Chapter 10: The Dark Palace (A Link Between Worlds Walkthrough)

Table of Contents

Embarking on the journey to the Dark Palace in The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds requires strategic navigation and keen observation. Here’s a comprehensive guide to assist you:

Preparation

Before setting out, ensure you have acquired Bombs from Ravio’s Shop, as they are essential for accessing and progressing through the Dark Palace.

Accessing Lorule’s Dark Palace:

Locate the Rift: Travel to the area between Link’s House and the Eastern Palace in Hyrule. In the southeastern corner, find a cracked boulder blocking a wall fissure. Use a Bomb to clear the boulder and reveal the portal to Lorule.

Entering Lorule: Pass through the portal to arrive in Lorule’s counterpart of the region. Head east, ascend the nearby ladder, and proceed north to reach the Dark Palace grounds.

Navigating the Dark Palace Grounds:

The area surrounding the Dark Palace is heavily patrolled by Lorulean guards with fixed vision cones. Being spotted results in imprisonment, but you can escape using your wall-merging ability.

First Guard: Merge into the wall opposite the guard and move past him while avoiding his line of sight.

Pair of Guards: Utilize the central wall to merge and navigate between the two guards. Wait until they face away from each other before advancing northward.

Subsequent Guards: Continue westward, merging with walls to bypass individual guards. When encountering multiple guards, observe their patrol patterns and use wall-merging to slip by unnoticed.

Final Guard: Merge into the wall to move past the last guard and ascend the stairs leading directly to the Dark Palace entrance.

Entering & Exploring the Dark Palace:

Upon reaching the palace entrance, use a Bomb to destroy the cracked wall, granting you access to the dungeon’s interior.

Initial Room: Move to the left side and place a Bomb near the crystal switch. Quickly return to the central platform to ride it across the room.
Illuminating the Eyeball: On the right side, throw a Bomb onto the ledge to break the wooden obstruction, allowing light to hit the eyeball and unlock the door.
Acquiring the Small Key: In the northwest corner, step on the floor switch to drop a Small Key. Bomb the cracked floor nearby to reveal a hidden platform. Merge into the wall to retrieve the key and proceed through the unlocked door.
Obtaining the Compass: Navigate to the room with two switches behind barriers. Toss Bombs over the barriers to activate both switches simultaneously, revealing a chest containing the Compass.
Advancing Further: Use Bombs to break wooden panels covering windows, allowing light to enter and solve light-based puzzles. In dark rooms, extinguish torches to reveal hidden pathways and platforms.
Collecting the Big Key: In a room with multiple Goriyas (enemies that mimic your movements), defeat them to activate a moving platform. Ride it to access an area where you can obtain the Big Key.

Ensure you have Bombs equipped before entering the boss chamber, as they are crucial for breaking the Gemasaur King’s armor. It’s advisable to have health-restoring items, such as potions or fairies in bottles, to recover from potential damage during the battle.

Confronting the Boss: Gemasaur King

Initial Phase – Armor Destruction

The Gemasaur King is initially protected by a sturdy mask, rendering it impervious to sword attacks. To expose its weak point, you must first destroy this mask. Position yourself at a safe distance and place Bombs near the boss. The explosions will damage the mask. Repeated Bomb attacks are necessary to completely shatter the mask. If you have the Hammer, you can use it to break the mask. However, this method requires close proximity to the boss, increasing the risk of taking damage.

The Gemasaur King can launch fireballs that split into multiple smaller projectiles, covering a wide area. To avoid these, observe the boss’s mouth; when it glows, prepare to move laterally to dodge the spreading fireballs. The boss may swing its spiked tail horizontally. Staying near the Gemasaur King’s head can help you avoid this attack, as the tail typically sweeps the area behind and to the sides of the boss.

Second Phase – Exposed Weak Point:

Once the mask is destroyed, a green crystal on the Gemasaur King’s forehead becomes visible. This is its vulnerable spot. Switch to your sword and strike the crystal. Alternatively, you can use arrows for a ranged approach, allowing you to maintain distance from the boss. Without its mask, the Gemasaur King becomes more aggressive and moves more rapidly around the arena. Stay alert and adjust your movements to keep up with its increased speed. Continue targeting the crystal while evading its attacks.

Victory

After delivering sufficient blows to the exposed crystal, the Gemasaur King will be defeated. Upon its defeat, you’ll be rewarded with a Heart Container, increasing your maximum health, and a crucial item or progression point in your adventure.