You’ll need to solve the red pillars puzzle in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom to open the way to the lightning stone. The clue you get about finding the location of the red pillars is to stand back-to-back with the Gerudo throne. Each pillar has a small task you must perform to activate it, and once you’ve activated and aligned the lights in all three, you’ll complete the Riju of Gerudo Town quest.
How to find the red pillar locations in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
You get one clue to find the red pillar locations in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. At the beginning of the Riju of Gerudo Town, the leader takes you into the shelter and reads you a passage from an ancient mural:
“Standing back-to-back with the throne, witness red pillars across a vast sea.
Unite the pillars in light to reveal the lightning stone and open the way.
You who can hear my voice come to me.
I await you.”
The confusing part of this clue is that you’ll only see one pillar in the distance when you stand back-to-back with the throne (really more like standing back-to-back with the sand seal statue). Since the passage says “pillars,” you might think you’re not looking at the right thing. Don’t worry, you are. Just head toward the column you see in the distance; everything will make sense.
Red Pillar #1
When you get to the first red pillar in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, you’ll notice a sliver of light shining out of the base. Unfortunately, the spotlight is covered in rock, but you can quickly bash it off. It’ll then light the way to the second pillar.
Red Pillar #2
Follow the light from the first pillar to the second. Once there, use Ascend to get to the top of the tower. Then, use the lever to turn the tower until the light lines up with the third pillar.
Red Pillar #3
When you reach the third pillar, break open the rocks. Connect the two Zonai Stabilizers to the slabs, and make sure to stick at least one of the four handles scattered around to it. You’ll need to climb up and drag the slabs behind you. Once you reach the top of the pillar, connect the handle to the central device so you can turn it. Now, you can raise the pillar until it aligns with the third one.
Once the beams of light connect all three red pillars, you’ll reveal the lightning stone. Now, you can meet up with Riju there, and the way to the next dungeon in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will be revealed.
