Akkala is the corner of Breath of the Wild that most players fly through for one reason: Robbie’s lab and its Ancient Arrows. That’s a mistake. The northeast of Hyrule also holds a town you build from scratch, a Great Fairy, eight shrines, a labyrinth island and a lake shaped like a skull. Here’s the region broken down into what matters, in the order that makes the most sense.
Akkala at a Glance
Akkala sits in the far northeast, with the Eldin mountains to the west and the Akkala Sea to the east. It’s autumn all year here, which makes it one of the prettiest regions in the game and one of the easiest to get lost in.
| Location | What’s there | Why go |
|---|---|---|
| Akkala Tower | Sheikah Tower inside the Akkala Citadel Ruins | Fills in the region map |
| Akkala Ancient Tech Lab | Robbie, Jerrin and the Ancient Oven | Ancient Arrows and Ancient Soldier Gear |
| Tarrey Town | Hudson’s town on the island in Lake Akkala | Shops, side quests, three Diamonds |
| Mija’s Great Fairy Fountain | South of Tarrey Town, at the edge of Lake Akkala | Armor upgrades |
| East and South Akkala Stables | Two stables with shrines nearby | Fast travel, Shrine Quest leads |
| Lomei Labyrinth Island | A walled maze in the northern Akkala Sea | Tu Ka’loh Shrine, Barbarian Helm |
| Skull Lake | A lake shaped like a skull in Deep Akkala | Zuna Kai Shrine on the eastern eye |
| Torin Wetland | Marsh patrolled by two Guardian Stalkers | Hagie’s side quest |
Step 1: Activate Akkala Tower
Akkala Tower juts out of the middle of the Akkala Citadel Ruins, and the ground around it is flooded with Malice. Destroy the glowing eyeball next to the tower and the Malice holding a metal slab on the north side lets go, so you can use the slab as a bridge across.
The Tech: the top of the tower is freezing. Bring at least one piece of cold resistance, or a warm meal, before you climb. The ruins are also full of Guardian wreckage and live threats, so don’t linger in the open.
Step 2: Light Robbie’s Furnace
The Akkala Ancient Tech Lab is Robbie and Jerrin’s workshop. The Ancient Oven inside is dead until you bring it a blue flame from the Ancient Furnace on top of Tumlea Heights. Carry it back with a torch and light the furnace outside the lab. Rain is common in Akkala, so Blue Flame pedestals line the path: relight them as you go and a sudden shower won’t cost you the whole trip.
- Reward: Robbie hands you three Ancient Arrows.
- Long-term payoff: the Ancient Oven crafts Ancient Arrows and Ancient Soldier Gear, paid for with Guardian parts and Rupees.
- Bonus: lighting the outside furnace also activates the lab’s Travel Gate.
- Shrine lead: talk to Jerrin to start The Skull’s Eye, the quest for Zuna Kai Shrine.
For the tech nerds: Ancient Arrows are expensive, so save them for Guardians and the biggest threats. Firing them at Bokoblins is how you go broke in Akkala.
Step 3: Build Tarrey Town
This is the best side quest chain in the region. Buy your house in Hateno Village first, then talk to Hudson: Bolson Construction transfers him to Akkala. You’ll find him on the rocky island in the middle of Lake Akkala, starting “From the Ground Up”.
Hudson needs wood and workers, and every recruit’s name has to end in “son”. Company policy. The devs clearly had fun with this one.
| Stage | Request | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 bundles of wood | Chop any trees |
| 2 | A Goron with brute strength | Greyson, Southern Mine in Eldin Canyon |
| 3 | 20 bundles of wood, then a tailor | Rhondson, Kara Kara Bazaar |
| 4 | 30 bundles of wood, then a shopkeeper | Fyson, Rito Village |
| 5 | 50 bundles of wood, then a priest | Kapson, Zora’s Domain |
| 6 | Wedding guests | Bolson and Karson, Hateno Village |
Finish the wedding and Hudson gives you three Diamonds. The town also gains Ore and More (run by Greyson’s brother Pelison), the Rhondson Armor Boutique and a Slippery Falcon branch run by Fyson.
Tarrey Town Follow-Up Quests
- Hobbies of the Rich: Hagie pays you to destroy the two Guardian Stalkers in Torin Wetland. Spoiler: the down payment is bigger than the final payment.
- A Parent’s Love: eavesdrop on Ruli and Hagie through their window, then bring Ruli a Monster Cake for their daughter Hunnie. Reward: a Gold Rupee.
Step 4: Wake Up Mija
Mija’s Great Fairy Fountain sits south of Tarrey Town, near the edge of Lake Akkala. Her price depends on how many Great Fairies you’ve already paid: the first costs 100 Rupees, then 500, 1,000 and 10,000 for the fourth. The numbers are wild, so open Mija early if she’s your first fairy.
Step 5: Clear the Shrines
Akkala has eight shrines, and four of them hide behind Shrine Quests: Into the Vortex (Ritaag Zumo on Rist Peninsula), Trial of the Labyrinth (Tu Ka’loh on Lomei Labyrinth Island), The Spring of Power (Tutsuwa Nima, which needs a scale from Dinraal) and The Skull’s Eye (Zuna Kai). Our Akkala shrines guide has every location and solution, and the Akkala Korok seeds guide covers the roughly 57 seeds you’ll pass on the way.
Exploit Alert: Skywatchers patrol Ordorac Quarry on Akkala’s southern edge. Stay under cover or knock them down with arrows before you start mining the ore deposits there.
Akkala FAQ
How do I unlock Akkala Tower in BOTW?
Destroy the glowing eyeball beside the tower to free a metal slab on the north side, then use it to cross the Malice. Bring cold resistance for the top.
Where does the blue flame for Robbie’s lab come from?
The Ancient Furnace on top of Tumlea Heights. Carry it back with a torch and light the furnace outside the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab.
How do you start Tarrey Town?
Buy Link’s House in Hateno Village, then talk to Hudson. He moves to Lake Akkala and starts the “From the Ground Up” quest.
What is the reward for finishing Tarrey Town?
Hudson gives you three Diamonds after the wedding, and the town’s shops stay open for the rest of the game.
Patched? Nope, Akkala’s content is the same on Switch and in the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, where the Zelda Notes app can even guide you toward Koroks and shrines here. Light the furnace, build the town, wake the fairy, and Akkala turns from a pit stop into one of the most rewarding corners of Hyrule. For more, head back to our Breath of the Wild hub.
