Want better weapons?

Did you know that weapons in shrine chests can be upgraded as you progress through Breath of the Wild? Online guides identify which specific weapons are found in shrine chests, but if you visit the shrine later in the game you may find much more powerful weapons than you expected!



My Experience

Early in the game I would often leave a weapon in a chest after completing a shrine. Why? Because taking it would have meant dropping a more powerful or useful weapon from my inventory. I did this in Ja Baij shrine on the Central Plateau which is usually visited early in the game: in fact, it’s one of four shrines that must be completed in order to leave the plateau and it’s a key step in acquiring and learning how to use the bomb runes.

According to guides, this shrine has a hidden chest which when opened provides a Traveler’s Sword – this weapon has an attack rating of just 5 but is a very useful addition to Link’s inventory early on in the game.

However, assume you don’t find the chest or don’t choose to take the sword when you complete the shrine. If you return later in the game you may find a much more powerful weapon. I tested this by returning to the shrine after completing two divine beasts and opening the chest – check out what I found:

Yes, a Royal Claymore with an attack rating of 52 – that’s 10 times as powerful as the original Traveler’s Sword!

How can you use this?

Go back to your map and check for shrines which do not have a small chest icon to the right of the name. There is at least one chest in each of those shrines which still has treasure.



The small chest icon next to the name shows that you have collected from all chests in the shrine.



No chest icon next to the name shows that there is at least one chest you haven’t collected from.

So: even if you found and opened a chest when originally completing a shrine, but closed it without taking the treasure, it will still be waiting for you and (if it’s a weapon) might now be much more powerful.

Have fun revisiting all those shrines which still have treasure waiting for you – and upgrade your weapons!