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Jonsau Shrine

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, base game

Importancemajor

Key takeaways

  • Trial Deep Force.
  • Main mechanic Push a floating object underwater with Ultrahand, then release it to launch it upwards.
  • Treasure A Strong Construct Bow in the water in the room with the Soldier Construct.
  • Main reward One Light of Blessing.
  • Location Mercay Island in the Lanayru Wetlands, near the Lanayru Wetlands Chasm.
  • Important abilities Ultrahand is essential. A paraglider is strongly recommended for the final section and normal exploration, but the shrine itself does not require a special quest or key item.

About this guide

Spoiler warning: This guide explains the shrine’s puzzles, treasure chest and complete route.

Overview

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, base game

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, base game

Introduction

Jonsau Shrine is a Shrine of Light in the Lanayru Wetlands. Its trial, Deep Force, is a compact lesson in using Ultrahand with buoyant objects. Rather than relying on switches, weapons or elaborate Zonai machinery, the shrine asks Link to submerge floating objects and release them so that they shoot upwards and strike targets.

The shrine stands on Mercay Island, near the southern side of the Lanayru Wetlands Chasm. It is close enough to several useful travel routes that it can be reached early, although the surrounding wetlands can contain dangerous enemies and awkward terrain. Inside, the shrine contains one enemy encounter, one treasure chest and a final launch puzzle that combines buoyancy with vertical movement.

Location and boundaries

Jonsau Shrine is not a broad region or settlement. For this guide, its scope is limited to:

It does not include the whole Lanayru Wetlands, nearby stables, unrelated caves or other shrines in the regional shrine network.

The entrance is on the surface in the wetlands, on or beside Mercay Island. Jonsau Shrine is associated with the Uasnoj Lightroot in the Depths, but the Lightroot is a separate location and should not be treated as part of the shrine interior.

Named locations within or directly associated with the shrine

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Location and boundaries: steps

  1. 01
    The Jonsau Shrine entrance and exterior platform on Mercay Island.
  2. 02
    The complete interior trial, Deep Force.
  3. 03
    The shrine’s treasure chest, enemy encounter and fixed puzzle objects.
  4. 04
    Directly relevant nearby map connections, especially the Lanayru Wetlands Chasm and its Depths counterpart.

Named locations within or directly associated with the shrine

Reaching Jonsau Shrine

Jonsau Shrine is in the central part of the Lanayru Wetlands, near the Lanayru Wetlands Chasm. One practical approach is to travel from a nearby Skyview Tower and glide towards the wetlands. Guides identify both Upland Zorana Skyview Tower and Sahasra Slope Skyview Tower as useful launch points, although the most convenient choice depends on which towers you have unlocked and your current position.

Route from Sahasra Slope Skyview Tower

This route is useful early in the game because the tower provides enough height to cross a substantial distance without building a vehicle.

Route from Upland Zorana Skyview Tower

The Upland Zorana route can be convenient if you are already exploring Lanayru Great Spring or the Zorana highlands.

Surface travel advice

The wetlands are uneven and watery, so a direct run is not always the fastest route. Use:

The shrine itself does not require a shrine quest, a dungeon prerequisite or a particular story state in the base game. It can be entered and completed once you reach it and have access to Ultrahand.

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Route from Sahasra Slope Skyview Tower

  1. 01
    Launch from Sahasra Slope Skyview Tower.
  2. 02
    Glide north or north-east towards the wetlands.
  3. 03
    Look for the Lanayru Wetlands’ watery terrain and the large chasm.
  4. 04
    Continue towards the shrine marker on Mercay Island.
  5. 05
    Land near the green shrine entrance.

Route from Upland Zorana Skyview Tower

  1. 01
    Launch from Upland Zorana Skyview Tower.
  2. 02
    Glide west towards the wetlands.
  3. 03
    Adjust your descent as you approach the Lanayru Wetlands Chasm.
  4. 04
    Search the island and nearby raised ground for the shrine’s green entrance.

Note

Push the object deep enough, align it beneath the target, then release Ultrahand.

Shrine interior: Deep Force

Deep Force is built around the buoyancy of the shrine’s yellow floating objects. When one of these objects is held underwater and released, it rises rapidly. If it is positioned correctly, the object hits a target or lifts a platform.

Do not try to strike the targets with a weapon. The shrine is designed around the upward force of the floating objects.

Objects and entities inside Jonsau Shrine

Some guides use slightly different descriptions for the floating objects, such as “float”, “ball”, “board” or “platform”. These refer to the shrine’s buoyant puzzle objects, not separate named items with an inventory identity.

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Objects and entities inside Jonsau Shrine

Complete walkthrough

1. Launch the first floating ball

At the entrance, Link faces a pool of water. A yellow floating ball is in the pool, and a target switch is positioned above it.

The ball rises out of the water and strikes the switch. This opens the barred passage into the next section.

If the switch does not activate

The first puzzle teaches the exact technique required throughout the shrine.

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2. Defeat the Soldier Construct

Pass through the opened gate. A Soldier Construct occupies the next area.

You can defeat it with normal combat. If it carries a shield, use a heavy strike, a two-handed weapon, a fused weapon or a well-timed parry to break its guard. The enemy is not the shrine’s main challenge, but defeating it makes the room safer and gives you room to manipulate the floating objects.

Enemy directory

The available enemy tier may vary with general world scaling and progression, so the exact strength of the encounter should not be treated as permanently fixed across every playthrough. The shrine’s layout and puzzle objects remain fixed.

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3. Collect the Strong Construct Bow

Before leaving the Soldier Construct’s room, search the water. A treasure chest is submerged or partly hidden in the pool on the left-hand side of the route.

This chest is easy to overlook if you immediately continue towards the next puzzle. It is not a random drop and does not depend on defeating the Construct in a particular way.

Chest directory

The bow is a fixed shrine reward. As with other weapon rewards in Tears of the Kingdom, its practical usefulness depends on your current equipment and progression.

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4. Open the next gate

In the following room, you will find another target switch above a pool. A flat floating object is available nearby.

You can solve the puzzle in two ways:

The flat object is generally easier to position.

The floating object shoots upwards and hits the target, opening the next route.

Positioning advice

The flat object can be awkward if it is held at an angle. Turn it so that it presents a broad, stable surface while you move it underwater. The exact orientation is less important than getting enough of the object below the surface and aligning it with the switch.

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5. Clear the wooden obstruction

The final room contains another floating ball, a raised wooden obstruction and a central platform or cart.

First, use the floating ball to remove the obstruction.

This opens the space above the central platform and prepares the final launch.

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6. Launch the platform

The final puzzle uses the ball to propel a platform upwards.

The ball rises and pushes the platform into the air. As the platform gains height, Link can use the paraglider to cross the raised gap or reach the upper route. Some descriptions present this as launching a cart, while others describe it as raising a platform. The important action is the same: place the buoyant object below the platform and release it underwater.

Safer method

Stand near the centre of the platform rather than on its edge. If the platform tilts during the launch, move carefully and open the paraglider once you have enough height. If the ball drifts away, retrieve it and repeat the launch.

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7. Claim the Light of Blessing

After crossing the final gap, follow the short passage to the shrine’s green completion gate.

Completing the shrine also activates it as a fast-travel point. The shrine restores Link’s health when completed, as with other Shrines of Light.

Reward directory

The Light of Blessing contributes towards increasing Link’s maximum hearts or stamina at a Goddess Statue. Four Lights of Blessing can be exchanged for one upgrade, subject to the usual game rules.

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1. Launch the first floating ball

  1. 01
    Activate Ultrahand.
  2. 02
    Grab the floating ball.
  3. 03
    Move it beneath the target switch.
  4. 04
    Push it down into the water.
  5. 05
    Hold it underwater until it is directly below the target.
  6. 06
    Release Ultrahand.

3. Collect the Strong Construct Bow

  1. 01
    Activate Ultrahand.
  2. 02
    Scan the water for the chest.
  3. 03
    Grab it with Ultrahand.
  4. 04
    Pull it out of the water.
  5. 05
    Open it to receive a Strong Construct Bow.

Chest directory

LocationContentsAcquisition
Water in the Soldier Construct roomStrong Construct BowPull the chest out with Ultrahand

4. Open the next gate

  1. 01
    Stand near the pool.
  2. 02
    Grab the flat floating object with Ultrahand.
  3. 03
    Rotate it so its long face points upwards.
  4. 04
    Position it beneath the target.
  5. 05
    Submerge it in the water.
  6. 06
    Release it.

5. Clear the wooden obstruction

  1. 01
    Pick up the ball with Ultrahand.
  2. 02
    Move it beneath the relevant target or wooden barrier.
  3. 03
    Submerge it.
  4. 04
    Release it so that it launches upwards.
  5. 05
    Let the impact knock the wooden obstruction away.

6. Launch the platform

  1. 01
    Climb onto the central platform or cart.
  2. 02
    Use Ultrahand to grab the floating ball.
  3. 03
    Move the ball below the platform.
  4. 04
    Push it deep underwater.
  5. 05
    Position it as centrally as possible beneath the platform.
  6. 06
    Release it.

7. Claim the Light of Blessing

  1. 01
    Interact with the gate.
  2. 02
    Allow the shrine completion sequence to play.
  3. 03
    Collect the Light of Blessing from the statues.

Reward directory

What the shrine teaches

Jonsau Shrine is essentially a focused physics tutorial. Its puzzles demonstrate three useful ideas:

Buoyancy can be used as force

Floating objects are not merely obstacles or decorative pieces. Ultrahand lets you hold them below the water’s surface, turning their return to the surface into a launch.

The release point matters

The object’s movement after release is determined by:

A shallow or poorly aligned release may not generate enough useful movement.

The technique works vertically

The shrine begins with a simple target switch and ends by lifting Link’s platform. This progression makes the final puzzle easier to understand once the earlier rooms have been completed.

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Exploration checklist

Before leaving Jonsau Shrine, confirm that you have:

There are no reported optional side rooms, Korok Seeds, armour pieces or separate shrine quest rewards inside the shrine’s fixed interior. The principal optional objective is the chest, which is easy to miss if you hurry through the enemy room.

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Hazards and common mistakes

Releasing the ball too early

If the ball is only slightly underwater, it may not travel far enough or may rise at the wrong angle. Push it down as far as practical before releasing it.

Standing under the launch

The floating objects can strike Link when they rise. Move to the side after positioning one, especially in the final room.

Forgetting the chest

The Strong Construct Bow chest is in the water in the Soldier Construct area, not at the end of the shrine. Search the pool before proceeding.

Losing the floating object

If the ball or board lands somewhere inconvenient, Ultrahand can usually retrieve it. Do not assume that a failed launch requires restarting the shrine.

Jumping before the platform is high enough

Wait until the platform has gained sufficient height, then glide across. A premature jump may leave Link short of the upper ledge.

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Nearby connections

The most relevant neighbouring features are the wider Lanayru Wetlands and the Lanayru Wetlands Chasm. The shrine’s Depths relationship is represented by Uasnoj Lightroot, but reaching or activating that Lightroot is a separate Depths activity rather than part of Jonsau Shrine’s completion.

Nearby named connections

These locations are useful for navigation, but they are not subareas of Jonsau Shrine.

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Nearby named connections

Lore and naming

The shrine’s displayed trial name is Deep Force, an apt description of its mechanics. The trial does not use a traditional combat gauntlet or a complicated Zonai construction. Instead, it focuses on the physical force produced when a buoyant object is released underwater.

As a Shrine of Light, Jonsau Shrine belongs to the shrine system introduced in Tears of the Kingdom. It has no known appearance in the base game’s direct predecessor, Breath of the Wild, and should not be confused with similarly named shrines or locations from other The Legend of Zelda games.

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Sources