Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom: All Shrines RANKED!
With 152 shrines in the incredibly vast world of Tears of the Kingdom (120 on the surface and 32 in the sky), not all of them were destined for greatness. While some of the Shrines in this game are absolute bangers and stand up to the fun of traditional Zelda dungeons, some of them? Not so much. Of course, it is hard to make 152 perfect dungeons, and I applaud the developers for making this many distinct shrines in this game. To celebrate all the work put into these shrines, I just had to rank them in today's article... Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom: All Shrines RANKED!
152. Jochi-higa Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
This may just be my least favorite shrine in the entire Tears of the Kingdom. Not only is there yet another stupid green crystal (I loved them at first, but I've gotten bored after 27 of them or however many there are, I lost count), but you also have to pay rupees to get into this shrine. That just seems like poor game design, Nintendo. Sorry, but F Tier for this Shrine. There are just so many better shrines in this game :)
151. Zanmik Shrine - Scoop It Out
This shrine made me very, very annoyed. This shrine has the worst shrine "puzzle" in the game... the whole point was using Ultrahand and taking so many balls out of this stupid ball pit. This just took so long and it was absolutely not fun. Why this shrine was created is absolutely questionable, but hey, if you like misery, this is the shrine for you. F Tier.
150. Pupunke Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
This shrine isn't as bad as the stupid Rock for Sale quest, but it is close. I don't want to give away five gold apples, that's just dumb! Sure, it is fun to go collect them, but I don't give away things to greedy Koroks. Any shrine that makes me part with my vaulables goes in the F Tier. This shrine is cruel and unusal punishment, give me my stupid apples back you dumb Korok!
149. Mayahisik Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
This is a silly shrine. Right after you get the sensor at the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab it just points you right to this shrine. There is no interesting cave or dungeon or quest to get to this shrine. I mean, I like myself a free chest, but to be honest, I don't even feel like I deserved this chest because this shrine was just such a basic blessing shrine. F Tier.
148. Rakakudaj Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
The only thing worse than short and boring shrines are long and boring shrines. This has literally got to be the easiest crystal ever to achieve, at this point, it didn't even need to be a crystal quest. The crystal is literally just in a pile of rubble nearby with almost no obstacles in the way except a whole lot of walking. This shrine did not interest me whatsoever. F Tier.
147. Otutsum Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
This blessing shrine was literally just sitting out in the open air. There's very little I like less than in Tears of the Kingdom then absurdly easy blessing shrines. I want a puzzle or a battle so I can feel fulfilled, not feel like I'm just stealing crap from Rauru. Some people might like that they get such easy rewards, but I am not one of those people. F Tier.
146. Kahatanaum Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
This shrine is a blessing shrine. However, all you need to do to get to it is just do the quest for the Wind Temple. This is quite literally just used a checkpoint on the way up to the Wind Temple. That's great and all, but I would've loved to have some sort of wind-themed puzzle shrine instead of just a chest. This shrine could've been so much better... F Tier.
145. Eshos Shrine - Combat Training: Shields
Seriously. Not even new players need to learn how to use shields. The fact this exists is so laughable. At least it is short and boring and not long and boring like some of the previous shrines on this list. Yet another F Tier for this shrine.
144. Teniten Shrine - Combat Training: Throwing
If you played Breath of the Wild, this shrine just doesn't need to exist. And even if you haven't played it, this is intuitive enough to figure out. Honestly, this didn't really need to exist, but I'm not offended by it or anything. It just isn't great. D Tier for Combat Training: Throwing.
143. Makurkis Shrine - Combat Training: Archery
This literally just teaches you how to shoot a bow. Wow, it's so hard to do this, I'm dying trying to figure out the controls and how to aim and this shrine was totally necessary for my survival as a mortal meat blob! Said the freaking liar. This shrine is just the definition of unnecessary. At least it is more fun than throwing stuff. D Tier for Combat Training: Archery.
142. Taunhiy Shrine - Combat Training: Archery
This shrine isn't the worst. It teaches you how to do the "bullet time" strategy, which is fun, but most people who play Tears of the Kingdom already played Breath of the Wild and know how to do this... and it is something that should be discovered by the player if not. Sure, this shrine does its job, but I don't like its job. D Tier.
141. Sinatankia Shrine - Combat Training: Sneakstrike
Although this is my third favorite of these "combat training" shrines, it is still not a good shrine. These were things we discovered on our own in Breath of the Wild, and something that added to the openness and intrigue of Breath of the Wild. Tears of the Kingdom holds your hand a little bit too much with these combat training shrines, and while I appreciate them for younger players, discovering the sneakstrike on your own is just so much more fun. D Tier shrine for me.
140. Tenmaten Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
This is the definition of a completely uninteresting blessing shrine. I'm sorry, but falling down a well is not worthy of being rewarded. I don't deserve this chest and the Orb of Light for going down a well that I'm already getting ten rupees and a Bubblefrog and some enemy loot from. I'm sick and tired of some of these mediocre blessing shrines... D Tier. I swear, you'll see tons of positivity further down this list.
139. Bamitok Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
This shrine is literally so mid. There is no quest, there is no puzzles, yet somehow, it is a blessing shrine. Wow, how inventive. There's a kind of cool cave entrance, but otherwise, the only substance to finding this shrine is getting past a Horriblin, two Rock Likes, and two Shock Likes. Eh, this shrine is mid as all sin, even with a B Tier cave entrance. D Tier.
138. Rutafu-um Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
Wow. Another boring shrine found in another boring cave. The only reason this is not in F Tier is it allows for a quick fast travel to Selmie's Spot, which is already not that important of a location in the first place. I don't have anything else to say other than that I am kinda sick of blessing shrines that shouldn't be blessing shrines. D Tier.
137. Susub Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
All you have to do to get to this shrine is fall down a well. Wow, how inventive. I like when shrines are slightly hidden like this, but I don't deserve to be blessed for falling down a well, Rauru. There was no puzzle there! But I digress. There's a Stone Talus near this shrine, so at least that's fun. But otherwise, this shrine is 100% a D Tier.
136. Taki-ihaban Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
Hey, unlike the last shrine on this list, at least we get to fight some Gloom Hands before coming into this shrine. However, I mean, they are completely avoidable, so I mean... this isn't much better. D Tier for this. Finally, we can move on from these boring blessing shrines.
135. Natak Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
This is just about as basic as a Sky Crystal quest can get. I got sick of these after a while, and this unoriginal obtaining of the crystal was not very fun. However, I mean, Zonai Devices and stuff are always fun, even if repetitive, so this isn't like bottom of the barrel or anything. It is just averagely average, and for that, it deserves its spot in the C Tier.
134. Kamizun Shrine - Proving Grounds: Beginner
My only problem with this shrine is in the name... it is a shrine for beginners. Any person who played Breath of the Wild or has any semblance of combat experience can beat this shrine in about half a minute. This shrine is just so easy, and is definitely my least favorite of the proving grounds shrines present in Tears of the Kingdom. Overall, I don't have anything wrong with this shrine, it accomplishes its core idea, but it just isn't my favorite for how easy it is. C Tier.
133. Josiu Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
There is a fun little gyroscope puzzle thing here, and that is cool. But even though it looks cool, it is so incredibly basic to solve this puzzle it may as well not have existed and it would've been just as difficult. I liked it from a visual standpoint, but from a gameplay perspective, it is just average and easy. C Tier.
132. Jinodak Shrine - Rauru's Blesing
Yet another basic gyroscope puzzle thing, this one is a bit more difficult, but still, easy and not way too interesting. I enjoyed this a little more than the last one, but not enough more to get anything but another C Tier. It is good for what it is but nothing more.
131. Ishokin Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
It's almost like we found the Giant Horse already in Breath of the Wild. Wow, how original this is! Granted, finding the Giant Horse is fun anyway, but the fact this is basically a rehash of a previous game, as well as having one of those annoying green crystals for the twenty-seventh time in the game. With two of my biggest gripes with Tears of the Kingdom rearing their ugly head here, I don't like this shrine much. But since I like horses, this doesn't stink too badly. C Tier.
130. Susuyai Shrine - A Spinning Device
Like the last shrine, this accomplished exactly what it needed to—introducing the player to wheels. But also, just like the last one, this is really not hard. It is something I could've easily figured out without an introductory shrine. Also, wheels are inherently an uninteresting and quite unoriginal idea, so overall, this is a C Tier shrine.
129. Kamatukis Shrine - A Precise Strike
My biggest problem with the Kamatukis Shrine? It doesn't do anything original. The Long and Wide shrine and the A Fixed Device shrine are much better than this. In addition, there are shrines that do this idea better even in Breath of the Wild. Besides, hitting things dead on is not really that fun in any circumstance, even when it is done so much better than this. For me, the Kamatukis Shrine is a C Tier, and a low C Tier at that.
128. Maoikes Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
Unlike a lot of these hidden blessing shrines that are way too easy to find, this one is fun to find. It isn't so easy that it is actually stupid. I enjoyed finding this shrine, but it was still only a marginal joy to find this shrine. It just doesn't compare to other shrines on this list... C Tier.
127. Jogou Shrine - Rauru's Blesing
Just like the last shrine on this list, this is kind of fun to find, but it isn't anything too special. It is actually kinda cool to find, just like the last shrine. But I still am kind of bored of how many of these types of shrines there are in this game, so again, another C Tier.
126. Mayam Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
All you need to do to get this shrine is Ultrahand a Sky Crystal off of a Flux Construct and unlock the shrine. Or you can beat it, which is much more fun. Sure, I love fighting Flux Constructs, but too many shrines rely on using them or other bosses to unlock a shrine, and that just gets unoriginal really quickly. Yet another average C Tier shrine.
125. Usazum Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
Fight a weak Hinox. Get a Crystal. Get into this shrine. Grab the chest. Grab the Orb of Light. Boom, boom, boom, Holy Ghost. Boom, boom, boom, bad. Boom, boom, boom, C Tier.
124. Ganos Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
As I was just saying, too many "oh, fight this boss and that's it" to unlock this shrine. What happened to the interesting boss fight shrine quests in Breath of the Wild? The three brothers? The pitch-black Hinox fight? The Eventide Island fights? This is just not the most fun shrine ever. Sure, it is my favorite of the oh-so original "kill that boss!" shrines, but it still is an average and oversaturated shrine. C Tier.
123. Momosik Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
I got to kill an Igeno Talus for this shrine. I don't love Sky Crystal shrines, but you know what I do love? Tears of the Kingdom bosses. But, I mean, if this was a Gleeok I'd rate this a lot higher, but I mean, Igeno Taluses aren't really my favorite, and they are one of the most boring bosses in the game. I don't know, I love boss fights in this game, but I can only rate this as much as I like fighting the Igeno Talus. And fighting the Igeno Talus? A C Tier experience. Just like this shrine.
122. Sisuran Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
Similar to Igeno Taluses, Frost Taluses aren't all that interesting to kill. To get into this shrine? You guessed it. You have to kill a Frost Talus to get a Sky Crystal and open the shrine. I mean, this shrine could be worse, but it could also be so much better. C Tier. I've got nothing else.
121. Sakunbomar Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
After a fun little adventure through the Korok Forest, a Stone Talus lies in between you and getting into this shrine. Sure, it isn't so much better than the other boss-killing quests, but the little trek through the forest adds a bit of a nice touch. Overall, this isn't too good, but not too bad either. C Tier.
120. Joniu Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
Marginally better than the last few, this is more fun to get to because you get to raft your way down a river a bit. Sure, it isn't anything special, but it is pretty fun to get to. We love our Zonai Devices and our rafts and our Sky Crystals. Definitely S+ Tier for this shrine. Just kidding, this is definitely a C Tier.
119. Mayatat Shrine - A Sliding Device
This shrine is just a downgraded version of the Bridging the Sands shrine, and riding on a sled in the sand is really no different than riding on a sled in water. I guess the chest was hidden better than in a lot of shrines, but getting it was more of a chore than an excitement. Honestly, this shrine was so mediocre it almost makes me laugh. Hahaha, said Tidus. C Tier.
118. Rotsumamu Shrine - A Balanced Plan
I really loved the location of this shrine, it was quite aesthetic. But that means nothing, because this shrine was just a much worse version of the Balanced Approach shrine in Breath of the Wild. This shrine did almost nothing cool with the idea of balancing different objects, and it was one of the most cheesable shrines in Tears of the Kingdom. You can literally grab the box, lift it up, put it down, climb on it, Recall it, and boom. You've skipped the entire puzzle. I didn't like this shrine all that much, but it is still not that bad. C Tier.
117. Jojo-u-u Shrine - Building Bridges
With such an original (and stupid) name for this shrine, you'd think something more interesting than building bridges would be the point of this shrine. The first puzzle? Build a bridge. Wow, how insane. Second puzzle? Build a bridge, but use Recall. Not much better. Third? Use a metal block to anchor a bridge. And somehow, the treasure chest puzzle is literally just elevating a bridge. This shrine is just so unoriginal. C Tier.
116. Tsutsu-um Shrine - The Stakes Guide You
I'm not a big fan of stakes for some reason. I think they are cool but not utilized in very interesting ways. In terms of guiding the ball? It was fine, but not too unique. Made me miss some of the really unique Cryonis puzzles in Breath of the Wild, to be brutally honest. This just could not live up to some of those puzzles, and honestly, the shrine was just not all that good. C Tier.
115. Serutabomac Shrine - The Way Up
Any shrine focused on the Ascend ability is not for me. They are way too easy, way to derivative, and way too uninteresting. Just use the ability over and over and time it correctly and that's it. Sure, I like this better than some Ascend shrines because you get to use Ultrahand a bit to build your own little tower to get to the end of the shrine. This isn't bad, it just isn't great. C Tier.
114. Sonapan Shrine - Missing Pathways
Another mediocre Ascend shrine, but still better than the last one. Even with some cool ideas here, this just isn't a puzzle. Ascend is so much better used in the overworld, and is not very interesting in the majority of shrines unless it is used for a secret chest somewhere. Seriously, I just don't like how simple Ascend is in the majority of shrines. C Tier for this shrine.
113. Marakuguc Shrine - Wheeled Wonders
I don't know if I just didn't resonate with this shrine or something, but this shrine was so odd and annoying for me. I didn't like it very much at all. I can acknowledge it isn't like an F or D Tier shrine at all, I just don't like it. I like almost all (if not all) the other vehicle related shrines in the game better than this shrine. I just didn't like this one much, even though it did some interesting things. Maybe I solved the puzzles wrong or something and this is secretly a masterpiece, but for me, it was just incredibly mediocre. C Tier.
112. Irasak Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
There are two ways to get to this shrine: 1) actually do the quicksand puzzle or 2) just use a Zonai Device to easily get to it. I still am a sucker for more restrictive puzzles, and I don't know why, but just being able to skip the whole puzzle for this shrine just was a huge punch in the gut. I liked the puzzles, but I still don't like how easy you can cheese some things in this game. C Tier.
111. Jochi-iu Shrine - Courage to Pluck
This is literally Jenga in Tears of the Kingdom. I wish I liked this shrine better, judging that it was one of the most unique shrines in the game. However, I really just did not enjoy this shrine in the slightest. It felt too convoluted, and I am almost positive the way I solved this puzzle was not the way I was supposed to solve it. While I can acknowledge that this shrine is cool and that I understand why people like it, I'm just not a big fan. I mean, I'm just not a big Jenga fan in general, so overall, this is a C Tier shrine for me.
110. Yamiyo Shrine - Combat Training: Throwing
You probably are wondering why on earth this shrine is so high. Well, let me tell you... I had no idea you could throw items like this until this shrine came along! Being able to throw items instead of just dropping them is something that makes Tears of the Kingdom battles and exploration so much more fluid, and this shrine shows you how to utilize that in the world. Sure, I probably would've figured this out eventually, but I'm glad I figured it out so soon after I got to the surface. Overall, while this shrine isn't very good, I am biased because it introduced me to one of the best quality of life changes over Breath of the Wild. B Tier.
109. Kyononis Shrine - Combat Training
For people who haven't played Breath of the Wild since it first came out, a reminder of how to use all the complicated combat tricks is a welcome addition. While shooting a bow or throwing a weapon is just so intuitive, these things are definitely not. Although I beat Breath of the Wild for the second time not too long before Tears of the Kingdom so I didn't need this shrine, I will be the first one to stand up and say this shrine is good for what it is. Though a low B Tier shrine for me, this is still B Tier for me.
108. Kadaunar Shrine - Water Makes A Way
This shrine is pretty good since it introduces the player to the idea of hydrants and how they can be used to create bridges over lava. While I personally prefer the Against the Flow shrine, this one still does a good job of utilizing its main idea. However, I mean, its main idea doesn't speak to me that much... so I have to give this shrine a B Tier.
107. Igoshon Shrine - Orbs of Water
Honestly? I kind of hated these water orbs a little bit. The only reason I put this in the B Tier was because that last puzzle was quite fun. Going in that orb and shooting up at a 45 degree angle was kind of sick and cool to watch. However, the rest of this shrine was pretty average, and I'm not really loving these orbs too much. B Tier.
106. Sihajog Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
I really liked the diving course used to get into this shrine! However, the other two islands with diving courses still got puzzles... and this one got a blessing shrine. Unfortunately I just can't rank it that high because those shrines get a diving course and puzzles... B Tier for this shrine.
105. Kumamayan Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
This is another boss fighting crystal quest, but this time, there's this really cool spring contraction to shoot the crystal over to the island. Sure, I know it's weird to put this shrine in B Tier for one spring contraption, but you know what, I'm doing it anyway. B Tier.
104. Ukoojisi Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
This shrine is fun, as you have to carefully fly a Sky Crystal from one island to another using a Wing and Fan contraption, and this is a fun little test of how well you can fly. However, honestly, other shrines that are focused around using wings such as Wings on Wind, A Flying Device, and even Courage to Fall do more interesting things with these Zonai Devices, so I can't rank this shrine too high. B Tier.
103. Taninoud Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
This shrine is just a little better than the last one, because this time, we get to use these huge hover stone things to fly instead of the more basic wings! However, in practice, it functions very similar to the last shrine on this list, and because of that, it isn't that groundbreaking... B Tier.
102. Gikaku Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
This shrine is yet another Sky Crystal shrine, but this one is actually pretty awesome. The Sky Crystal is hidden amongst luminous stone, and you have to throw the crystal down to the original island and all that jazz. It still is just a B Tier shrine, but it is still quite fun and an above average Sky Crystal quest.
101. Igashuk Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
This is one of the three labyrinth shrines, and while I really liked getting up to the labyrinth and solving the surrounding puzzles, I just can't say they are all that unique since it is just the same puzzle three times. But I mean, while it isn't top tier, I still really enjoy these labyrinths, so I give this shrine a solid B Tier.
100. Mayaotaki Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
With two other labyrinth shrines, this just gets kind of old, even though I'd love this one a lot more in theory if it didn't repeat itself thrice. It is by no means bad, but it just is outclassed by many other shrines on this list... shrines that aren't copy pasted. B Tier for this one.
99. Motsusis Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
I love these labyrinths as much as the next person, but seriously, there's three of them. You can only love doing this once, in my opinion. I still really love these labyrinths, and would put them much higher if they weren't so repetitive. As much as I hate to say it, I have to give this a low B Tier.
98. Morok Shrine - A Bouncy Device
I am just going to straight up admit it... I don't love springs in this game. I always love rockets better. Even the A Launching Device shrine just takes this idea, but does it with rockets... something I like so much better. I don't hate this shrine, I just wanted to be using rockets the whole time. Sorry springs, my brother and my friends all love you, but I don't. I still like you though, springs, so don't be too offended. I give this shrine a B Tier.
97. Ishodag Shrine - A Windy Device
A Windy Device is a great introduction to the Fan, one of my favorite Zonai Devices in the game. While about as simple as it can get, I just freaking love fans so I am biased. While simple, this shrine really does use fans in a couple of different ways, something that Ascend or other one-note abilities can't quite do. While simple, this isn't boring or super average, so I give this shrine a B Tier.
96. Minetak Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
Usually I just totally dislike these Rauru's Blessings that are just hidden away in caves because they are super uninteresting, annoying to find, and with the entrances being misleading because of how lightroots work. However, in this case? I really just love the maze full of chests, Horriblins, and an interesting shrine location. Overall, I quite like this shrine, but it isn't phenomenal or anything. B Tier.
95. Gasas Shrine - Well-Timed Cuts
This shrine is all about Recall and cutting ropes. That's about it. It is fun and more unique than I expected it to be, and there's occasionally some challenge here, but this shrine really is still quite barebones. Especially compared to so many of the shrines on this list, this is just not significant in any way. B Tier.
94. Jiosin Shrine - Shape Rotation
This shrine is kind of annoying and lacks depth, however, I'm okay with that! This shrine is innovative and fun, and something I did not expect to see at all! It isn't my favorite shrine by any means, but it is still rather awesome, and there is no denying that. Each different shape is fun to make, and while it took a while, this shrine had good pay-off. I just wish this was a bit longer and we could build some much more insane shapes. Overall, good, but could be better. B Tier.
93. Musanokir Shrine - Swing to Hit
While not special, the physics engine is used very well here. Like every other shrine where you have to hit a target, this one requires hitting a ball with some force behind it. While this is super easy, I got a kick out of the physics of the second puzzle, and getting the chest was easy, yet fun. Nothing too special here, but hey, I remembered this shrine, so I'll give it where credit is due. B Tier.
92. Mayanas Shrine - The Ice Guides You
This shrine relied on creating ice and using them to hit targets by sliding them down spikes. It was pretty fun! But it was really easy and could be cheesed. Also, the Fire and Ice shrine utilizes spikes and ice better than this shrine does and in a much more interesting and innovative way. Overall, this shrine was fun and had a good idea, but like again, another cool shrine executed weaker than it could've been.
91. O-ogim Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
Okay, if the waterfall wasn't there? This shrine would probably maybe even be a D Tier. But flying through a waterfall was just so cool and aesthetic, and I really thought it was going to knock me off my wings. But it didn't. And I loved that. I really liked this shrine, if only for how cool flying through a waterfall is. I even went back and flew through the waterfall for fun a couple times, it was just that cool for me. Sure, call me dumb, but I think shrine is a solid B Tier shrine.
90. Kitawak Shrine - Upward and Forward
This shrine was very solid, but not that interesting. It involved some fun Ultrahand puzzles, but nothing groundbreaking. This is a shrine I'd consider worth replaying and I liked it, but it just does not compare to so many of the more unique shrines in the game. This is a good shrine, but not a great one. B Tier.
89. Isisim Shrine - Proving Grounds: In Reverse
Typically, the Proving Grounds shrines are S or S+ for me. However, the two of them in Eldin are both equally mediocre for me. The problem with these two shrines for me is that they don't live up to their titles. Proving Grounds: In Reverse has a single gear that can be Recalled to use to get to the higher level. That's it. Sure, I still like this shrine since I like all of the proving grounds shrines, but there could've been a lot more going for this shrine. Maybe one or two of the Constructs would throw rocks from an unreachable vantage point and you had to recall them to damage them. Maybe one of the Constructs activates a Zonai Device as soon as you enter the shrine and you have to Recall it and get onto it to kill it. Maybe one of the Constructs is standing on a gear near a pit in the distance and you need to Recall the gear to kill it. There was just so many amazing ideas that could've applied to this shrine, and as a whole, I found it quite underwhelming. B Tier.
88. Kimayat Shrine - Proving Grounds: Smash
Only slightly better than Proving Grounds: In Reverse for me, Proving Grounds: Smash doesn't really live up to its name either. The Shrine would more aptly be named "Proving Grounds: Ascend" because that is more of what this shrine plays at. While I don't find this as offensive as Proving Grounds: In Reverse for its lack of living up to its title, actually smashing these pillars isn't really necessary. It'd be more fun and interesting if there were a ton of different platforms that were too high to be ascended into, and each of these Constructs was firing arrows down upon you or throwing explosives that you had to Recall. And behind all these Constructs would be a Rock Hammer or some Bomb Flowers or some Time Bombs, and you had to make a mad dash to them before the Constructs killed you. I don't know, these ideas weren't as great as my ideas for the Proving Grounds: In Reverse shrine, but I am sure you get the idea. I just felt the whole premise of the shrine was undercooked here, and while I still enjoyed this shrine, I could've enjoyed it so much more. B Tier. At least this shrine wasn't about the Constructs smashing Link, as much as he is quite hot.
87. Simosiwak Shrine - Proving Grounds: Light Out
I love the Lights Out vibe but it is just way too easy. And like the last two shrines, I wish this was better. I wish we got a more horror-like, difficult proving grounds shrine from this one. Again, another shrine with fun ideas but could've been more interesting. Having constructs ready to snipe you and a maze like dungeon could've made this atmospheric shrine a lot more unique and horror-like, something that would've been a simple idea done so well, but this is just a simple idea done simply. B Tier for this shrine.
86. Joku-usin Shrine - Proving Grounds: Short Circuit
Like the last three, the elements of this proving grounds shrine could have been a lot better. Maybe there is a metal platform in the sky and the only way to hurt the constructs is to electrify a circuit to knock them out. Maybe there is a huge pool of water somewhere in the shine, and you have to electrocute it using a hidden thunder weapon to kill the enemies from afar. Yet again, so much more could have been present here, and making some of these proving grounds shrines more like puzzle combat akin to previous Zelda titles instead of backflipping shenanigans could've been a breath of fresh air for the incredibly fun yet repetitive combat systme in Tears of the Kingdom. Overall, it is fun, but could be so much better. B Tier.
85. Jirutagomac Shrine - A Flying Device
As a shrine focused around the wings, this shrine is a fun, flying adventure. With plenty of flying across different gaps, this shrine is honestly quite fun. It isn't anything too special, but I never get tired of the wings, they are just super fun. This shrine is the epitome of a solid B Tier shrine.
84. Sikukuu Shrine - Spinning Gears
This shrine is so easy it's funny. Recall a gear, Ultrahand a device and get on the gear, and then Recall that gear. Boom, the shrine is over. Super simple. That's not why this shrine made it up to B Tier. This made it up to B Tier because it has my second favorite hidden chest in the entire game. I realized I hadn't found the chest upon beating the shrine, and once I found the chest under the gear, I just had a huge grin on my face. This is the type of chest I want to open, not one that I just need to Ultrahand off of a pedestal. Overall, while not the greatest shrine, I really got a kick out of it. B Tier.
83. Sitsum Shrine - A Controlling Device
I feel like the Steering Stick did not need a dedicated shrine, to be honest. But what we got was quite good! It was cool, but I don't think it was anything special, or anything better than any of the other shrines in this game that utilize vehicles. I'd take Bridging The Sands, Forward Force, or Proving Grounds: Vehicles over this shrine anyday. It is still a solid shrine though, just not great. B Tier.
82. Oshozan-u Shrine - Mallet Smash
Yes! A new spin on the golf-like shrines! This one is so much better than some of those more basic ones! However, you can't get that complicated or unique or interesting with a premise like this. I really do enjoy this shrine, but it doesn't do anything distinct or unique enough to rank any higher on this list. B Tier.
81. Suariwak Shrine - Rauru's Shrine
Okay, I loved the whole Yiga Clan quest line in this game. One of my favorite parts of the entire game! But for how hidden this shrine is, and that there are so many perquisites for it, I just wished I got something so much cooler than a shrine. Especially something cooler than a blessing shrine. This had possibly the longest shrine quest in the game, and while it was fun, a shrine was an underwhelming reward for all of it. B Tier.
80. Turakawak Shrine - Stacking A Path
This shrine has one of my favorite hidden chests in the game, and is much better than, say, Metal Connections from Breath of the Wild. However, it is still just stacking boxes. While I really liked the hidden shrine and how they innovated on box stacking, even the coolest of box stacking doesn't deserve anything higher than B Tier for me.
79. Ren-iz Shrine - Jump the Gaps
Rails? Spheres? Ramps? This is awesome. While not as cool as the ramp puzzle in the Fire Temple or in Orbs of Water, this shrine does a good job of making it fun to utilize these spheres and launch them across these gaps. While this is yet another too easy and not too eventful shrine, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. B Tier for this one.
78. Mayausiy Shrine - Building Blocks
I actually love the premise of this shrine. However, my problem? This shrine is too easy. Nothing about this shrine is super unique, and since the puzzles are so easy to solve, there is just barely any substance to this. In a perfect world, we could've built some insane sculptures in this shrine and could have had some awesome puzzles, but I guess it is what it is... B Tier.
77. Ikatak Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
I love rockets in this game so the idea of building a contraption to get a Sky Crystal out of a pit with Rockets? I love it. Sure, it was too easy, but the foundation for a great idea was here. I wish it would've been a little bit trickier or interesting to get the crystal out, but you know, it is what it is. Still liked this shrine, I'm going to give it an B Tier.
76. Kisisona Shrine - Wind Power
Yet another Tears of the Kingdom shrine that delivers a great premise but almost no substance. One slightly difficult puzzle and that's it. That's the whole shrine. The most sad part is I loved this puzzle! I just wish this shrine did so, so much more. Especially with a name called "Wind Power," which could literally do anything related to fans. This shrine could've had fifteen puzzles if it wanted to with how vague it's name was. Sure, I really like the shrine as it is, but one of the more disappointing shrines in the game for me. B Tier.
75. Rasiwak Shrine - Flotational Brilliance
This shrine is super basic, but I still really like what this shrine is going for. It has a lot more substance than a lot of shrines on this list, and the yellow flotational devices are a fun touch not seen anywhere else in the game. In fact, I wish more shrines used these objects to expand upon puzzle solving capabilities, but alas, that is not the case. While this didn't do anything groundbreaking, it did something fun and pretty unique, so for me it is a solid B Tier.
74. Utsushok Shrine - Long or Wide
This has a very interesting final puzzle involving paddles and minecarts. However, the introductory puzzles and the treasure chest puzzle are incredibly barebones, and do not hold up to many other shrines in Tears of the Kingdom or its predecessor. It is a fun shrine, but not a stand-out shrine. I don't have many problems with it, I just feel like it could have built on its interesting ideas much more than it did in the end. A B Tier for this shrine.
73. Domizuin Shrine - A Prone Pathway
This dungeon has a rotational system akin to Breath of the Wild's Divine Beasts, yet much simpler and quicker in design. While some may find this simpler design a good thing, it honestly just made me miss the Divine Beasts a little bit. Not a lot, but a little bit. I really like what this shrine was going for, but it is a bit too short, confusing, and pales in comparison to the Divine Beasts. Still very solid though. B tier.
72. Ijo-o Shrine - More Than Defense
While discovering what you can fuse with your shield is an awesome and integral part to using the Fuse ability effectively. However, fusing objects to weapons is definitely at the forefront of people's minds, not fusing objects to shields. However, for those who hadn't figured out about awesome things like the Rocket Shield yet, this shrine is an eye-opener for an awesome Tears of the Kingdom mechanic. While shield fusing can be utilized to much greater effect in the overworld and this shrine is very basic if you have already discovered the implications of shield fusing, for those who may be younger and didn't think about shield fusing all that much, this shrine is incredibly innovative and unique. I think this shrine executed what it was going for perfectly, even if it wasn't very challenging or thought-provoking. This shrine lands itself at the bottom of A Tier for me.
71. Anedamimik Shrine - A Retraced Path
I really like this shrine, but I can't say it is a top tier shrine. I love it's core idea, but the biggest problem is that there is only one puzzle, and the chest is incredibly easy to obtain. This dungeon doesn't require you think all that much, but even with its flaws, I think this is quite a solid shrine. A Tier.
70. Tajikats Shrine - Building with Logs
There is almost nothing as simple as a shrine about attaching logs together in this game. This is literally something introduced before the second shrine in the game! However, this took such a simple concept and wrapped it up in a nice bow, making a shrine that was such a blast. This shrine didn't deserve the right to be as good as it was, but it was pretty dang solid for how basic it was. While low on the A Tier, this is definitely in the A Tier for me.
69. Gutanbac Shrine - The Ability to Rise
Okay, if this was not the first time you could use Ascend, this would be so much lower, but this magnificently introduces the Ascend ability, and there's nothing quite like using Ascend for the first time. The animation is so cool, and you immediately start to think "how will this change up the core gameplay over what we saw in Breath of the Wild?" Sure, this is so basic, but as one of the first shrines in the game, it does its job very, very well. A Tier for the Gutanbac shrine.
68. Utajis Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
Unlike Breath of the Wild, this game is lacking in the original Shrine Quests department. The majority of Shrine Quests in this game are those annoying green crystals over and over and over again! But this shrine? This is a callback to the incredibly interesting Breath of the Wild Shrine Quests. Throwing a spear with a wing attached and throwing it through a wing? I don't know why this was so cool, but it was. Overall, the Faron region is kind of lacking, but this feels like a shrine from a much grander region in my eyes. A Tier.
67. Siwakama Shrine - Moving the Spheres
This shrine wasn't all that special, it's just another shrine involving Recalling objects. However, this was just a very good spin on that idea, and with three little puzzles, it is quite fun! I had a good time with this shrine, even if I wished it was a bit harder. A low A Tier for this shrine.
66. Nouda Shrine - Proving Grounds: Intermediate
This takes me back to Trial of the Sword from Breath of the Wild. While this wasn't as interesting as some of the other proving grounds shrines, I'm a sucker for these shrines, so I still love it. I love the multi-leveled forts, and it's fun to fight a Construct version instead of a Boko version. I don't know, I love the combat so much in this game that I'll take what I get it, and for me? This is an A Tier shrine.
65. Marari-in Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
I love the area surrounding this shrine. This is hidden inside Eventide Island and is guarded by Bokoblin pirates. I absolutely love the whole vibe of this shrine, and while I generally don't like these blessing shrines without actual quests, this time it made sense, as it was guarded by pirates and very well hidden. Overall, I definitely think this shrine deserves an A Tier.
64. Jojon Shrine - Proving Grounds: Rotation
This is like the Proving Grounds: In Reverse shrine but done so much better. I really do love this shrine, and while it isn't one of the best proving grounds shrines, it is still a very good one. It is very tight and quite claustrophobic, which means that it is quite chaotic and interesting even outside of its original premise. While most proving grounds shrines are vast, this one requires more thinking to avoid getting hit. While this shrine is awesome, there are just more interesting shrines... especially more interesting proving grounds shrines. Overall, this is a solid A Tier shrine, but nothing too much more.
63. Apogek Shrine - Wings on the Wind
This shrine has some very interesting ideas for how to use wings, flying from platform to platform to get an accurate angle to fly to the end of the shrine. Unlike a lot of shrines in this game, it actually took me a second to try to find the answer to this shrine! That is a good thing, at least in my book. Not complaining about that. I really enjoy using Wings, and because of that, this shrine was just great in my opinion. Easy A Tier for this shrine.
62. Siyamotsus Shrine - Unlit Blessing
Okay, this can potentially be the shortest shrine in the entire Tears of the Kingdom, but the idea of having a puzzle shrine originally formatted as a Rauru's Blessing shrine is just so cool. Sure, all you have to do is shoot some arrows but like, I don't give a crap because I got to see a blessing shrine metamorphosize into something so much cooler. Overall, while this shrine is easy, it was entirely new and different from other blessing shrines in the game. A Tier.
61. Tadarok Shrine - Fire and Water
I liked what we got here with the fire and water puzzles meshing to make a fun shrine. However, when I directly compare this one to Fire and Ice, this one just doesn't hold up all that well. On its own, this might be a low A Tier, but when there is another shrine that is just so comparable, this one is not quite as good. However, the Ascend puzzle at the shrine is actually quite unique, and I liked that a lot. If we got a more in-depth shrine that was maybe two rooms bigger? This could've been an S Tier. But like too many shrines in Tears of the Kingdom, this one ended before it could truly become great. Low A Tier for this shrine.
60. Moshapin Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
This is genuinely one of the only Sky Crystal quests in the game that I actually had a really fun time with! It felt so much more inventive than others. Having to bomb different walls, traverse over lava in a minecart, and build some sort of Zonai Device to get the Sky Crystal to the shrine? It was actually a fun and interesting time that was not held back by mediocrity! I mean, I still wasn't obsessed with this shrine was I was getting tired of Sky Crystals at this point, but I still had a lot of fun getting to these shrine! I'm going to have to say this shrine deserves an A Tier for me!
59. Timawak Shrine - Against the Flow
This truly feels like a fully-realized shrine, something that most shrines in Tears of the Kingdom don't feel like to me. Personally, I find that Breath of the Wild capitalized on the ideas of shrines better than Tears of the Kingdom, but this shrine proves not every shrine is like that. This dungeon shows multiple ways that Link goes "against the flow" and it is really cool. First, you are introduced to building bridges through water, which isn't really a puzzle, but it is a good introduction to the dungeon. Next, you Recall floating platforms to reach a ball, and then you get to build a boat out of hardened lava and sail across a sea of lava to the end. However, while I like this shrine a lot, and it lives up to its premise, it is just a little too easy for me... so A Tier for this shrine.
58. Ninjis Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
Diving from the sky into the Korok Forest was a great way of utilizing the main mechanic of the Korok Forest—the Lost Woods mechanic of it. The idea that diving quickly and directly into the forest from the sky just really utilizes the rules of the forest well and it made me admire the developers a bit more just for how well they know the world of Hyrule they created. While this shrine shouldn't be special to me, it is. A Tier for this shrine.
57. En-oma Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
Without any puzzles, this shrine is similar to the last one. What is the only thing cooler than realizing you can dive into the Korok Forest from the sky without getting lost in the woods? Throwing a crystal into a hole in an island and then diving after it all the way to the surface right into a whirlpool? This was bat-crap crazy and I was here for it. Sure, it was about ten seconds of pure epicness, but that isn't enough to put it in front of the rest of the shrines on this list, all of which have more epic moments, well-designed puzzles, or fun combat challenges. A Tier for this shrine.
56. Tauyosipun Shrine - Forward or Backward?
Yet another shrine that is too easy to love, this shrine has some nice Recall puzzles but they are all so incredibly obvious to solve. It's almost funny how quick it took me to beat this shrine. I can forgive combat-based or exploration-based shrines for being easy, but puzzles really shouldn't be this easy. However, this shrine utilizes Recall so well that even its easiness doesn't get in the way of ranking this shrine in the A Tier.
55. Mayasiar Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
Starview Island is one of my favorite sky islands... it just look so cool! Manipulating the light on this island comes together to create a very quick yet intelligent puzzle about light reflection. I really enjoyed this shrine, and solving this was incredibly satisfying. This shrine is definitely deserving of A Tier.
54. Yansamin Shrine - Proving Grounds: Low Gravity
Yet another of my favorite islands in the sky, this forge island is super cool, and diving into the island to get this unique proving grounds shrine is very fun. Fighting in low gravity is just very fun and satisfying, even if it isn't exactly the first time this has been done in a video game. While I would've loved to see a proving grounds shrine where it would switch between low gravity and normal gravity on a whim, this shrine still did its theme justice. While I would've loved to see a gravity switching proving grounds shrine, I wouldn't want that to replace this shrine, but instead one of the boring blessing shrines. Overall, this shrine was a fun experience. A Tier.
53. Ekochiu Shrine - Rise and Fall
This shrine is a very strong shrine, though yet again suffers from being a bit too easy. However, with three distinct Recall puzzles that all bring different things to to the table, this shrine is pretty awesome. The first two puzzles are so intuitive it is almost laughable, but the third puzzle is one of my favorite Recall puzzles in the game, utilizing a weight switch that you need to to manipulate to make good use of. Overall, though the first two puzzles are basic, they don't hinder the fantastic third puzzle and basic doesn't necessarily mean bad. A Tier for Rise and Fall.
52. Sepapa Shrine - Backtrack
This shrine is only a smidge better than Rise and Fall for me. This shrine comes up with two unique puzzles that encourage using Recall to 1) light a torch and 2) open up the way to the end of the shrine. While the first puzzle can be cheesed a little to easily, if you do it right, it is rather cool and the candles in the water is a more aesthetically pleasing than it should be. The second puzzle is one of my favorite puzzles in the whole game, I don't know why it is so cool to Recall something and unlock two different doors at different times, it just was and I will say that until I am taken to my grave. Overall, this is a great shrine, but could have a bit more substance to it. A Tier.
51. Gatanisis Shrine - A Well-Timed Bounce
This shrine utilized the Recall ability to great effect, and it was quite fun to experiment until I timed the bounce correctly. For some reason, I found fun with this shrine even though I am not a big fan of most of the precision shrines in Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom. While this shrine is very cool, it just is too short, and a puzzle or two more would've cemented this shrine near the top of this list... but alas, I find it to be an A Tier shrine as-is.
50. Runakit Shrine - Built to Carry
I freaking love shrines that incorporate rails and a I freaking love shrines that start and end in the same place. This shrine is just so well designed, and it utilizes a multitude of ways to manipulate rails for transportation. Yet again, a bit too easy, but yet again, still fantastic and isn't too hindered by its difficulty. A Tier.
49. Turakamik Shrine - Hidden Metal
The biggest problem I have with this shrine? The entire premise is spoiled by the name. This would've been one of my favorite shrines in the game if this game just wouldn't be so hand-holdy sometimes. Also, I wish there could have been more hidden metal objects throughout the shrine. This could've been so inventive and one of my favorite shrines in the whole game, but with it being spoiled and being too short, it can't go any higher than A Tier for me.
48. Karahatag Shrine - Drifting Flame
Like so many shrines in this game, I just wish more was done with this concept. The idea of having to Recall the candle to activate all the torches while standing on the switch? This was so awesome and so ingenius. Like a couple of other shrines though, it is too short and a little too cheesable for me, as setting a couple greatswords down can make this shrine so incredibly easy. Love this shrine, but just wish it had more substance. A Tier.
47. Gemimik Shrine - Turbine Power
This shrine is too short, but it is absolutely awesome. I just wish we got more of this. The objective is to attach fire to a turbine and make it spin to light these torches. It was so basic yet so incredibly satisfying to see. Although I wish we could've got more puzzles involving both wind and fire (maybe wind making the fire bigger, like how it would in real life), I was content with this awesome shrine. An A Tier shrine for sure.
46. Riogak Shrine - Force Transfer
In an alternate universe, this could have been a top 3 shrine for me. The idea of transferring the force from one contraption to another is just awesome in my eyes. If we could have a bit more of a complicated Rube-Golberg machine added to the end of this shrine? I would've adored this shrine. While this shrine still utilizes the idea of transferring force well, it doesn't fully utilize its base premise. I would've loved to see an enormous final room full of different contraptions scattered about locked behind hidden Small Keys, and after unlocking each of these contraptions, there would be a large centerpiece in the middle of the shrine in which you would have to build a contraption that transfers the force from a spinning gear on the floor all the way to a spinning gear on the roof that would open the door to the end of the shrine. I don't know if you guys liked that idea, but personally, I'm pretty proud of it, so at least give me a courtesy round of applause. I seriously want to see this idea in some sort of Zelda dungeon down the road, but I digress. Even outside of that idea, I can think of like six more ideas for awesome rooms related to transferring force from one object to another, but apparently the developers could not think of these ideas. Okay, now I am just sounding rude and all that, but I mean, this is still a shrine I love. I just could've loved it so much more. Still an A Tier for me, though.
45. Mayak Shrine - Timely Catches
This shrine's second puzzle may just be the most intense puzzle in the entirity of Tears of the Kingdom. The intesity of falling from the sky onto a switch before the ball gets there is just something that 1) is so cool and 2) absolutely defies any semblance of a law of gravity. Also, the first puzzle is nothing to scoff at either! Sure, they aren't hard or actually really puzzles, but they are insanely epic to pull of for some reason I can't explain. This shrine really just did it for me. However, its premise isn't all that groundbreaking and yet again, I could've used a third puzzle in this shrine. While I really enjoyed this, I still can't say it's quite top tier. Still a high A for me, though.
44. Yomizuk Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
I'm going to have to admit, I think Lanayru might be my favorite regions in terms of shrines... as eight of 15 shrines are in S or S+ Tier for me! And while this is the lowest-ranked S Tier shrine in this game for me, that is by no means an insult towards this incredible shrine. I adore this blessing shrine because the puzzle is actually interesting. This is the only place in the game that I can remember utilizing the lowering and rising of tides, and it uses it to great effect, as navigating to this shrine feels like something straight out of Wind Waker or Phantom Hourglass. I just loved getting to this shrine, and the utilization of the tides was a nice bonus. An overall great shrine for sure.
43. Ukouh Shrine - The Ability to Create
I loved that this first shrine introduced Ultrahand in an effective, yet not too difficult way to start off. Still, as much as I think this is a near perfect introduction to an amazing ability, there are two nitpicks I have with this shrine that hold it back from greatness. First of all, it is just quite frustrating since the Ultrahand controls are hard to get a grip on (no pun intended), and as the first shrine with Ultrahand, this becomes quite annoying. Second of all, I spent an hour trying to reach the top platforms, thinking there would've been an awesome hidden chest up there. It is literally possible to get up there, but it has no reward. If there would've been a hidden chest behind one of those pillars, I would've adored this shrine for doing something innovative... but yeah, with these two small problems I have in this shrine, I couldn't quite put it in S Tier.
42. Wao-os Shrine - Lever Power
I'll be one of the first to admit that this shrine was annoying. However, I'll also be one of the first to admit that I love this shrine for its expert use of physics. I have a love-hate relationship with this shrine, I guess. While I like what it is going for a lot, I didn't love the shrine too much. However, I still like it enough to consider it as an A Tier shrine. However, I think this shrine is more than an A Tier. You may be asking, Brighton, you just said it was annoying, why do you think it was cool? The answer? The Shrine Quest. Finding that white bird is super cool and the fact it isn't just another boring blessing shrine? I really loved some of the things this shrine did. If it wasn't annoying at all, I'd rank it higher, but it took a little bit too long for me to hit those stupid targets. S Tier.
41. Iun-orok Shrine - The Right Roll
This shrine is even more annoying yet even more creative then the Wao-os Shrine. This took a ton of tries but was extremely creative in the way the balls rolled to reach the checkpoints. While it took me a while, I found a lot of satisfaction in correctly solving these puzzles. Overall, while this shrine was annoying, I was able to see past the annoyances because of the strengths I see in this shrine. S Tier.
40. Tokiy Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
Okay, I don't generally love these green crystal shrine quests. However, I thought this one was fantastic. The Rock Likes trapping Link into small corridors really set an Indiana Jones like atmosphere for me, and I felt like I actually needed to take out the enemies and focus on protecting the crystal—something most of these quests didn't make me feel. This is one of my favorite of these green crystal quests in the game, and while the trek to the shrine is simple, I found it very fun and effective. S Tier.
39. Joku-u Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
This shrine can be awesome in two different ways: 1) as a reward for the extensive Fifth Sage quest and as checkpoint just in case you lose Mineru's head or 2) what it was for me—one of the best moments in the game. I just flew to the Thunderhead Isles because they piqued my curiosity, and I just happened to land right on this shrine. And then, all the sudden, I see this huge door... and it was like the Temple of Time. I freaked out. I had no idea what it was, and when I opened it, I got an amazing result: Mineru's head. This was one of the coolest moments in the game, just right next to this checkpoint of a shrine. Sure, this shrine isn't the reason this part is so cool, so it might be stupid to put it this high, but since it is so close to one of my favorite moments in the game, I'm going to be incredibly biased and rank this in the S Tier.
38. Jiotak Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
This is one of my favorite blessing shrines in the game. I love the fun little minecart room that precedes this shrine, and it isn't that cheesable unless you waste tons of Ice Fruit or use some weird Zonai Device. Using the minecarts and Yunobo is super fun, and the different routes before reaching this dungeon is great. This feels like a very small room that takes inspiration from the Fire Temple in this game, so overall, I think this shrine definitely deserves an S Tier rating.
37. Mayaumekis Shrine - Downward Force
My favorite temple in the game was hands down the Wind Temple, and a huge part of that was the fun trek up to it. The bouncy pirate ships were one of my guilty pleasures in this game, and an addition I adored. This shrine just was totally made for someone like me, with both bouncy pirate ships and "bullet time" merging together to capitalize on two ideas I love. Sure it was basic, and it wasn't even that good, but this is like the Taco Bell or McDonald's of shrines for me. It's bad, but it is just too good! Okay, I'm going to stop the cringe, S Tier for this shrine.
36. Makasura Shrine - An Upright Device
I was very shocked by the Stabilizer Zonai Device. I didn't expect this to be a device in the game, nor did I expect to have so much fun with a shrine focused around devices that straighten things. There were some very unique ways of using Ascend in this shrine, and I felt like I actually had to use my brain here! Absolutely loved it. While it isn't the cream of the crop for Tears of the Kingdom shrines, I feel like it is dang near close. S Tier for this shrine.
35. Gatakis Shrine - Ride The Winds
This is one of the shortest shrines in the game, coming in at about half a minute. So why do I love it? Because I love the idea of flying through an obstacle course, it is just so great! Also, I played this shrine with my girlfriend, which made it much more special for me... I swear, I'm not biased. I digress. If it was about five times longer, it'd easily be a top tier shrine for me. I wish I could put this higher, but unfortunately, I just can't justify placing this shrine any higher than S Tier. That's still a really good score though!
34. Sahirow Shrine - Aid From Above
Instead of a paraglider obstacle course, this shrine gives you a laser obstacle course, with a twist ending revealing Ascend to work on the last puzzle. This shrine is very fun, and is a bit lengthier and full of content than the Ride the Winds shrine. However, as usual, more could be done with this premise.
33. Sibajitak Shrine - Alignment
I usually criticize shrines for consisting of a single puzzle, but this towering apparatus is more than a single puzzle. It is an awesome single puzzle with multiple phases, and I feel like one reason I loved it so much is because this shrine utilizes the Ascend ability better than any other shrine in the game. Because of this, I really enjoyed this shrine, because it made Ascend less like an amazing dev tool or GameShark ability and more like a key part of Link's move set. Loved this shrine, and while it still isn't the most innovative shrine in Tears of the Kingdom, it is one that I love. S Tier.
32. Ga-ahisas Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
I love this stupid island. Activating the island, blowing up the rubble, and going inside the island to solve some awesome mirror puzzles? This was just so cool. While the light puzzles were more basic then most of the other light shrines or the Lightning Temple, the simplicity worked for me because the aesthetic was so good. Being inside the island was just awesome, and while I wish I could say this was the best light shrine in the game, the mirror puzzle just doesn't do it for me as much as I wish it did. Still loved this though, so for me, it is an S Tier shrine.
31. Rasitakiwak Shrine - Proving Grounds: Vehicles
As always, I love the Proving Grounds shrines. Each of them has a new and innovative spin on combat, and while vehicles aren't anything groundbreaking since they are a big part of the game, the dungeon gives a good spin on the vehicles. With only the weakest of weapons, utilizing the vehicles is very important or else you will likely have a much harder (and less fun) time with this shrine. Overall, I love this shrine and its fun chaos, but it isn't innovative enough to get an S+. I give this shrine an S.
30. Nachoyah Shrine - Ability to Rewind
The moment where I realized I could recall things falling off waterfalls and that it would still do the splash was one of the greatest moments in gaming for me. That sounds stupid, but this ability is just so aesthetic. This ability is just so well done, and this introductory shrine was perfect. I couldn't have asked for more from this shrine, and the clock puzzle at the end is to this day my favorite use of Recall in a shrine. I feel so weird putting the fourth shrine in the game so high on this list, but I think it definitely deserves it. S Tier.
29. Mayachin Shrine - A Fixed Device
This shrine pissed me off when I first played it. But the more I've thought about it and let it simmer in the back of my mind, this is always a shrine when I bring up shrines in conversation with my friends and family. This shrine always comes to mind as a very memorable shrine. I love how this shrine trusts in your logic to build a contraption that works to solve this puzzle and does not hold your hand, something that I miss about older Zelda titles. This took longer than any other shrine in the game for me, and building this contraption was infinitely more interesting than a shrine like A Precise Strike or Swing to Hit. Overall, while it isn't too interesting on paper, being able to build your own device without any hand-holding just makes this shrine fantastic. S Tier.
28. Mogawak Shrine - The Power of Water
My only complaint about this shrine is I wish there was more. The whole idea of this shrine is creating a turbine to create electricity and power an elevator to complete the shrine. There are two puzzles to do this, one creating the turbine and the other filling a cell with electricity. This idea was so awesome, but unfortunately, that's about all the substance we get in this shrine. I wish some of these ideas were utilized to great effect in the subpar Water Temple, but I digress. I loved this shrine, but since it is too short, I can't give it an S+ Tier.
27. Sinakawak Shrine - An Uplifting Device
I hate the stupid hot air balloons. Everything about them. Why on the planet would I use hot air balloons when I could use hover stones and rockets? Why would I use them over hoverbikes? Why would I use them over a campfire with pinecones? Well, I can tell you why! Because this shrine purposefully restricts you to have to use these contraptions, it is able to build a restrictive yet very open shrine that utilizes these contraptions to their best potential. This shrine is just one huge room, and I love it. No shrine introduces a Zonai Device better than this one, and unfortunately, the hot air balloon is the only Zonai Device that doesn't really have any other time in the spotlight. However, who needs another shrine about hot air balloons when this one just perfected the formula the first time around? Overall, I love this shrine, but I mean, it still isn't quite as innovative as other shrines on this list. S Tier.
26. Jochisiu Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
I will admit, this shrine took me a hot second. But I felt so cool after figuring this one out, even though it was so simple. At first, I checked out the body of water, using Ultrahand to try to find some square keys. Next, I killed some enemies to see if they were guarding them. Then, I looked at the square shapes for a bit and came to the realization—ice. Sure, this is kind of basic, but it is still super fun, and it actually is one of the most thought-provoking puzzles in the game (which is quite sad, as it is still quite easy... I miss old Zelda sometimes). Anyway, overall, this was my second favorite shrine quest in the game. S Tier.
25. Kurakat Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
Dyeing to Find It. My favorite shrine quest in the game. This is so cool! The idea of dyeing something with a shadow to unlock a shrine? Phenomenal. Loved the play on words too. Waiting for the exact right time of day and building a sculpture to cast a shadow on the painting is just super awesome. Overall, an S Tier shrine and my favorite shrine quest in the game.
24. Tenbez Shrine - Gravity & Velocity
Let's get this out of the way: I absolutely adored this shrine. Let's also get this out of the way: this shrine could've been so much better. The fact that I love it this much and that it could've been so much better makes me sad we couldn't see a bit more put into this shrine, and it also gave me the idea: what if the Water Temple island put this into effect? What if we could alter gravity in the Water Temple and move it between the surface and the sky? Yeah, I know, these shrines inspire me to come up with insane ideas, but seriously, the amount of things that could've been done with this idea is almost overwhelming. While I loved this shrine, if it was done better? It would've been my favorite shrine in the game.
23. Rakashog Shrine - A Reflective Device
This shrine is my favorite Zonai-Device-based shrine in the entire game. It is just that good. The light puzzles here are top-notch, and set a precedent for the awesome Lightning Temple and other awesome shrines like Buried Light. This is an introductory shrine that takes itself seriously and does not wimp out on its main premise. I loved this to the point I've played it multiple times just for fun. That's saying something. S Tier.
22. Kyokugon Shrine - Alignment of the Circles
Okay, most people probably didn't like this shrine, but integrating the green rings into the roof of the shrine was genius. You know a Zelda game is throwing a curveball when it actually makes you look at the roof for once, like those stupid hands in Ocarina of Time. When I figured this one out, it was just so satisfying. And then I got hit by another curveball when I couldn't figure out how to get the chest. You know how I said A Spinning Device had my second favorite shrine in the game? Well, this one was my favorite. You had to grab a ball from the previous room and remove the floor below the glowing circle on the roof. I couldn't believe it, I liked getting a chest here more than A Spinning Device. While this is a simple shrine in retrospect, this was a very fun puzzle when I was playing it. Overall, with a puzzle I loved and my favorite treasure chest puzzle in the game, this is one of my favorite shrines. S Tier.
21. Ihen-a Shrine - Midair Perch
Okay, I am a simp for hover stones. Why? I literally have no idea, it is honestly kinda embarrasing. But I have to admit it, as this is my ranking. I love the great display of the hover stones abilities in this shrine, from manipulating walkways to shooting forward with rockets to building staircases, this shrine is just so fun. Sure, I may be biased because I love floating platforms, but seriously, why not be biased toward a great shrine like this one. S Tier for this one.
20. Oromuwak Shrine - A Launching Device
Okay, Rockets are my favorite Zonai Device, without question. This shrine is just so satisfying me. Hitting switches with Rockets and flying across the map? Go ahead, give me this shrine any day of the week and I'll do it. For me, this near shrine is middle of S Tier (I'm not taking questions, comments, or concerns). Unless your comment is "I need to use the Rocket more" to which I say "affirmative." Love this shrine, it utilizes Rockets so well. Okay, I'm moving on now.
19. Kiuyoyou Shrine - Fire and Ice
Where Fire and Water was mediocre, this was phenomenal. Melting the ice to make it fit to hit the switch? Loved it. Sliding the ice down the spikes? Awesome. Taking the panel and getting it from point A to point B to block the fire and hit another switch with an ice block? Awesome. I just loved this shrine so much, and having these opposite elements come together to make a tight, incredibly interesting shrine was awesome. S Tier for me.
18. Mayamats Shrine - A Route for a Ball
I absolutely loved some of the ideas present in this shine, I just wished there were like 2 or 3 more puzzles to solve. The idea of attaching the different spheres, ascending into them, and Recalling and stopping it in mid-air was all super fun, I just wished there was more. When a shrine's biggest flaw is that it is too short, you know it is a good shrine. S Tier.
17. Kikakin Shrine - Shining In Darkness
This shrine is a dark maze full of tons of hidden chests, a locked door, and both spike walls and lasers to dodge. This shrine had some very inventive chests to find, and I kept checking my menu just to see I still hadn't unlocked all the chests. And then I'd proceed to find an even cooler treasure chest... this was just awesome to me. I loved this shrine's atmosphere, and I did not spoil it with the Brightbloom Seeds in my inventory. That would make this shrine so much less fun, just like cheesing any other shrine, of course. While this wouldn't be a very replayable shrine, I just really, really liked it. It felt like a good-old, typical dungeon, and while I love the innovations other shrines make, I need a shrine like this sometimes. S Tier for this shrine.
16. Kudanisar Shrine - Bridging the Sands
This shrine was full of enemies, puzzles, and just did so much more with the idea then any of the other similar shrines in the game. This honestly felt like a mini dungeon should feel, and while it wasn't super innovative, it was still a blast and more reminiscent of a main dungeon room in an older Zelda title. I've literally replayed this shrine multiple times, I like it that much. S Tier.
15. Soryotanog Shrine - Buried Light
This shrine really took the sand aesthetic to a whole other level. It incorporated awesome sand puzzles, wind puzzles, and light puzzles all to make a shrine more reminiscent of the Lightning Temple then any a shrine. This shrine just did everything right for me, but didn't quite do as much as some of the other shrines to win me over as an S+ shrine. S for this one.
14. Jiukoum Shrine - Built for Rails
I love when games use rails, minecarts, and/or rollercoasters. However, the idea of just using a basic old platform and sliding it on rails with fans was super cool. The final puzzle of this shrine actually requires a ton of thinking unless you get really lucky, and I had a blast trying to solve this puzzle to the point my girlfriend and I were discussing it over the phone to see if this puzzle was even feasible. This is the Zelda I love—actually challenging puzzles. While the challenge probably came more from this game's wacky physics engine and less from actually trying to figure out the puzzle (there wasn't much to figure out), it was still fun nonetheless. This was one of my favorite shrines in the game, and I definitely feel like it deserves an S+ Tier.
13. In-isa Shrine - Ability to Combine
I loved all of the Great Sky Island shrines, but this takes the cake as the best one. This shrine is perfect. It is short, sweet, fun, and to the point. It teaches the player about Fuse, but unlike many other shrines in the game, it doesn't give away all of its secrets. I loved that it kept it limited but opened up the doors for creativity to soar, and it introduced us to one of the greatest abilities in Zelda history. I love Fuse, and this shrine is what kindled that initial love for it, so overall, I believe this to be an S+ Tier shrine.
12. Miryotanog Shrine - Proving Grounds: Lure
If you can't tell from this article or previous articles, I absolutely love Proving Grounds shrines. They are always just so fun and unique and make you really think about fighting in such an innovative way. This one was all about setting traps, and it was so fun. I challenged myself to not even pick up the weapons, and it just made this shrine so full of character. This is easily an S+ shrine for me.
11. Otak Shrine - Proving Grounds: Traps
I know, I'm super biased towards Proving Grounds shrines, but they are just so fun. As long as you actually utilize the traps and sneak around in this shrine instead of going all brute force, this shrine is one of the most fun shrines in the game. Sneaking around and killing the Constructs quickly without being seen is really fun, and all the different traps make this shrine quite varied as a whole. Overall, this is a S+ shrine for me.
10. Zakusu Shrine - Proving Grounds: Ascension
Like the million other proving grounds shrines on the top of this list, Proving Grounds: Ascension does not disappoint. This is my second favorite proving grounds shrine in the game, it just has an awesome atmosphere and the whole room is just a blast to fight in. I do wish it was a tad bit more chaotic like some of the other proving grounds shrines, I wish it was a little harder. But overall, an amazing shrine. S+ Tier.
9. Eutoum Shrine - Proving Grounds: Infiltration
Easily one of my favorite shrines in the game, this shrine took a stealth mission and Eventide Island and mashed them together into a beautifully made shrine. This may just be the most difficult of the proving grounds shrines in my opinion, but I think that's a good thing. I loved this shrine so much, and it really felt like I was proving my combat prowess, not just an easy place to kill a couple enemies and get an Orb of Light. S+ Tier shrine for me.
8. Mayachideg Shrine - Proving Grounds: The Hunt
Yet again, one of my favorite shrines in the game. This shrine is absolute pandemonium after the first hallway, with AI and constructs storming the entire shrine. With a plethora of Zonai Devices scattered all throughout the shrine, and with there being a good difficulty in this shrine (as well as needing to be very aware of your surroundings), this shrine was just quite special for me, and easily one of my favorite shrines in Tears of the Kingdom.
7. Sifumim Shrine - Proving Grounds: Flow
Perhaps the best of the already amazing proving grounds shrines, the Sifumim Shrine stands out above the mostly mediocre Faron shrines. This is a very interesting shrine, as these sort of wood buoys bob up and down around a large centerpiece. The constructs all have varied weapons, and the Time Bombs and different elements add an extra layer to this already very unique shrine. I love the Proving Grounds shrines, and since this is one of the best of them, this shrine easily edges out on top of most the other shrines on this list. S+ Tier.
6. Jonsau Shrine - Deep Force
I will admit, this shrine is not hard at all. However, I love the unique use of physics in this shrine and how awesome it is to launch these flotational spheres up into the air. The last puzzle especially was incredibly awesome, and it just makes me think about what other ways I can manipulate the physics in this game. Have I been sleeping on some other really cool things you can do in this game? Well, I guess I won't know for a while, because I really need to start playing a different game so I can make new content... but I digress. This shrine is just a blast and was my favorite shrine in the game for like the first 50 shrines I beat. A testament to how great this shrine is.
5. Jikais Shrine - Jailbreak
The first time I played this, I don't remember it being all that memorable. But for this article, I replayed this shrine, and it was fantastic. It was one of two shrines in the game that I felt used Ascend as an effective puzzle mechanic (the other being the Alignment shrine), and I really enjoyed the idea this shrine posed. Sure, I wish the final puzzle felt more like an actual jailbreak and was as good as the opening section of the shrine, but I still loved this shrine! S+ Tier.
4. Chichim Shrine - Rauru's Blessing
Getting to this shrine was so incredibly fun! There was almost a whole new dungeon, like a mini-dungeon! I miss old mini-dungeons like the Bottom of the Well in Ocarina of Time, and this just did it for me. A prison full of chests, Gibdos, pits, and more, this shrine was just so fun for me. An easy S+ Tier for me, and one of my favorite shrines in the game.
3. Mogisari Shrine - Courage to Jump
With an awesome obstacle course on a freaking car, this is peak Zelda fun. Sure, it isn't really a puzzle dungeon like some of the other top tier shrines on this list, but it is just so, so fun. You get to ride through all these obstacle courses, crash into enemies and walls, and at the very end, you have to jump off of your car to make it to the end without falling to your death. The idea of having the courage to jump at the end was so cool! This was a masterclass shrine for me, while it wasn't super innovative, it was incredibly fun, and at the end of the day? That's what truly matters in video games. To me, this is an S++ Tier shrine.
2. Orochium Shrine - Courage to Fall
This my second favorite shrine in Tears of the Kingdom, and one of two shrines I had to make a whole other tier for: the S++ Tier. This is the type of crap I love to see in shrines. Sure, the name kind of spoils it, but even with the name spoiling it, this shrine is a very fun and unique experience as it is. I've gone back and replayed this shrine multiple times, I just love it so much. First, you have to find a secret path to get through the doors without dying from falling in a pit. Then you kill some enemies and arrive at a locked door. Luckily, I wasn't even paying attention to the name when I walked in, so I walked around for a while trying to find a key to enter this door and get the ball to complete the shrine. I went around and killed all the enemies and such, but I couldn't find anything. Eventually, I walked through the lasers and found the secret Small Key below. Any shrine with Small Keys are usually my favorite shrines, to be honest. After all of this, the shrine is not yet complete, as you have to take the ball and soar over the rest of the level with it to get it into the crevice and unlock the door to the end of the dungeon. This is the type of stuff that hearkens back to old Zelda games with creative puzzles that require some thought. Some might call this cheap, but I call it fantastic. S++ Tier for this fantastic shrine.
1. Tukarok Shrine - Forward Force
This is most definitely an S++ Tier shrine for me. This shrine is a huge puzzle loop, with tons of puzzles that you have to carry a ball through before you can get it back to the beginning of the shrine and open the final door of the shrine. You get to maneuver vehicles through lava, build an escalator out of wheels, and build a steamboat-like contraption out of the available materials. This shrine actually took quite a bit of thought, and each puzzle was so different from the last yet incorporated the same idea of forward force. While the first puzzle was incredibly basic, the fact that two of my favorite moments in this entire game were the second and third puzzles in this shrine is honestly crazy to think about, considering there are so many grander spectacles in this game. Add on top of that just how well the layout of this dungeon was? This shrine easily adds up to be my favorite shrine in all of Tears of the Kingdom, and it isn't even close. Okay, I need to go get a Diet Coke and some mozzarella sticks from Sonic to celebrate finishing this enormous article. Peace out Zelda nerds. And remember to always look at life with a forward force mentality. Actually, change of plans, I'm going to dig my grave for how bad that closing line was. See you in the afterlife y'all.