TotK Temple Order: Best Main Quest Order and Story Path
The usual temple order is Wind, Fire, Water, then Lightning. Why that order, what each sage's ability does, and the fifth sage, Master Sword and Ganondorf.
Tears of the Kingdom opens up quickly. Once you leave Great Sky Island, Purah hands you four regions to investigate and does not force an order. This page lays out the main story as a whole: the quests, the recommended temple order and why, what each sage gives you, and the three milestones that come after the temples.
What is the main story order?
- Clear Great Sky Island. The Closed Door and To the Kingdom of Hyrule are the opening quests, and they end with you heading down to Hyrule.
- Reach Lookout Landing. Crisis at Hyrule Castle takes you to the castle and back, then up the first Skyview Tower, where you get the paraglider. After that Purah gives you Regional Phenomena. Step by step: Crisis at Hyrule Castle.
- Finish the four regional temples. Wind, Fire, Water and Lightning, in any order. Report back to Purah when all four are done.
- Find the fifth sage. Find the Fifth Sage, Secret of the Ring Ruins and Guidance from Ages Past end in the Spirit Temple.
- Get the Master Sword. Pull it from the Light Dragon’s head.
- Destroy Ganondorf. Go down the Hyrule Castle Chasm to Gloom’s Lair.
Which quests are main quests?
The game has 23 main quests. This grouping follows the story; it is not a required sequence, and several run side by side.
| Stage | Main quests |
|---|---|
| Great Sky Island | The Closed Door, To the Kingdom of Hyrule |
| Other | Find Princess Zelda |
| Hyrule Castle | Crisis at Hyrule Castle |
| Four regions | Regional Phenomena |
| Hebra | Tulin of Rito Village → Wind Temple |
| Eldin | Yunobo of Goron City → Fire Temple |
| Lanayru | The Sludge-Covered Statue, Sidon of the Zora, Restoring the Zora Armor, The Broken Slate, Clues to the Sky → Water Temple |
| Gerudo | Riju of Gerudo Town → Lightning Temple |
| Fifth sage | Find the Fifth Sage, Secret of the Ring Ruins, Guidance from Ages Past → Spirit Temple |
| Depths and memories | Camera Work in the Depths, A Mystery in the Depths, Impa and the Geoglyphs, The Dragon’s Tears |
| Master Sword | Trail of the Master Sword, Recovering the Hero’s Sword |
| Finale | Destroy Ganondorf |
What order should you do the four temples?
All four regional temples can be done in any order. Purah points you to Hebra first, because word has it someone saw Zelda near Rito Village. Most guides then recommend this order:
| Order | Temple | Why here |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wind Temple | The game sends you here first, and Tulin’s gust carries your glides further for the rest of the game |
| 2 | Fire Temple | Short and direct; it also teaches you to build and ride vehicles |
| 3 | Water Temple | The Zora Armor lets you swim up waterfalls; the enemies step up |
| 4 | Lightning Temple | The most combat and the heaviest drain on supplies |
A second opinion puts the Water Temple second, because Sidon’s water shield and the Zora Armor are so useful, and leaves Fire and Lightning for last in either order.
What does each sage’s ability do?
Each temple boss drops a Heart Container, and the sage gives you their vow. You summon or dismiss each avatar from the vow in Key Items, and you can strengthen them with Sage’s Wills at a Goddess Statue.
| Sage | Temple | Ability | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tulin | Wind | Tulin’s Gusts | A burst of wind in the direction you face: longer glides, blows light enemies and objects away, drives raft sails |
| Yunobo | Fire | Yunobo’s Charge | Yunobo rolls out as a ball, sets things alight and explodes on impact; breaks ore deposits and rock; works from Zonai vehicles |
| Sidon | Water | Sidon’s Water Wall | A water shield that blocks one hit; your next swing fires it as a water shot that puts out fire and washes away sludge; also protects from heat |
| Riju | Lightning | Riju’s Power of Lightning | An electric field; arrows that land inside it call down lightning |
| Mineru | Spirit | Mineru’s Construct | A construct you can ride and fit with devices or weapons; crosses lava and Gloom without damage |
What happens after the four temples?
| Milestone | How it starts | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Fifth sage | Talk to Purah after the castle to get Find the Fifth Sage | Secret of the Ring Ruins in Kakariko, then Guidance from Ages Past in the Depths |
| Master Sword | The Dragon’s Tears (11 geoglyphs, then a 12th tear on the Rist Peninsula) or Recovering the Hero’s Sword (the Deku Tree Chasm below Korok Forest) | Two full stamina wheels: 5 Stamina Vessels, or 20 Lights of Blessing, beyond the one you start with |
| Final battle | Destroy Ganondorf, from Purah at Lookout Landing | Down the Hyrule Castle Chasm to the Imprisoning Chamber, then into Gloom’s Lair |
The Master Sword is stuck in the Light Dragon’s head, and you can simply land on the dragon and pull it without either quest. See the Dragon’s Tears guide for the geoglyph route, and bring Gloom-resistant food for the finale: Gloom in the last dungeon cuts into your maximum hearts.
In Gloom’s Lair you first face the Demon King’s Army. Awakened sages join that fight; for any sage you skipped, their temple boss comes at you instead. The full route from the chasm to the end is in the final battle walkthrough, and the final fight is on the Ganondorf page. What happens to your save afterwards is on the post-game page.
Where are the individual temple guides?
- Wind Temple walkthrough: five turbines, Colgera
- Fire Temple walkthrough: five gongs, Marbled Gohma
- Water Temple walkthrough: four faucets, Mucktorok
- Lightning Temple walkthrough: four batteries, Queen Gibdo
- Spirit Temple and the fifth sage: four construct parts, Seized Construct
For extra hearts and stamina before the sword, the shrine list is the place to start, and hearts or stamina first says which to pick. New to the game? See the beginner tips.
FAQ
What order should I do the temples in Tears of the Kingdom?
Can you skip temples and fight Ganondorf?
When do you get the Master Sword?
Does temple order change the boss difficulty?
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