The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom brings back some mechanics from BOTW, such as runes which are now called abilities. This page will take you through the necessary steps to unlocking them all.

What are Abilities in Tears of The Kingdom?¶

There are a total of five abilities in the game and they are called the following: Ascend, Ultrahand, Recall, Camera, Auto-Build and each one gives you a unique way to play through the game. You’ll notice that for the first few hours of your adventure you’ll come across puzzles you can’t complete or you’ll find certain areas of the map you cant reach without certain abilities. Thankfully, you’ll naturally unlock these by completing Side Quests, Completing Shrines and defeating bosses when exploring Hyrule.

What Does Ultrahand Do in Tears of The Kingdom?¶

Ultrahand is the very first ability you’ll get in Tears of The Kingdom and it allows you to attach items together as well move objects around. For example you can use it to attach a fan to a cart, so you can ride the tracks. Additionally, you can use Ultrahand to pull chests out of the ground/water.

What Does Fuse Do in Tears of The Kingdom?¶

Fuse is the second ability you’ll get in Tears of The Kingdom and it allows you to combine items and equipment which will make them stronger. For example you can combine Fire Fruit with your arrows to make them deal fire damage which is useful against enemies such as Moblins.

What Does Ascend Do in Tears of The Kingdom¶

Ascend is the third and final ability you’ll unlock during the prologue which takes place on the Great Sky Island and it allows you to jump up and pass through surfaces which are above you. This will be required to complete certain tower puzzles and will be useful for getting up mountains quickly.

What Does Recall Do in Tears of The Kingdom¶

Recall is the fourth ability you should get in Tears of The Kingdom and it allows you to rewind time which will be a mechanic that you’ll use a lot, as you’ll come across platforms falling from the sky. If you hop on them and use the Recall ability, then it’ll take you up into the islands in the sky. Additionally, you’ll come across lots of puzzles in shrines which will require you to rewind time.

What Does The Camera Do in Tears of The Kingdom¶

The Camera is an ability you’ll get during a Main Quest that takes place on the Hyrule Surface and it allows you to scan materials, creatures, enemies, items and equipment. This is useful to get as soon as possible, as you can use it to see enemy weaknesses, item drops and more. You can read our full guide to getting and using the camera here.

What Does Auto-Build Do in Tears of The Kingdom¶

As you’re exploring Hyrule you’ll be required to build a lot of structures, such as vehicles, carts, rafts and more. However, these can be tricky to build without a blueprint. Thankfully, you can unlock the ability Auto-Build which will build the structure for you if you have the required blueprint/items available.

You can find a full guide on how to obtain the Autobuild ability right here.

How to Unlock Ultrahand, Fuse, Ascend and Recall in Tears of The Kingdom¶

Ascend, Fuse, Ultrahand and Recall are the first four abilities you’ll get in the game as you’re required to get them as a part of the prologue on the Great Sky Island. You’ll unlock these by completing the shrines on the island, as the Ukouh Shrine will give you access to Ultrahand, In-isa Shrine will give you access to Fuse, Gutanbac Shrine will give you access to Ascend and the Temple of Time will reward you with Recall when you’ve completed the objective. If you’re struggling to find them then you’ll want to check out the pages below:

• Where to Find The First Shrine in The Great Sky Island
• Where to Find The In-isa Shrine in The Great Sky Island
• Where to Find The Gutanbac Shrine in The Great Sky Island

How to Unlock The Camera in Tears of The Kingdom¶

Once you’ve landed on the Hyrule Surface you’ll want to progress through the main quest until you’ve learnt how to use towers, then you will want to speak with Robbie to unlock “Camera Work In The Depths” which is another main quest. From here, you’ll want to jump into the Hyrule Field Chasms (The Depths) and progress through the quest until you find Robbie, then you’ll be given access to the camera ability.

How to Unlock Autobuild in Tears of The Kingdom¶

Once you’ve landed on the Hyrule Surface you’ll want to make your way over to the Great Plateau North Chasm which is located to the south of Lookout Landing and drop down into the Depths. You’ll now want to speak with the Researcher who can be found to the south of the Nogukoyk Lightroot. Here you’ll be given access to Autobuild and he’ll teach you how to use it. You can read our full guide to How to Get Autobuild in Tears of the Kingdom right here.