Key takeaways
- Katoij Lightroot is at 1835, 3181, -0858, on an island in a lava lake.
- It belongs to the Eldin Canyon Depths, not to the Fire Temple, the Scorching Coliseum or the Surface cave containing Jiotak Shrine.
- You need protection from the region’s scorching climate, normally through Flamebreaker equipment or suitable heat-resistant food and elixirs.
- The closest useful reference points are Misisi Lightroot, the Fire Temple, Scorching Coliseum and Katijabis Lightroot.
- Its Surface counterpart is Jiotak Shrine, located inside Isle of Rabac Gallery.
- The Lightroot itself has no known shop, resident, quest-giver, treasure chest or unique boss encounter.
About this guide
Game: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Scope: Base game, Eldin Canyon Depths Type: Lightroot and fast-travel point Coordinates: 1835, 3181, -0858 Surface counterpart: Jiotak Shrine Primary hazard: Scorching climate and lava Spoiler level: Minor regional spoilers, with optional Fire Temple and shrine spoilers
Overview
Katoij Lightroot is a small but easily missed Lightroot in the Eldin Canyon Depths. It stands on a small island within a lava lake, roughly north of Misisi Lightroot, west of the Scorching Coliseum and north-east of the Fire Temple. Its position is particularly easy to overlook because the surrounding darkness makes the island appear to be part of the wider volcanic landscape rather than a separate destination.
Katoij Lightroot does not form a settlement, dungeon or broad explorable region. Its immediate area consists mainly of the Lightroot island and the surrounding lava lake, while several larger Eldin locations lie nearby but remain separate areas. The Lightroot’s most important function is therefore practical: activating it reveals a small section of the Depths map and creates a permanent travel point.
The Lightroot corresponds to Jiotak Shrine on the Surface. As with other Lightroots, its name is the reverse of its associated shrine’s name, with Katoij corresponding to Jiotak.
Location and boundaries
Katoij Lightroot occupies a very narrow area. The named location itself is the Lightroot and the small island immediately supporting it. It should not be treated as another name for the entire lava lake, the Fire Temple approach, or the larger Eldin Canyon Depths.
Nearby but separate
The location’s position is usually described in relation to the Fire Temple and Misisi Lightroot. Player reports consistently place it north of Misisi, west of the Scorching Coliseum and north-east of the Fire Temple. These descriptions are useful because the Lightroot can be difficult to distinguish from the surrounding lava when the Depths map is still dark.
Geography and environment
The Lightroot is set on an isolated island in a volcanic lava lake. This makes it different from many Lightroots that can be reached simply by walking across open ground. The surrounding lava is the principal physical obstacle, and the area is part of Eldin’s scorching climate.
The island is small and does not contain a settlement, mine, ruin complex or large network of passages. Its importance comes from its location rather than from a collection of local activities. Activating the Lightroot illuminates the surrounding Depths and gives Link a convenient warp point for the nearby Fire Temple region, Scorching Coliseum and Eldin exploration routes.
Environmental hazards
A useful distinction is that Flame Guard protects Link from the hot environment, while it does not make ordinary movement through lava safe. To cross the lake, Link still needs an appropriate route, such as a floating platform, a vehicle or another valid traversal method.
Access and routes
There are several practical ways to reach Katoij Lightroot. The best route depends on which Eldin locations have already been activated.
Route from Misisi Lightroot
Misisi Lightroot is the clearest nearby reference point. From Misisi, travel north towards the lava lake and look for the small island containing Katoij Lightroot. This route is useful after the Fire Temple approach has already been explored, but the lava crossing still requires appropriate equipment or a constructed platform.
Route from the Fire Temple area
Katoij Lightroot lies north-east of the Fire Temple. If you are exploring the Fire Temple’s surrounding Depths, travel away from the temple towards the lava lake and search the island north-east of the temple’s position. Activating Katoij can provide a useful alternative warp point once the temple route has been completed or when returning to the Eldin Canyon Depths.
Route using the Surface map
Lightroots correspond to Surface shrines at almost the same horizontal position. The Surface counterpart of Katoij Lightroot is Jiotak Shrine, so marking Jiotak Shrine on the Surface map can help identify Katoij’s approximate position below. The paired names also provide a useful check:
This correspondence is a general Depths-navigation principle rather than a special mechanic unique to Katoij.
Route using the Surface map
Recommended preparation: Before setting out, prepare
- 01Flame Guard, usually from Flamebreaker armour or heat-resistant food and elixirs.
- 02A few Brightbloom Seeds or another light source if approaching through darkness.
- 03A means of crossing lava, such as a platform, raft-like construction or suitable Zonai-device vehicle.
- 04Extra materials if you intend to travel onward towards the Fire Temple or Scorching Coliseum.
Activation walkthrough
The Lightroot becomes a fast-travel destination as soon as it is activated. It also restores visibility across the surrounding map area, although the exact visible boundary depends on the Lightroot’s illumination radius and the existing state of the Depths map.
Activation walkthrough: steps
- 01Enter the Eldin Canyon Depths through a suitable Chasm or travel to an already activated nearby Lightroot.
- 02Equip enough Flame Guard to survive the scorching environment.
- 03Open the Depths map and identify the lava lake north-east of the Fire Temple.
- 04Use Misisi Lightroot, the Fire Temple area or the Surface position of Jiotak Shrine as a navigation reference.
- 05Locate the small island in the lava lake at approximately 1835, 3181, -0858.
- 06Build or use a safe method of crossing the lava.
- 07Step onto the island and examine Katoij Lightroot.
- 08After activation, use the illuminated map to plan routes towards Misisi Lightroot, Katijabis Lightroot, the Fire Temple or the Scorching Coliseum.
Connections to nearby locations
Misisi Lightroot
Misisi Lightroot lies south of Katoij and is one of the most useful navigation points for finding it. The two Lightroots form part of the same Eldin exploration route. Misisi is also associated with the Fire Temple approach and is used during the journey towards that dungeon.
Fire Temple
The Fire Temple lies south-west of Katoij Lightroot. It is a separate major dungeon and should not be included within the Lightroot’s boundaries. Katoij can nevertheless be useful when travelling around the temple’s surrounding lava fields or returning to the area after completing the dungeon.
Scorching Coliseum
The Scorching Coliseum is north or north-west of Katoij depending on the map view and route taken. It is a distinct challenge location, associated with a combat trial and a reward, rather than a feature of Katoij Lightroot itself.
Katijabis Lightroot
Katijabis Lightroot is another nearby Eldin Lightroot, generally reached by travelling east from Katoij. Its similar-looking name can cause confusion, but it is a separate Lightroot with its own map illumination and fast-travel point.
Jiotak Shrine
Jiotak Shrine is directly associated with Katoij Lightroot but exists on the Surface rather than in the Depths. The shrine is inside Isle of Rabac Gallery, in the Eldin Canyon region. It is a Rauru’s Blessing shrine with a treasure chest containing a Magic Staff and a Light of Blessing at the altar.
Named directory
Nearby Depths locations
These entries are deliberately separated. Jiotak Shrine and Isle of Rabac Gallery are connected to Katoij through the Surface-to-Depths correspondence, but they are not physically part of the Lightroot location.
Location itself
Directly associated Surface location
Nearby Depths locations
Jiotak Shrine connection
Katoij Lightroot’s Surface counterpart is one of the more awkward shrines to reach because Jiotak Shrine is not simply standing in the open. It is inside Isle of Rabac Gallery, north-east of YunoboCo headquarters. The cave route involves using minecart tracks and a fan-powered cart, with a track switch that must be activated at the correct point.
The shrine itself is a Rauru’s Blessing shrine:
The cave journey and the shrine are Surface content. They should not be confused with the Depths route to Katoij Lightroot, even though the two locations share a map position and reversed names.
Enemies, bosses and collectibles
No unique enemy, boss, treasure chest or named collectible is specifically documented as part of the immediate Katoij Lightroot island. The nearby Eldin Depths contain enemies and challenge sites, but those should be recorded under their own locations rather than attributed to Katoij Lightroot.
Confirmed rewards associated through the Surface counterpart
The Magic Staff and Light of Blessing belong to Jiotak Shrine, not to the Lightroot itself. Katoij Lightroot’s direct function is exploration and travel.
Confirmed rewards associated through the Surface counterpart
| Reward | Location | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Magic Staff | Jiotak Shrine treasure chest | Fixed |
| Light of Blessing | Jiotak Shrine altar | Fixed |
| Depths map illumination | Katoij Lightroot | Fixed on activation |
| Fast-travel access | Katoij Lightroot | Fixed on activation |
Suggested exploration route
For a practical Eldin Depths sweep, use this order:
This route avoids treating every nearby Eldin landmark as part of Katoij itself while still making efficient use of the Lightroot’s position.
Suggested exploration route: steps
- 01Activate Misisi Lightroot if it is still dark.
- 02Travel north-east across the lava area towards Katoij Lightroot.
- 03Activate Katoij and use it as the central travel point for the surrounding area.
- 04Continue east towards Katijabis Lightroot.
- 05Detour north-west to investigate the Scorching Coliseum if you have sufficient health, armour and healing supplies.
- 06Return to Katoij and travel south-west towards the Fire Temple if that dungeon remains incomplete.
- 07On the Surface, enter Isle of Rabac Gallery separately to complete Jiotak Shrine.
Practical checklist
Before leaving the area, check that you have:
Sources
- Katoij Lightroot - Zelda Wiki — zeldawiki.wiki
- Jiotak Shrine - Zelda Dungeon Wiki, a The Legend of Zelda wiki — zeldadungeon.net
- Hyrule Depths Map and Guide | Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (TotK)｜Game8 — game8.co
- Meeting Yunobo and Finding the Fire Temple - Zelda Universe — zeldauniverse.net