Where to Find the Red Pillars in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (TotK)

The red pillars that you search for in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom are important to progress through the game and are key to improving Link’s abilities. To find these red pillars, of which there are three, you must be on one of the main quests. Check your Adventure Log on your Purah Pad and seek Regional Phenomena, and keep reading to learn where to find the Red Pillars in Tears of the Kingdom.

To Find the Red Pillars in TotK, You’ll Need the Following:

• You must unlock Gerudo Canyon Skyview Tower (makes it easier to navigate around Gerudo Desert)
• Have some heat-resistant meals prepped, if you do not have any heat resistance clothing or armor (the Gerudo Desert has a hot climate and you will lose hearts if you don’t have any of the two)
• Have some cold-resistant meals ready as well, if you do not have any cold-resistance clothing or armor (the distance between the three pillars are far enough for the temperature to fluctuate between extremely hot and extremely cold weather)
• A weapon with a stone attachment
• Have the glider unlocked (helps when searching for the three red pillars)

How to Find the Red Pillars in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

To find the red pillars in Tears of the Kingdom, you must go and speak to Riju, Chief of the Gerudo. Meet her by the mural on the wall in the Gerudo Shelter, as displayed in the image below. The mural is right where all the soldiers were training when you first reached the shelter and deserted town. 

Once you’ve met up with the Chief, there will be a cutscene that plays out, and Chief Riju will read a riddle. The riddle goes: “Standing back-to-back with the throne, witness red pillars across the vast sea. Unite the pillars in light to reveal the lightning stone and lead the way. You who can hear my voice, come to me. I await you.” The riddle gives you all of the information you need to complete the task of finding all of the red pillars.

Let’s get into the details of how to find the red pillars in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

The First Red Pillar (Coordinates -4056, -3149, 0061)

The first section in the riddle, “standing back-to-back with the throne,” is the first clue to where you must go and find the first pillar. The throne is located directly above the Gerudo Shelter, where you first entered the shelter and lifted the lid with the sand seal on it. It’s best to just ascend into the town section above the shelter and make your way to the throne. Stand with your back facing the throne, and you’ll be able to see the first red pillar standing tall in the desert. 

Reach the pillar and ascend to the upper deck of it. You’ll notice a breakable floor. Break the floor using your stone weapon. Once broken, the light will beam from the floor and reflect off the mirror at the top of the pillar, pointing you in the direction of the next one. 

You can choose to ascend to the top of the pillar and glide to the next pillar. Or you could run the distance and follow the light. The ultralight beam is visible using both methods. With the latter method, you’ll run into more enemies.

The Second Red Pillar (Coordinates -4539, -3276, 0033)

Follow the light all the way until you reach the second pillar’s coordinates, as given in the heading above. The difference here is that the second pillar is a lot lower than the first one and must be lifted to the same height to reflect the beam of light to find the third pillar. 

Related: Where is Kakariko Village in Tears of the Kingdom (TOTK)? – Answered

You do this by finding a second platform with a turn dial to push on top of it, close to the second red pillar. It’s quite visible when you ascend to the top of the second pillar. The coordinates of the dial on the second platform are: -4597, -3276, 0046. Turn the dial all the way and watch the second pillar lift further in the air, moving closer to the beam of light. Once it’s positioned perfectly, the light beam will form the shape of a triangle, displaying the direction of the final pillar.

The Third Red Pillar (Coordinates  -4185, -3630, 0061)

Following the light to the third pillar, your job now is to join all three pillars with the beam of light and complete the final part of the riddle: “Unite the pillars in light to reveal the lightning stone and lead the way.” Here you’ll rebuild the dial at the top of the pillar and complete the unification of the light and reveal the lightning stone to get to the next phase of the Regional Phenomena of this region.

Below is an image of how the three pillars are stationed and a general overview of the distance between each of them:

There you have the explanation for how to find the red pillars and unlock the front door to the Lightning Temple. If you haven’t been to Gerudo Town and want to do this segment of the main quest, Regional Phenomena, read Where is Gerudo Town in Tears of the Kingdom to learn its location and how best to get there and start the mission.