Throughout your playthrough of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, you’ll acquire eight different abilities that allow you to explore the kingdom of Hyrule and take on various enemies and Shrines. Added to your Abilities wheel as you unlock them, these abilities include:
- Ultrahand
- Fuse
- Ascend
- Recall
- Fast Map
- Camera
- Autobuild
- Amiibo
Of course, some abilities like the Camera are strictly utilitarian, but each is unlocked by making progress in the main story. The only exception here is Amiibo, which appears in your Abilities wheel from the start of the game. Here’s how and where to unlock each ability in Tears of the Kingdom.
How to Unlock Ultrahand in TotK
Link’s Ultrahand ability is unlocked when you enter the Ukouh Shrine on Great Sky Island. This is the first Shrine you’ll be able to complete in Tears of the Kingdom, and you’ll need the help of Link’s new ability to do it.
If you’re like me, then mastering Ultrahand will likely begin with a trial-and-error phase in which you create some remarkably useless inventions. To successfully solve the Shrine, use Ultrahand to create bridges and pulleys throughout.
How to Unlock Fuse in TotK
Fuse is the second ability you’ll unlock in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, obtained by entering the In-isa Shrine on Great Sky Island. You’ll need to make use of Link’s Ultrahand ability to get there, so don’t forget what you learned at the last Shrine.
Upon entering, you’ll be granted the Fuse ability from Rauru. Fuse the sword and arrows you find inside with other materials scattered about the Shrine to solve it — and don’t light yourself on fire with the Fire Fruit Arrows like I did.
How to Unlock Ascend in TotK
You’ll unlock the Ascend ability at the third and, in my experience, easiest Shrine on Great Sky Island. While the first two prompted you to get creative with Link’s new abilities, the Gutanbac Shrine simply requires the timed application of Ascend to reach different rooms.
Getting to this Shrine can be tough if you’re not prepared to withstand the freezing temperatures, so take any opportunity you can to whip up a meal with spicy peppers along the way.
How to Unlock Recall in TotK
Unlocking Link’s fourth ability, Recall, is a bit different than getting his other abilities.
Zelda will grant Link the Recall ability at the Temple of Time, but it’s not enough to open the door. Instead, Link will need to complete one last Shrine: the Nachoyah Shrine in the Room of Awakening on Great Sky Island. Solving the puzzles here will require you to time the use of Recall appropriately. To finish it off, you’ll need to sync the two hands on a clock that controls a door to its exit.
How to Unlock the Fast Map in TotK
To unlock the Fast Map in Tears of the Kingdom, you’ll need to complete the first three Shrines on Great Sky Island. This means you should have Ultrahand, Fuse, and Ascend as well as three Lights of Blessing. Upon completion, Rauru will show you how to fast travel between Shrines via the map on your Purah Pad.
How to Unlock the Camera in TotK
In order to unlock the Camera in Tears of the Kingdom, you’ll first need to complete the tutorial stage on Great Sky Island and get started on the main story on Hyrule’s surface. The Camera will be added to your Abilities wheel when you meet Robbie in Lookout Landing and complete his quest entitled Camera Work in the Depths.
How to Unlock Autobuild in TotK
Once you have access to the Depths in Tears of the Kingdom, you can unlock Autobuild by completing a tutorial set forth by a Researcher and a Construct in the Great Abandoned Central Mine. Once you have the ability, Autobuild will essentially enable you to build anything you’ve built before on command. You’ll just need to select the device from your history at the cost of some Zonaite.
With Link’s complete set of abilities, you can explore the kingdom of Hyrule to a much greater degree and get your hands on collectibles and armor sets. Not to mention, you’ll be able to take on a long list of enemies and quests. For more on Link’s TotK abilities and Shrines, check out our The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom hub.
