Beginner's Guide
Just started Tears of the Kingdom? This guide covers everything you need to survive and thrive in your first 10-20 hours: combat mechanics, ability usage, exploration strategy, cooking and resources, early gear, common pitfalls, and the best shrines to tackle first. No major story spoilers.
1. Getting Started
Your first steps after completing the Great Sky Island tutorial and landing on the surface of Hyrule.
1
Complete the Great Sky Island tutorial
You wake on the Great Sky Island with 3 hearts and no gear. Follow the quest markers to complete 3 shrines (In-Isa, Ukouh, Gutanbac) and the Temple of Time. These teach you Ultrahand, Fuse, and Ascend. Take your time here — there is no timer and the island is full of useful items.
2
Glide to Lookout Landing
After the Temple of Time grants you Recall and the paraglider, dive off the Great Sky Island and glide toward the smoke below. Lookout Landing is your first surface hub. It has a cooking pot, gear merchants, Purah (main quest NPC), and your first Skyview Tower. Activate the tower immediately to reveal the central map.
3
Talk to everyone at Lookout Landing
Purah gives you the "Regional Phenomena" quest — your main story path to the four temples. But before rushing off, talk to every NPC. You will get free items, side quests, access to the Emergency Shelter (underground shop), and critical tutorial tips about Zonai devices.
4
Activate nearby Skyview Towers first
Before heading to any temple, activate 3-4 towers in the surrounding area. Each tower reveals a huge map chunk and serves as a fast travel point. The Hyrule Field, Eldin Canyon, Lindor's Brow, and Rabella Wetlands towers are all reachable early with minimal combat.
5
Do shrines along the way — aim for 20 before any temple
Every 4 Lights of Blessing (shrine completions) = 1 heart container or 1/5 stamina wheel at a Goddess Statue. With only 3 starting hearts, you are extremely fragile. Getting to 6-7 hearts before your first temple makes a massive difference. Prioritize health over stamina early on.
6
Pick your first Regional Phenomena
You can tackle the four temples (Rito/Wind, Goron/Fire, Zora/Water, Gerudo/Lightning) in any order. Most players find Rito Village (northwest) the most beginner-friendly due to easier enemies and terrain. See our Recommended Temple Order section below.
Beginner's Checklist
0/10 complete
Complete Great Sky Island tutorial
Unlock all 4 abilities
Activate your first Skyview Tower
Lookout Landing is closest
Get the Paraglider from Purah
Cook your first meal
Try 5 apples for a hearty dish
Complete 4 shrines for a Heart Container
Tame your first horse
South of Lookout Landing
Fuse a weapon with a monster part
Discover your first Lightroot in the Depths
Get your first Energy Cell upgrade
Find a Great Fairy Fountain
Woodland Stable area
2. Combat Basics
Weapon durability, dodge timing, flurry rush, parry, headshots, and how to fight smarter. See also our Weapons Directory and Boss Guides.
Weapon durability is intentional — embrace it
Every weapon breaks. This is a core mechanic, not a flaw. Fuse materials onto weapons to nearly double their durability and boost damage. Carry 4-5 weapons at all times and rotate between them. Never hoard a weapon "for later" — you will always find more.
Perfect dodge triggers Flurry Rush
Lock onto an enemy (ZL), wait for them to attack, then press X + left stick in any direction at the last moment. A successful dodge triggers Flurry Rush — a slow-motion barrage that deals massive damage. Practice this on Bokoblins before fighting anything tougher. Side-hops dodge horizontal swings; backflips dodge vertical slashes and thrusts.
Shield parry reflects Guardian lasers and projectiles
Hold ZL to raise your shield, then press A right as an attack connects. A perfect parry deflects the attack with zero shield durability loss. This works against Construct lasers, rock throws, and even Lynel charges. The timing window is more generous than you think — practice on weak enemies first.
Headshots deal double damage with bows
Arrows are precious early on, so make every shot count. Aim for the head — headshots do 2x damage on most enemies and stagger them briefly. Use ZL to lock on, then switch to first-person aim (ZR hold) for precision. Fuse Keese Eyeballs onto arrows for auto-homing headshots.
Use the environment before spending weapons
Push boulders onto enemies with Ultrahand. Drop exploding barrels. Cut down trees to crush camps. Use Recall on thrown projectiles to send them back. Sneak-strike sleeping enemies for 8x damage. Creative kills save weapon durability and are far more effective than button-mashing.
Sneak strikes are the strongest attack in the game
Crouch (left stick click), approach an unaware enemy from behind, and press Y. A sneak strike does 8x your weapon's base damage. Combine this with a high-damage fused weapon and you can one-shot Silver Bokoblins. Stealth armor from Kakariko Village makes this trivially easy.
3. Ultrahand & Fuse
The core abilities that define TotK. Master these and every problem has a creative solution. See our full Abilities Guide for advanced techniques.
Ultrahand
- Grab objects with L, rotate with R-stick. Attach objects together by pressing A when they overlap.
- Build a simple raft (plank + 2 fans) immediately — it handles most water crossings and saves stamina.
- The hoverbike (steering stick + 2 fans, angled up slightly) is the single most useful vehicle in the game. Build it once, then use Autobuild to recreate it anywhere.
- Detach objects by shaking them (press Y while holding). This lets you recycle parts from existing constructions.
- Ultrahand works on almost everything: enemy weapons, minecart rails, fallen trees, treasure chests, even other players' Zonai builds.
Fuse
- Fuse materials to weapons (ZL + press the Fuse button) to boost damage and durability. A Bokoblin Horn on a stick turns a 5-damage weapon into a 10-damage weapon.
- Fuse rocks to shields to create a portable battering ram. Fuse Zonai Springs to shields to create a bounce pad you can deploy mid-combat.
- Fuse Keese Eyeballs to arrows for homing shots. Fuse White Chuchu Jelly to arrows for ice arrows. Fuse Muddle Buds for confusion arrows that turn enemies against each other.
- Fuse expensive gems (Ruby, Sapphire, Topaz) to weapons for elemental AOE attacks — save these for tough fights rather than selling.
- You can un-fuse materials at any Tarrey Town goron or by breaking the weapon. Plan your fusions around what enemies you expect to face.
Ascend
- Ascend passes you through ANY solid ceiling above you. This includes cave roofs, building floors, cliff overhangs, and even enemies' platforms.
- Use Ascend to skip climbing entirely. Walk under a cliff, look up, press Ascend, and you teleport to the top. This saves massive stamina.
- In combat, Ascend through a platform to reposition above enemies for aerial bow shots.
- Ascend works in the Depths — use it on any ceiling to escape back to the surface (if there is ground above you).
Recall
- Recall reverses an object's movement through time. Use it on falling debris from Sky Islands to ride them back up.
- In combat, Recall enemy projectiles (thrown rocks, spiked balls) to send them back at the attacker.
- Use Recall on rolling logs, minecarts, or any moving platform to reverse its direction.
- Recall is essential for solving many shrine puzzles — if something moved recently, try reversing it.
4. Exploration Tips
Towers, shrines, fast travel, stamina management, and navigating the three layers of Hyrule.
Activate all 15 Skyview Towers early
Each tower reveals a large map area and launches you into the sky, letting you paraglide to shrines and points of interest. Do towers before temples. The central 5 towers are all accessible with minimal combat or special gear.
All 15 TowersStamina management determines how far you can explore
Climbing and gliding drain stamina. Cook Enduring or Energizing meals (Endura Carrots, Stamella Shrooms, Restless Crickets) to extend or refill your bar. You can cancel a climb mid-wall by pressing B, then immediately re-grab to reset your grip animation and rest on ledges.
Fast travel is free and instant
Every activated Skyview Tower, completed shrine, and discovered Lightroot is a permanent fast travel point. You can fast travel from anywhere except during combat. Open your map, select a destination, and teleport. There is no cost.
Use the Purah Pad sensor to find shrines
After visiting Hateno Village and upgrading your Purah Pad (through Robbie's side quest), you can set the sensor to detect nearby shrines. The sensor beeps faster as you get closer. This is the most reliable way to find the 152 shrines without a guide.
All 152 ShrinesMark everything with map pins
You have many pin types (star, diamond, chest, skull, etc.) and a generous limit. Pin caves, material farming spots, unsolved puzzles, and anything you want to return to. Your future self will thank you.
The Depths mirror the surface world
The Depths map is an inverted copy of the surface. If there is a tower or shrine on the surface, there is usually a Lightroot directly below it in the Depths. Use this 1:1 correspondence to navigate the darkness. Lightroots permanently illuminate the area around them and act as fast travel points.
Depths GuideHorses are faster than running, and stables are everywhere
Catch a horse early (sneak up, press A to mount, soothe with L). Register it at any stable for free. Call your horse with the whistle button when nearby. Horses auto-follow roads — just point them at a path and they navigate themselves. Stables also have cooking pots, beds, and side quests.
5. Resource Management
Cooking basics, material gathering, and rupee farming. See our full Cooking Guide and Materials Directory.
Essential Cooking Recipes
Simmered Fruit (4-5 apples)
The simplest meal. Apples are everywhere. Always cook them — raw apples restore only half a heart each.
Meat Skewer (5 raw meat)
Hunt deer and boar in Hyrule Field. Gourmet Meat from bears/moose restores even more.
Enduring Mushroom Skewer (Endura Shroom x1-3)
Even one Endura Shroom gives bonus stamina. Found near trees in Hyrule Ridge and West Necluda.
Spicy Pepper Steak (raw meat + spicy pepper x2)
Essential for cold regions early on before you have warm armor. Spicy peppers grow on the Great Sky Island.
Hasty Elixir (Hot-Footed Frog x2 + Bokoblin Horn)
Frogs spawn near rivers at night. The speed boost helps cross large distances and escape tough enemies.
Hearty Radish dish (1 Hearty Radish, cooked alone)
Cook a single Hearty Radish or Hearty Durian for a full heal plus temporary extra hearts. This is the best healing in the game — never mix hearty ingredients with other items.
Rupee Farming Methods
Sell cooked meals, not raw ingredients
A raw Gourmet Meat sells for 35 rupees. Five cooked together as a Meat Skewer sell for 490. Cooking multiplies your profit dramatically.
Mine ore deposits everywhere
Hit glowing rock formations with a hammer or rock-fused weapon. Amber (30r), Opal (60r), Ruby (210r), Sapphire (260r), Diamond (500r). The Eldin and Depths regions are richest in ore.
Hunt the Blupee for bonus rupees
Glowing blue rabbit-spirits appear near cave entrances at night. Shoot them with an arrow for 20-100 rupees. They flee after one hit, so make it count.
Sell gems you do not need for fusions
Keep a few Rubies and Sapphires for elemental fusions. Sell the rest. Diamonds and Topazes are worth more as rupees than as weapon attachments in most cases.
6. Early Game Weapons & Armor
Where to find good gear in your first few hours. Browse the full Armor Directory and Weapons Directory for the complete list.
Hylian Set (Lookout Landing / Hateno Village)
Basic but solid defense. Buy the full set (Hood, Tunic, Trousers) from the armor shop in Lookout Landing for a combined 5 defense. Cheap and available immediately.
Stealth Set (Kakariko Village)
The single best early-game armor purchase. Grants "Stealth Up" so you can sneak-strike enemies for 8x damage. Sold by the armor vendor in Kakariko Village for 500 rupees total. Worth every rupee.
Soldier's Armor (Hateno Village / Lookout Landing)
Highest raw defense available early. The full set offers 12 defense unupgraded. Prioritize this if you struggle with taking damage in combat.
Climbing Gear (scattered in shrines/caves)
Each piece boosts climb speed. The Climbing Boots are in North Hyrule Sky (Upland Zorana Skyview Tower area). The Climbing Gear body is in Ploymous Mountain Cave (Zora region). Extremely useful for exploration.
Royal Broadsword (Hyrule Castle)
Base 36 damage. Found in Hyrule Castle — you can sneak in early by entering from the moat side docks. Fuse a strong horn onto it for 50+ damage. The castle has many royal-tier weapons scattered around.
Zora Spear (Zora's Domain)
Base 12 damage, but fast attack speed and a unique bonus: it powers up when Link is wet. Easily obtained during the Zora questline. Excellent when fused with Lizalfos Horns.
Mighty Zonaite weapons (Depths)
Found in the Depths on weapon racks near Abandoned Mines. Decent base damage (20-30) and readily available once you start exploring underground. Fuse monster parts onto them for a strong early loadout.
7. Common Mistakes to Avoid
Eight things new players consistently get wrong. Learn from others' failures so you do not repeat them.
Eating raw food instead of cooking
Fix: A raw apple restores half a heart. Four cooked apples restore 4 hearts. ALWAYS use a cooking pot — there is one at every stable and most towns. Even single ingredients are better cooked.
Hoarding weapons you never use
Fix: There is no "save it for later" — weapons break and better ones constantly appear. Use your strongest weapon now. Fuse cheap materials for daily fights and save rare horns for bosses.
Rushing to temples with 3-4 hearts
Fix: Temple bosses can two-shot you at low health. Do 15-20 shrines first to reach 6-7 hearts. The extra health and the shrines' Light of Blessing rewards make temples far more manageable.
Ignoring the Depths entirely
Fix: The Depths has the best Zonaite (upgrade your battery), exclusive armor sets (Miner's Set, Depths armor), Poe collectibles, and massive Lightroot fast-travel coverage. Enter a chasm early and start exploring.
Not using Autobuild after unlocking it
Fix: Find the Great Abandoned Central Mine in the Depths to unlock Autobuild. Then build a hoverbike once — Autobuild recreates it anywhere using Zonaite. This single vehicle replaces horses, climbing, and swimming.
Mixing hearty ingredients with other effects
Fix: Cook a single Hearty Radish or Big Hearty Truffle alone for a full heal plus bonus hearts. Mixing it with other ingredients wastes the full-heal effect. One hearty ingredient cooked solo is more powerful than five mixed together.
Selling all your gems
Fix: Keep at least 5 Rubies (fire AOE), 5 Sapphires (ice AOE), and a few Opals (water shield) for fusing onto weapons and shields. Sell Diamonds and surplus gems, but maintain a combat reserve.
Fighting Silver/Black enemies you are not ready for
Fix: Silver and Black-horned enemies have enormous HP and hit extremely hard. If you see a silver mane or black horn, gauge your weapon damage first. Sometimes the right move is to stealth past or use a sneak strike rather than engaging head-on.
8. Recommended Early Shrines
Eight easy-to-reach shrines to complete in your first few hours. Each one grants a Light of Blessing — collect 4 to upgrade your health or stamina. See our full Shrine Directory for all 152.
Kyononis Shrine
Lookout Landing (right next to the tower)
Combat tutorial shrine. Teaches shield parry and weapon throw mechanics. Literally steps from where you land on the surface.
Sinakawak Shrine
Lindor's Brow (west of Lookout Landing)
Simple balloon and fan puzzle. Teaches how Zonai Fans interact with balloons — a key building concept you will use constantly.
Makasura Shrine
Near Kakariko Village
Straightforward combat shrine. Good practice for dodge-timing and Flurry Rush against a Construct. Right next to Kakariko where you buy the Stealth armor.
Jiukoum Shrine
Popla Foothills (southeast of Lookout Landing)
Teaches Ultrahand bridge-building. Simple but satisfying — just connect planks to cross gaps. On a main road, hard to miss.
Susuyai Shrine
Mount Hylia area (south of Lookout Landing)
A "Rauru's Blessing" shrine — solve the entrance puzzle outside, then walk in and collect the chest. Free Light of Blessing with no interior challenge.
Kiuyoyou Shrine
West Hyrule Field
Fire-and-ice physics puzzle. Teaches how flame and ice interact with environmental objects. Short, clever, and very doable with no special items.
Tukarok Shrine
Hyrule Field (near Riverside Stable)
Rail-grinding Zonai puzzle. Fun introduction to Zonai carts and rail mechanics. Close to a stable, so you can cook and rest after.
Sepapa Shrine
Kakariko Village area (Lanayru)
Teaches Ascend in a puzzle context. Simple vertical navigation with clear visual cues. Reinforces one of the most useful abilities in the game.
Bonus: Recommended Temple Order
You can tackle the four main temples in any order. This sequence goes from easiest to hardest for most players.
Hebra Mountains (Wind Temple)
Boss: Colgera
Easiest dungeon boss. Rito Village questline is straightforward. The Tulin sage ability (wind gust) is immediately useful for exploration and combat.
Lanayru (Water Temple)
Boss: Mucktorok
Moderate difficulty. The Zora questline involves fun water mechanics. Sidon's sage ability (water shield) adds survivability. The boss is gimmicky but manageable.
Eldin Canyon (Fire Temple)
Boss: Marbled Gohma
Requires Fireproof Elixirs or Flamebreaker armor. The minecart puzzles are creative. Yunobo's sage ability (rolling fireball) is strong for breaking ore and enemies.
Gerudo Desert (Lightning Temple)
Boss: Queen Gibdo
The Gerudo region has tough overworld enemies. The temple itself is puzzle-heavy. Riju's lightning sage ability is powerful but situational. Save this for when you have 8+ hearts and good gear.
Maren's Quiz
General Knowledge — Question 1 of 15
How many shrines are there in Tears of the Kingdom?
Ready to explore Hyrule?
Use our full shrine directory to track your progress across all 152 shrines, or browse the cooking guide for every recipe in the game.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do first in Tears of the Kingdom?
Complete the Great Sky Island tutorial to earn Ultrahand, Fuse, Ascend, and Recall abilities plus the paraglider. Then glide to Lookout Landing, activate the Skyview Tower, talk to Purah, and start exploring nearby shrines. Aim for 20 shrines before attempting your first temple.
Should I upgrade stamina or hearts first in TotK?
Prioritize hearts early on. You start with only 3 hearts and are extremely fragile. Aim for 6-7 hearts before your first temple. Once you reach 8-10 hearts, start investing in stamina for climbing, swimming, and paragliding. You can respec at the Lookout Landing Goddess Statue for 20 rupees.
What are the best early game tips for TotK beginners?
Cook Hearty Durians or Big Hearty Radishes for full-heal meals. Activate 3-4 Skyview Towers early for map coverage and fast travel. Use Ultrahand creatively in combat to save weapon durability. Always pick up Brightbloom Seeds for the Depths. Do shrines along the way rather than rushing the main quest.
Which temple should I do first in Tears of the Kingdom?
The Wind Temple at Rito Village (northwest) is the most beginner-friendly. The boss Colgera is relatively easy, and Tulin's wind gust ability is the most universally useful sage power. After that, try the Water Temple at Zora's Domain, then Fire and Lightning.
How does weapon Fuse work in Tears of the Kingdom?
Fuse lets you attach materials to weapons, shields, and arrows. It increases damage, adds elemental effects, and nearly doubles durability. Press ZL to use Fuse, then select a weapon and a material. Strong fuse materials include Lynel horns, gemstones, and monster parts. You can unfuse items at Tarrey Town for 20 rupees.
Continue Your Adventure
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
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