Best Temple Order in Tears of the Kingdom

Tears of the Kingdom lets you tackle the four main temples in any order. But the order you choose matters — each temple gives you a Sage companion with a unique ability, and some abilities dramatically improve exploration and combat for the rest of the game.

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Recommended Order

1. Wind Temple (Rito Village) ← Start here
2. Fire Temple (Goron City)
3. Water Temple (Zora's Domain)
4. Lightning Temple (Gerudo Town)

This order is recommended for most players, especially first-timers. Here's why.

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Temple 1 — Wind Temple (Rito Village, Northwest)

Sage: Tulin (Rito warrior) Tulin's Ability: Gust — sends a burst of wind that doubles your Paraglider range and height

Why go here first:

Tulin's Gust is the most universally useful Sage ability in the game. From the moment you get it:

• Gliding across gaps becomes trivial — you get a free boost on demand
• Reaching sky islands is dramatically easier
• Stamina is less punishing during flight

The Wind Temple itself is also the most beginner-friendly main dungeon — its puzzles are straightforward and the boss (Colgera, an ice centipede) is relatively forgiving. You fight it in the air, and Tulin's Gust ability is your primary weapon. The entire fight is essentially a tutorial for Tulin's power.

How to reach Rito Village: Travel northwest from Lookout Landing. The Hebra region is cold — bring cold resistance food or the Snowquill Armor from the Rito Village shop. You'll follow the main quest to the cloud vortex above Rito Village, then ascend into the storm to reach the Wind Temple.

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Temple 2 — Fire Temple (Goron City, Northeast)

Sage: Yunobo (Goron warrior) Yunobo's Ability: Rolling charge — Yunobo rolls into a ball and you aim him at walls, boulders, and enemies

Why second:

Yunobo's rolling charge is essential for:

• Breaking Marbled Rock Roast (the corrupted ore blocking paths throughout Eldin)
• Destroying ore deposits and boulders faster than bombs
• Combat against armored enemies

Without Yunobo, many side quests and caves in the Eldin region are blocked. Getting him second opens up a large portion of the map.

Temple difficulty: Medium. The Fire Temple is a multi-floor mining facility — you need to open ore carts and smash through barriers using Yunobo (who you have before reaching the temple). The boss is Marbled Gohma — a large spider that requires rolling Yunobo into its eye.

Preparation: Bring Flamebreaker Armor or fire resistance food. Death Mountain's ambient heat will damage you without protection. The Flamebreaker set is sold in Goron City.

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Temple 3 — Water Temple (Zora's Domain, East)

Sage: Sidon (Zora prince) Sidon's Ability: Water shield — Sidon throws a water bubble you can charge and aim; electrifies nearby water

Why third:

Sidon's water shield is useful for:

• Cleaning off the sludge affecting Zora's Domain (part of the questline)
• Creating electric water traps in combat
• Healing with Splash Fruit in a pinch

The Water Temple is a sky temple above Zora's Domain — you'll need to navigate sky islands using Sidon's water power and Zonai devices. It's more complex than the Wind or Fire temples.

Temple difficulty: Medium-High. The Water temple has more puzzle-intensive rooms and requires good use of Ultrahand. The boss is Mucktorok — a small creature riding a sludge shark. The fight requires using clean water to remove its protective sludge coating.

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Temple 4 — Lightning Temple (Gerudo Town, Southwest)

Sage: Riju (Gerudo chief) Riju's Ability: Lightning strike — Riju fires a dome of lightning that charges and detonates; combine with a metal weapon for massive damage

Why last:

The Lightning Temple is the hardest of the four and is deep in the desert. Getting there requires:

• Navigating the Gerudo Desert (either during a Sandstorm or after completing the initial surface quest)
• The temple itself is a large maze-like structure with complex room sequences
• Riju's ability is powerful but situational compared to Tulin's constant utility

The boss is Queen Gibdo — a giant moth-like creature that requires using Riju's lightning charge. It's manageable but the most mechanically demanding of the four bosses.

Preparation: The Gerudo region has extreme heat (during the day) and cold (at night). Bring both resistance options, or use the Voe Armor available in Gerudo Town's back alleys.

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Temple Difficulty Comparison

| Temple | Region | Difficulty | Boss | Sage Reward | |--------|--------|------------|------|-------------| | Wind Temple | Rito / Hebra | ★★☆☆☆ | Colgera | Tulin (Gust) | | Fire Temple | Goron / Eldin | ★★★☆☆ | Marbled Gohma | Yunobo (Roll) | | Water Temple | Zora / Lanayru | ★★★☆☆ | Mucktorok | Sidon (Shield) | | Lightning Temple | Gerudo Desert | ★★★★☆ | Queen Gibdo | Riju (Lightning) |

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After the Four Temples — Hyrule Castle

Once you've completed all four Regional Phenomena (temples), Purah reveals the location of Hyrule Castle and the Secret Stone. The story pushes you toward the final confrontation with Ganondorf.

Before entering Hyrule Castle:

• Complete all four temples ✓
• Have at least 13+ hearts (ideally 16+)
• Get the Master Sword if possible — see the Master Sword Guide
• Stock 30+ cooked meals (Hearty Durians give 4 yellow hearts each)
• Upgrade your primary combat armor to ★★★ minimum

Hyrule Castle has five distinct floors and a multi-phase final boss. You can leave and return at any time, so don't feel trapped — but go prepared.

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Can You Skip Temples?

Technically yes. The game never forces any temple. But:

• Each temple gives one Secret Stone shard — these power up your abilities (increases the hit count on Sage abilities)
• Each Sage becomes a companion — without them, you're missing major combat and traversal tools
• The final dungeon is dramatically harder without Sage companions

Minimum to attempt the final boss: Most players recommend completing at least 2–3 temples and having Tulin (his Gust is invaluable during the vertical sections of the final dungeon).

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See also: Getting Started Guide | Best Armor Sets | Shrine Directory