Shadow Temple Walkthrough

1. Watch out

   You need the Lens of Truth, Din's Fire, the Hookshot (the Longshot is better), the Iron Boots, the Fairy Bow and bombs. The Scarecrow's Song helps with one Gold Skulltula. Bring magic potions: the Lens will drain you.

   #1.1

2. Play the Nocturne of Shadow to warp to the ledge above Kakariko Graveyard.

   #1.2

3. Walk down the passage behind the warp pad into a chamber where unlit torches ring a central platform.

   #1.3

4. Stand on the platform and cast Din's Fire. The blast lights every torch at once and the temple door grinds open.

   #1.4

5. Inside, follow the corridor to a pit and Hookshot the target on the far side to cross.

   #1.5

6. A message warns that the way forward reveals itself only to the 'eye of truth'. Equip the Lens of Truth: from here on, fake walls are everywhere. Use it in short bursts to save magic.

   #1.6
7. Tip

   The Shadow Temple holds five Small Keys, one for each of its five locked doors.

   #1.7

1. Nearby is a room with a bird statue on a turntable, surrounded by pillars topped with skulls. You'll solve it shortly; first use the Lens to find the fake walls around these opening rooms.

   #2.1

2. Pass through the hidden walls into a room where a ReDead and two Keese attack. The Sun's Song freezes the ReDead. Defeat all three and a chest appears with the Dungeon Map.

   #2.2

3. Keep following Lens-revealed passages through a second, near-identical room to reach Dead Hand's chamber.

   #2.3

4. This Dead Hand fights just like the one in the well: let its arms draw it out, then slash its face when it bends down to bite. With the Master Sword it goes down fast.

   #2.4
5. You get

   Open the chest for the Hover Boots. They let you run across open air for a moment before you fall, but they give you almost no traction.

   #2.5
6. Tip

   Take the Hover Boots off when you don't need them. Sliding off a ledge in them is the most common way to fall in this temple.

   #2.6

1. Back at the bird statue, switch on the Lens. All but one of the skulls on the surrounding pillars vanish; the one that remains is real.

   #3.1

2. Push the statue's base to rotate it until the bird's beak points at the real skull. A gate opens on the far side of the room.

   #3.2

3. Beyond, a chasm is spanned by a long tongue-shaped ledge that stops short of the door. Put on the Hover Boots and run across.

   #3.3

4. Follow the slope down into a hall guarded by a Beamos. Destroy it with a bomb.

   #3.4

5. Scan the Beamos hall with the Lens to find fake walls on both sides.

   #3.5

6. One leads to a room with two Gibdos. Freeze them with the Sun's Song or burn them with Din's Fire, then finish them; a chest appears with the Compass.

   #3.6
7. Watch out

   A Gibdo's stare paralyzes you. Never let both close in at once.

   #3.7

1. The other fake wall opens into a room where a giant scythe blade sweeps around the center.

   #4.1

2. Collect the five Silver Rupees. Duck into the wall alcoves or crouch behind your shield as the blade passes. The last rupee sits high on a wooden platform; Hookshot up to reach it.

   #4.2
3. You get

   A chest appears with the first Small Key.

   #4.3

4. Return to the Beamos hall, bomb the cracked wall at its far end, and unlock the door behind it.

   #4.4

1. A long hall leads downward. Big Skulltulas hang in the way; knock them out with the Hookshot or arrows. Guillotine blades slam down along the path, so run between drops.

   #5.1

2. The hall opens into a vast chasm crossed by moving platforms beneath more guillotines. A Wallmaster hunts here, so keep moving, and use the Hover Boots for the narrow gaps.

   #5.2

3. A Red Bubble harasses you near the last guillotine (stun it with a Deku Nut or arrow), and a Stalfos drops onto the landing beyond. Defeat it.

   #5.3

4. From the Stalfos landing, use the Lens to reveal invisible platforms off to one side. Hover across to a door.

   #5.4

5. Inside, the Lens exposes invisible scythes spinning around the room. Kill the Keese and the Like Like to open the gate; finish the Like Like fast, since it can swallow your Hylian Shield or tunic.

   #5.5
6. Collectible

   A Gold Skulltula clings to the wall in this room. Reel it in with the Hookshot.

   #5.6
7. Tip

   The small side chamber has two chests: a visible one with rupees and an invisible one (use the Lens) with arrows.

   #5.7

1. Return to the Stalfos landing and hover onto the big platform that rises and sinks nearby. Step onto it when it's at its lowest and ride it down.

   #6.1

2. Below, a Beamos sits between two spinning spike traps, with five Silver Rupees around it. Bomb the Beamos; the last rupee is hidden right where it stood.

   #6.2

3. Collecting all five opens a door into a room where spiked racks crash down from the ceiling.

   #6.3

4. Use the Lens to find a block hidden in the wall. Push it under the first spike rack and on toward the second so the falling racks land on the block instead of on you.

   #6.4
5. Collectible

   A Gold Skulltula hides in one of the cells along the side of this room.

   #6.5

6. Climb onto the block, cross the tops of the spike racks and step on the switch atop the cells. A chest appears on a nearby rooftop; reach it with the Hookshot or Hover Boots for the second Small Key.

   #6.6
7. Tip

   Two more chests here hold rupees and arrows.

   #6.7

8. Back at the Stalfos landing, the Lens reveals another line of invisible platforms leading to a locked door. Hover across and open it.

   #6.8

1. In the next room, floor spikes shoot up that only the Lens can show. Two ReDeads wander here; freeze and defeat them for a chest of rupees.

   #7.1

2. Collect five Silver Rupees, Hookshotting to targets to reach the floating ones. One target is invisible, so check with the Lens.

   #7.2

3. The door that opens leads to a room with a giant skull-shaped pot. Clear out the Keese and Fire Keese, then pick up a Bomb Flower and throw it into the skull. It bursts and releases the third Small Key.

   #7.3
4. Collectible

   A Gold Skulltula sits on the wall beside the giant skull.

   #7.4

5. Return to the spike room and Hookshot up to the high ledge with the locked door. Unlock it.

   #7.5

1. Giant fans blow down this corridor. Equip the Iron Boots to walk against the wind.

   #8.1

2. To cross the pits, wait for the fans to pause and dash over with the Hover Boots, or Hookshot to the wooden beams.

   #8.2

3. In the room beyond, a carving hints at a hidden route. Use the Lens to find an invisible chest with arrows and a hidden doorway set high across a gap.

   #8.3

4. Put on the Hover Boots, step into the fan's gust and let it carry you across the gap to the hidden doorway.

   #8.4

5. Two Gibdos wait inside. Defeat them for a chest of rupees.

   #8.5

6. Bomb the pile of rubble in the corner, then use the Lens to spot the invisible chest it was covering. It holds the fourth Small Key. Unlock the door.

   #8.6

1. Push the block over to the foot of the ladder, climb up to the dock and board the ship moored there.

   #9.1
2. Collectible

   Play the Scarecrow's Song near the dock to summon Pierre, then Longshot to him to reach a Gold Skulltula on the wall.

   #9.2

3. Stand on the Triforce crest on deck and play Zelda's Lullaby. The ship drifts out across the chasm.

   #9.3

4. Two Stalfos drop onto the deck mid-voyage. Din's Fire softens them up. Fight them on the deck and stay out of the water.

   #9.4
5. Watch out

   The ship sinks as it nears the far side. Jump to the landing before it goes under.

   #9.5

6. Through the landing's door lies a maze of invisible walls. Keep the Lens on to find your way; it branches to three side rooms.

   #9.6

7. South room: an invisible Floormaster lurks here. Reveal it with the Lens, beat it, then kill the small hands it splits into before they regrow (Din's Fire catches them all). A chest appears with the fifth Small Key.

   #9.7

8. North room: spiked wooden walls start closing in. Cast Din's Fire right away to burn them, then defeat the two ReDeads. The large chest holds the Boss Key; the small one holds rupees.

   #9.8

9. West room: three skull pots spin in place. Throw Bomb Flowers at them to shatter them for a pile of rupees.

   #9.9
10. Collectible

    A Gold Skulltula is in the west room with the spinning skull pots.

    #9.10

11. Back on the landing, shoot an arrow at the Bomb Flowers at the base of the statue. The blast topples it across the chasm into a bridge.

    #9.11

12. Cross the fallen statue and open the last locked door.

    #9.12

13. The Lens reveals platforms over a bottomless drop. Hover from one to the next to the boss door, unlock it, and jump down the hole inside.

    #9.13

1. Boss

   You land on a giant drum floating over a pool of poison. Bongo Bongo's body is invisible, but its two huge disembodied hands pound the drum skin and bounce you around. Wear the Hover Boots to stay steady.

   #10.1
2. Boss

   Lock on to one hand and shoot it with an arrow (the Hookshot works too) to stun it. Hit the other hand right away, before the first recovers.

   #10.2
3. Boss

   With both hands stunned, Bongo Bongo's eye emerges. Use the Lens to see it clearly, then shoot the eye with an arrow.

   #10.3
4. Boss

   The blow knocks Bongo Bongo down onto the drum. Rush in and slash it as many times as you can before it rises. Biggoron's Sword deals big damage here.

   #10.4
5. Boss

   Between rounds, the hands slap, grab, slide and crash down on you. Keep moving around the drum and keep both hands in view.

   #10.5
6. Boss

   If you're knocked off, the poison hurts but isn't instant death. Climb back up the side of the drum quickly. Repeat the cycle until Bongo Bongo falls.

   #10.6
7. You get

   Take the Heart Container and step into the blue light. Impa awakens as the Sage of Shadow and gives you the Shadow Medallion.

   #10.7

Every Gold Skulltula and Piece of Heart you can grab around here as adult Link. Checking one off here also checks it off in the full trackers.

Gold Skulltulas (5)

• Behind Gate, Invisible Blade Room GS-085

  Past the first Beamos, bomb the wall beside it and take the locked door to reach the room with an invisible spinning blade (the Lens of Truth shows it). Defeat the Like Like and Keese to open the gate on the far wall, then kill the Skulltula behind it.

  Adult LinkHover BootsBombs

• Cell in the Falling Spikes Room GS-086

  In the room where spikes drop from the ceiling, check the barred cell on the left side. Hookshot the Skulltula inside to kill it and pull the token out.

  Adult LinkHookshot

• Behind the Giant Skull Pot GS-087

  In the room with invisible floor spikes, collect all five Silver Rupees (use the Lens of Truth and Hookshot targets for the high ones) to unlock the side room. Inside, clear the Keese and take down the Skulltula behind the giant skull pot.

  Adult LinkHookshotLens of Truth

• High Ledge Beside the Ghost Ship GS-088

  In the boat room, push the block into the gap under the ladder, climb up, and play the Scarecrow's Song to summon Pierre, then Longshot over to the Skulltula. You can also Longshot it directly from the deck of the boat before you start the ride.

  Adult LinkLongshot

• Behind Three Spinning Skull Pots GS-089

  After the boat ride, find the room where three skull pots spin in place (bomb them for rupees if you like). Get behind them and defeat the Skulltula; the Longshot helps if it is beyond sword reach.

  Adult Link