Shrines are surprisingly hard to find in Death’s Door. Vitality Crystals are basically the Heart Pieces of Death’s Door, working just like those collectibles in the Legend of Zelda series. You need to find four crystal shards to gain +1 HP. And in Death’s Door, where you can only survive four hits before you’re dead, those extra health points are a lifesaver. Too bad the shrines are ridiculously well hidden. You’ll have to search every corner of every map and solve some weird little puzzles to find them all.
Below, we’ve put together both types of shrines. There are Magic Shrines and Vitality Shrines, and you’ll never know which you’re going to find until you actually open them. If you’re looking for clues to find shrines on your own, you can also visit the Stranded Sailor — he’ll offer you a meal once you reach his boat. He’ll offer hints to help you find all the Shrines, but not necessarily all of them. If you want to upgrade your health and magic before the third Great Soul boss, this is where to find every Shrine.
More Death’s Door guides:
How To Get Every Weapon | How To Complete The Garden of Love Puzzle | Ceramic Manor Dungeon Guide | Inner Furnace Dungeon Guide & Grandma Boss | How To Get Crystal Hints | How To Upgrade The Flame Spell
All Vitality & Magic Crystal Locations | Shrines Guide
Shrines are hidden collectible locations where you’ll find Vitality Crystals or Magic Crystals. All Shrines are well-hidden, and usually require you to return to areas you’ve already explored to find them. There’s only a limited amount of shrines, and you’ll need to find four of each crystal type to upgrade. Finding four Vitality Crystals upgrades your maximum health, while finding four Magic Crystals upgrades your maximum magic charges.
Finding these crystals is absolutely essential, but you won’t be able to upgrade until you’ve unlocked at least the first spell. You won’t be able to actually increase your current magic / health level until at least clearing the second Great Soul. It takes a long time to get enough, but just one extra hit or magic attack is worth it.
Vitality Crystal #1: Lost Cemetery – Reach the long bridge where you first saw the Old Crow reaper, accessing from the Urn Witch / Stranded Sailor entrances. Cross the bridge and ride the lift down. Around the left corner of the elevator, there’s a hidden path to this crystal shard.
Magic Crystal #1: Urn Witch’s Estate – To the left of the entrance to the Ceramic Mansion, go to the gardens. Look carefully to spot a path through the hedges. If you follow it around, you’ll reach the left side of the mansion.
Vitality Crystal #2: Urn Witch’s Estate – Go to the “Garden of Life” area (right side near the Ceramic Mansion entrance) and light all four unlit braziers with the Flame Spell. A bridge will rise up in a cutscene. Go to the island and drop down to get this crystal.
Vitality Crystal #3: Mushroom Dungeon – From the far-left Free Soul room, there’s a cracked wall. Use the Bomb Spell to reach the room with three braziers. Light the top two then the bottom brazier to unlock the gate leading to this shrine.
Magic Crystal #2: Overgrown Ruins – Just north of the Forest Settlement, there’s a ruin passage. Just to the right of the glowing vine / vine bridge, there’s a hidden shrine in plain sight. If you approach it from the right angle, the camera will move to reveal it. To reach it, you need to drop down from the Forest Settlement.
Magic Crystal #3: Lost Cemetery – Go down the stairs from the entrance to the Stranded Sailor. Follow this path down to a cracked stone wall. Blast it open with the Bomb Spell, then defeat the knight inside to gain access to this crystal.
Magic Crystal #4: Ceramic Manor – In the bathroom (in the hallway with the bedroom / dance hall) you’ll find a dead end. You need to break two invisible vases. One is to the left of the bathtub, and the other is on the shelf up the ladder. Smash both and a hidden door will unlock in the bottom-left corner. Just go through the wall!
Vitality Crystal #4: Furnace Observation Rooms – In the room before reaching the Inner Furnace, you’ll reach a square platform with four bulls. Shoot an arrow at the upper-right bull that’s out of reach to make it come to you. Then you can follow the path to this crystal.
Vitality Crystal #5: Camp of the Free Crows – From the Free Crows Camp portal, go to the far left exit of the cavern to find a series of timed pink switch puzzles. Complete all three puzzles by shooting arrows and reaching the platform fast enough to reach this shrine.
Vitality Crystal #6: Stranded Sailor – Left of the Stranded Sailor ship, use the Hookshot to reach an arena from the wooden docks. Defeat the enemies to reach this shrine.
Magic Crystal #5: Forgotten Ruins – Use the Hookshot just to the left of the ski lift platform. There’s a very tough fight with a Poison Giant Knight you’ll have to overcome to reach it.
Magic Crystal #6: Stranded Sailor – Go up toward the entrance of Castle Lockstone. Go to the far right to a tower with a Lord, and break through the ice. Drop down and drop through the sewer grate to reach this crystal.
Vitality Crystal #7: Overgrown Ruins – In the far-back of the Overgrown Ruins, at the very top of the map, you’ll find a bomb plant positioned right above this sewer grate. Drop down from the plant to bust in and lead to this crystal.
Vitality Crystal #8: Lost Cemetery – Return to the Grove of Spirits portal in the Lost Cemetery. To the left, there’s a hookshot anchor you can use that leads you to this hidden crystal.
Magic Crystal #7: Castle Lockstone – From the Main Hall, go through the upper-left door, then up the ladders to the upper-left door leading to one of the burial rooms. Go through this room to reach a room with a locked gate and many anchors. Use the Hookshot, and look on the right wall for a keyhole-shaped hole in the wall. Shoot your hookshot through to find a hidden switch. Use it to lower the gate and access this shrine.
Magic Crystal #8: Flooded Fortress – Start from the entrance to this area from the Mushroom Dungeon. When you reach the winding wooden path, look for a dead end dock facing a stone arch. Shoot an arrow through this arch to make a hidden tile path appear.
