Zelda Echoes of Wisdom: Eldin, Faron and Lanayru Temple order

Should you do the Eldin, Faron or Lanayru Temple first in Zelda Echoes of Wisdom?

Before we properly get into matters, it's important to remember, just like when deciding between the Gerudo and Zora dungeons, you must complete all three of these temples to progress in Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. Sure this may seem to rob your decision over which temple to tackle first of its importance, but there's still some factors you should consider first.

For these reasons, which we cover below, we recommend completing the Eldin Temple first along with 'The Rift on Eldin Volcano' main quest. Your second should then be the Faron Temple, making the Lanayru Temple the last one you visit.

The main reason why we make this recommendation is that, in this order, the Echoes you collect will always help you in the next region you visit. Eldin Volcano is home to a selection of fire-based Echoes, such as the Lava Rock. These flaming companions are great at dealing with both the plant-based foes in the Faron Wetlands and the icey ones on the Hebra Mountain. They can also be quite useful in keeping Zelda warm when climbing the cold Hebra wastes.

With that said, you're probably wondering why you can't jump straight to the Lanayru Temple? Well the Faron Wetlands contain a variety of Echoes with electric attack, such as Buzz Blob, which are quite good against the water-based Echoes you'll encounter in the 'Rift on Holy Mount Lanayru' main quest. (It's all starting to sound a little Pokémony isn't it?)

Taking our suggested route through this stage of Echoes of Wisdom therefore means you're always prepared for the elemental challenges the game throws at you. Whether it be a new enemy to defeat or the weather itself.

Outside of Echoes, the Eldin Temple also contains the Bombs for the Swordfighter Form. Admittedly, these are rather redundant since you should have the Bombfish Echo at this point, but always remember that you can't create Echoes when inhabiting the Swordfighter Form. Due to this, having the Bombs not only allows you to hit enemies with a good amount of damage, but can continue to blow up obstacles even in Zelda's Link cosplay.

It's also important to note that the Eldin Temple's main questline, 'The Rift on Eldin Volcano', is the longest of the three, because it's the only one which involves completing two additional main quests like 'A Rift in the Gerudo Desert' and 'The Jabul Waters Rift'. Faron doesn't involve completing any additional main quests, but you still have to spend a good amount of time helping the local Deku Scrub populace. Lanayru Temple has the shortest build up, but you will most likely find it to be the longest and most complex dungeon in the game. For this reason, it's, again, another good reason to leave it for last as it will ensure you'll enter it after growing Zelda's strength in the past two temples.

Finally, you can also make your decision on which Zelda race you like the best. The rock eating Gorons are, of course, making their home on the Eldin Volcano mountainside. The Faron Wetlands, meanwhile, are home to the Deku Scrubs who make their first major civilisation appearance since Majora's Mask. (Though without the banging Deku Palace theme.) I won't spoil who you'll meet up amongst the snowy Hebra peaks, but I will say it's a nice surprise for longtime Zelda fans.

Remember - if you get stuck on a temple, you're always free to jump to another and try your luck there. It might also be worth spending some time improving Zelda and her abilities by hunting down new Heart Pieces, Echoes, Might Crystals, a Fairy Bottle or by completing some side quests.

Best of luck in all three temples and, if you'd like some more help, make sure you visit our Gerudo Sanctum walkthrough. If you're about to head off to that dungeon soon, our guide on how to reach the chest behind the wall should come in handy also.