• Guide

Riju of Gerudo Town Quest - Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

A complete walkthrough of the Riju of Gerudo Town including defeating the Gibdos, using Riju's lightning, and more in Tears of the Kingdom.

Sam Chandler

June 20, 2023 1:45 AM

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Riju of Gerudo Town is another one of the main quests tied to the Regional Phenomena quest Purah gives Link at the start of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. This quest has Link travel deep into the Gerudo desert to help out Riju, defeat some Gibdos, and discover the Lightning Temple.

Before starting on Riju of Gerudo Town, it’s worth doing the other three regions first. This quest can be quite tough and Tulin’s ability makes navigating the desert a breeze.

Riju of Gerudo Town

Riju of Gerudo Town is the Gerudo region part of the Regional Phenomena Main Quest. Reaching Gerudo Town could be a bit of a chore given the sandstorm that is currently plaguing the area. To reach the waypoint easily, head into the desert and start moving toward the southwest corner. If you lose track of the direction you’re going, jump into the whirlwinds and use glide to soar above the static and reveal the map.

Once you reach the town, remember to unlock the Soryotanog Shrine on top of Gerudo Town. Head inside the building and look for the open room with the statue that is slightly skewed. Use Ultrahand to lift the statue and drop down the hole it was covering.

Speak with Buliara to learn about what’s going on in the desert and the whereabouts of Riju. Now head out to find here at the North Gerudo Ruins.

North Gerudo Ruins

Head to the North Gerudo Ruins and help Riju with her training. Stand in the area-of-effect and use arrows to hit the target. Wait for the circle to expand until it reaches the target. The further away the target is, the longer you will need to wait for the circle to expand to reach it. With the training finished, you’ll need to head to Kara Kara Bazaar. You can use the Mayatat Shrine to get there quickly.

Kara Kara Bazaar

When you get to Kara Kara Bazaar, Link will find it under attack by Gibdos. Use a bow and arrow to attack the enemies whenever they are within Riju’s area-of-effect, doing so will cause them to be struck by lightning. Keep defeating them until Riju points out the mushroom. When you’re able to, attack the mushroom with a lightning attack to destroy it and halt the assault. Now you will need to fall back to the Gerudo Town.

Gerudo Town defense

Speak with Riju to learn about the officers who you can speak with to assign troops and defences. The one to the east can place a single barricade while the one to the west controls three groups of troops. Choose where you want the barricade and where to send the spear troops, sword troops, and cannoneer.

Set them up however you choose, but it’s a good idea to spread them among the three gates. When it comes to defending, get outside the walls and try to destroy the mushrooms as quickly as possible. Once they’re gone, clear out the remaining Gibdos.

Mural riddle

After defending the town, meet Riju in the underground area. She will be at a mural reading a riddle. The riddle says:

Standing back-to-back with the throne, witness red pillars across a vast sea. Unite the pillars in light to reveal the lightning stone and open the way. You who can hear my voice, come to me. I await you.

Go on top of the Gerudo Town and look out toward the south to spot a tower. Make your way to it, climb onto the first floor, and smash the center to reveal light. The beam of light will hit the mirror at the top and shine out into the desert.

Follow the direction of the light to find another tower. You can use the whirlwinds and Tulin’s ability to reach it quickly and safely. At the second tower, look for a nearby structure to the north and climb it. On top will be a dial to push to raise the main tower. Push the dial until the main tower is as high as it goes, which will see the mirror intercept the beam of light.

Follow this new beam of light to find a third tower. Climb to the main floor to find a bunch of sticks and floating Zonai platforms. Get the sticks to the top of the tower and use one to form another dial. Use it to rotate the mirror until the beam of light shines back at the first tower.

The light will reveal a platform and relic right in the middle of the triangle. Travel to the center to meet Riju. Use her ability on the relic to reveal the Lightning Temple. Now all that’s left to do is clear out the temple and defeat the boss. Check out our Lightning Temple guide for a complete walkthrough of the dungeon and a breakdown of the boss fights. With that cleared, you might be ready to actually finish Regional Phenomena. Swing by our Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Strategy Guide for more help with Main Quests, Side Adventures, Shrines, and more.

Sam Chandler

Guides Editor

Hailing from the land down under, Sam Chandler brings a bit of the southern hemisphere flair to his work. After bouncing round a few universities, securing a bachelor degree, and entering the video game industry, he's found his new family here at Shacknews as a Guides Editor. There's nothing he loves more than crafting a guide that will help someone. If you need help with a guide, or notice something not quite right, you can message him on X: @SamuelChandler