While exploring Fury Green in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, you’ve probably spotted that mysterious door locked by a Fire Blocker near Base Camp. Behind it lies one of the game’s most elaborate multi-stage puzzles: the Sacred Flame Ceremony. This isn’t your typical lock-and-key situation—you’ll need all three elemental weapons to fully crack this challenge.
Here’s everything you need to know about solving the Sacred Flame puzzle, from lighting those braziers to claiming your Energy Tank reward.
What You’ll Need Before Starting the Sacred Flame Puzzle
Before you can even attempt this puzzle, you’ll need to unlock specific abilities and weapons. The Sacred Flame Ceremony is essentially a late-game puzzle that tests your mastery of Samus’ elemental arsenal.
Required Equipment:
- Fire Shot – Your ticket past the initial Fire Blocker
- Ice Shot – Needed for the Fountain of Tranquility puzzle
- Thunder Shot – Required for the Rods of Transference puzzle
- Psychic Abilities – Essential for manipulating objects throughout
If you haven’t grabbed the Fire Shot yet, you’ll need to progress through Fury Green and Volt Forge first, then collect the Fire Chip from the accessible section of Flare Pool. Check out our Fire Blocker guide for the full breakdown.
Step 1: Entering the Sacred Flame Chamber
Once you’ve got your Fire Shot equipped, head back to that locked door near Base Camp in Fury Green. Blast away the Fire Blocker and step inside. The chamber is immediately impressive—there’s a distinctive purple glow throughout, which is your visual cue that psychic abilities will be key here.
Step 2: The Ring and Brazier Puzzle (Fire Shot Required)
The first challenge involves a clever ring mechanism and three hidden braziers. Here’s how to light them all up:
Finding the Pressure Plate
Head to the center of the large ringed area. You’ll spot a pressure plate on the ground—stand on it to activate the puzzle. Once you’re firmly planted on the plate, you can lock onto the base of the ring structure using your psychic abilities.
Moving the Ring Correctly
This is where things get tricky. The ring doesn’t just move in a simple circle—it travels along a complex track system. You’ll need to move it:
- Back and forth along the horizontal plane
- Up and down to switch between different track levels
Take a moment to scan the ground and study the track layout. Understanding the path beforehand saves a lot of frustrated ring-shuffling later.
Lighting the Braziers
Your goal is to position the ring directly in front of each of the three pointed shell-like objects around the track. When the ring is properly aligned, these shells open up to reveal braziers underneath.
Once a brazier is exposed and the ring is lined up, fire your Fire Shot beam through the ring and into the charcoal. The ring acts as a conduit, amplifying your shot. Repeat this process for all three braziers.
Pro tip: If you’re having trouble with alignment, look for visual indicators on the ground that show when the ring is properly positioned.
Step 3: The Lamorn Statue Reveals Two More Puzzles
Light all three braziers and a massive door opens, revealing an imposing Lamorn statue. But you’re not done yet—this statue is actually the centerpiece of a much larger puzzle.
Facing the statue, you’ll notice two additional chamber doors:
- Left door: Locked with an Ice Blocker (Fountain of Tranquility puzzle)
- Right door: Locked with a Thunder Blocker (Rods of Transference puzzle)
You’ll need to solve both of these elemental puzzles to complete the Sacred Flame Ceremony. Since most players unlock Ice Shot before Thunder Shot, let’s tackle them in that order.
Step 4: Fountain of Tranquility Puzzle (Ice Shot Required)
Grab your Ice Shot and head through the left door. If you need help with Ice Blockers, our Ice Shot guide has you covered.
The Two-Fountain Setup
Inside, you’ll find two fountains, though only the left one is initially active. The water stream is lifting a platform—this is your first jumping point.
Solving the Fountain Puzzle
- Scan the left fountain to locate the Psychic Node at its base
- Before touching the node, shoot an Ice Shot into the water to freeze the platform in place
- Pull the Psychic Node and carry it to the right fountain’s base
- This activates the right fountain, which shoots its platform much higher than the left one
- Quickly freeze the right platform with another Ice Shot
- Make the jump sequence: Left platform → Right platform → Central suspended platform
The timing here can be tight, so don’t panic if it takes a couple of tries. Once you’re on top of the central platform, grab the Shot Expansion waiting for you. A white orb will appear and float toward the Lamorn statue in the main chamber—one puzzle down, one to go.
Step 5: Rods of Transference Puzzle (Thunder Shot Required)
After unlocking your Thunder Shot (usually later in your playthrough), return to the Sacred Flame chamber and tackle the right door.
Understanding the Rod Mechanism
The Rods of Transference chamber features a bizarre central structure surrounded by three manipulable rods. Each rod has two points of articulation:
- Rotation joint: Turns the pointed end toward or away from the center
- Vertical joint: Pulls the entire rod up or down
Solving the Rod Puzzle
- Pull all three rods down as far as they’ll go
- Rotate each pointed rod to face the tip of the central object
- Blast the central tip repeatedly with Thunder Shot beams
- Keep firing until a cutscene triggers
The game wants you to essentially create a lightning rod configuration—all three rods funneling energy toward that central point. When you’ve done it correctly, electricity will crackle through the structure and you’ll be rewarded with another Shot Expansion.
For more tips on mastering Samus’ abilities, check out our beginner’s guide and Psychic Boots tutorial.
Final Reward: Energy Tank at the Lamorn Statue
With all three elemental puzzles complete (Fire, Ice, and Thunder), head back to the imposing Lamorn statue in the main chamber. Approach it and watch as an Energy Tank emerges from the ground at the statue’s feet.
Congratulations—you’ve conquered one of Metroid Prime 4’s most elaborate puzzle sequences! The Energy Tank permanently increases Samus’ maximum health, which you’ll definitely appreciate in the battles ahead.
Additional Resources for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
Looking for more help with your adventure? Check out these guides:
- How to Beat Sylux at Volt Forge
- How to Beat Carvex Boss Fight
- Sanctum of Guardians Guide
- How to Unlock the Motorcycle (Viola)
- Morph Ball Bombs and Psychic Bombs Guide
FAQ: Sacred Flame Ceremony Puzzle
Can I complete the Sacred Flame puzzle before getting all three elemental weapons?
No, you’ll need Fire Shot, Ice Shot, and Thunder Shot to fully complete the Sacred Flame Ceremony. While you can enter the chamber and solve the initial brazier puzzle with just Fire Shot, you won’t be able to access the Fountain of Tranquility or Rods of Transference chambers without Ice and Thunder Shot respectively.
I lit all three braziers but the door won’t open. What am I doing wrong?
Make sure the ring is properly aligned with each brazier before shooting. The ring must be positioned directly in front of the opened shell, and your Fire Shot needs to pass through the ring into the charcoal. Check that you’re standing on the pressure plate while moving the ring, and pay attention to the track system—you may need to adjust the ring’s height as well as its horizontal position.
How do I know which fountain to freeze first in the Fountain of Tranquility puzzle?
Always freeze the left fountain’s platform first (the one that’s already active when you enter). This gives you a stable jumping platform. Then move the Psychic Node to activate the right fountain, freeze that platform quickly, and use both frozen platforms to reach the central suspended platform.
What should I do if I run out of Thunder Shot ammo during the Rods of Transference puzzle?
You won’t run out completely—Thunder Shot uses energy that regenerates over time. If your energy is depleted, just wait a few seconds and it will recharge. Keep firing at the central tip until the cutscene triggers. If nothing’s happening, double-check that all three rods are pulled down fully and rotated to point at the center structure.
