Water Temple (Tears of the Kingdom Walkthrough)

Alright, fellow adventurer, so you’re ready to tackle the Water Temple and help out our Zora buddies? This guide will walk you through everything you need to do, step by step, to not only reach the temple but also conquer all its challenges and come out on top. Let’s dive in!

Heading to Zora’s Domain: Getting Started

Your journey to the Water Temple actually starts way before you even see it. You’ll need to follow the “Regional Phenomena” questline, specifically the part that points you towards Zora’s Domain. Now, this questline doesn’t just pop up; you’ll need to have finished the “Regional Phenomena – To Rito Village” quest first. Think of it as a storyline – one thing leads to another. The developers likely intended for you to experience the challenges of the Wind Temple before heading into the watery depths of this one, possibly setting a difficulty curve as you progress through these major quests.

Once you’ve wrapped things up in Rito Village, it’s time to head east to the Lanayru Great Spring region. The most straightforward way to get there is to leave Lookout Landing from the east and stick to the path heading southeast through the Lanayru Wetlands. Keep your eyes peeled and follow the bridges as you continue eastward. You’ll know you’re on the right track when you start seeing that nasty brown sludge everywhere. This isn’t just a visual detail; it’s the game’s way of telling you that you’re getting closer to Zora’s Domain and the source of their troubles. Eventually, you’ll reach the impressive Great Zora Bridge – that’s your grand entrance to the Domain.

Before you get too caught up in the sights, make sure to activate the Mogawak Shrine once you arrive in Zora’s Domain. Trust me, having this as a fast travel point will save you a lot of time later, especially if you need to backtrack or come back to this area.

Lending a Hand: Assisting the Zora and Preparing for the Temple

Your first order of business in Zora’s Domain is to figure out what’s causing all this sludge and how to help the Zora people. Head straight to the central plaza, and you’ll see a statue covered in the gunk. Around it, you’ll find Chroma, Kira, and Yona – chat with them. This conversation will kick off “The Sludge-Covered Statue” main quest. This initial task immediately throws you into the heart of the problem plaguing Zora’s Domain. It sets the stage for the entire questline and introduces you to the immediate crisis the Zora are facing.

To complete this quest, you’ll need to clean the sludge off the statue using water. The easiest way early on is to fuse a Splash Fruit to your arrows and shoot at the statue. You can find Splash Fruits around the Lanayru region, or if you’re running low, you can even buy some from the General Store right there in Zora’s Domain. Later on, you’ll get an even better way to deal with sludge, but for now, Splash Fruits will do the trick.

Once the statue is sparkling clean, Yona will tell you about Prince Sidon and direct you to Mipha Court, which is up on Ploymous Mountain. This will start the main “Sidon of the Zora” quest.

Now, here’s a tip that will make your life much easier: before you rush off to meet Sidon, find Yona again on the second floor of Zora’s Domain, behind a waterfall. She’ll give you the “Restoring the Zora Armor” quest. While the game might label this as optional, trust me, you’ll want to complete this. Finishing this quest rewards you with the Zora Armor, which is absolutely essential for swimming up waterfalls – and guess what? You’ll need to do a lot of waterfall swimming to reach the Water Temple. To fix the armor, you’ll need to find an Ancient Arowana. Keep an eye out for this fish in the waters around Zora’s Domain or in specific sky islands.

The “Sidon of the Zora” questline is a bit of a journey in itself, but it’s all part of getting to the Water Temple. Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll need to do:

First, make your way to Mipha Court to finally meet up with Sidon. He’s up on Ploymous Mountain, east of Zora’s Domain.

Next, Sidon will suggest you investigate Toto Lake with him to find Jiahto, the Zora historian. Toto Lake is located northwest of Mipha Court. Head over there and chat with Jiahto in the cave.

Talking to Jiahto will lead to “The Broken Slate” quest. Right outside the cave, you’ll find a missing piece of a stone tablet covered in sludge. Clean it off and use Ultrahand to put it back in its place inside the cave.

After that, you’ll be on the hunt for King Dorephan as part of the “Clues to the Sky” quest. You’ll need to eavesdrop on some Zora kids playing near the throne in Zora’s Domain. They’ll mention the “Pristine Sanctum,” a place with clear water between Ploymous Mountain and the Domain, hidden behind a waterfall in Mikau Lake, which is east of Zora’s Domain. Swim up the waterfall there using your Zora Armor to find the King.

King Dorephan will give you five King’s Scales. You’ll need these soon!  

Now, open your map and look at the sky map. Just east of where you met Sidon at Mipha Court, you’ll see a fish-shaped island floating in the sky. Head towards the eastern edge of the cliff, and you’ll see remnants of a hot air balloon. Look up, and you should see the fish-shaped Wellspring Island with sludge pouring from its mouth. Your task is to use one of the King’s Scales on an arrow and shoot it through a tear-shaped formation on this island. This will create a green portal down at East Reservoir Lake.

Return to Sidon at Mipha Court, and he’ll join you at East Reservoir Lake. Get ready for a fight! You’ll be ambushed by a Sludge Like. Use Sidon’s water ability to clear the sludge and then attack the exposed enemy.

Once the Sludge Like is defeated, Sidon will jump into the water at East Reservoir Lake and create a whirlpool around the light. This will open an entrance to the Ancient Zora Waterworks beneath the water. Head inside and solve the puzzle within. This usually involves manipulating water flow and using Zonai devices.

After navigating the Waterworks, your next destination is Wellspring Island in the sky. Remember that giant waterfall at East Reservoir Lake? With the Zora Armor equipped, you can now swim right up it to reach the island. You’ll find Sidon waiting for you there.

This whole sequence of quests might seem like a lot, but it’s a great way to get familiar with the Zora’s troubles and the unique environment around Zora’s Domain. Each step builds towards the moment you finally reach the Water Temple.

Here’s a quick rundown of the key items and abilities you’ll need:

Item/Ability	How to Obtain	Importance for Water Temple
Zora Armor	Complete the “Restoring the Zora Armor” quest in Zora’s Domain.	Essential for swimming up waterfalls to reach Wellspring Island and the Water Temple itself.
Sidon’s Power of Water	Progress through the “Sidon of the Zora” questline and defeat the Sludge Like.	Crucial for clearing sludge, activating water wheels within the temple, and defeating the final boss.
Hover Stones	Found throughout the Water Temple environment.	Necessary for solving puzzles, particularly for keeping the floodgate open in the first faucet puzzle.
Water Globes	Generated by devices within the Water Temple.	Used for vertical traversal and completing electrical circuits in various faucet puzzles.
Splash Fruit	Found in the Lanayru region or purchased in Zora’s Domain.	Useful for clearing small amounts of sludge, especially early in the Zora’s Domain questline and within the Water Temple.
Ancient Arowana	Found in specific locations (look around Zora’s Domain and sky islands).	Required to complete the “Restoring the Zora Armor” quest.
King’s Scale	Received from King Dorephan during the “Sidon of the Zora” questline.	Used to create the portal to Wellspring Island.

Making a Splash: Reaching the Water Temple

Alright, you’ve made it to Wellspring Island and met up with Sidon. The path to the Water Temple is now in sight. You’ll notice a massive waterfall cascading down from an even higher island – that’s your target. Make sure you’ve got that Zora Armor equipped, and then swim right up the giant waterfall. This is the final ascent to the Water Temple itself. The location high up in the clouds, accessible only by a waterfall, really emphasizes the temple’s connection to water and the Zora people. It’s a pretty epic entrance, if you ask me.

Once you emerge at the foot of the Water Temple, head towards the center and you’ll see a portal. Approach it and activate it. This will create a fast travel point inside the temple. Trust me, you’ll be thankful for this later on.

Navigating the Depths: Water Temple Trials – Faucet by Faucet

The main goal inside the Water Temple is to get the water flowing again by unlocking four main water faucets. These faucets will help cleanse the Zora water supply from all that nasty sludge. You can actually tackle these faucets in any order you like , which gives you a bit of freedom in how you approach the challenges. But for the sake of this guide, we’ll go through them one by one.

Faucet 1: The Western Stream (1F – West Side)

Your first target is the faucet on the west side of the first floor.

1. Head to the west side of the dungeon. The gravity here is a bit wonky, so use it to your advantage to jump across the gaps. Watch out, though – you’ll run into three pretty tough Soldier Constructs, so take them out first to make things easier.

2. At the northwest end of the platform, you’ll spot a device that creates water globules, but it’s covered in sludge. Use Sidon’s Power of Water or toss a Splash Fruit to clean it up.

3. Look for an Orb in the nearby water and use Ultrahand to grab it.

4. Place the Orb into one of the water globules being produced by the device. The globule will carry the Orb up to a higher area.

5. Jump into another water globule and ride it up to the same higher platform.

6. On the east side of this platform, you’ll see a massive floodgate. If you lift it with Ultrahand, water will drain away, but it’ll immediately crash back down.

7. Grab one of the Hover Stones nearby with Ultrahand. Activate it and then attach it to the top of the floodgate.

8. Now, use Ultrahand to lift the floodgate with the Hover Stone attached. It will stay open as long as you have energy in your Energy Cell. This introduces the use of Zonai devices for more complex interactions and hints at resource management with your energy.

9. With the floodgate open, grab the Orb again with Ultrahand and place it into the hole. This will cause a gate nearby to open.

10. Head through the open gate, and you’ll find a water wheel inside. Use Sidon’s Power of Water to shoot a blast of water at the wheel, and that’s your first faucet activated!

Faucet 2: Below the Surface (B1 – Beneath Central Platform)

Next up is the faucet located beneath the central platform on the first basement level.

1. From the main floor, head to the west side and look over the edge – you should see a ramp leading down to B1. Alternatively, if you’re on the eastern side of the upper level, you might spot fire coming from underneath the central platform. You can glide down here as well.

2. The entrance to this area is blocked by flames. Use Sidon’s Power of Water to create a water shield around yourself and simply walk through the fire.

3. Inside, you’ll find a lower area with a floor covered in spikes, along with some hover stones and an Orb.

4. Deactivate one of the Hover Stones and place it on the switch to the right of the door. This will allow Sidon to join you.

5. Carefully drop down to the spiked area. Grab an unactivated Hover Stone, hit it to activate it, and move it to the middle of the spikes. The lower gravity here should make the jump across easier.

6. Look up and to your right, and you should see a chest attached to a floating platform. Shoot it down with an arrow to snag a Large Zonaite.

7. Now, use Ultrahand to grab the Orb and attach it to the Hover Stone you’re standing on.

8. Jump back to the previous platform and then grab the entire Hover Stone with the Orb attached.

9. Use Ultrahand to move the Hover Stone with the Orb above you, getting it close to the upper ledge where you first entered B1.

10. Use Ascend to teleport up to one of the Hover Stones that were already in place on the upper level.

11. Continue to move the Orb platform until it’s resting on the upper ledge.

12. Jump over to the top level.

13. Take the Orb to the ball-shaped switch on the left-hand wall. Rotate it and then push it in so the Hover Stone holds it in place. This will open up the room to the second water wheel.

14. Just like before, use Sidon’s water ability to spin the water wheel and activate the second faucet.

Faucet 3: The Eastern Ascent (1F – East Platform)

Time to head to the east platform for the third faucet.

1. Make your way to the eastern platform. You’ll be greeted by a Fire Like. Use Sidon’s Power of Water to put out its flames and then defeat it.

2. Use Ascend to climb up to the higher platform. You’ll likely encounter a Soldier Construct and some Chuchus here, so take them out.

3. You’ll see a tower that’s spinning rapidly, along with a couple of Hover Stones nearby. Interestingly, you can solve this without even moving the hover stones.

4. Jump up to the higher of the two Hover Stones. From there, leap off towards the spinning tower and immediately pull out your bow. This will slow down time while you’re in the air.

5. Wait until the opening in the spinning platform turns to face you. You’ll notice it’s full of sludge inside.

6. Attach a Splash Fruit to one of your arrows and shoot it into the opening to clear the sludge. Alternatively, if you’re having trouble with the timing, you could try using another Hover Stone to get closer and then use Sidon’s water ability.

7. Once the sludge is gone, repeat the process of climbing up the Hover Stones. This time, when you leap off towards the spinning tower, aim for the orange crystal target inside. Hitting it will open a gate nearby.

8. Head through the gate and use Sidon’s ability to activate the third faucet.

Faucet 4: The Northern Current (1F – Northeast Platform)

Alright, just one more faucet to go! This one’s on the northeast platform of the first floor.

1. From the central platform, look around for some Strong Zonaite Spears near a water globule. Grab one and use Fuse to attach the water globule to the spear.

2. Aim upwards and to the northeast. You should see some sludge blocking what looks like it could be a waterfall. Toss your water-infused spear at the sludge to clear it and create a waterfall.

3. Glide over to the newly formed waterfall and swim up it using your trusty Zora Armor.

4. Once you’re up top, head north, and you’ll spot a large water globule that’s moving up and down. When it reaches its lowest point, quickly use Recall on it and then jump inside.

5. Let the globule carry you up to the higher ledge. Once you’re at the top, glide over to the platform.

6. You’ll see a waterfall with a water wheel next to it. Look underneath the wheel, and you’ll find two platforms.

7. Use Ultrahand to grab one of the platforms and attach it to one side of the water wheel. Then, grab the other platform and attach it to the opposite side.

8. Now, grab one of the platforms that you just attached to the wheel and hold it directly under the waterfall. When you let go, the wheel should start spinning continuously, generating electricity.

9. Follow the yellow line of electricity, and you’ll find a gap in the current.

10. Look around for a loose water globule and use Ultrahand to place it right in the gap. This will complete the electrical circuit and unlock the gate to the final faucet.

11. Finally, use Sidon’s ability to activate the fourth and final faucet!

Taking on the Threat: Defeating Mucktorok

With all four faucets flowing, it’s time to face the source of all this sludge: the boss of the Water Temple, Mucktorok.

At first, Mucktorok might not seem too intimidating, but don’t let your guard down. It will quickly spew out sludge and create a giant sludge shark called a Murok. This is the real threat. The Murok will swim around the arena, trying to ram into you. It will also jump into the air and crash down, creating a wave of sludge, and even fire a large beam of sludge your way. These sludge attacks can quickly cover the entire battlefield.

Here’s the strategy to take this slimy foe down:

1. Stun the Murok: The key to damaging Mucktorok is to get it out of its sludge shark form. To do this, you need to hit the Murok with water attacks. Sidon’s ability is perfect for this – just use it to create a water bubble and launch it at the Murok. You can also use weapons fused with Opals or any other water-based attacks you might have.

2. Attack Mucktorok: Once you hit the Murok with enough water, it will become stunned, and Mucktorok itself will pop out, looking vulnerable. This is your chance! Unleash your strongest attacks on Mucktorok directly.

3. Clear the Sludge: If the arena gets too covered in sludge, making it hard to move around, use water attacks to clear some space. This will give you more room to dodge the Murok’s attacks.

4. Repeat the Process: Keep stunning the Murok with water to force Mucktorok out, then attack Mucktorok. Rinse and repeat until its health bar is empty.

Claiming Your Reward: Completing the Water Temple

Once you finally defeat the Mucktorok, you’ll be rewarded with a well-deserved Heart Container, which will increase your maximum health. After that, a Tear will appear. Interact with it to trigger a cutscene. As a result, you’ll gain Sidon’s water ability as a permanent Vow. This means you can now summon Sidon’s water power to use whenever and wherever you need it throughout Hyrule.

Obtaining the Heart Container and Sidon’s Vow signifies that you’ve successfully completed the Water Temple section of the game. This will likely trigger the next part of the main storyline, so get ready for your next adventure! The rewards for conquering this dungeon are significant, providing both a boost to your survivability and a powerful new ability that will be incredibly useful in your future explorations.

Congratulations on making it through the Water Temple! You’ve helped the Zora people and proven your courage and skill. Now go forth and continue your quest!