Zuna Kai Shrine Guide: Skull Lake Climb & Chest (BotW)

Name: Zuna Kai Shrine Guide
Uploaded: 2017-03-13
Description: Zuna Kai Shrine Guide

Where is Zuna Kai Shrine?

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The shrine stands atop a tall spire on the eastern island of Skull Lake — the skull’s left eye, and the higher of the two eyes. Jerrin at the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab can point you here once she brings up her shrine research, but you can also simply strike out into the far northeast on your own. The only real hazard is the approach itself: the spire is a long climb, and a slip drops you back down toward the lake. Gorae Torr Shrine lies off to the west, while Tutsuwa Nima Shrine and Katosa Aug Shrine are both to the southeast.

Item	Detail
Trial	Zuna Kai’s Blessing
Tower region	Akkala
Map marker	Show on map
Shrine quest	The Skull’s Eye
Chests	1
Names	Zuna Kai Shrine · 茲納‧卡伊神廟 · 兹纳·卡伊神庙

What should you bring?

Nothing is required — no runes, weapons, armor, or resistances; the interior has no puzzles and no enemies. The only demand is stamina for the climb up the spire, so an upgraded stamina wheel or stamina-recovering food genuinely helps. Without it, plan to rest on ledges partway up rather than pushing one continuous climb.

Video walkthrough

Zuna Kai Shrine Guide — Video by Zelda Dungeon · YouTube

How do you solve Zuna Kai Shrine?

Reaching the shrine is the entire trial — the interior is a blessing shrine with a direct, puzzle-free path, one chest, and the monk.

1. Reach and activate the shrine

Travel to Skull Lake in the far northeast of Hyrule (Deep Akkala). Optionally, talk to Jerrin at the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab first — once she mentions her shrine research, she’ll point you to the lake’s left eye and warn that it’s a challenge to reach.

At the lake, look for the two islands that form the skull’s eyes. The shrine is on the eastern island — the skull’s left eye — which is the taller, higher spire of the two.

Check your target before committing: the left eye is higher up, the right eye is lower down. If you can already see Kilton on an island, you’re looking at the wrong (right) eye — circle around the water to the taller eastern spire.

Cross over to the eastern island and pick a line up the rock face; the spire is climbed from the outside.

Climb the spire, watching your stamina wheel — rest on ledges when it runs low so you don’t fall back down into the lake.

A tall pale rock spire rising from the lake — Head for the taller eastern spire ①, the skull’s left eye; the shrine is on top.

Link climbing the rock face of the spire — Climb the spire from the outside, resting on ledges when your stamina runs low.

The shrine at the summit glowing blue after activation — Activate the shrine at the summit.

2. Zuna Kai’s Blessing

At the summit you’ll find the dormant shrine. Interact with the glowing apparatus to activate it. If you took Jerrin’s quest, it completes the moment you gain entry — your adventure log notes that the real trial was getting there.

Enter the shrine. The monk Zuna Kai greets you, stating that by entering this place you’ve already proven your worth.

Follow the direct path toward the monk’s pedestal — there are no puzzles, no enemies, and nothing to solve.

Along the path you’ll come to a Treasure Chest. Open it to claim a Flameblade. Any bonus on it is decided by your kill points when you open the chest, not by the shrine.

Continue to the far end and speak with Zuna Kai at the pedestal to receive your Spirit Orb.

After wishing you well — ‘May the Goddess smile upon you’ — the monk fades away. The shrine is now a permanent travel gate on your map; step into the glowing ring to warp back out.

The straight path inside the shrine leading to the monk — Inside there is no puzzle, just a direct path to the monk.

Link opening the treasure chest on the path — Open the chest on the path for a Flameblade.

Link before Zuna Kai at the pedestal — Speak with Zuna Kai to receive the Spirit Orb.

What is in the chest?

Chest	Contents	How to get it
1	Flameblade; bonus depends on kill points (white from about 2,000, yellow from about 2,583)	Sits directly on the straight path to the monk’s pedestal — no detour or puzzle needed. Just walk up and open it before claiming your Spirit Orb.

What do people miss here?

Climbing the wrong eye: the right eye is lower and is where Kilton hangs around — if you run into him, you’re on the wrong island. The shrine is atop the taller eastern spire (the skull’s left eye).
Expecting a puzzle inside: there isn’t one. Players waste time hunting for a solution that doesn’t exist — just grab the chest and talk to the monk.
Beelining to the monk and skipping the chest: it sits on the path itself so it’s hard to miss, but if you do leave it behind, the activated shrine stays on your map and you can warp back in any time to open it.
Running out of stamina mid-climb: the ascent of the spire is the whole trial, so bring extra stamina or food and rest on ledges instead of pushing one long climb.
Thinking you must start ‘The Skull’s Eye’ quest first: you don’t. The shrine is enterable on your own; Jerrin’s hint at the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab is entirely optional.

What else is nearby?

Shrine	Direction	Straight-line distance	Region
Gorae Torr Shrine	west	661	Eldin
Tutsuwa Nima Shrine	southeast	848	Akkala
Katosa Aug Shrine	southeast	1191	Akkala

Which guides help next?

FAQ

Is there a puzzle inside Zuna Kai Shrine?

No. It's a blessing shrine with a direct path to the monk's pedestal — no puzzles and no enemies. Reaching the top of the spire on Skull Lake's left eye was the entire trial.

What's in the Zuna Kai Shrine chest?

A Flameblade. Its bonus is not fixed; it depends on your kill points when you open the chest. The chest sits right on the path to the monk, so open it on your way to claim the Spirit Orb.

Where is Zuna Kai Shrine exactly?

Atop the spire on the eastern island of Skull Lake — the skull's left eye and the higher of the two. If you find Kilton, you're on the lower right eye; cross to the taller spire and climb to the summit to activate it.

Do I need The Skull's Eye shrine quest to enter?

No, the quest is optional. You can start it by talking to Jerrin at the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab after she mentions her shrine research, but you can also head straight to Skull Lake — activating the shrine completes the quest if you have it.

Can I come back later for the chest?

Yes. Once activated, the shrine becomes a permanent travel gate, so you can warp back in any time to open the chest you skipped. That said, it's directly on the path, so you'd have to try to miss it.