Head up the path beside Zora River and enter Zora's Domain. You'll find it completely frozen over. Go up to the king's chamber; King Zora is frozen in red ice. Head past him to Zora's Fountain. Instead of Jabu-Jabu (no reference is ever made to what happened to him), you'll find a series of small iceburgs. From the platform, jump onto the first one. Some spin, others see-saw back and forth; keep your steps light as you run from iceburg to iceburg, avoiding the Octoroks. To your right is Piece of Heart 26. Continue across the iceburgs until you reach a cave: the Ice Cavern. Once inside, go straight and keep moving (there are falling icicles that try to impale you). Break the purple ice stalagmites blocking the door with your sword. There are four Freezzards in here (though you can only see three). Wait until they are done blowing frigid air at you (if it freezes you, it will hurt, so be careful), then run up and hit them thrice with your sword. The fourth will appear out of thin air every now and then -- it's the only one that can actually move to attack you. After they are dead, stand in the middle of the room and play the Song of Storms to bring forth a healing fairy. Proceed down the next hallway. In the next room, avoid the swinging scythes to collect all the silver rupees. You'll have to climb the steps to reach the last one. Watch out of the flying pots in here. There's also Golden Skulltula 72 on the wall in here. In the hallway, you'll have to kill another Freezzard. In the next room, you'll find Ice Keese, two immoble Freezzards, and one moble one. Kill everything in here. At the strange alter burning with blue fire, capture some in a bottle and use it to red the red ice in the room. Unfreeze the treasure chest. Be sure you have some blue fire in a bottle and Golden Skulltula 71 before leaving this room. Go back into the room with the scythes. Use the blue fire to melt the red ice to your right. Go through the hallway and you'll emerge in a big room. Kill the Ice Keese and Golden Skulltula 70 first. You'll notice a raised section of the floor. All these directions are from the prospective of one standing in the doorway where you entered this room. Push it left (grab the rupee by climbing on top) and then forward (grab the rupee). From the platform where the silver rupee was, play the Song of Time to get the 60 rupees in midair, then capture some blue fire in a bottle. Shove the raised platform off the edge into one of the holes in the corners. A new one will appear where the first one started out. Push it forward (grab the rupee) and then right (melt the red ice to grab the rupee). A door will open, but you'll need some blue fire first, so push the block, left, forward, grab the blue fire, push the block right, backwards, and left to the doorway. Kill the two Freezards in here, melt the red ice, and go through the door. There is one Wolfos in here to kill and the Iron Boots will be all yours. Shiek will come to you afterwards and teach you the Serenade of Water. You're all done with this mini-temple, except you'll need some blue fire before you leave. If you already have it, jump in the water behind the treasure chest, strap on your Iron Boots, go through the doorway, and take off the Boots.You'll be in the first main room of the castle; go to the right to exit.
Zora's Domain
Go ahead and unfreeze the Zora King with a bottle of blue fire. Talk to him and he will be so grateful that you unfreezed him that he will give you the Zora Tunic, which allows you to stay underwater with your Iron Boots without surfacing for breath. Grab Golden Skulltula 62 while you're up here talking to the king. If you'd like to unfreeze the shop, you can do that, too, but there is really no reason. You'll notice that it is impossible to get to Lake Hylia by the warp point, so you'll just have to walk.
Getting in the Castle
If this is the first time you have entered Lake Hylia since becoming an adult, you'll discover a nasty surprise: most of the water is gone, there are baddies everywhere, and -- oh no!!!! -- you can't get to the fishing game!!!! However, if you planted a bean by the Laboratory as a child, you can now reach Piece of Heart 30. You might want to have some magic potion in a bottle before you get in; the battle with the miniboss might require it, depending on how quick and patient you are. Walk over the bridges to the central island. You'll find Shiek, who teaches you the Serenade of Water. Hop off the front of the island and equip your Iron Boots and Zora Tunic. You'll land on some white tiles. The only weapon available to you underwater is your Hookshot, so bring it out and shoot the switch above the door of the Temple. Head on inside.
Finding the First Switch
When you enter the temple, you will find yourself in the third floor of a three-story temple. The temple is basically one main room (the room you are in now) which has a room in the middle of it and doors radiating out from the outer walls. You basically get around by lowering and raising the water level. It's really easy to get turned around in here, so I have provided a map. Aren't I nice? Start by jumping into the water and equiping your Iron Boots and Zora Tunic (if you had taken them off). You'll drift to the bottom of the Temple where you will find some Spikes. Shoot them with your Hookshot once they become rocks. Go in the door to your right (it's the room on the right with the key marked on the First Floor of the map). Surprise! It's Ruto, all grown up. She'll demand to know why you haven't married her yet, then get down to business. She will swim up; follow her by taking off your Iron Boots. You will surface on the third floor. Climb out of the water and you'll see a Triforce on the wall. Play Zelda's Lullaby in front of the symbol to make the water level drop to the ground floor. This is the only switch in the castle that makes the water level drop to the ground floor and you can only get to it when the water is at the third level.
Finding the Second Switch
Go through the door on the same floor and, after killing the Spikes (just keep your Shield up when they are prickly), you can get Golden Skulltula 78 and the Dungeon Map. Drop back down to the room where you met Ruto. You'll find two unlit torches and a lit one. Stand with the lit torch between you and one of the unlit. Shoot your arrow through the flame so the other torch catches fire. Repeat this process with the other unlit torch before the first goes out. Go through the door that opens. Z-Target one of the Shell Blades and, once you get close enough, it will open up its shell. Hit the red thing inside with your Hookshot (you may want to have your shield ready in case you aren't fast enough and it starts charging). Once you have defeated all the Shell Blades, you'll get a small key, then can go back into the main room of the Temple. On the opposite side of the room, you'll find a doorway being blocked. Push the block in until it drops down. Follow it with your Iron Boots. Surface and hit the switch on the right to make a geyser rise. Hop across it to the other side of the room. In the next room, you'll see that the water in here is a whirlpool with a dragon or snake or something statue submerged. Notice that the head is in the left corner. You want to end up in the corner opposite you -- to the dragon's head's left. Hop into the water and you'll start spinning counter-clockwise. Once you are directly above the part of the tail against the wall in the corner where I told you to end up, strap on the Iron Boots and you'll drift down to the platform. Shoot the crystal in the dragon's mouth with your Hookshot, then shoot the hookshot target in the hallway to your right. Be careful of the Shell Blades and float to the top (on the other side of the grate). You'll find another small key. Head back out into the whirlpool room, through the geyser room, and into the main room of the castle. You'll see a locked door leading into the central column. Walk inside. Look up and you'll see a platform with a hookshot target. Once you reach the platform, you'll find the switch that makes the water level go to the second floor. This is the only switch in the castle that makes the water level go to the second level and you can only reach it when the water level is at the bottom.
Finding the Third Switch
Put on your Iron Boots and drop back onto the central walkway which is now submerged. Under where part of the floor was, you'll find a hole. In this room, you'll see a crystal switch in the corner. Hit it from as far away as you can (preferably closer to the right wall). When you do so, a trapdoor will open, allowing a bunch of Spikes and Shell Blades to float down. Kill them and a chest will appear. Take off your Iron Boots just below the trapdoor in the ceiling to get the small key from the chest. Surface in the central column room, exit the door, put on your Iron Boots, and go back into the room where you first found Ruto. Take off the Iron Boots. Where you surface, you'll find a strange-looking wall . Bomb it open and you will be rewarded with a small key. Go back into the main room of the Temple and go through the door with two pots in front of it (it's on the second level). Get rid of the baddies and use your Hookshot to go up. Stand next to the geyser and hit the switch with your hookshot, then ride the geyser up to the top where you will find the Compass. Go back to the main room and go through the locked door. Take out the Tektites (watch for the one that jumps from the ceiling) and, standing by the geyser, hit the switch to make the water shoot up. Hop on the geyser-elevator, go through the door, and you will find yourself at the last switch. This is the only switch in the castle that makes the water level rise to the third floor and you can only reach it when the water level is at the second floor.
To Dark Link
Go through the locked door to your left. Kill the Keese on the walls then use your Hookshot to climb the platforms as you ride down. Just be patient and don't get freaked out about falling. Snag Golden Skulltula 79 while you're in here. Go through the door and you'll be in one of the most annoying rooms in the castle. Shoot the switch in the middle of the room with your Hookshot to make the water level and statues to rise. You may want to go ahead and kill all the baddies now with the Biggoron Sword and/or arrows. Hookshot over to the target on the nearest statue's chest. Cross over to the next platform, then hit the switch again. Go to the right side of the room, crawl over the statue, and hit the switch to make the water rise. Go to the last platform, hit the switch again and stand on the statue's head. Now hit the switch a final time to ride the head up like an elevator. You are greated by several Tektites and a Like-Like. You know how to get rid of these guys; just remember to stay away from the Like-Like and use arrows for fear of losing your shield (which you will sorely need in the upcoming battle). Hookshot the ceiling to cross over the spikey ground and go through the door.
Dark Link
The room really does have walls; you're not outside; it's just an illusion. Walk to the door on the far end of the room. It's locked, so head to the middle island where you will meet Dark Link. There are two ways of going about killing this guy. First is the difficult way. I suggest you try it just for a while first so you can appreciate how difficult of a match this is.
- Get out any weapon with firepower. The Master Sword, the Biggoron Sword, the Megaton Hammer, you name it. Stay standing on the middle island; it somehow makes Dark Link fight less well. Though it is the weakest of the three, the Master Sword may be your best bet since it allows you to use a shield. Just keep circling the island and slash at Dark Link whenever you get a chance. It is best to keep the tree between you and him because he'll get into these frenzied attacks against you, but he isn't quite smart enough to go around the tree. For the most part, though, he just reacts to whatever you do. If you manage to hit him, he will jump back and disappear -- and reappear right behind you, so have the camera angle out wide so you can Z-Target him when he comes back. You may want to drop Z-Target at this point, just aiming frenzied attacks in his general direction. The madder you make him (the longer you take), he'll start doing this really annoying thing where he'll make you freeze in mid-attack, leaving you wide open to his sword. There's not much you can do, just push buttons madly so that when he has released you, you can get back into a defensive position. Your best bet for getting rid of Dark Link is the Spin Attack. It takes ten hits to get rid of him -- which doesn't sound like much until you realize how beastly he is.
- This is really just shy of cheating, but if you're not having luck with the difficult way, this is your only other choice. Unleash Din's Fire at Dark Link over and over until he's dead. Yep. That's it. Just make sure you have enough magic (that's why I told you to get a bottle of potion in the beginning) or you'll have to revert to steel.
To the Boss
Once your shadow side has been vanquished, go through the door that was initially locked. You'll find a hard-earned Longshot in the chest. Don't get disappointed that it's just an upgrade of the Hookshot; the Longshot is invaluable. Use the Song of Time to make the blue block disappear, then jump down the hole that is revealed. Jump into the stream wearing your Iron Boots. Go to the right and you'll find a huge whirlpool up the hill (no matter how frustrated you get climbing the hill, don't take off your Iron Boots or you'll get sucked to the bottom of the whirlpool). Take a hard left and you'll find another whirlpool. Get Golden Skulltula 81. Take a hard right and get as close to the third whirlpool as you can without getting sucked in. To your left, you'll see a Hookshot platform. Go up and shoot the eye switch on the wall, then Hookshot to the target on your left. You'll get another small key. Go back into the main room of the temple. Enter the doorway just right of the main entrance and pull the block you see as far as you can. Then go to the room where you first met Ruto and lower the water level. Go in the middle of the tower to raise the water level to the second floor. Standing on the central platform shoot the eye switch that is just below a doorway. Hookshot over to the wall at the end of the tunnel. You'll find the block you just pulled, so push it out of the way. Go to the right to get another small key. Go back into the main room of the temple, put on the Iron Boots, and go through the door on the opposite side of the room from the main entrance. Here you can use your Longshot to cross the spikes. In the next room, watch out for boulders and strong currents as you cross. It's best to walk on the bottom with your Iron Boots. Get Golden Skulltula 80. In the next room, kill all the baddies in the water (arrows are your best bets), then bomb open the platform below and left of you. Push the block as far as you can. Go around to the other side, bomb open the wall, and pull the block. Then go back to the first side and push the block into the crevice in the floor. The water level in this room will rise, allowing you to swim to the steps. In the next room, trigger the switch and hop across the geysers. In the next room, watch out for boulders, equip the Iron Boots and walk right. You'll fall down a hole; go through the passageway where you will find the Boss Key. Go all the way back to the main room of the castle. If you want to get Golden Skulltula 82, this is the time. It's never really convenient to get it. Raise the water to the top level. You'll see a snake statue with a Hookshot target opposite the main entrance of the Temple (on the third floor). Hookshot over, collect the stuff in pots and go through the door. You'll find a really steep slope leading to Morpha's lair. I suggest walking on the right side of the room; start walking as soon as the nearest spike bounces off the right wall. Go through the door with your Boss' Key to enter Morpha's lair.
Morpha
This boss is a joke after the crazy-complicated castle. There are a few stages of this fight.
- Hop to one of the central platforms. This is about the only time you will actually want to be standing on one of these platforms; I just stay on the outer rim (just watch out for the spikes on the walls!). This tentacle of jello-water stuff will come out of the water; in it is a red nucleus. The nucleus is for what you'll be aiming. After Morpha has introduced itself, hop back to the outer walkway.
- When the nucleus starts to swim in circles and form a small whirlpool, back away -- about ten feet or so. A tentacle will zip out of the water and aim straight for you. Get out your Hookshot and target the nucleus. When you grab it, slice it with your sword.
- Once you do that enough times, a second tentacle will appear. Just stay aware of where it is and make sure you stay out of its reach. Only one of the tentacles will contain the nucleus. Keep Hookshoting and swording it until it is dead. Get your Heart Container and step into the blue light.
