ultrahand in terms of connecting ad rotating this with the ability. It’s a little tricky at first, but you’ll soon get used to it.

Finally you’ll want to connect a hook to the wooden board. Once you have done that, pick it up and attach the hook to the line, then let go of Ultrahand and jump on the platform. This will allow you to ride safely to the exit. Touch the hand symbol at the end and you’ll get a Light of Blessing. These are going to be key to levelling Link up throughout the game.

Once you have finished the shrine and exit, Rauru will meet you and say you did well, and you have to visit two more shrines. At this point you have a choice of where to go.

Journey to Gutanbac Shrine

Next up I went to Gutanbac Shrine, although In-Isa Shrine is also close by too. From the entrance of Ukouh Shrine, I looked through the Purah Pad and could see Gutanbac Shrine in the distance, I placed a marker down and then started to make my way there. The first part is easy, you can walk, swim and climb your way there. Along the way you’ll want to pick up mushrooms, and battle constructs to take their weapons. In front of the snowy part of the Great Sky Island you’ll see a cooking pot and you’ll want to make good use of this by combing mushrooms and mixed peppers to give you cold resistance, otherwise you won’t survive long in the snow. It’s worth cooking up a few dishes, to give yourself enough time, as you’ll be using Ultrahand to get to the next shrine.

Before making your way into the snowy area, eat a dish with cold resistance and then kill the Solider Constructs that are in your way. Make your way down to the river and the Steward will inform you about rafts, Zonai devices and specifically, fans. The Steward will give you an Energy Cell, which is crucial for powering Zonai devices. Hop on the raft, hit the device and you’ll sail over the river. Then pick up the raft with Ultrahand, take it up the hill and use it to cross the river with the waterfall. You can keep doing this, although at some point the water is likely to take your raft down the waterfall, so you can climb up the wall. You can’t climb the icy surface through, so look for a wall that isn’t icy, that should be behind the waterfall, slightly hidden out of sight. Keep climbing and you’ll reach Gutanbac Shrine.

Gutanbac Shrine (Ascend)

Enter the Gutanbac Shrine and Rauru will give you the Ascend ability. This allows you to pass through solid matter if there is a ceiling above you. Once you have the ability, make your way forward and use Ascend on the large platform to make your way up. You then have a choice of platforms, the one on the left has a chest at the top with a Stone Axe, which is going to be useful. Jump off the platform then ascend the platform to the right and you’ll have a battle against a construct. It was holding an old wooden bow, and you’ll want to pick this up with some arrows for later.

Remove the wooden boxes from the wall with Ultrahand, and then ascend to the top, open the chest for a Contruct Bow. Jump back down to the ground and use the arrow to shoot the ropes holding the platform. Now, use Ascend to reach the top of the platform. Finally, use Acsend on the moving platform to reach the exit and get the Light of Blessing.

Archaic Warm Greaves

Once you have finshed the Gutanbac Shrine, you want to head to the right, and Ascend up the platform where you’ll find a hollow tree. In that tree you’ll find a chest, and in there you’ll find the Archaic Warm Greaves. These are going to help you with cold resistance. These are good for the Great Sky Island, although later you’ll want to upgrade your cold resistance with other warmer clothes found in Rito Village, plus you can cook up some cold resistance recipes.

Zonai devices

Close by to the Gutanbac Shrine you will find a Maker Contruct, he’s standing in front of something that looks like a Gacha Machine. This is a Zonai device dispenser. You’ll want to collect Zonai Charges by defeating Solider Constructs, and then deposit the Zonai Charges into the Zonai Dispenser. This will then give you random Zonai Devices including Fans, Wings, Flame Emitters and Portable Pots. These are a small sample of the Zonai Devices found in the game, and will give you the tools to get around the Great Sky Island.

Journey to In-Isa Shrine

There are multiple ways to get the In-Isa Shrine, but from my location at the Zonai device despenser near Gutanbac Shrine, I flew towards the Temple of Time. From there I crossed land and rivers until I met a Woodcutter Contruct. Here you have to connect logs together, and potentially cut down a few trees to add to your log bridge. I put together approximately 5-6 logs to create a bridge and then used this to get over a large gap. Next you have to get across a large river, so you have to create a boat with a sail. Everything you need to construct the boat is laying by the river, you just have to use Ultrahand to put it all together. The wind in the sails should be sufficient to get across the river. Once you are on the other side, take care of a few Solider Constructs and then it’s time for the In-Isa Shrine.

In-Isa Shrine (Fuse)

When you first enter the shrine Rauru will give you the Fuse ability, and this is all about connecting weapons together, or items to arrows. Fuse is pretty versatile, helping out with making your weapons more durable, improiving attacking power and creating deadly elemental arrows.

First, you’ll want to fuse a rock to something in your inventory, or with the sword that’s infront of the entrance. Then bash down the cracked pillars to reveal a chest. Open the chest for some arrows. Next, head to the right and pick up the Fire Fruit. On the wall, you’ll notice the plants near the wooden platform with the chest. Aim with your bow, and then you’ll see a prompt say ‘Select material to attach’. Pick the Fire Fruit, and this will create a fire arrow. Use the Fire Arrow to burn the plants and the platform to help you reach the chest, to reveal the small key. Head back from where you came from and use the small key on the door.

Once you are through the door you’ll have a battle against a tougher Construct, and this one can fuse things too. Fuse something together, like a couple of swords or use your rock hammer from before. There are plants on the floor too, which you can use to burn the construct. Chip away at his health and eventually you’ll beat him, leaving you with some good materials for fusing later on. Bash through the wall with something fused and make your way to the end and collect the Light of Blessing, then exit the shrine.

Journey to Nachoyah Shrine

Now you have three Light of Blessings, you can make your way back to the Temple of Time and open up the door. Once you open the door you’ll see a large Tear, Link touches it and then has a vision with Princess Zelda, who then grants Link another ability called Recall. This allows Link to reverse the movement of an object through time. Zelda then disappears, and even Rauru isn’t sure what’s going on. By using Recall you can reach the Statue of Hylia behind the cogs and machines behind where Link discovered the Tear. There is a door behind the statue, but Link is too weak to open the door, and Rauru directs you towards the final Shrine called Nachoyah Shrine.

Rauru directs you back to the Room of Awakening, where Link first woke up. Follow the marker on your map and Ascend out of the cave. Once you reach the surface you can jump down to the another entrance, and there you’ll find the Nachoyah Shrine.

Nachoyah Shrine (Recall)

Enter the Shrine and this time it’s all about mastering the Recall ability. Wait for the raft the float near you, then use Recall to rewind the object through time, and jump on the raft, and this will take you safely to the platform. Then repeat this process to get up the waterfall, by waiting for the platform to fall into the water, activate recall on the platform, jump on it, and ride it up to the top of the waterfall. Do the same with the cog to open the chest on the top with the arrows. Then finally, you want to align the two clock hand looking things near the exit to open the door. Wait for them to be in the same position, then activate recall, and this will open the door for you. Then pick up the Light of Blessing and exit the shrine.

Archaic Tunic

As well as the Archaic Legwear, which is picked up very early on the Great Sky Island, you’ll want to get the Archaic Tunic. This can be found in a cave very close to the entrance of In-Isa Shrine. Make your way to the entrance of shrine, either when you complete the shrine or fast travel there using the Purah Pad. Then go forward and down the steps. Keep going down steps and you’ll face off against a few Soldier Contructs and some Chu Chus. There’s a dangerous construct holding a fan, so be careful he doesn’t knock you off the Sky Island, plus two or three gang up on you. Once you have beaten them you’ll find yourself at the entrance of the Pondside Cave. Smash the rocks for the mining materials and brightbloom seeds, and then open the chest to find the Archaic Tunic.

Back to the Temple of Time

Now you have collected all of Link’s abilities so far, plus some useful armor, and the Light of Blessings, you can make your way back to the Temple of Time. You can either do this via Zonai devices or you can fast travel there using the Purah Pad, whatever works best for you. Then make your way to the back, behind where you dicovered the Tear and trade in the Light of Blessings with the Statue of Hylia for an extra heart container. Then you’ll be able to open the door, which then opens up the way to make your way down to the ground in Hyrule. There’s also a great cutscene here where the Zelda transports the decayed Master Sword to wherever Princess Zelda is. Once that’s done, it’s time to skydive down to Hyrule.

Other things to do

There are plenty of other things to do on the Great Sky Island. There’s a great boss battle where you face off against a Flux Construct I. This is a cube style boss where you have to attack the weak point. It wasn’t a very diffcult battle, but very cool none the less. There are also plenty of Korok seeds to be found on the Great Sky Island, I am not going to go over them all here today, I’ll ave that for another video. This is all about the main points; abilities, shrine solutions and armor, to help you move onto the next part of the main story quest in Tears of the Kingdom.

Let me know in the comments what you think of the Great Sky Island, and let me know which order you did the shrines in.

That’s it for this guide for The Great Sky Island in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom. For more Zelda content like this check out more on Triforce Times on YouTube and subscribe today.