The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was Link’s first true foray into the open-world genre. Its map was enormous and sprinkled with countless hidden items and secrets that could take hundreds of hours to discover in their entirety. One of Hyrule’s many mysteries is its 120 Ancient Shrines that serve as quick-travel checkpoints that can only be used once players have completed the unique challenge that comes with each of them. Certain Shrines can be unlocked by simply finding them, but Nintendo included a few tough ones.
Shrine challenges can range from solving a puzzle to defeating a mini-boss in order to reach the Monks that await at the end of each of these BOTW landmarks. These Sheikah sages will bestow Link with a Spirit Orb, which can be traded to the Goddess Statues to increase Link’s Hearts or Stamina. Tons of loot can be found inside Shrines as well, everything from equipment with special power-ups to rare weapons that can assist Link as he continues his campaign against Calamity Ganon.
Finding and conquering all 120 Shrines is a big allure for dedicated BOTW completionists, but a handful of them are particularly frustrating and can take many tries to finish. These pesky challenges are difficult for a myriad of reasons. Some of them are due to high-level enemies lurking inside, some include vague puzzles, and others are made frustrating by the Nintendo Switch’s wonky motion controls. Here are the five most difficult Shrines in BOTW.
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#5 – BOTW Hardest Shrines: Chaas Qeta
Found on a solitary island in the Necluda Sea on the southeastern corner of Hyrule, the Chaas Qeta Shrine is “A Major Test of Strength” that pits players against a high-level Guardian Scout that wields three Guardian weapons which can deal massive damage. The shrine is a trap for new players that haven’t amassed enough Hearts and Stamina because of how powerful the Guardian’s attacks are. Plus, the island is near an area that’s easily accessible early into BOTW. Curious players will almost certainly set off to explore the mysterious island the Shrine is found on.
The secret to defeating the Guardian is all about careful timing and quick reactions. Players need to perfectly dodge its slashes to counter with a Flurry Rush, and they need to hide behind one of the many pillars in the Shrine when the Guardian begins to spin like a blender. During the fight’s final phase, it will begin firing lasers that deal devastating damage. Run around the Guardian in circles to dodge the projectiles and counter-attack when it’s cooling down. If players manage to pull this off, the Shrine will reward them with three weapons and powerful BOTW armor.
#4 – BOTW Hardest Shrines: Keo Ruug
The Keo Ruug Shrine is found in the heart of the Korok Forest in Central Hyrule. Its Spirit Orb is claimed by solving its brain teaser, which is easier said than done. Like most Legend of Zelda puzzles, Nintendo gives players little to no instructions about what’s required to complete them, so players can only take hints from their surroundings.
The puzzle consists of multiple rows of numbered circles in the ground that can be turned on or off using one of the spheres found lying around the Shrine. Players need to turn on the correct pattern of circles, which can be found by standing on the central platform and looking up at the constellations etching into the Shrine’s far wall. The trick is counting the number of constellations and placing a sphere inside the circle representing that number on both sides of the platform.
#3 – BOTW Hardest Shrines: Katosa Aug
Located in the northeastern most corner of Hyrule, next to Death Mountain, the Katos Aug Shrine is essentially a giant game of mini golf that’s made frustrating by the Switch’s motion controls. Link will be given control of a massive mallet that players need to swing to hit a ball into a receptacle by moving their Nintendo Switch Joy Cons from one side to another. That might sound simple, but the Switch’s gyroscope isn’t particularly accurate.
Ensuring that the center of the stone putter hits the ball can take a few tries, and the final challenge of the Shrine requires almost perfect accuracy. Looting the final chest requires players need to sink a bank shot. The trick is not to hit it too hard so it doesn’t bounce off the stage, but it’s easier said than done.
#2 – BOTW Hardest Shrines: Myahm Agana
The Myahm Agana Shrine can be infuriating for newcomers and experienced Hyrule explorers alike. It’s located to the West of Hateno Village on the Southeastern corner of Hyrule and once again makes use of the Nintendo Switch’s motion controls. Instead of swinging a putter this time, players need to guide a giant sphere through a maze.
The Shrine is a virtual ball-in-maze puzzle that requires players to use the console’s gyroscope to tilt a floating maze to roll the sphere through so Link can cross. A couple of chests can be looted along the way, but the worst part about this Shrine is that if the sphere ever falls out, a new one will spawn at the very beginning. Completing this challenge requires very steady hands, as even a small twitch can send the sphere flying into the void.
#1 – BOTW Hardest Shrines: Mirro Shaz
The Mirro Shaz Shrine is yet another game of mini-golf, only this time players need to use the Sheikah Slate’s Stasis ability to launch the balls instead of controlling a putter. This challenge is found near the Pico Pond at the bottom of Death Mountain near the Woodland Stable and is by far the most annoying Shrine because it can cause players to exhaust their weapons.
Link needs to send a ball flying across a fenced-off pond and into a receptacle, which can be done by freezing the sphere and hitting it five times, but the accuracy is the toughest part. Ensuring that the ball launches at the perfect angle will take a few tries, and the Shrine only gives players one extra weapon to use. All weapons in BOTW lose durability whenever they’re used to strike something, and missing a couple of shots might force players to begin using their own stash of weapons. Gamers should bring a few extra weak weapons along to make sure they aren’t eating away at their powerful weapons’ durability to unlock this The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild shrine.