Quick Links
The temples ofThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomprovide some of the most challenging yet satisfying sequences that the game has to offer. Getting to them is no mean feat, but the puzzles contained within are brainteasers of the highest caliber.
The Lightning Temple, which is encountered and must be completed in the course of helping Riju and Gerudo Town with their sandstorm problem, is one such temple. It has you using light and lightning to solve puzzles and pits you against some horrifying enemies. With the help provided below, however, you’re in safe hands.
June 11, 2025, by Sean Murray:The Lightning Temple can be one of Tears of the Kingdom’s most confusing temples yet, but that’s why this guide is here to help. We’ve also refreshed this guide’s formatting to make it a bit easier to follow and given it more links to other helpful Tears of the Kingdom topics.
Lightning Temple B1
When you enter the temple, the first thing you’ll notice is abuttonin front of you.Stand on itto reveal the way forward, which is a slope down to the basement. This is the beginning of the eight-floor dungeon before you.
Cross over the two bridges in front of you - the pits below contain someGibdos and items, but nothing that special. In the next room, move the conspicuous rocks blocking the gap to access a room with a Gibdo, a chest containing aTopaz, and a niceGerudo Greatswordhidden in a crypt.
Once you’ve dealt with that room, head back andtake the path forward.
Thecenter tile in the next room will fall when you stand on it, leading to a small room with an Electric Keese and aGerudo Scimitar. If you drop down, useAscendto get back up. Defeat the Gibdos in the next room, and thenrun past the jets of fireduring the short gaps of time they’re deactivated.
After passing the flames,step on the buttonin the next roomto deactivate them permanently,letting Riju join you.
The next hazard you’ll have to deal with is arolling ball of fire. While it’s intimidating, you can simply run past this in the corridor. You’ll take asmall amount of damage, somake sure you’re healed up. At the other end of the corridor,deactivate the trapby stepping on the button.
In the next room,drop down to the pitin the center andpick up the weapon from the crypt. This will activate theGibdo Hive, allowing you to fight it. You cannot hurt it beforehand.Destroy it with Riju’s lightningas you have all the others.
Climb theslope up to the next floor, and you’ll be in the Room of Hopeful Light. There’s aCaptain Constructhere - make sure youdefeat it before trying to solve the puzzlehere.
Once the threat is dealt with, find a way toblow away the sand from the small dune in the corner. You can use aFan, aKorok Frondattached to a weapon, orTulin’s Gustif you’ve completed the Wind Temple already.
Only destroy the dune in the corner, not the one next to it, as that one contains another Construct to deal with.
The dune will blow away to reveal aMirror. Use Ultrahand to lift this into the air and use it toreflect the beam of lightin the center of the room towards thepanel above the locked door. After a few seconds, the door will unlock.
Proceed through the doorto reach the first floor of the temple.
Lightning Temple 1F
When you reach the large room with theZonai Pedestalin the center,interact with it. This will activate the temple’s fast travel point and also reveal the temple’s main puzzle - topower the elevator using four batteries. So let’s get charging!
There is aBatteryon the first floor. Headbehind the Zonai Pedestalandactivate Ultrahand- you’re looking for a gap in the wall blocked with two large stones, like the ones from earlier.Remove the stones,and you’ll be confronted with your first battery. That was easy!
UseRiju’s lightning and shoot an arrow at the prong on top of it to charge the battery. Three left to go!
Return to the main roomand take thestairs up.
Lightning Temple 4F
Climb the stairs until you reachLightning Temple 3F, and then climb the wall in the corner. You should reach apassageway lit up by flames. If you can’t see it, get to the very top of the stairs and take a look around - it’ll be on the same level.
When you enter the passageway, be on the lookout for a Construct with a longFlame EmitterSpear. Destroy it, and then make your waythrough the tunnel of rotating wheelswith gaps in. On the other side,pull the blocks out of the backlit holein the wall. There will be a largebeam of lightshining at the wheels.
Here, useRecall on one of the rotating wheelsuntil the gaps match up. Release Recall, timing it so that the wheels are insync. This will let the beam of light hit a receptor on the other side, which will open a gate. When the gap comes around again, thelight will activate a second receptor, unlocking a passageway on the fourth floor.
Glide over to the new passageway and enter it- you may need to wait for the light to come around again.
To deal with thesmashing walls of spikes, grab one of thelarge blocksfrom the side andplace it between them. This will let you pass through unscathed.Press thebuttonon the other side to disable the trap.
Grab the blockfrom the first trap and attach it to another block,making ataller block. Use this one tostop the second smashing trapfrom hurting you, and destroy the Constructs at the other end of it.
Drop down to the room beneath this one through the gap in the floor, andblow away the pile of sandthere to reveal aMirror. Use this toactivate the receptorthat appears briefly through the rotating walls to allow the light into the room above.Ascendthrough the ceiling.
Blow away the other pile of sandhere to get anotherMirror. As before, use this toactivate the light receptor on the other side of the trap- this is why we needed the blocks to be taller. If the blocks you used are in the way, move them.
Behind the light receptor is thesecondbatteryto charge.
Lightning Temple 5F
Return to the central room anddrop all the way to the floor. In the corner of the room, you’ll see ablock with an updraftcoming from it.Remove the blockand the updraft will become far stronger - use this to rise up to the fifth floor.
Deal with the Construct here and thenclimb into the side passagewayon thesouthwestern wall- it’s located a little off the ground.
On the other side of the passageway, you’ll find apillar of light, a large rock, and some Mirrors.Attach a Mirror to the end of the rock, andarrange the Mirrorsinside the pillar of lightso thatthe beam is reflected into the main room.
The puzzle here is to arrange the statues with Mirrors on them so that thebeam of light is reflected toward a receptor. Bounce the light over to theright of the first statue, which has a Mirror that redirects the beam down to the ground.
Move this one all the way to the left, so that the beam hits a light receptor on the second floor. This will unlock the next room.
Lightning Temple 2F
Head down to the second floorand the light receptor that you just activated.Step on the newly revealed buttonto unblock the passage ahead.
The room at the end of the passageway haslots ofenemiesto deal with, including aGibdo Hive. Make liberal use of Riju’s lightning to make things easier on yourself.
The goal of this room is torefract the light from below to a receptor that’s located high up. To accomplish this, you can use the materials scattered around the room.
Attach aBalloonto a metal grate, and thenattach a Mirror to the Balloon, making sure it’s aimed in the direction of the receptor - it’s directly above the battery that you’re able to see through the wall.
Place this contraption within the beam of light, and then use a litTorchor any other method of producing hot air to make the Balloon fly.
After lighting up the receptor, you may gocharge the battery with Riju’s lightning.
Lightning Temple 6F
Return to the fifth floorwith the statues that reflect light around. Move the statue that you used to unlock the last room completely out of the way. This time, you’ll need touse the statue oppositeto reflect it. You’ll need toblow away some sandto be able to move this statue.
Make itpoint to the fourth statue, which you haven’t reflected light off yet, toward a receptor high up on the southeastern wall.
Lighting up this receptor will reveal a button underneath.Climb up to this button using the updraft, and then enter the next room.
You’ll be confronted with avertical tunnel filled with flames. Glide down slowly to avoid damage, and when you reach the bottom,stand on the buttonto let Riju join you. Defeat any interfering Constructs, and thenactivate the final battery.
With this done, you can return to the central room andactivate the Zonai Pedestal again. This will lead you to the boss of the temple, so be prepared!
