The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess - WII/Walkthrough
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Twilight Princess | Cheats | Walkthrough | Quick Strategies | Sidequests | Heart Pieces
NOTE: If you are playing this game for the GameCube instead of the Wii version, reverse the left/right and west/east directions.
Ordon Village
This iteration of the trials of tribulations of the green-attired one begins with Link being tasked to deliver an important package to the royal family of Hyrule. Before you can rush off on your adventure, though, you'll have to do some chores around town. Namely, herding goats into their pen.
Goat Herding
In order to do that, though, you'll have to find your horse, Epona. She's at the lake, which can be found along the only other path leading away from your tree hut. Jog on over there to find the young Ilia, who asks you to play a song for her. Grab one of the cattail-looking reeds growing nearby and blow into it to play Epona's song; for future reference, you can call Epona to your side by blowing into this grass wherever you are in the world.
With Epona saddled up and ready to go, ride her back to the village and up the road leading to the farm. You'll be instructed to usher the goats into the ban as fast as you can, an easy task by all means. Just ride around behind the goats while moving toward the open barn door, occasionally pressing the A button to give a shout and get the goats moving faster. When they're all in, you'll be given some fences to jump, which is accomplished simply by heading straight at the fence and hitting the A button to give Epona a burst of speed. When you're comfortable with the controls, hop over the gate to return to the village and turn in for the night.
Helping the Villagers
The next day you'll hear that a kid named Colin made a fishing pole for you, that his mom has it for the moment, and that there's a slingshot on sale at the village shop for 30 rupees. Rupees are easily acquired simply by turning over rocks or throwing pumpkins around (how they got inside such things is not for us to ponder). In any case, head into the village and start talking to everyone. It seems every one's got something they need help with. The shop owner is depressed that her cat is missing and won't sell you anything until it returns. Colin's mother has lost her baby basket downstream somewhere. And the shopkeeper's husband is upset about a beehive in a tree above his house.
Let's start with the baby basket. Go speak to Colin's mom (her house is on the left side of the village as you head through from Link's house), then go to the center of town, where a man is standing on a pillar. He'll teach you about Z-Targeting, as well as blowing into reeds. Hop across the pillars to the roof of the house, then keep hopping across more pillars until you've reach the last one. Pick a reed there and blow into it to call an eagle to your side. Aim the target at the monkey with the basket in the distance and let her fly! The basket will be brought back to you, so carry it back to Colin's mom, who'll thank you by handing over the Fishing Pole (which she should have just given to you in the first place, since it wasn't hers to begin with).
Next up is the shop owner's cat. It's easily found by the dock across the stream from the entrance to town, but you won't be able to coax it back home without providing it a meal. Head over to that dock, whip your new fishing pole, then cast it into the water, which happens to be teeming with fish. Let the lure right itself, then wait for it to sink halfway off the screen. When that happens, reel the fish in (if using the Wii Remote, hold the remote upright to reel it in). Catch another fish using the same method and the cat will grab it and run home, much to its owner's delight. Head to the shop now for a Half Bottle of Milk which will become your first Empty Bottle once you've drunk the milk out of it. You can also buy the Slingshot now, so do so.
As for the shopkeeper's husband's problem with the beehive, just use the slingshot to blast it out of the tree, or use an eagle like you did with the baby basket. Either way, the reward is only 15 Rupees and some Bee Larva bait for your fishing pole, if you want to waste space in your Empty Bottle for it (probably not).
Head home now for a little slingshot lesson from the village children, then use the slingshot to take out the spider on the ladder up to your tree house. Climb up and head inside to find a chest containing the Wooden Sword. Go back to the kids outside to learn the various attacks attributed to the sword, then watch helplessly as they chase after a monkey toward the Faron Woods.
Rescuing the Children
Continue past the lake and over the bridge toward the Faron Woods until you're blocked by a gate. From there, go back, get on Epona, and ride her over the gate and down the path. Eventually you'll reach a cave that Epona simply won't enter, so hop off and enter on foot. On the other side, go left into the clearing and claim your free Lantern from the lantern oil salesman there. Fill it up, then enter the cave, using the lantern to light the torches and burn through the spider webs until you've reached the other side.
There will be monsters here, but they're all quite easily dispatched with a couple slashes from your sword. Find the locked gate to the southeast and note its location; you'll be back here momentarily with the key. Head northeast to find a path leading to another cave. Open the chest there for a Small Key, then light the torches on either side of it to find another chest with a Piece of Heart in it. Now take the key back to the locked gate and use it to clear the way forward. Continue on the path until you reach the imprisoned child and monkey and use a spin attack to break open their cage, freeing them.
Back in Ordon Village, you'll have to herd more goats in 3 minutes or less. This is accomplished exactly as before, so you shouldn't have too much trouble with this task. Afterward, you'll be on your way out of town and Ilia will take Epona from you to the lake. You won't be able to follow her until you let the local kids play with your sword (ahem) so hand it over and go to the lake. Ilia's none too happy with the way you've been treating Epona and prevent you from getting into the lake area; openly defy her by heading back down the path to your house and checking the wall to the east for a crawl hole. Crawl through to the lake and watch the events that follow, ending with Link being pulled into the Twilight World and transformed into a wolf!
Twilight World - Hyrule Castle
Dungeons
The Twilight World is a darker, more dangerous place than its counterpart. Strange shadow creatures roam the land, hunting for all that is good, which includes you. You'll begin your stint here imprisoned in a jail cell, where you'll meet the sassy Midna, a denizen of this world who decides to help you out. When you gain control of your Link-Wolf, head to the pile of wood in the corner of the cell and attack it to bust it apart. You'll see a small hole beneath the cage wall there, so use your new "Dig" ability to burrow beneath it and out the other side.
Enter the cell adjacent to this one and grab the chain by Z-Targeting it and hitting the A button. The path ahead will open, so take it downstairs where you'll see a flame floating in the air. Use your new found "Senses" to listen to this soldier (and any other flames you come upon), then follow the walkway. You'll be passing some chains, so pull them when you find them to open the way ahead and raise the water level (you'll have to do this to get past the first obstacle, a field of nasty spikes). Note that you can't fight the shadow enemies while in the water, so stay on dry land as best you can. In the second area of these sewers, pull the chain to lower the water and crawl under the gate. Head up the spiral staircase, and when Midna prompts you, Z-Target her and push the A button to jump to her, usually over some impossibly wide chasm. Head up, crossing the rope when you reach it, then take out the bats at the top. Climb on top of the nearby stones now and use Midna to jump up to the door. Take it outside.
Parapets
By now, it will become clear to you that you're in Hyrule Castle, or at least the Twilight version of it. Move along the castle walls, taking out the shadow birds and navigating the harrowing jumps over seemingly bottomless gaps. You'll also have to use Midna for a particularly long jump, so if it looks like you've hit a dead end, just look around until you hear Midna's signature giggle.
Soon you'll find your way back inside the castle via a window, and there you'll meet Zelda, the Twilight Princess. Listen to what she has to say, then exit when she tells you the guard is coming back. Go downstairs and you'll be taken back to the real, non-twilight world, though you'll still be a wolf.
Ordon Village, Part 2
Before Midna will agree to change you back into human (or whatever creature the pointed-ear Link actually is) form, you'll have to find a shield and a real sword, not that splintery wooden thing you were hefting earlier in the game. Go take out the baddies by your tree house, then listen as the squirrel redundantly tells you that you can talk to animals. Enter Ordon Village next and head to the waterwheel, where two villagers are talking. Sneak up to them from the shadows and hit the A button to listen in and learn the locations for your sword and shield; just keep your distance so they don't run inside.
Obtaining the Shield
Once you've heard what you need to hear, your first destination is the waterwheel house. To get inside, head over to the shop and stand on the rock by the pet door; from there you can use Midna to get on the roof of the house. Leap over to the pillar with the man on it to scare him off, then continue on to the waterwheel house. Enter through the opening and drop down to the floor. Get on the table and use Midna to hop up to the next floor, then dash into the wall with the Shield on it to knock it down. Claim it, then head out the window to make your stealthy escape.
Obtaining the Sword
You'll find the sword in Colin's house, but his father, Rusl, will be out with a torch looking for anything suspicious, so stay far away from him as you approach the house. Get on the southern side of it and use your animal Senses to find a dig spot by the wood pile. Dig there to get inside, take the Ordon Sword off the couch, then dig your way back out. Simple as that!
Now head back past Link's house to the lake, where you'll have to fight a much larger Twilight creature than any you've previously faced. It's actually very easy to defeat; just lock onto it with the Z-Trigger, hit the A button to cling onto the monster, then hit A repeatedly to bite it over and over. You'll be chucked off after a few chomps, but just repeat this process one more time to finish it off. Afterward you'll meet Ordona, one of four light spirits of Hyrule, who wants you to restore light to the other three light spirits. A modest request. Begin your quest by leaving the lake and heading over the bridge to the wall of Twilight, and enter.
Twilight World - Faron Woods
Take the only path forward and you'll soon be locked in a clearing with not one, not two, but three of those larger twilight monsters. You can try killing them one at a time, but when there's only one left it will revive the other two, effectively sending you back to square one. To remedy this problem, hold down the B button to form a large black circle, and wait until all three of the creatures are within the circle. When that happens, release the B button to kill all three simultaneously. If you're having trouble getting all three within the circle, kill off one of the monsters and use your circle to kill the other two simultaneously; you just need to make sure more than one is alive at all times until you're ready to finish the job. You'll have many fights like these as the game progresses, so remember this tip.
Bug Hunting
When the dust settles, speak with the light in the waterfall to receive the Vessel of Light. You're going to have to fill it with tears of light to rid this area of twilight, and said tears can only be obtained by defeating the twilight insects scattered around the area. These insects can only be seen with your animal Senses, but their locations are marked on your map, making it a simple task to track them down. If you can't find them outside on the field screen, chances are they're inside a house (such as the one near where you obtained the lantern) and use Midna to find your way inside via a window or some other opening. There's another one on the outside wall of that same house, so dash into the wall to knock it to the ground. Dig under the gate to find a couple more, then proceed through the tunnel to reach the bogs. Don't go running off into that putrid fog, though, or you'll be booted back to the bog entrance.
Instead, you'll have to find a way over it. Go west first, take out the bugs there, then get on the rock jutting out to signal Midna. Use her to jump to the branches in the tree growing out of the fog. The path is very straightforward here, so move along, killing the bugs as you go. Some of your jumps will require you to avoid some of those nasty Link-munching plants, but if you just make your jumps quickly you should move fast enough to avoid the plants altogether. At the end, use your Senses to find two more bugs, then keep going to find the child Telo, as well as the last two bugs. Kill them to finish filling the Vessel of Light and rid the Faron Woods of Twilight for good! Additionally, you'll be back in non-wolf form, so you'll finally get to wield your new sword and shield now.
Don't bother returning to the village; you'll just hear about how the children have been kidnapped, which of course you already know. Instead, head back to where you found Telo and the monkey previously in the game, making sure to speak to the lantern oil salesman for the Key to unlock the gate, as well as the Bottle of Oil for 100 rupees (once you've used the oil you'll have your second Empty Bottle!). Now head back to the swampy area, which is still inundated with fog. This time you'll be trekking straight through that mess. Equip your lantern and walk on the wooden dock to find a monkey who takes your lantern. Follow him through the fog to the end, fighting off the enemies along the way. You'll get your lantern back, devoid of oil. Make sure to buy more from the parrot if you need to. Watch the tutorial on the Ending Blow attack, then torch the spider web at the temple entrance and march on in.
Forest Temple
Your first dungeon is a long but fairly easy trek through a series of catacombs, enemies fights, and puzzle solving. When you enter, use your Slingshot to take out the spiders on the vines to the left, then climb up to find a chest with a Yellow Rupee in it. Destroy the monkey cage to free the first of monkeys you'll be liberating in this dungeon, then continue north to the next room, the "hub" room. There are three ways out of this room: west, north, and east. Get up on the center platform to fight the first of several huge, nasty spiders. Defeat it by Z-Targeting it, waiting until it rears up for an attack, then striking out repeatedly until it's dead. Light the four poles to make a bridge, then cross it to find a chest with the Dungeon Map in it. Now exit to the north. Another monkey--this one much uglier than the ones you've seen so far--will cut the ropes holding up the bridge across, leaving you to find several monkeys who can help you across on the one remaining rope.
Return to the previous room and head toward the exit to the west; the one monkey you freed will get into position to help fling you across the gap there. Press the A button when you're swinging toward the exit to let go and finish the jump. Take that western exit now. In the new room, go right, hold up your shield to the monster there until it bounces off, then wait until it explodes; it'll take out the rock wall and reveal a secret rooms with some jugs in it. Break them open to find Ooccoo, which when used will warp you in and out of the dungeon. Now head down the other path to the left of the entrance and watch as the monkey begs you to open a locked door. You'll need a key for it, so exit to the north and continue north through this large room to the next one. Take the Small Key, then go back south to the locked door and unlock it. Head through and drop down, then roll into the pillar in the middle two or three times to knock the cage down and free the monkey trapped inside. Now use the monkeys to swing back to the previous room, then head east again to the "hub" room.
Now exit to the east, using the monkeys to reach the door. There are some nasty plants here that will suck you in if you try to make a jump over them, so you'll have to make them eat some bombs instead. Ascend the stairs, use your shield to block the bomb-creature here, then pick up the bomb, Z-Target the plant, and chuck the bomb into the plant's mouth to eliminate it. To move forward you'll need to grab another bomb, jump over the gap, and throw it at the rock on the upper ledge to take it out. A door will be revealed heading east, so take it. Drop down there and roll into the pillars to find a chest with a Small Key in it. Now head over the bridge, watching out for the creatures under the tiles (they'll toss you backwards if you step on them). Use your lantern to light the two torches, then head up the new set of stairs to free the next monkey.
Go back one room now. Before you take the southern exit, continue up the walkway until you're near the gap over another of those Link-munching plants below. Obtain a bomb from the bomb-insect nearby, then drop it into the plant to destroy it, clearing a path to the area behind it. Go there for a Piece of Heart, then head back up to the southern exit. You'll meet another Link-muncher here, but this one has a head. To kill it, Z-Target the head, wait for it to attack, block it, then strike out with your sword. Now use a bomb-insect to obtain a bomb and chuck it into the plant to find a Small Key. Set the monkey free, then head back to the hub room. You should have four monkeys now, so exit to the north and use the monkeys to cross the gap, and exit north again.
Gale Boomerang
Mini-Boss: Baboon
You'll be facing a bare-ass baboon here, and he's got something you want. Unfortunately, he'll be using said item against you, but he's pretty easy to take out nonetheless. The baboon will be jumping from pillar to pillar here, knocking down hungry plants in the hopes that they'll finish you off. To deal with this, continually Z-Target the baboon as he leaps around. When he chucks the boomerang at you, roll into the pillar the baboon is currently standing on to catch him off-guard; the boomerang will swing back and knock him to the floor, leaving his pink cheeks wide open to several attacks from your sword. Repeat this process until the baboon splits and the Gale Boomerang is yours.
This boomerang carries the power of wind with it, so use it a few times on the windmill over the exit to unlock the door. Back in the large open area, chuck the boomerang at the windmills on the spinning walkways to form a route east, where another monkey has been imprisoned and is dangling in the air. Chuck the boomerang at the spider's silk suspending the cage to cut it loose and free the ape, then head back to the hub room and cut down the suspended chest there for the Compass, which shows you the locations of treasures in a given dungeon. Now trek back east to the room where you form the large set of stairs by lighting the torches. Use the boomerang to snuff the torches and make the stairs retract, revealing a chest with another Piece of Heart in it. Go west now past the hub room and head over to the four windmills on the left. Look at the Z shape on the floor to see the order in which you need to chuck the boomerang, then do so to get the windmills going. Open the chest behind the doors for the Big Key.
Exit to the north and use the boomerang to make your way to the north exit. Go north one more room to the "monkey room," where all the monkeys you've rescued are waiting for you to finish saving the rest of their friends. For now, use the boomerang to reach the exit to the east and take it. There's a bomb-insect out in the water here, so chuck your boomerang at it to snatch it up. Instant bomb! Throw it at the Link-muncher here for a Small Key. Now grab another bomb and chuck your boomerang at the explodable boulder to the east to make it go boom. Climb up to the ledge, chuck your boomerang at the bomb-insect one more time, then throw the bomb at the next rock to free another monkey.
Head south of the monkey room now and take the eastern exit into the next room. Use your lantern to burn through the spider web over the northernmost hole, drop down, free the monkey from its cage, then climb back up the vines and return to the previous room. Exit west this time, then head through the cave and climb the vines to find the last monkey. Chuck the boomerang at the windmills over its cage to set it free, then return to the monkey room. Now that you've freed every monkey, you can use them to swing to the Boss door. If you haven't done so already, refill your lantern with the jar of oil you obtained earlier, break the pots outside the door to find a fairy, then trap it in your empty bottle in case you run out of health during the next fight (you'll automatically be revived). Use the Big Key on the door and get ready to face your first official boss.
Boss: Diababa
The first part of this battle will have you facing off against two giant man-eating plants on long, extendable stems. Watch for their heads to shake; that's your signal to get ready to roll out of the way, as the plants will be stretching out toward you in an attempt to bite you. Use your boomerang to snatch up the bomb-insect from the water, then chuck it into the open mouths of the plants when they get close. When both have been bombed, a third, larger plant will appear in the center, and the bomb-insect will disappear. Luckily, the baboon you fought earlier will join the fray on your side, holding a bomb-insect as it passes back and forth overhead. Use the gale boomerang to snatch up the bomb from the baboon, then chuck it at the central plant to make it fall down right in front of you. Target its eye and go to town with the sword until it stands upright again. Keep up this strategy until you've delivered the final slash.
You'll receive a Heart Container for your troubles, which increases your total number of hearts by one. Now speak with Midna to say goodbye to this dungeon.
Hyrule Field
You're back in Faron Woods now. Go northwest past the lantern salesman to reach Hyrule Field. You can find a Piece of Heart if you follow the road to the center of the map and look in the tree just before you reach the bridge; use the Boomerang to fetch it. Also, while you're out here, check the map and head to the area between the two glowing green hills. Look around on the trees for a male bug and pick it up; later on this will be used to get you a larger rupee wallet. Now exit Hyrule Field to the west, grabbing your first piece of mail from the weirdo mailman on the way.
Twilight World: Kakariko
Back in the Twilight World, head down the path to find Telo's sword and pick up the children's scent. Use your senses to make the scene visible and follow it until you're attacked by three shadow creatures. Be sure to use your B-Button attack to kill them simultaneously to continue. After the fight, tell Midna to warp you to the N. Faron Woods portal. Approach the section of the bridge leaning against the nearby rock wall, then tell Midna to warp the bridge back to the Eldin province. Once the bridge is back in place, cross it, then follow the scent to the Kakariko village gate, which is closed. Use your senses to find a place to dig beneath it, and do so to get inside.
You'll be facing more shadow demons there, but they won't all be clustered together like before. When this kind of grouping happens (and rest assured, it will happen again, many times), kill the shadow that's off on its own, then use your B-button attack to kill the other two simultaneously to prevent them from reviving. When they're gone, speak to Eldin, the spirit of light, at the nearby lake and you'll receive its Vessel of Light. Like before, you have to hunt down all those electric bugs you can only see while in Sense mode. They're all on your map, though most are actually inside the buildings here in town.
More Bug Hunting
Start out by heading around the side of the southwestern house until Midna's giggle signals a place where you can jump to the roof. Drop through the hole there and use your senses to spot the children here for a cut scene. After that, grab the stick off the ground, light it at the flames, then jump past the candles on the upper part of this room to light them and open up the way to the basement. Go down there and kill the three insects there, then take the exit, which spits you out in the town cemetery. Dig for the bug here in Sense mode, kill it, then head back to the village. Approach the General Store and head through the gate to find a hole in the bottom of the building that you can crawl through. Go in, kill the bug there, then exit. Next, head up the ramp south of the General Store and leap to the Inn's balcony, where you can get in. Drop down, pick up a stick by the fireplace, light it by jumping from the table past the torch, and use it light the fireplace. An insect should hop out, so kill the little bugger. Be sure to kill the other one in the hotel by entering the main lobby and going upstairs to the guest room.
Next up, the house on the west side of the street. To get inside, head south two houses and head up the ramp there to get on the rooftops. Cross over to the house you're trying to reach and fall through the deteriorating roof to enter, then push the crate toward the wall to find your insect. Use Midna to exit, then proceed to Barnes's Bomb Shop. Go past it to the building north of it and get on the roof. Face the Bomb Shop to see a window, then dash toward it to bust through. Go upstairs and dash into the bookshelf to find the insect here, kill it, then climb up the shelves to leave. Go left when you're outside the window and head up into the northwest hills. First go northeast and dig your way into the building there to find a bug, then go west and enter the building marked with a prominent "Danger!" sign. Use a stick to light the fireplace, then dash outside before the whole building explodes. The explosion kills all the bugs inside, so pick up the floating tears and head north through the tunnel toward Death Mountain. Use Midna to get past the obstacles to the geyser area, and dig up the first insect here to kill it.
While you're here, you should also examine the Howling Stone in the middle of the area. You have to mimic the melody that blows through the stone, so listen to it, then repeat it by howling and using the control stick to manipulate your pitch. This melody is High, Middle, Low, High, Middle, Low. Pretty simple. Do it once, then repeat it when the ghost wolf starts howling. He'll tell you to meet him later in the Faron Woods to learn a Hidden Skill.
Anyway, continue north to Death Mountain for another battle with some shadow demons, four to be exact. One is stuck behind some force fields, so make your way to it first, kill it, then head to the remaining three and kill them all with the B-button field attack. Once they're gone, go into Sense mode to find the nearby insect, then use Midna to reach the upper section of this screen. Continue past the Goron and drop down into the spring to find the last bug.
To Ordon and Back
After Eldin rids this area of the twilight world and you learn that you need to help solve the problem with the Gorons, return to Death Mountain and climb up to the first Goron, who promptly sends you flying. Return to the village after this to learn that the mayor of your hometown of Ordon can teach you how to stop a Goron's charge. You'll need Epona for this task, and lo and behold, she shows up in the village, a little spooked. Press the analog stick left and right with the on-screen prompts to calm her down, then hit the A button when "Seize" appears. Exit Kakariko village via the southeastern route, hop the fence, then ride her aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllllllllllllllll the way back to your village, stopping by the lake by your tree house to learn the Shield Bash Hidden Skill from the undead weaponmaster/ghost dog zombie thing if you used the Howling Stone earlier (and if not, go back and do that!).
Iron Boots
When you reach Ordon, speak with Mayor Bo outside his home to initiate your sumo wrestling training. Watch the onscreen directions to learn how to dodge, slap, and grab, then get ready to try to shove Bo out of the ring. The easiest way to win any of these type of matches is to dodge an opponent's attack, slap them, then grab them and push them toward the edge of the ring. For successfully beating Bo, you'll also win a pair of Iron Boots, which have a number of uses, the primary one of which is to weigh you down--considerably. When you're back outside, go round up more goats at the ranch for another Piece of Heart, then ride Epona back to Kakariko village.
Rescuing Colin
You won't be able to run pell-mell up to Death Mountain to try out your new boots, though, because as soon as you enter the village you'll see that Colin is being kidnapped by orcs! Follow them out of the northeast exit from the village to Hyrule Field. There you'll have to chase the lead orc and attack him to knock off all his armor. He'll have lackeys trying to beat you off, but you should just try to ignore them and focus on the head honcho. Give Epona a burst of speed when you're close enough to get within striking distance, then slash away! Keep this up until you've removed all his armor.
At that point you'll reach a bridge where you'll have to joust against the orc leader. As you start running toward him, hit A to speed up, then quickly hit left or right on the analog stick when he gets close and swing your sword to hit him as he passes. This will probably take you a few tries before you get a feel for it, but as long as you don't collide with the orc you can do this as many times as you need. Hit him twice to defeat him and rescue Collin, after which you'll be back in Kakariko. Go into the general store to buy the new Hylian Shield if you can afford the 200 Rupee price tag, then proceed to Death Mountain.
Death Mountain
Climb up to where the Goron starts rolling toward you, put on your Iron Boots, then grab him with the A button when prompted and chuck him aside. Keep going up the path, quickly putting on your Iron Boots again when you see a Goron coming, and chuck them all out of your way. Run past the archers shooting fire arrows at you to reach the next section of the mountain, where you'll have to use the Gorons to launch yourself up to the upper levels. To do so, approach the Gorons with your shield out, let them strike out at you, then quickly strike back with your sword the moment after they hit your shield. This will curl them up into balls, allowing you to climb on top of them. A few moments later they'll uncoil, sending you flying up into the air in whichever direction you're facing. Reach the top of the mountain this way, using the hot spring to fill your lantern, if need be. Wear your Iron Boots to get past the surge of hot water without being knocked down, then continue up to Goron congregation, where you'll be challenged to a sumo match with one of the Goron elders, Gor Coron. Make sure your Iron Boots are equipped for this, otherwise you can't win! Use the techniques you learned with Bo to shove the elder out of the ring and you'll be granted access to the Goron Mines. Enter.
Goron Mines
Drop down in the first room and leap across the platforms, then smash through the wooden planks. Look for a button on the floor and stand on it in your Iron Boots to press it down and briefly shut off the flame jets ahead. Quickly unequip your boots and run forward before the flames return. Depress the second button in the same fashion, then quickly run forward and curve right around the fence, heading south for the ladder. Climb it, go south for a chest with 20 Rupees in it, then head north. Go east and jump to the stone ledge, then go south. Press the button there, then dash north and head around the corner before the flame jet there reappears. Continue north to the door and jump onto the metal plate next to it to open it. Go on through.
Descend the ramp on the left and open the chest there for a Small Key, then go back up the ramp and leap over the rotating platforms to the locked door. Head through to the next room, which is populated by salamanders that can only be killed by attacking their tails. Leap over to where there's a chain attached to a section of the way, grab the chain, and pull the wall as far as you can. Drop the chain and quickly hop over the stone pillars to the other side of the wall, then run through the door before the wall slides back into place. Jump into the water here and put on the Iron Boots to sink to the bottom. Walk over to the button and stand on it to switch on a magnetic field that pulls you up to the blue magnet surface above. As long as you're wearing your Iron Boots you can walk on these surfaces, so follow it to the door and head through.
Speak to the Goron Elder here for the first Key Shard of three. You'll need to find the other two Elders for the other shards. Check behind him for a chest with the Dungeon Map in it, then ascend the ladder to the second floor, smashing the jars to find Ooccoo before going through the door. Slap on your boots and cross to the door to the west, taking it to the upper part of another room you've been to previously. Hit the switch on the floor to get onto the ceiling, then walk to the northwest corner of the room to find a Piece of Heart in a chest before going southeast and taking that route to the door that you must drop down to reach. Go through and you'll be back in the "hub" room. Go forward and hit the switch, then walk into the path of the magnet with your Iron Boots on to get suck up. Remove them when you're positioned over the northern section of the room, then ride the next magnet to the door at the north end and take it to the next room.
Plenty of enemies here to kill, so slash 'em up good, then open the chest in the water for a Small Key. Head to the corner with the metal cage and wear your Iron Boots to sink down to its base in the water, then push the box there through the gap so you can get in. Take off your boots to float to the surface, climb up, stand on the switch, then walk up to the ceiling. Walk over and drop down onto the upper level of the room, hit the switch to activate a magnetic field, then walk onto the metal grate to get directly above it. Drop off the edge with your Iron Boots on to get snatched by the field and sucked to the wall. Walk to the nearby platform and slash at the crystal there with your sword to temporarily open the door near the beginning of this room, then quickly get through it before it closes. Continue toward the spinning laser turrets and walk up the wall with your Iron Boots. Go right to find a Piece of Heart in a chest, then left. Cut the rope to drop the gate, then run past the laser turrets to the next room. Go forward and go right when you can to find a chest with a Small Key in it, then use it to exit this room to the west.
Cross the rotating platforms here to reach the one with the three magnetic patches on it, then use your Iron Boots to stick to them so you aren't thrown off as you cross to the other side. Go through the door to find the second Goron Elder who gives you the second Key Shard, then climb the ladder and go through the door up there to return to the previous room. Walk on the magnetic surface with your boots to reach the door to the south and take it.
Hero's Bow
Mini-Boss: Giant Goron
Strap on your Iron Boots, step onto the circular magnetic platform, and get ready for a brawl. Stand toward the edge of the platform with your shield up and wait for the Goron to approach you, then when he lifts his arms to attack you, quickly attack his stomach with your sword until he curls up into a ball. Now hold down the A button to grab him and toss him over the edge into the lava below. You'll need to repeat this three times to defeat him, after which he'll clear the way to the next room.
Open the chest here for your new tool, the Hero's Bow. Fire an arrow through the rope above the red gate, then go through to the south. Try to leave through the southern door to bring the statues in this room to life, then fire arrows into the red crystals on them to make them harmless again. You can then pull them out of their little nooks and look for goodies behind them; the one to the east has a chest holding the Compass behind it. Exit to the west to find the third Elder and the last Key Shard. You now have the completed Big Key! Go back to the previous room now and exit south. Roll into the metal grate ahead to knock it down, then shoot some arrows at the salamanders' tails to kill them before you hop over there, as well as the fire slugs clinging to the ceiling. Continue forward to a switch, hit it, then walk across the ceiling until you see the cave with a blue crystal deep inside it. Fire an arrow at the crystal, remove your boots to drop down, then go through the door you opened to return to the hub room.
Sever the rope holding up the red gate, then use the magnets here to reach the room to the north. There, head north and shoot the crystal with an arrow to proceed to the next room. Go up and right here, shoot the eye of the laser turret, then pull it out to find a passage going uphill. Shoot the archers in the distance, then look around for a switch to hit. Drop down now and ride the magnet around the corner, where you need to fire an arrow at the rope holding the bridge. Drop down onto it, check the jars to the west for a Fairy if you need one, then head into the next room. Stand behind the railing to the right here and shoot the archers down below with your bow and arrows. When they're dead, head down there and shoot the rope holding up the bridge, then go through to face this dungeon's boss, Fyrus.
BOSS: Fyrus
Fyrus is, far and away, the easiest boss in the game. The key here is to stay far away from him at all times to avoid his attacks. After the meet-and-greet, the first thing you'll need to do is run to the edge of the room, turn around, and fire an arrow at the glowing area between his eyes. He'll be moving, so you may want to release a handful of arrows in the general direction of his forehead to make sure one connects. Once one does, run behind him and grab hold of the chain trailing behind his leg, then put on your Iron Boots and pull the chain in the opposite direction Fyrus is going. This will trip Fyrus up and send him crashing to the floor. Now unequip your boots, drop the chain, and run around to Fyrus's head so you can slash it with your sword. When he gets back up, just run to the edge of the room and start firing arrows at his forehead again to repeat the process. Simple as that.
Extra Heart Pieces
Claim your Heart Container now and tell Midna you're ready to leave this rotten place. After the cut scenes, buy a bag of 30 Bombs for 120 Rupees, then head south toward the spring here in the village. Look to the east of the screen for the part of the rock wall that stands out (it's very obvious) and bomb it to reveal a path. Follow that to the water, jump in, put on your Iron Boots, then drop down to find a chest containing a Piece of Heart. Next, look above the rocks you just destroyed to see another set of destructible rocks. Go into your inventory screen and combine your bow and bombs, then fire a bomb arrow at these rocks to clear them out. Now chuck your boomerang up there to grab the Piece of Heart. There's a third Piece of Heart here in town, so use the Gorons here in town to reach the very top of the northern watchtower. Speak to Telo there and shoot the three targets to obtain your Heart Piece. Now get on Epona and exit Kakariko to the northeast.
You're in a different area of Hyrule Field now. Go north across the bridge (you'll remember it from your little joust earlier), then blast through the rock wall to find a portal that removes a section of this bridge (which we'll replace later in the game). Continue along the path, avoiding the shadow demons until you reach the Twilight Wall. Have Midna yank you through to the dark world.
Twilight World - Castle Town
Go into Sense Mode to see Ilia's potent scent, then follow that all to the way to Castle Town at the base of Hyrule Castle. You don't need to speak to the spirits here if you don't feel like it; just continue following the scent to South Road, and then down the stairs to Telma's Bar. Enter and listen to the dialogue, and look at the map on the table to see where you're heading next. Leave the town now and go east through Hyrule Field to reach Lake Hylia.
Twilight World - Lake Hylia/Zora's Domain
As you start to cross the bridge, an archer will shoot a fire arrow at the flammable liquid covering the center of it, trapping you in a wall of flames. Quickly push one of the blocks here to the side, climb onto it, then jump off the bridge into the lake below. Hmm…seems the water level isn't nearly what it should be. Listen to the man by the house, then watch as he becomes frightened off the nearby archer. Approach this archer and it will summon a large shadow bird to attack you! Wait for the bird to swoop down at you, target it with the Z button, then hit the A button to grab onto it. Hammer the A button to maul it until the archer is dead, at which point you'll take control of the bird in a flight sequence through the canyon. This is just a matter of not getting shot down by arrows or crashing into the enormous boulders losing their structural integrity and collapsing in front of you.
Speak to the spirit by the hut after you're dropped off at the end, then drop into the frozen riverbed and go east to Zora's Domain. Use Midna to ascend the ice to the top, then enter the cave to the north to fight more shadow demons. Kill the one off its own before killing the other two with a B-button attack, then turn on your Senses to see the frozen Zoras. Now, how to melt all this ice? Have Midna warp you back to Death Mountain, then approach the flaming pillar of rock and have her warp it back to Zora's Domain. The ice will all liquefy and refill the rivers and lakes again. Hooray! Listen to Queen Rutela's plea to find her son, Prince Ralis; for saving him she'll give you some clothing that will allow you to breathe underwater. To get your quest started, hop into the river and let it return you to Lake Hylia. You'll be dumped out directly in front of a cave to the south. Enter it to speak to the spirit to receive another Vessel of Light. You know what that means…bug hunt.
Even More Bug Hunting
Lake Hylia
Outside the spirit's cave, go right and traverse the wooden walkway to find your first insect. Continue out to the north end of the pier next to the shack by the lake to find the second, then head south toward where you fought some shadow demons earlier. Jump across the gaps in the stones to the south to find the third bug, then head back to the west side of the lake and kill the fourth bug on the little peninsula there. Now head back to the clearing where you fought those shadow demons and listen to the melody blowing through the reeds the goblin used earlier to call its headless shadow bird. Mimic the melody with your howling to summon the beast and get flying.
Zora's River
There are four bugs to kill here in the flying sequence, but you won't be able to even touch them if you don't remember to go into Sense Mode. Do that. Now! Killing the four bugs is a simple matter of locking onto them with the Z button and charging at them with the A button. Don't worry if you fly past one; they'll shoot ahead of you again, giving you ample chances to kill them all. When you land at the end of these sequence, speak to the riverboat owner sitting next to her business to make another insect appear, then kill it to add it to your collection of tears (you cry-baby, you). While you're here, look around for the second Howling Stone and mimic the melody (Low, Middle, Low, High, Middle, Low) to call upon the ghost wolf again. Repeat the melody and he'll whisk himself off to Castle Town for you visit the next time you're in human form. Now head into the Zora's Domain.
Zora's Domain
Talk to the Zora spirits by the entrance and they'll tell you about a waterway that takes you straight to Hyrule Castle, which incidentally you'll be taking very soon. Continue to the lily pads in the middle of the water to kill a couple bugs there, then head to the west side of the water and climb up the ramp there to find another one you can dig up. Head to the east side next and let Midna help you scale the rocks there until you reach a ramp with green Rupees on it, then kill the insect at the bottom of the ramp. Now have Midna help you scale the rocks, passing the ramp with the Rupees on it to go even higher to reach the throne room. There's an insect on the wall here, so ram the wall to knock it down. That's all for this area, so go to the Upper Zora's River area and take the waterway that cuts to the southeast; you'll be taken to Hyrule Field, north of Castle Town.
Castle Town
Just outside of town you'll be attacked by three shadow demons. Defeat them as usual to form a portal here for future use, then enter the town. The insect here is hidden under one of the boxes outside the bar, so smash the boxes to find it, then kill it. Think you've killed all the bugs? Think again: there's one more, back at Lake Hylia. Warp there.
Mini-Boss: Giant Bug
Head to the debris in the middle of the lake as marked on your map to be greeted by one of the most horrific, if not the most horrific boss in Zelda history, a giant grub of a bug that's clearly never exercised a day in its life. Don't worry, though; defeating it's a snap. It will start the battle flitting about in the air. Stand to one side of the large piece of debris and never leave it! When the giant bug swoops down at you, step aside, lock onto it, then perform a jump attack, hammering the A button to deliver several blows before you drop back to the debris below. The insect will then dive underwater, so remain Z-locked to it until it comes back up and lunges at you, then dodge to the side. Repeat this until the bug lies on the surface of the water on its back with its six legs in the air. Quickly jump onto its stomach and release a B-button attack to destroy all six legs in one go, killing the bug, filling your Vessel of Light, and ridding this area of the Twilight World.
Castle Town
Go over to Fyel's house on the water and pay him 10 rupees to launch yourself up to the upper level of this area, specifically Falbi's house. Go down the ladder, speak to him for a mini-game that can net you many rupees and a Piece of Heart, if you so desire, then head out his front door. Run back to Castle Town, and be sure to check just outside the eastern exit for the ghost dog so you can learn a new Hidden Skill. If you have a bug that you've collected (like the male bug mentioned earlier in the walkthrough), go to Agitha's Castle in the South Road part of town and hand over your insect(s); in return you'll be given a larger Wallet, which can hold up to 600 Rupees! Nice! Next stop: Telma's Bar. NOTE: You're going to want to have plenty of arrows before you enter the bar, as you'll soon discover. Listen to the plan that involves you escorting Ilia and the sick Zora prince to Kakariko village by carriage, then get ready to ride.
Escort to Kakariko
Before your journey can actually begin, though, you'll have another jousting match with an orc leader. This one's got two shields, meaning that you won't be able to attack him with your sword. Instead, you'll need to use arrows, which is actually much easier than it sounds. Walk toward the orc and come to a stop when he starts charging at you. Whip out your bow, aim at the orc's chest, and fire when he gets close. He'll swerve out of your way if he gets hit, keeping you safe for another round. Hit him twice more to send him packing.
Now comes one of the most annoying sections in the game: the escort to Kakariko. You'll be following the carriage on Epona on a long, meandering ride back to Kakariko, and you'll be assailed by endless orcs and birds the entire trip. The orcs will constantly be shooting fire arrows at the carriage, and you'll need to make sure you put these out by Z-targeting the cart and chucking your Gale Boomerang at it. Don't panic; there may be a lot going on onscreen, but you can catch up to the carriage pretty quickly if you fall behind, and it takes the flames a long time to completely destroy the carriage.
What you will need to worry about, though, is a bird that appears at a junction near the end of the run. This bird drops a sensor bomb that goes off when the carriage gets near it, causing it to loop back around the trail. You must prevent this from happening! Make sure you shoot the bird down with an arrow the moment you see it to keep your blood pressure from boiling over, then follow the carriage the rest of the way to the gates of Kakariko. Get off your horse, unlock the gate, then follow the carriage in to end the escort.
Zora Armor
You'll speak with the Queen of Zoras here in the village and lead you to the grave of her deceased hubby to find the Zora Armor. This armor is weak to fire attacks but allows you to breathe and move freely while underwater, so it's well worth it, particularly for the next dungeon. After you grab it, go to Barnes's Bomb Shop, sell off all your regular bombs, then purchase as many Water Bombs as you can; these bombs work exactly the same as regular bombs, except that they can also explode underwater, making the older bombs totally obsolete. Now return to the Zora King's tomb and bomb the rock in the water to return to Lake Hylia. There, swim down to the vast crater in the floor of the lake and put on your Iron Boots when you're next to the entrance. Place a Water Bomb on the stone circle in front of the entrance to release some bubbles, then place another bomb on those bubbles to make it rise up and open the entrance to the Lakebed Temple. Swim on in, little Link.
Lakebed Temple
In this first, long room, swim forward past the clams and jellyfish and climb out of the water at the end. Open the chests here for bombs and arrows, then ascend the stairs and jump toward the handle hanging down from above. You'll grab onto it, opening the door onward. Head through to the next room, which has several stalactites hanging perilously from the ceiling. Shoot them down with your bomb-arrows to create some platforms below, allowing you to hop up to the door to the north. Take it.
You're now on the upper floor of the "hub" room for this dungeon. The central staircase here can be rotated by pulling the handles hanging down from the ceiling. Start by going down the staircase to the floor below and go right, following the path to the southern end of the room. Jump forward and grab the handle there to make the staircase rotate to your current position, then take the stairs back up to the upper floor. Go east, grab the handle there, then descend the stairs to reach the lower-western exit. Before going through, go northeast to find a chest with the Dungeon Map in it.
Shoot down the stalactites here, then climb up one to reach the vines. Climb those until you reach the top of the barricade, then jump out to grab the handle and pull it down. Go northwest now and make your way around through the door to the south. Leap onto the large cog here, kill the lizardman that attacks you, then go through the southern door. Open the chest for a Small Key, then go back north until you're near where you pulled the handle. Northwest of that is a wall that you can bomb through, so do so to reach the next room. Avoid the frog-like creature in the bubble here and use the Small Key on the nearby door to continue.
Welcome to one of the two sluice gate rooms in the Lakebed Temple. Drop into the pit and climb up the vines on the north side of the room to find a long, long ramp going up several floors. Run all the way to the top, where you'll find a handle at the top of the two ladders. Pull it to release a deluge of water down the ramp. Ride the waterslide back to the bottom of the room, then swim over to the platform in the center and pull the handle there to open the gate, releasing the water into the rest of the temple.
Clawshot
Return to the room with the large cog in it, then drop down to the lower level of the room where the three smaller cogs are turning. Ride them to the northern door and go through. Open the chest here for a Small Key, then go back to the previous room and ride the cogs across to the western door. Go through and use the Small Key to unlock the door here, head in, then start making your way underwater. Swim all the way to the end of this underwater hall, put on your Iron Boots, then set a Water Bomb next to the rock blocking the way forward to clear it. Head in and get ready for a fight.
Mini-Boss: Giant Frog
When you land, use the C-stick to look up at the ceiling to spot a giant frog that drops down and attacks! This frog isn't nearly as tough as it looks, though. It will start by sending its tadpoles out to attack you, so use a few spin attacks to clear most of them away, then finish off whoever's left with regular attacks. The giant frog will then leap into the air and try to smash you, so watch for its shadow and roll out of the way when it's about to land. Its tongue will roll out of its mouth at that point, so Z-target it and slash at it with your sword. This will cause the frog to belch, which is your cue to target its tongue again and fire an arrow-bomb at it. The frog will swallow the bomb, damaging it from the inside, before the process starts all over again. Keep it up until the giant frog goes toes-up.
You now have your new tool, the Clawshot, which allows you to attack yourself to the red targets you've seen in this dungeon, as well as vines, from a distance. Use it to reach the little alcoves in this room to find some Rupees, then use it to hit the switch on the south side of the room and open the gate. Leave the room and make your way back to the hub room now. Use the Clawshot to reach the chandelier above and open the chest there for a Piece of Heart, then head around to the upper-western door. There's a red target here where a handle would normally be, so fire the Clawshot at it to bring the staircase around to you, turning it into a canal of sorts. Descend the stairs and go through the lower-eastern door.
Here, fire your Clawshot at the cog just ahead, then drop onto the pillar with the chest on it (remember that you can press Down on the control stick to lower the chain and get a better gauge of where you're dropping). From there, fire the Clawshot at the vines on the pillar above you, then climb around until you reach the ledge, then fire the chain at the next pillar and climb around to the ledge there. Now fire at the vines by the door, then climb down and go through. Go right, shoot the stalactite down with a bomb-arrow, then get on top of it to get over the wall. Clawshot the rest of the way to the eastern door and go through.
Ah, the other sluice gate room. Run up the ramp to the top, ascend the ladder, then jump out and pull down on the handle to release the water. If you feel like it, you can Clawshot to the target behind the waterfall and open the chest for the Compass, but it really isn't necessary. Ride the water down to the bottom of the room and return to the previous room, then get on the westernmost cog and walk north from the western door, off the edge to drop to the room below. Shoot your Clawshot at the targets on the cogs here to reach the eastern door, and go through. Jump into the water here and look for the underwater passage running north-south in the middle of the room. You'll soon find a platform in the water with a boulder you can bomb. Do so, then go through. Put on your Iron Boots and drop to the floor as soon as you step out of that tunnel and look for another boulder just below where you came out. Bomb that rock as well and go through to return to the surface on the other side of the room. Head through the door there.
There's another frog in a bubble here, so take out the bubble with a bomb-arrow, finish the frog off, then fire the Clawshot at the target in the middle of the ceiling. Lower yourself down to the chest on the platform and open it for the Big Key. Now make your way back to the hub room. Go to the lower-western door and pull the handle there to make the water flow in that direction. Now go through the door and cross the newly-raised bridge. Stand on the floor button to open the gate, then Clawshot the target beyond it to get past it and find a chest containing another Piece of Heart. Once you have it, Clawshot out of the area and return to the hub room. There, make your way to the door at the base of the revolving staircase and unlock it with the Big Key. Enter, dive into the water, and put on your Iron Boots to sink down to the bottom and face this dungeon's boss, Morpheel.
BOSS: Morpheel
Keep your Iron Boots on for this part of the battle and stand a good distance from the slithering Morpheel, tapping the Z-trigger until you manage to lock onto the boss's eyeball floating inside one of the tentacles. When you do have a lock, use your Clawshot to rip it free, then attack it with your sword until it returns to Morpheel's body. The boss will now release several bombs to get in the way of your targeting the eye. If you happen to grab hold of a bomb instead of the eye, quickly release it and swim away before it detonates! You'll also have to dodge Morpheel's other tentacles, which will stuff you in his mouth if you're caught by them (and chances are, you will be caught by them, often). Keep Z-targeting until you grab the eye again and slash it with your sword, at which point you can unequip your Iron Boots. Morpheel's true form will fully emerge now, and thankfully this is the easy one. As Morpheel swims around the room, you need to swim up to the eye on the back of its head, Z-target it, Clawshot to it, then attack it repeatedly before you're knocked off. Repeat this until you deal the final blow to this boss.
Hooray, you've got the third Fused Shadow! Grab your Heart Container and get out of here!
The Search for the Master Sword
Castle Town
After all the crazy bidness that goes down, you're a wolf again…in the normal world! Head to Telma's Bar in Castle Town and try to enter. Wolves generally aren't allowed in bars, and you're no exception. Thankfully, Telma's cat will open a window for you to get inside; push the wooden crate beneath the window and climb inside. Cross the ropes over the bar below to reach the secret passage to Hyrule Castle. At the entrance you'll meet Jovani, a man who sold his soul for riches and who can only be revived by finding all of the Poe ghosts floating around Hyrule at night. If you kill all these Poes and bring back their souls, you can gain rewards from Jovani (see the Sidequests section for more details).
Hyrule Castle
Make your way back through the sewers, pulling the switch to open the way ahead, then heading upstairs and taking out those huge nasty spiders. Burn through the spider web using the lit sticks as before, then head into the next room to find another web. Light the torches in this room first, then use one of the torches to light your stick and burn through the spider web. Continue to the room with the dark spot in the middle of it, go into Sense Mode, then dig there.
Climb up the tall circular room, crossing on the ropes whenever you hit a gap in the stairs. Head outside and make your way across the rooftops until you're back in Zelda's room, then watch the cut scene that unfolds there. Afterward you and Midna will be outside Castle Town. Warp to the N. Faron Woods.
Faron Woods
Proceed toward the Forest Temple until you see the female monkey you helped out earlier in the game. She's under attack by crazy puppet creatures! Destroy them, then speak to her to open up a new path. Get on the nearby stump and have Midna help you up. Cross over the spinning bridges and cross the ropes while dodging the swinging boulders to reach the Sacred Grove.
Sacred Grove
Oh, look, another Howling Stone! You know what to do: give it a good howl. The puppet leader here is going to lead you on a chase through a few areas of the Sacred Grove, with only the sound of his horns to guide you. You'll need to find him in each area and attack him to get him to move on to the next area, and you'll be assailed by his puppet minions the whole time. There's no map here, so just keep looking around for the puppet leader; the Sacred Grove isn't very large.
Mini-Boss: Puppet Leader
Eventually you'll corner the puppet leader in an area with several short stone platforms on it. After he calls in a horde of his minions, use your B-button attack to kill off a bunch of them, then Z-target the leader and attack him when he starts blowing his horn. He'll then disappear and reappear on a different platform, starting the pattern all over again. Make sure that you attack him only when he's blowing his horn, otherwise he'll just teleport away from you. This battle should go fairly quickly if you remember that.
The Master Sword is nearly within your grasp! Only one more trial to overcome: a puzzle that involves getting two moving statues to face each other on a series of platforms. As you jump from platform to platform you'll notice that the statues move in relation to your jumps, as well as opposite from each other. Sound tricky? It is. Experiment and plan it out all you want, but it's much easier just to use this simple solution: From the starting point, jump Right, Down, Left, Left, Up, Right, Up, Up, Right, Down, Down, Left, Up. Puzzle solved.
The Master Sword is yours! Now head back to where you battled the puppet leader and destroy the large boulder there. Speak to Midna and have her transform you into a wolf, then go into Sense Mode and dig at the hole that was beneath the rock to find a cave filled with enemies; kill them all to reveal a chest with a Piece of Heart in it.
Back to Castle Town
Return to Castle Town now. You can play the STAR game (and possibly win now that you have the Clawshot) in the tent in the eastern side of town if you wish; otherwise go to Telma's tavern to speak with her. She'll introduce you to three of her adventurer friends, one of which, Auru, is missing. Check the map on the table to see his location, then warp to Lake Hylia (after you've dealt with the ghost wolf south of town, of course).
Lake Hylia
Return to the shrine here (through the cave in the southwest rock wall) and make your way around to the right where you can Clawshot to the vines at the back of the room. Climb up and head to the back of the cavern here to find a chest containing a Piece of Heart. Return to the lake area and make your way east across the southern walkways, howling through the nearby Howling Stone before approaching the tower in the southeast corner. Talk to Auru there to receive Auru's Memo, then take this to Fyer on his lake house. Set the Memo to your B button and show it to him when you're standing directly in front of him, and he'll agree to blast you to east to the Gerudo Desert.
Gerudo Desert
What an enormous area for one little Link to run across. Head east along the southern wall all the way to the southeast corner of the desert to find the missing section of the Eldin bridge standing erect atop a rock. Use your Clawshot to make your way to the top of the rock (using the tree and the flying bug as targets), then have Midna warp the bridge section to the warp point in northern Eldin Province. If the warp point isn't available yet, warp to Castle Town and head northwest through the mountain pass toward Eldin until you're attacked by a trio of shadow demons. Defeat them as usual to open the warp point, then return to the section of bridge in the Gerudo Desert and warp it into place. This opens up the Cave of Ordeals, which incidentally you should avoid until much later in the game.
For now, head to the northeastern area of the desert to gain the attention of the orcs stationed there. They'll come at you riding boars, so take them out, then get on one of the boars and use it to dash through the gates to the north. There, get off the boar and speak to the ghost wolf to learn a new Hidden Skill, then continue north to the Orc Camp.
Orc Camp
Lotta orcs here...lotta orcs. Watch out for the archers up in the towers; they'll alert everyone else of your presence. It may be better to come through here at night, since they can't see nearly as far in the dark. In any case, charge through the camp until you reach an boar being roasted and kill the nearby orcs until one drops a Small Key. Don't forget to destroy the roasted boar for a Piece of Heart before moving on. Use the key to unlock the door by the fences going north in the middle of the camp, then go through. There's an orc here with a humungous axe, but he'll go down easily if you roll behind him and unleash your attacks there. Once he's down, get on the nearby boar and ride through the gate to the next area. Disembark from your beast there and head through the entrance to the next dungeon, the Arbiter's Grounds.
Arbiter's Grounds
Lotta quicksand here...lotta quicksand. Whenever you have to cross the sand here in the Arbiter's Grounds, use a roll to get started, crossing as much distance as you can before you have to start walking, because once you do you'll have about ten seconds to find solid ground before you're sucked into oblivion. And we're not talkin' Elder Scrolls here, either.
From the entrance, head up to the first platform on the right and leap across the platforms to reach the north end of the room, where you'll find a platform surrounded by a fence. Fire you Clawshot at the chain in the sand and pull it back to open the gate. Ascend the steps and go left to find some Lantern Oil, then right for a Small Key. The beetles that appear after you claim the key can't hurt you, but they will slow you down and drag you into the quicksand more quickly if you're standing in it, so kill them with a spin attack when they've all latched onto you. Unlock the northern door with the key and go through.
Darkness. It's all around you. Light your lantern and use it to light the two torches by the northern door. Go through to the next room, which is this dungeon's "hub" room. The torches here open the north gate, and they can only be lit by the magic torches that the Poe ghosts have swiped, so you'll just have to kill them to return the flames! Become a wolf and go into Sense Mode to combat them, and attack when they flash white as they're about to attack you. Kill the first one here, then check the chests in the northeastern and northwestern corners for the Dungeon Map and a Piece of Heart, respectively. Clawshot back over the pit where you got the Piece of Heart and go back into wolf form. Sniff the corpse in the middle of the room for the Poes' scent, then follow it in Sense Mode to the hole to the west. Dig there to find a chain, then pull it to create some steps. Take them to the next room.
See the panel on the pillar here? Push it and rotate it one quarter turn to reveal an alcove with a chest. Open it for a Small Key, then look toward the ceiling for a hole. Stand on the north side of the hole and look toward the pillar for a Clawshot target, then Clawshot up to it through the hole. Leave through the north door. Roll over the sand here to the platform on the far side, dodging the spikes that appear as best you can. On the platform, grab the black block and pull it back until it drops to ground level, then push it from the side into the alcove in the wall so you can walk across it in a moment. Climb the steps now and jump over the wall to the right by the spiked log. Grab the nearby chain and pull it as far as it will go (this is where the block comes in) to lift the chandelier to the ceiling and lock it in place. Drop the chain when it's secured and quickly dash beneath it before it falls to the floor again, then climb the stairs to the second floor.
Open the chest here for the Compass, then shove the stone panel on the pillar to rotate it, revealing a Small Key to the west. Guarding it, though, is a skeleton warrior that can freeze you in your tracks by screaming at you. Avoid this by rolling behind it in human form, latching onto it in wolf form, or shooting it with two bomb-arrows from a distance. When it's dead, grab the key and go east into the next room. Wipe out the little skeletons with a spin attack, then use bomb-arrows to take out the two screaming skeletons from a distance. With everything in the room dead except you, switch to wolf form and go into Sense Mode to see the Poe's scent. Follow it to a pit, then dig there and drag the chain to find the next Poe. Kill it for the soul, then continue north to the next room.
Take the Small Key from the chest here, then go into Sense Mode as a wolf again to see some ghost rats that you can't kill as human Link. Let them all grab onto you, then perform a spin attack to kill them all. Exit to the east and you'll be on the upper level of the hub room. Leap across the chandelier to reach the door to the east, and take it to the next room. Descend the stairs on the left and drop down at the end to find another black block. Push it forward until it drops into place, then get on top of it to reach the chain. Pull it to lift the chandelier here until it locks into place, then walk underneath the chandelier so that it falls while you're underneath the hole in the center of it (as marked by the circular space in the shadows on the walkway). After it crashes down, climb onto it, jump to the eastern door, and go through.
Those who have played previous iterations in the Zelda series will know how to take care of the skeleton in this room: beat it down with your sword, then quickly lay a bomb on its crumbled bones to destroy it before it regenerates. But there's an even easier method of taking them down for Twilight Princess: fire a bomb-arrow at it. Done. In the next room you'll see five torches and one separated from the others. Light that separate torch, as well as the one all the way to the right in the row of torches, to open the door to the next room. Mess up and you'll have to face some skeletons as punishment!
Become a wolf in this room and go into Sense Mode. The last of the Poes should be here, but unlike the others, this one will form three copies of itself and surround you. Z-target one, wait until they all stop, and look for the one that flashes as its about to attack you. Quickly target this Poe and attack it. Once it's dead, you'll have the final Poe's Soul. Now head back to the room north of this one and Clawshot to the western door, then return to the hub room. The four torches here will all be lit now, so take the stairs north to the next room. You can't do anything in this room yet, so exit west.
Clawshot down to the bottom of the shaft here and push the panel around the screw to bring the platform up. After you lock the panel in place the second time up the screw, check out the nearby B1 corridor for a Small Key in a chest, then drop back to the bottom of the screw and push the panel in the opposite direction to bring it down to B2. Use the key to unlock the door to the south and go through. Become a wolf here and use Sense Mode to see the ghost rats so you can kill them as you go along. Avoid the spike traps as you head south to the southwestern corner, then pull the chain there to open up the way out. Drop the chain and dash around the spike traps to get through before it closes! Return to human form once you're on the other side, then roll across the sand to reach the eastern exit, freeing Ooccoo from a nearby jar before leaving.
Spinner
Follow the spinning spike trap to the northern part of the room, where there are three regenerating skeletons (with one hiding in the little nook to the west). Kill them all with bomb-arrows to unlock the gate back by the spinning spikes, then roll beneath the trap to reach it. On the other side, Clawshot your way to the northern exit. Take it to the next room, where you'll have to fight a mini-boss!
Mini-Boss: Ghost Sword
Cut one of the ropes holding down the sword to get this battle underway. Quickly morph into a wolf and go into Sense Mode to see the ghost wielding the blade. Watch for when it flashes, indicating it's about to attack, and counter with your own leap attack. Keep this up until it becomes more solid, then switch back to human form and fire an arrow at it to start it spinning round the room. It will eventually try to attack you, so slash out with your sword to bring it to its knees, then strike at its head. That's the pattern.
After the battle, the Spinner will be yours. This object lets you glide over the quicksand with the greatest of ease! It also allows you to glide through the grooves in some walls to reach areas you couldn't otherwise. Equip it posthaste and ride the nearby grooves to the southern exit and return to the previous room. There, you can use the Spinner to get into the groove near the door and ride it down until you drop out, then quickly get into the groove to the south and ride it up to the eastern door. In the next room, cross as much of the sand as you can on the Spinner before it deactivates. Ride the rails to the top of the room, taking the rail that only goes up one level first to find a Piece of Heart in a chest. Now look around for the groove running along the northern end of the chest and take that, going east until it stops. At that point, hit the B button and tilt the control stick toward the groove on the opposite side of the track to jump across and continue on your way. You'll need to do this again to reach the upper groove that takes you southeast. At the end, open the chest for some Rupees, then head up the ramps, going west toward some spinning blades. Attach to one of the two grooves here and jump back and forth between them to reach the exit.
Open the chest here to claim this dungeon's Big Key, then use your Spinner to ride the grooves to the center of the room. Drop into the hole and tap the B button to rotate the gears in the floor. Doing so opens the room going north, taking you to a high cylindrical shaft. Take the spinner up the stairs to the cluster of skulls, and bust them open to find a fairy if you need healing or want to fill an empty jar. Ride back down a little bit, then jump from the stairs to the platform in the center of the room. Use the Spinner on the hole there to create more grooves, then take those up to the boss's lair.
BOSS: Stallord
After the cut scene with Zant, the battle will begin. Start by using your Spinner on the groove running around the circle, then use the B button to detach and glide toward Stallord's spine. Hit the B button again when you're almost at the spine to leap up and strike it with your spinning attack, cracking it and getting Stallord stuck in the sand. You must hit it two more times, but after you hit him for the second time, several skeletons will pop out of the sand to block your path, so you'll need to somehow maneuver around them to reach the spine. Alternatively, you can just keep mowing down a certain section of the skeletons to clear a path, but this will take quite a while, and some will always respond, so this is a dodgy strategy at best. After the third hit, the second phase of this fight will begin. Use the Spinner on the device by Stallord's skull and you'll be knocked off the edge of the platform. Use the Spinner again, this time to lock into the groove running around the sides of the platform to start heading up. Stallord's skull will be flying around, facing you and spitting fireballs in your direction. Jump from the side of the platform to the groove on the outside wall and back to dodge these balls of flame, then jump at Stallord after the fourth fireball and attack to knock him down. Drop next to him and use your sword to slash at the sword sticking out of the boss's skull. After that, spiked spinners will be zipping around in the grooves with you, so you'll have to dodge those as well as the fireballs. When you get close enough, jump at Stallord, hit him again to knock him down, then drop down and attack his skull again. Do this once more to defeat him.
Grab your Heart Container now and head up the newly-opened door.
Mirror Chamber
You'll be facing off against several shadow demons, so kill all but two off, then hit those last two with your wolf form's B-button attack to prevent them from reviving. After that, use your Spinner on the groove in the statue to reach the top. Use the Spinner again on the device up there to cue a cutscene involving the Mirror of Twilight and the revelation of your true enemy. You musdt now find the Mirror's missing shards and bring them back. Sounds like a quest!
Journey to Snowpeak
Castle Town
Start your quest by warping to Castle Town and heading over to Telma's tavern to hear about Ashei, who seems to have disappeared somewhere in north Hyrule; you can see where by looking at the map on the table: Zora's Domain.
Zora's Domain
The entrance to Snowpeak is next to the large pool of water right before the waterfall, so head inside to find Ashei. She'll give you a drawing of the giant that lives on Snowpeak, so take it and go back to Zora's Domain and show it to the Zorans right outside the entrance to Snowpeak. They'll say that the giant is fishing, and that Prince Ralis knows a little about the fish in question. Warp to Kakariko.
Kakariko
Head to Barnes's Bomb Shop to buy the new Bomblings if you feel like it--they'll come in handy later in the game--then go to the cemetery. Check out the tomb of the Zoran King at the back to find Ralis there, then show him the drawing to learn about the Reekfish. He'll then give you a fish hook to catch it. When all the jibber-jabber is done, warp back to the Zora's Domain.
Catching the Reekfish
Swim around the pool by the entrance to Snowpeak and look for the red fishes by the western edge; these are what you're looking for. Stand on one of the rocks nearby and cast your line in with the new lure. When you get a bite, quickly reel it in before the fish breaks free. Keep trying until you reel in a Reekfish, then morph into a wolf and sniff the fish to learn its scent. After that, it's on to Snowpeak.
Snowpeak
Go into Sense Mode here and follow the scent of the Reekfish. Twice you'll have to climb up around obstacles on your course by looking to the right, but the third obstacle won't have a way to climb around. Turn off your Senses at that point and you'll see that snow has piled up over the path. Dash into the wall beneath the snow to clear it out, then continue forward. Eventually you'll see another Howling Stone. This pattern is much trickier than the others, so write it down if you need help memorizing it, or just look at the screenshot to the left for help.
In any case, continue following the Reekfish scent to a cave, and use your Clawshot to make your way up the ledges. When you're back outside, morph into a wolf and head forward. You'll be attacked by bats and shadow demons, which makes for a very dangerous combo, since the bats can freeze you. Run away from the shadow demons and kill the bats first, then take out the demons as you would normally. This opens up your Snowpeak portal, allowing you to warp back to Kakariko to deal with the ghost wolf, obtain your new Hidden Skill, and warp back without much trouble.
Snowboarding
Back on the mountain, speak to Yeto the yeti in human form to receive an invitation to snowboard down the slopes of the mountain. Roll into the nearby tree to knock down the sheet of ice from above, then hop on and get boardin'! This is a very simplified snowboarding mini-game: all you have to do is press A and let go to jump over the gaps and hold the analog stick down to go faster. That's all there is to it. Just watch out for a couple tricky jumps near the end, and don't take them too fast. At the end, enter the Snowpeak Ruins.
Snowpeak Ruins
Look! A Poe! Go into wolf form and kill it! And take its soul! That's it for the first room; exit to the north to find Yeto's wife and listen to her tale to receive the Mansion Map (essentially the map to this dungeon) and tell you where to find the bedroom key, which in turn you'll need to claim this shard of the Twilight Mirror. Exit west to find Yeto; you can scoop up some Simple Soup to heal you a little if you have an empty bottle, though it's hardly worth it. Break the jar to the south to find Ooccoo, then exit north.
The switch here needs a block to hold it down, and there are two here, one in the northwest corner and one in the southeast corner. Push the southeast block west, then push the northwest block south, east, south, west, and finally south onto the switch. Exit to the east. Go into wolf form here and dig at the spot in the east wall to reach the large central courtyard. Open the nearby chest, then head north in Sense Mode to find another chest; dig it out for a Small Key. Go back to human form and head through the door to the west to return to the previous room. Watch out for the ice-chucking enemies and kill them on sight, then unlock the door to the north and go through.
More enemies in here; kill them all to unlock the western door, then go through to the next room to find some ice skeletons that throw spears at you. Kill them to open the southern door, and go through. You'll find the Ordon Pumpkin here instead of the promised mirror shard, so take it and go south through the next room to reach Yeto. Give him the pumpkin to improve his soup, then go east and speak to Yeto's wife again for a different location marker. She'll unlock the north door, so go through it.
You're back in the central courtyard, the southeast corner to be exact. Avoid the wolves here and run northeast to the open window. Climb up through it, then exit east to the next room. See the cannon in the corner? You'll need a cannonball for it, and it's right in front of you. Grab it, then move through the little ice maze, stopping to kill the ice enemies on your way to the cannon. When you get there, walk up the ramp behind it and drop the cannonball in. Follow it up with a bomb to fire the cannon off! Shoot it west to find a chest with Water Bombs in it and south to reveal the exit to the next room. Take it.
The Compass is in the corner of the room, but reaching it can be a royal pain in the ass. Go east first, then south toward the ice enemies. Use your Clawshot to knock them off from a distance, then take care of the bats that descend from the ceiling in a similar fashion. Jump over the first gap in the path, then head along the rafter until you slide down a bit. Go right and jump to the wooden rafter, then make your way to the chest with the Compass in it. Open the other chest for Rupees, then head north to Clawshot back to the door. Return to the central courtyard now and morph into a wolf, then go into Sense Mode to see a treasure chest buried in the snow. Dig it up for a Small Key, then use it to unlock the eastern exit and go through.
Ball and Chain
Pull the nearby lever here, then set a cannonball in the cup. Return to the central courtyard and pull the lever there to receive the cannonball, then set it in the cannon in the middle of the courtyard. You can shoot south for more Water Bombs if you need them, but your ultimate target should be the north, which opens up the northern exit. Go through only when you have replenished your health! Try to exit the northern door to initiate a mini-boss fight.
Mini-Boss: Ball and Chain Knight
This knight has but one weak point: its tail, which is unarmored. Getting behind him, though, will be a challenge, mark my words. Rather than attempting to run around him without getting brained by his swinging ball and chain, Clawshot to the ceiling, then let go to drop behind him. You still can't attack him, though; wait for him to chuck his ball and chain at you, then dodge it or roll out of the way. Now's the time to strike! Run behind the knight and attack his tail! Do this twice more to defeat it.
The knight's Ball and Chain is now yours. Take it and use it to break through the ice to the north to find...some Ordon Goat Cheese. Man, Yeto's wife must be up to something, and that something sure isn't helping you find the mirror shard. You can also break one of the suits of armor to find 100 rupees before you leave. Take the cheese back to Yeto to improve his soup even further, then speak to his wife again; she'll unlock the east door, so go through it.
Use the ball and chain to break through the ice here, then use it to defeat the two ice monsters in the cages near the steps before heading up. Go right at the top and look for the cracked section of floor to the east. Break through it with the Ball and Chain and drop down to find a Piece of Heart in a chest, then Clawshot back up. Exit to the north. There's an ice skeleton here, so take it out, then break through the ice on the wall to find a target for your Clawshot. Z-Target the chandelier above and hit it with your Ball and Chain to start it swinging. Jump onto it , then leap from it to the chest to the north to find a Small Key. Clawshot back south and unlock the locked door in the previous room.
Break the ice by the door to find another Clawshot target that you can use to haul yourself back up, just in case you fall off the chandeliers here, which are your next points of interest. Get it moving with the Ball and Chain, then jump onto it. You have to do this again with the other two chandeliers to the south, which can be a tricky prospect. Time your Ball and Chain to get them moving, then jump when the chandelier you're on and the chandelier you're leaping two are close enough. By doing this you'll reach a chest with a Piece of Heart in it. Grab it, then head back to the northernmost chandelier and jump to the western exit, proceeding to the next room.
Kill the ice enemies here, then break the wall of ice to find a Poe. Kill it and claim its soul, then head north into the next room. Head around the western side and push the block forward until it falls into its slot; that way you can climb back up later. Next, use the Ball and Chain to break the ice around the northeastern block and the switch in the middle of the room. You must somehow find a way to get a block to stay in place on top of that switch to unlock the door onward. To do this, note the position of your three blocks: one on the southern switch, one just west of it, and the block you just freed up. The one just to the west of the block holding down the switch has to stay where it is, so don't even think about moving it.
To solve this puzzle, we'll be pushing the other two blocks. Consider the block on the southern switch Block 1 and the one you just freed up Block 2. Here's the solution: Push Block 1 north to the middle-north square, then push Block 2 south, west into the stationary block, then north into Block 1. Now push Block 1 east, south, west, and finally north so that it stops on the switch. The door on the upper floor is now open, so climb back up on the block you pushed down beforehand, then go through the door.
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