Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

This guide to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's Riju of Gerudo Town quest details the solution to the red pillar mural riddle and more.

Riju of Gerudo Town is a main quest in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom that players can initiate by sneaking into the Gerudo Shelter at coordinates -3876, -2957, 0033. To complete this quest, fans must solve puzzles, defend a town, and overcome the Lightning Temple, and there are several points at which players may get stuck. For those fans that are indeed having some trouble with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's Riju of Gerudo Town main quest, this complete walkthrough is here to help.

To note, it is recommended that players pick up some pieces of Tears of the Kingdom's Desert Voe Armor before going very far into this main quest. While it is certainly possible to complete Riju of Gerudo Town without that gear, the Heat Resistance that it provides is very helpful in certain sections.

The quest's first objective is to locate Chief Riju, and she is said to be training in the North Gerudo Ruins. These ruins are situated at coordinates -3769, -2646, 0032, just north of Gerudo Town, and players should approach Riju upon arrival.

To note, there is an air current at coordinates -3768, -2774, 0038 that TotK players can use to get above the sand storm. While it is not requisite that fans take advantage of this current, it does make traveling to the North Gerudo Ruins less onerous.

Upon locating Riju, players must address a brief tutorial that centers around her lightning strike ability. To complete this tutorial, fans should simply wait for the yellow orb that slowly emanates from the Gerudo to reach the designated targets and then shoot at the targets with an arrow in Tears of the Kingdom.

Players must now travel to Kara Kara Bazaar, which is located at coordinates -3181, -2550, 0027 to the east of the North Gerudo Ruins. For those fans that may be struggling to orient themselves toward the Bazaar, using an air current to get above the storm is good option. Indeed, this action will allow players to temporarily view their TotK maps and confirm that they are traveling in the right direction.

The Kara Kara Bazaar is under attack, and players must now defend it alongside Riju. This task serves to provide additional practice with the Gerudo's lightning strike ability, and players should simply wait for her yellow orb to envelop the advancing groups of Gibdos and then shoot arrows at them. Fans must also use a lightning strike on the purple orb that is attached to the Gibdo hive to fully resolve this quest step.

It is now time for players to return to Gerudo Town, which is southwest of Kara Kara Bazaar. Again, fans are advised to take advantage of the air currents that they encounter as they pass through the sand storm, as they make staying on track much easier.

Upon arriving in Gerudo Town, players should speak with Riju at coordinates -3682, -2941, 0050. The Gerudo will hear a voice during this conversation, though there are pressing matters that must be addressed before that voice can be pursued.

The matter at hand is defending Gerudo Town against a Gibdo assault, and players can speak with Riju and Buliara in the throne room at coordinates -3888, -2964, 0051 to get things started. During these conversations, fans will learn about Captain Teake, and they can speak with her in the yard to the west of the throne room to assign forces to specific gates. Players may also want to visit the yard on the other side, as there are many items, rupees, and Zonai devices to be obtained there.

Once fans are satisfied with their preparations, they should tell Riju in order to begin the defense of Gerudo Town. This sequence plays out very much like the defense of Kara Kara Bazaar, though players will need to use lightning strike to destroy multiple Gibdo hives this time around. Fans will also need to be on the lookout for enemies that get past the town's defenses, as allowing Riju to take too much damage will result in a fail state.

With the Gibdo assault repelled, Riju will indicate that she would like TotK's Link to see a mural in the underground shelter. For full clarity, this shelter is directly underneath the throne room, and players can enter it by speaking with the guard at coordinates -3869, -2948, 0033.

Speaking with Riju at the mural will start a puzzle that tasks players with locating "red pillars across a vast sea." Furthermore, fans are to "unite the pillars in light to reveal the lightning stone and open the way," and here is step-by-step walkthrough of how all of this is done:

Players will now be standing in front of the Lightning Temple, a dungeon that is filled with puzzles and difficult battles. If a fan finds themselves stuck as they work through these challenges, this complete walkthrough of Tears of the Kingdom's Lightning Temple should prove to be helpful. Once players reach the end of that guide, they will be back in Gerudo Town, and that marks the end of the Riju of Gerudo Town main quest.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available for the Nintendo Switch.

William Parks is an editor at Game Rant with a background in visual arts. Upon graduating from the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts, William entered the realm of fine arts administration, assisting curators, artists, and fine art professionals with the realization of contemporary art exhibitions. All the while, William's passion for games remained.William's first console was the NES, but when he was eight, it was The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening on Game Boy that fully cemented his interest in the format. This interest reached a height with MMORPGs like Asheron's Call 2, Star Wars Galaxies, and World of Warcraft, on which William spent considerable time up until college.Now, William enjoys playing Super Mario Maker 2 on the Switch with his daughter and finding time to sneak in the newest From Software game when possible. So too, an interest in Magic: The Gathering has persisted since William's youth, and he can frequently be found watching Magic streams on Twitch and reading over the latest set spoilers.