| Palaces | 6 palaces plus the Great Palace (7 in total) |
|---|---|
| Crystals | 6, one from each of the six palaces |
| Great Palace entry | All six crystals must be placed first |
| Crystal placement | Walk to the statue after the boss and place the crystal; unspent EXP fills up to your current cap |
Zelda II has six palaces, numbered in the order you normally reach them, and the Great Palace at the end. Each of the first six palaces holds one crystal, placed in a statue after its boss falls. Once all six are placed, the magic barrier at the Great Palace entrance vanishes and you can walk in. The table below lists how to enter each palace, what you find inside, and which boss you must beat.
Table of Contents
Palace quick reference
| # | Palace | Region | How to enter | Item | Boss | Crystal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parapa Palace | Parapa Desert | No item needed, go right to the elevator | Candle |  Horsehead | 1 |
| 2 | Midoro Palace | Midoro Swamp | Pass through the swamp after Mido Town |  Handy Glove |  Helmethead | 2 |
| 3 | Island Palace | Island south of King’s Tomb | Through the tunnel below the graveyard, with the Fairy spell for a ledge |  Raft |  Rebonack | 3 |
| 4 | Maze Island Palace | Maze Island, east of Darunia | Cross the bridge from Darunia, then pick a path round the island; Reflect is needed inside, not to enter |  Boots |  Carock | 4 |
| 5 | Palace on the Sea | Sea east of Nabooru | Walk on the water with the Boots |  Flute |  Gooma | 5 |
| 6 | Three-Eye Rock Palace | Desert south of New Kasuto | Play the Flute between the three rocks |  Cross |  Barba | 6 |
| 7 | Great Palace | Valley of Death | Place all six crystals first | Triforce of Courage | Thunderbird, then Dark Link | none |
The six crystals
Each crystal comes from one palace boss and is placed in the statue at the end of that palace. Placing a crystal also raises your unspent EXP to the current cap, so a palace visit can give you a level-up. Each palace is replaced by rubble once the crystal is set, and you cannot go back in, so collect every P-Bag and Link Doll inside before the statue.
Palace order and what you need
Palace 1: Parapa Palace
Parapa Palace is the first palace, reached from the desert with nothing needed. Its statue holds the crystal once you beat Horsehead. The Candle is inside too, and it lights the dark caves you pass later. See the walkthrough chapter Palace 1: Parapa Palace for the route.
Palace 2: Midoro Palace
Midoro Palace sits in Midoro Swamp, reached after Mido Town. Its key item is the Handy Glove. The crystal comes from Helmethead, and it goes in the statue near the boss room.
Palace 3: Island Palace
Island Palace is reached from the island south of King’s Tomb. A ledge on the route needs the Fairy spell. Inside you find the Raft, and the crystal is taken from Rebonack.
Palace 4: Maze Island Palace
Maze Island Palace is on Maze Island. You can walk in without Reflect, but the Wizzrobes inside and Carock only die to reflected magic, so learn it in Darunia first. Inside you find the Boots, which let you walk on certain water. Carock guards the crystal, and his weakness is the Reflect spell.
Palace 5: Palace on the Sea
Palace on the Sea is out on the water east of Nabooru. Walk onto the sea with the Boots to reach it. Inside you find the Flute, which you use in Palace 6. Gooma guards the crystal in the international versions.
Palace 6: Three-Eye Rock Palace
Three-Eye Rock Palace is hidden in the desert south of New Kasuto. Stand between the three rocks and play the Flute to reveal the entrance. The Magical Key from New Kasuto opens the locked doors inside. The Cross is in this palace, and Barba guards the crystal.
The Great Palace
The Great Palace lies in the Valley of Death. It opens only after all six crystals are in place. Thunderbird guards the chamber, and Dark Link waits in the final room. Defeating Dark Link wins you the Triforce of Courage and ends the game. The palace has no crystal of its own.
Keys and locked doors
Each palace uses ordinary keys to open its locked doors, and each palace has several. The Magical Key from New Kasuto is different: it is needed for the locked doors in Three-Eye Rock Palace, which is why you should visit New Kasuto before that palace. The Rebonack mini-bosses in Three-Eye Rock Palace drop ordinary keys, which are of little use once you have the Magical Key.
