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Locationmajor

Joniu Shrine

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Base game guide

Importancemajor

Key takeaways

  • Joniu Shrine is inside Ralis Channel, near Ralis Pond and southeast of Upland Zorana Skyview Tower.
  • The shrine cannot be completed until Link carries the green crystal from the cave entrance to the shrine pedestal.
  • A simple fan-powered raft is the intended practical solution, although other Zonai builds and improvised methods also work.
  • The shrine itself is a Rauru’s Blessing walk inside, open the chest and examine the altar.
  • The chest contains a Large Zonai Charge, and the altar grants one Light of Blessing.
  • Ralis Channel also contains a Bubbulfrog, so it is worth exploring the side passage before leaving.

About this guide

Spoiler warning: This guide reveals the Shrine Quest, the route through Ralis Channel, the shrine reward and the nearby Bubbulfrog.

Overview

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Base game guide

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Base game guide

Introduction

Joniu Shrine is a hidden Shrine of Light in the Lanayru Great Spring region. It is not reached by climbing to a visible shrine platform or by solving a conventional shrine puzzle. Instead, Link must enter Ralis Channel, a cave system beside Ralis Pond, transport a green Shrine Crystal through the flooded passage and place it at the shrine’s entrance.

Once activated, Joniu Shrine is a Rauru’s Blessing shrine. The interior contains no combat or puzzle trial. Its challenge is entirely in the surrounding cave and in the Shrine Quest “The Ralis Channel Crystal”. The completed shrine awards a Light of Blessing and contains a chest with a Large Zonai Charge.

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Where Joniu Shrine is

Joniu Shrine is located in the Ralis Channel, a cave connected to Ralis Pond in the Lanayru Great Spring. The cave lies south-east of Upland Zorana Skyview Tower and south-west of Zora’s Domain.

The shrine is not a separate outdoor structure. Its entrance is deep inside the cave, at the end of the channel. This is why the shrine icon can be misleading when viewed from the surface: the marker appears to be beneath the surrounding cliffs, but the direct route is through Ralis Channel rather than through a shaft immediately below the tower.

Included in this guide

This guide treats the following as the Joniu Shrine location:

The following places are nearby but separate locations:

This distinction matters because the wider Lanayru Great Spring region contains many additional quests, caves and Zora locations that are not part of Joniu Shrine.

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Included in this guide

Main location

Connected or corresponding locations

Quest and shrine entities

Collectibles and notable objects

The Mysterious Voice is the quest-giving presence associated with the crystal rather than an ordinary NPC standing in the cave. No named resident, shopkeeper, stable, business or faction headquarters is established within Joniu Shrine or Ralis Channel in the base game sources consulted.

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Recommended route from Upland Zorana Skyview Tower

The most straightforward route is to fast-travel to Upland Zorana Skyview Tower, then glide or travel south towards Ralis Pond. The pond is an obvious open body of water below the tower. The cave entrances are around the pond and are easier to identify from the shoreline than from the upper cliffs.

Step-by-step

There are two documented approaches to the cave, one on the northern or eastern side of the pond and another on the southern side. The two entrances lead into the same cave system, but one approach can make the quest’s starting crystal easier to recognise than the other.

Step-by-step

  1. 01
    Travel to Upland Zorana Skyview Tower.
  2. 02
    Launch from the tower or descend towards Ralis Pond.
  3. 03
    Search around the pond for the entrances to Ralis Channel.
  4. 04
    Enter the cave and look for the green crystal near the channel’s starting area.
  5. 05
    Examine the crystal to begin The Ralis Channel Crystal.
  6. 06
    Follow the beam emitted by the crystal through the cave.
  7. 07
    Carry the crystal to the inactive shrine at the end of the channel.

If the shrine marker appears unreachable

Do not attempt to reach Joniu Shrine by drilling directly down from the surface. The shrine is inside the cave network. If the marker appears to be directly beneath a cliff or tower, use the map to locate Ralis Pond first, then search for Ralis Channel.

The shrine’s position is also reflected below ground by Uinoj Lightroot, but the Lightroot is a separate Depths location. It can help confirm the general position of the shrine, but it is not an entrance to Joniu Shrine. The surface shrine and Depths Lightroot correspondence is useful for orientation, not for bypassing the cave quest.

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Starting the Shrine Quest

Inside Ralis Channel, Link can find a green crystal near the cave’s waterway. Interacting with it starts The Ralis Channel Crystal. A green beam then points through the cave towards the dormant shrine.

The crystal is not a permanently fixed quest object that must be carried by hand for the whole route. Link can use Ultrahand to attach it to a vehicle or other construction, which makes the flooded section much easier to cross.

Recommended vehicle

The simplest reliable construction is a small raft:

Some versions of the starting area provide nearby Zonai materials, including boards, Fans and steering equipment. If the parts have despawned or are inconveniently positioned, Link can build a basic craft from his own inventory.

A steering device is helpful but not essential. A raft with a single Fan can move through the channel, although steering may require repositioning the vehicle or using the cave walls to correct its direction.

Walkthrough

The route is an environmental transport challenge rather than an enclosed shrine puzzle. The important task is protecting the crystal while navigating the water, not solving a sequence of internal mechanisms.

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Ralis Channel is a wet, partially flooded cave. Its main route follows a watercourse from the pond-side entrances towards the shrine. The channel’s shape encourages the use of a raft, but the cave is open enough for players to experiment with different vehicles.

The cave should be understood as having three practical sections:

Pond-side entrance area

This is where Link enters from the surface and finds the green crystal and construction materials. Depending on which entrance is used, the crystal may not be immediately obvious. If the shrine quest does not start, explore the opening area and look for a green object that can be examined.

Main water channel

This is the longest travel section. It contains the water needed for a Fan-powered vehicle and several bends that can make an unguided raft drift into the walls. The channel is more awkward than dangerous. Losing the vehicle is the main practical inconvenience.

Shrine approach and side area

Near the rear of the cave, the route opens around the shrine approach. A side area contains the cave’s Bubbulfrog. Collect it before activating the shrine if you want to complete the cave’s collectible, although it can also be reached afterwards.

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Walkthrough: steps

  1. 01
    Examine the green crystal. This begins The Ralis Channel Crystal and produces the guiding beam.

Walkthrough: steps

  1. 01
    Survey the nearby materials. Look for wooden plates, Fans and a control device. Clear loose rocks or obstacles if they block the waterway.

Walkthrough: steps

  1. 01
    Build a raft. Attach the Fan to the rear of a wooden plate so that its airflow pushes the raft forwards. Add a Steering Stick if one is available.

Walkthrough: steps

  1. 01
    Attach the crystal with Ultrahand. Place it on the raft where it will not fall into the water. Attaching it near the centre is safer than putting it at the edge.

Walkthrough: steps

  1. 01
    Follow the green beam. The route continues along the cave’s water channel. Keep the raft aligned with the passage and avoid scraping it against rocks.

Walkthrough: steps

  1. 01
    Recover the crystal if the raft overturns. The crystal can normally be retrieved with Ultrahand. Rebuild the raft if necessary rather than abandoning the quest.

Walkthrough: steps

  1. 01
    Reach the shrine entrance. At the end of the cave, the beam leads to the inactive shrine pedestal.

Walkthrough: steps

  1. 01
    Place the crystal at the pedestal. Bring the crystal into the activation point. The shrine materialises and becomes available for entry.

Ralis Channel Bubbulfrog

A Bubbulfrog is found in a side area near the back of Ralis Channel, shortly before Joniu Shrine. Defeat it to receive a Bubbul Gem.

The Bubbulfrog is easy to overlook because the main quest beam leads directly towards the shrine. Before entering the shrine, inspect the side passages around the rear of the cave and listen for the Bubbulfrog’s distinctive sound. A map listing places it near approximately 2966, 0420, 0165, though the exact displayed position can vary with map elevation and player location.

Practical method

The Bubbulfrog is a fixed cave collectible, not a random encounter. It does not respawn as part of ordinary gameplay once collected.

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Shrine type: Rauru’s Blessing

Joniu Shrine is a Rauru’s Blessing shrine. The external cave quest is the actual challenge, so the shrine interior is deliberately short.

Interior walkthrough

There are no enemies, moving platforms or puzzle devices inside the shrine. The shrine’s completion state is determined by activating the altar after opening the chest, although the chest can be collected independently.

Interior walkthrough

  1. 01
    Enter the shrine.
  2. 02
    Walk forwards along the central path.
  3. 03
    Open the Stone Chest.
  4. 04
    Collect the Large Zonai Charge.
  5. 05
    Continue to the altar.
  6. 06
    Examine the terminal in front of the Rauru and Sonia statue.
  7. 07
    Receive the Light of Blessing.

Rewards

The Large Zonai Charge is useful for temporarily increasing the output of Link’s Energy Cell when using Zonai devices. It is a fixed reward in the shrine chest, not a random drop.

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Joniu Shrine itself contains no enemies. Ralis Channel is primarily an exploration and vehicle-navigation area rather than a combat cave.

Rewards

RewardWhere to obtain itNotes
Large Zonai ChargeStone Chest inside Joniu ShrineFixed shrine chest
Light of BlessingShrine altarAwarded for completing the shrine

Main hazards

A large amount of preparation is unnecessary. Link does not need special armour, a particular weapon or a story ability to complete the shrine quest. Ultrahand is required for the most convenient solution, and the game’s early progression normally provides it before this shrine is attempted.

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This order avoids a common mistake: reaching the shrine entrance, activating it immediately and then leaving without checking the side area for the Bubbulfrog.

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For a thorough visit, use this order

  1. 01
    Travel from Upland Zorana Skyview Tower to Ralis Pond.
  2. 02
    Enter Ralis Channel through the pond-side entrance.
  3. 03
    Locate and examine the green crystal.
  4. 04
    Record or inspect the nearby construction materials.
  5. 05
    Search the opening section for useful loose parts before building.
  6. 06
    Assemble a small raft.
  7. 07
    Attach the crystal securely.
  8. 08
    Follow the beam through the main water channel.
  9. 09
    Pause at the rear of the cave and search for the Bubbulfrog.
  10. 10
    Defeat the Bubbulfrog and collect the Bubbul Gem.
  11. 11
    Carry the crystal to the shrine pedestal.
  12. 12
    Enter Joniu Shrine.
  13. 13
    Open the Stone Chest.
  14. 14
    Take the Light of Blessing.
  15. 15
    Check the cave map marker to confirm that the cave’s collectible has been collected.

Can the shrine be completed immediately?

Yes, provided Link can reach Ralis Channel and use Ultrahand to transport the crystal. The quest is not tied to a late-game regional phenomenon or to completion of the Zora main quest.

Is the shrine permanently missable?

No. Joniu Shrine and The Ralis Channel Crystal remain available during the base game. The crystal quest is not described as having a permanent failure state. If a vehicle is destroyed or the crystal is dropped, recover it with Ultrahand and continue.

Can the chest be missed?

The chest is directly inside the shrine and is easy to collect. Because Joniu is a Rauru’s Blessing shrine, there is no internal puzzle route that hides the reward.

Does entering from the other entrance change the shrine?

No permanent change is established. The two cave entrances provide different approaches to Ralis Channel, but both belong to the same cave system and lead towards the same shrine quest route.

Is the Bubbulfrog required?

No. The Bubbulfrog is an optional cave collectible. It is separate from the shrine quest and does not need to be defeated to activate Joniu Shrine.

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Upland Zorana Skyview Tower

This is the most useful fast-travel landmark for reaching Ralis Channel. The tower is not part of Joniu Shrine, but its launch point gives a clear route to Ralis Pond.

Ralis Pond

Ralis Pond is the surface landmark associated with the cave entrances. Search around its shoreline and nearby cliff faces rather than looking for an exposed shrine structure.

Zora’s Domain

Zora’s Domain is the major settlement to the east and north-east. It is a separate regional hub with its own shrines, characters, services and story content. Joniu Shrine should not be treated as a subarea of Zora’s Domain simply because it lies within the wider Lanayru region.

Uinoj Lightroot

Uinoj Lightroot is the Depths counterpart to Joniu Shrine. It is not an alternate entrance, a second shrine or part of Ralis Channel. Its value is mainly navigational and completion-related: players comparing surface shrines with Depths Lightroots can use it to identify the corresponding location.

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Before leaving Ralis Channel, confirm that you have:

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Where is Joniu Shrine?

It is inside Ralis Channel, beside Ralis Pond in the Lanayru Great Spring. It is south-east of Upland Zorana Skyview Tower and south-west of Zora’s Domain.

Why can I see the shrine marker but not the shrine?

Joniu Shrine is underground inside a cave. Follow the marker to Ralis Pond, locate Ralis Channel and enter through one of the cave openings.

What do I do with the green crystal?

Use Ultrahand to attach it to a Fan-powered raft or another vehicle. Follow the green beam through the cave and place the crystal at the shrine pedestal.

What is inside Joniu Shrine?

A Stone Chest containing a Large Zonai Charge and an altar that awards a Light of Blessing. There is no combat or internal puzzle trial.

Is there a Bubbulfrog nearby?

Yes. A Bubbulfrog is located in a side area near the back of Ralis Channel, shortly before the shrine. It drops a Bubbul Gem when defeated.

Is Joniu Shrine related to the Zora main quest?

It is located in the same broad Lanayru region, but its shrine quest is independent of the Zora regional main quest. It can be completed as a standalone exploration objective.

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Sources