By
Chris Carter
&
Karissa Annis
Updated
Mar 11, 2026, 9:00 PM EDT
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Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents:
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In Resident Evil 4 Remake, while searching for Ashley, Leon realizes he must first obtain the key to the church. Once he does, he is met with a puzzle blocking his way, two statues, and a mural depicting other locations in the lake, which he must solve to get the key. When he looks at it, the map will update to show two locations where Leon must unlock a door.
As one of the best horror games of 2023, Resident Evil 4 Remake is full of complex puzzles, monsters to fight, and many obstacles for Leon Kennedy to overcome. One of these more considerable obstacles involves Leon searching the lake for two puzzles he must solve to unlock the statues' heads to free Ashley. The two locations are on opposite sides of the lake. Leon should not have much trouble crossing the lake after the first time, and he can explore multiple other areas as he searches for the doors.
The puzzles can be completed in any order, but the order below is the path most players will likely take as they wander across the lake.
How To Prepare To Cross The Lake
You'll Need To Hit Two Shrines
There are a fair number of enemies waiting for you, so to help clear the enemies out, stop by the abandoned boat in the center of the lake to get one of the best early weapons in Resident Evil 4 Remake. This video from WoW Quests shows where to find the Red9 that can be fully upgraded to have a power level of 2.7. This will help you clear out the Plagos enemies when the tentacles emerge from their bodies. Remember that a flash grenade will also instantly kill all tentacle enemies.
Remember that there are more merchant requests in this area, and you can use them to unlock weapon upgrades or parts that can make your weapons stronger. This will help you take down the enemies more effectively and waste less time and ammunition. Additionally, ensure your knife and armor are tip-top before you head off.
The first time Leon crosses the lake will end in a fight and will cause Leon some distress. However, after that, the boat is one of the few safe places Leon has access to, and it can be a place to retreat if you find yourself running from a group of enemies. Always know the route back to a boat, and remember that you can always travel back to the Merchant if you need extra health or ammo.
The Large Cave Shrine Door Puzzle Solution
The Plagos Infected The Shrine
The first lake door is across the water from the Merchant’s store. The exact location will be marked on the map. For this one, it is vital to clear the caves of enemies before trying to solve the puzzle. Unfortunately, there are quite a few, many of which will sport the new enemy type with tentacles or Plagos heads. While you can attempt to run past them, there are more enemies in the puzzle zone, and this is not the way you want Leon to die in Resident Evil 4 Remake.
After the area is clear, there are two main ladders. Go up the first one you come to, and find the painted yellow symbols on the cave walls. There are three in total, with the third just past the locked door on the wall next to the second ladder. You may have to angle Leon just right to see the full symbol, as some are broken across multiple walls.
Leon can input these symbols onto the interactive sign next to the locked door. It does not matter what order the symbols are typed in; they just match the painted symbols. For example, the correct symbols are shown in the image above.
For reference, they are:
- The top left symbol (the edges of an egg)
- The top right symbol (a volcano erupting)
- The bottom symbol (two side-by-side DNA strands)
Once they are inputted correctly, the door will open, and Leon can enter and grab the statue's head. Make sure to grab any treasures in the cave in Resident Evil 4 Remake before proceeding back to your boat.
The Small Cave Shrine Door Puzzle Solution
The Peaceful Shrine
The second puzzle is very similar and involves the same mechanics. Go across the lake to the marked northeast location, accessible via a small passage. Fortunately, unlike the last cave, this location has no enemies.
While the shrine is at the end of Leon's path, you will have to go above the room to find the painted symbols. A ladder is available for Leon to use, and everything you need to solve the puzzle is up here.
The second lake door puzzle solution in Resident Evil 4 Remake
There are also several collectibles up here, so be sure to look around and clear the area before you head back down. Enter the correct symbols again, as shown in the image, and collect the Blasphemer’s head.
Those symbols are:
- The middle left symbol (an M shape)
- The bottom left symbol (three waves)
- The bottom right symbol (three DNA symbols)
Once you do, you can return to the Merchant at any time, although you may want to check around for several unique treasures from the lake first.
Do everything you want along the lake before returning to the church. For Leon, this is a point of no return, and you will not visit the lake area again.
Collect any unique treasures, such as finding the Wayshrine key, before heading back to the church. You may also want to complete any Merchant Requests you accepted. However, with both doors solved, Leon can now open the church, continue his mission, and find Ashley in Resident Evil 4 Remake.
Resident Evil 4
Survival Horror
Systems
8/10
Released
March 24, 2023
ESRB
M for Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
Developer(s)
Capcom
Publisher(s)
Capcom
Franchise
Resident Evil
Genre(s)
Survival Horror
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