"The Hidden Purpose of Hyrule's Shrines Revealed by TOTK Director"

The director of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Hidemaro Fujibayashi, revealed in an interview that the Shrines in the game serve a secret purpose of keeping the demons of Hyrule's past at bay. The Shrines were built before the founding of Hyrule to calm down evil beings, and they prevent demons from reappearing. The light swirling from the Shrines is connected to Link's purification and the dehydrated Ganondorf. Hyrule Castle also serves a similar purpose of keeping Ganondorf under wraps. This new information adds depth to the lore of the game.