How Power Cells Work
You need five power cells total. Collecting them lets you open the ancient bunker beneath All-Mother and claim the Shield-Weaver armor — a suit with a rechargeable energy shield that absorbs damage before your health is touched.
Some power cells can be collected early. Others require story progression or revisiting areas later. Below is the full list in the correct order you can realistically obtain them.
All Horizon Zero Dawn Power Cell Locations (Full List)
| Power Cell | Location | When You Can Get It | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Ruins (Child Aloy) | The underground ruins you visit as a child | Immediately in the prologue | You can return anytime as an adult if missed |
| 2. All-Mother | Inside the mountain after the Proving | After the “The Womb of the Mountain” quest | Easy to miss – small side room near your gear |
| 3. Maker’s End | Top of the Faro skyscraper | During or after “Maker’s End” quest | Climb to the very peak past the final mission marker |
| 4. Grave-Hoard | Inside main story bunker | During “The Grave-Hoard” quest | Behind a locked door past a set of battery puzzles |
| 5. GAIA Prime | Deep inside the ruins | Late-game, after reaching GAIA Prime | Requires careful cliff-side navigation |
1. Power Cell in the Ruins (Child Aloy)
This is the earliest Horizon Zero Dawn power cell location. In the prologue, when Aloy falls into the ruins, you can find it in a side room locked by a metal door. Later, when you return as an adult, the door will be open.
- Fast travel to the Ruins (north of Mother’s Embrace).
- Enter the same cave from the beginning of the game.
- Go to the lower floor and locate the side room with blue light.
- The power cell is on a table in the small chamber.
This one is easy to retrieve later, so don’t worry if you missed it as a child.
2. Power Cell in All-Mother Mountain
You can only get this one after the Proving mission. When Aloy wakes inside the mountain, you recover your gear — but next to that area is a small locked room holding the power cell.
- During “The Womb of the Mountain,” look around after picking up your gear.
- Find a locked metal door with a green-lit panel.
- Follow the hallway opposite that door to a storage chamber.
- The power cell is on the table inside.
Once you leave All-Mother, you cannot reenter until much later in the story, so get it now.
3. Power Cell in Maker’s End
This is one of the most commonly missed Horizon Zero Dawn power cell locations because players leave the mission area too early.
To get it:
- Play through “Maker’s End.”
- After the final cutscene trigger, you’ll be on top of the tower.
- Keep climbing upward. DO NOT fast-travel away.
- There are several grapple points and metal beams to scale.
- At the summit, inside a small wrecked room, grab the power cell.
If you leave the mission area, you can return — but you’ll have to climb the entire tower again.
4. Power Cell in the Grave-Hoard
This one is found naturally during the story, but it’s still possible to overlook.
- Progress through “The Grave-Hoard” main quest.
- Complete the three fuse battery puzzles involving dials and wires.
- After opening the door using all three panels, enter the side room ahead.
- The power cell is on a bench lit with a green glow.
The Grave-Hoard remains accessible later, so you can safely come back if needed.
5. Power Cell in GAIA Prime
The last Horizon Zero Dawn power cell location is available during the late-game mission at GAIA Prime. It’s the hardest to reach because it’s tucked along a cliff route.
- Start the GAIA Prime mission and progress through the main path.
- After the long cutscenes, do not fast-travel away.
- Walk back outside along the broken cliffside path.
- Look for a large rappel point but ignore it.
- Instead, take the small ledge to the left of it.
- Follow the narrow ledge into a hidden ruin room.
- The final power cell is inside.
This area cannot be revisited until extremely late in free-roam, so make sure you find it before leaving.
How to Unlock the Shield-Weaver Armor
Once you have all five power cells, head to the Ancient Armory bunker south of Mother’s Rise.
- Enter the Armory ruins.
- Install the first two power cells to complete the initial puzzle.
- Solve the code wheel puzzle by setting dials according to Old World timestamps:
| Puzzle | Correct Dial Positions |
|---|---|
| First Set | Up – Right – Down – Left – Up |
| Second Set | Right – Up – Left – Down – Right |
After completing both puzzles, place the final three power cells to activate the pod. The armor releases from the chamber, ready for use.
Why the Shield-Weaver Armor Is Worth It
The Shield-Weaver set gives you a rechargeable damage-absorbing shield. Incoming hits reduce the shield first, not Aloy’s health. Once depleted, the shield recharges after a short delay — making it perfect for:
- Fighting Thunderjaws or Stormbirds
- Clearing corrupted zones early
- Surviving mistakes while learning combat timing
It remains one of the strongest armor options even late into the game.
Final Thoughts on Power Cell Locations
The Horizon Zero Dawn power cell locations are scattered across the main story, but once you know where to look, collecting them is painless. The Shield-Weaver armor is absolutely worth the effort — especially for tougher machine fights and late-game missions.
Just remember the key rule: always explore extra rooms after big cutscenes. That’s where most power cells hide.