A Link to the Past 100% Completion Walkthrough
- Princess Zelda Rescue : Infiltrate Hyrule Castle to rescue Zelda and kickstart Link’s epic quest.
- Eastern Palace : Solve Armos Knights’ traps in your first dungeon to claim the Pendant of Courage.
- Desert Palace: Navigate shifting sands and defeat Lanmolas to earn the Pendant of Power.
- Tower of Hera: Climb Death Mountain’s Tower to obtain the Moon Pearl and final pendant.
- The Master Sword & Hyrule Castle: Claim the Master Sword, confront Agahnim, and set your destiny in motion.
- Dark Palace: Explore the Dark World’s Palace and free the first Maiden from darkness.
- Light World Exploration: Unlock warps, collect hearts, and prepare for deeper Dark World dungeons.
- Swamp Palace: Use Cane of Somaria blocks to navigate the toxic swamp and rescue another Maiden.
- Skull Woods: Uncover hidden tunnels and puzzles among the skull trees to free a trapped Maiden.
- Gargoyle’s Domain: Enter via pitchfork statue, secure the Titan’s Mitt, and beat Blind the Thief.
- Ice Palace: Traverse icy floors, gain Blue Mail, and defeat a freezing foe.
- Misery Mire: Master Cane of Byrna and Ether Medallion to rescue another Maiden in the mire.
- Turtle Rock: Face volcano hazards and rescue the last Maiden within this volcanic fortress.
- Ganon’s Tower : Climb the tower’s gauntlet of traps and minibosses to battle Agahnim.
- Pyramid of Power: The Ultimate Showdown with Ganon.
Heart Piece #12: Pyramid of Power Ledge
After your showdown with Agahnim in Hyrule Castle, you are transported to the ominous Dark World, materializing atop the Pyramid of Power. As soon as you regain control of Link on the pyramid’s roof, take the staircase on the right side down.
From the ledge, hop off to the east. You’ll land on a narrow pathway wrapping around the pyramid’s eastern base. Follow this path northward along the pyramid’s outer wall. At the dead-end, claim the Piece of Heart shining on the ground! This collectible is Heart Piece #12 in your quest (and the first one accessible in the Dark World). If you’ve been diligent in gathering Pieces of Heart, picking this up may complete another heart container.
Tip: If you need to return to the Light World at any point, use the Magic Mirror. It will create a warp point that you can re-enter to come back to the Dark World. This is handy for restocking supplies or exploring newly unlocked Light World secrets.
Quake Medallion Acquired – The Catfish at the Lake of Ill Omen
With Heart Piece #12 in hand, your next goal is an optional but highly recommended magic item: the Quake Medallion. To retrieve it, venture toward the northeastern corner of the Dark World – the equivalent area to Zora’s Domain in the Light World. From the Pyramid of Power, descend to ground level and head eastward. Navigate through the rocky terrain (skirting the Dark World version of the Magic Shop area) and follow the river north. You’ll pass a sign ominously warning about a curse to anyone who disturbs a circle of stones. Continue until you find a curious ring of stones in shallow water at the source of the river.
Stand at the water’s edge and pick up any throwable object nearby – a skull, a rock, even that warning sign will do – and toss it into the center of the stone circle. The earth will suddenly rumble, and a giant Catfish emerges from the depths! The grumpy Catfish, upset at being woken, will begrudgingly reward your audacity by spitting out the Quake Medallion. Grab this glowing magical coin. The Catfish then asks to be left alone – heed its wish and be on your way.
Item: Quake Medallion
A powerful spell that can shake the earth and dispatch enemies on-screen. (You’ll need Quake later on for story progression, so securing it now saves you a trip.)
With the Quake Medallion in your inventory, it’s time to tackle the Palace of Darkness (often called the Dark Palace), the first Dark World dungeon. Make sure you’re prepared: you should have the Master Sword, Magic Mirror, Pegasus Boots, and ideally at least one bottled fairy or potion. Having around 10 hearts worth of health (after collecting a few heart pieces) is helpful for the challenges ahead. When you’re ready, journey to the Dark Palace in the eastern region of the Dark World.
Entering the Dark Palace
From the Pyramid area, head southeast toward where the Eastern Palace stood in the Light World. Now you’re in the Dark World’s Eastern Palace region, but it’s no longer the orderly stone plaza you remember. This corrupted area has become a tangled hedge maze, filled with Deku-like snapping flowers, moblins, and stone spinners. Look for an arrow pointing north on the ground toward the middle of the area to start. You’ll need to carefully make your way through this overgrown labyrinth to reach the palace entrance.
Here’s how to navigate the maze: start by heading north then east behind the building, following the openings in the shrubbery. The path soon branches — stick to the left route. Go west until you go under an opening then head north. Defeat the enemies blocking the path and head through the opening to the east ahead Eventually, you’ll reach a dead-end in front of a tall hedge wall — that’s your cue to move north up the narrow corridor formed between the hedges.
As you approach the palace, you’ll encounter a friendly (and very greedy) little monkey named Kiki hiding in the brush. Kiki will start following you if you bribe him with 10 Rupees when he asks for money. Make sure you don’t get hit by any enemies while escorting Kiki – if you take damage, the cowardly monkey will flee back into the maze, and you’ll have to return and pay another 10 Rupees to get him back.
Lead Kiki up to the grand entrance of the Dark Palace. Upon reaching the tall closed gate, Kiki chatters that he can open it for you – for a price, of course. Pay Kiki 100 Rupees when he requests it. The mischievous monkey will leap onto the palace wall and hit a hidden switch, causing the massive stone doors to swing open. (Quite a hefty toll, but there’s no other way in without sequence-breaking, so hopefully you’ve saved up rupees – if not, consider playing the digging game or selling excess goodies in the Light World.) Once the entrance is unlocked, it will remain open permanently. Kiki departs with his loot, and you’re now free to enter the Dark Palace.
Dark Palace – Navigating the Maze of Chambers
First Floor – Finding Key #1 and the Dungeon Map
Upon entering the Palace of Darkness, you find yourself in a foyer with three doors: one on the left (west), one straight ahead (north, locked), and one on the right (east). For now, take the west door first. In the next room, you’ll encounter a new enemy: a Helmasaur (small helmet-wearing dinosaur). Its iron mask will block frontal attacks, so either hit it from behind or pick up a skull pot and throw it to take it out in one shot. Clear the room and go down the staircase to Basement 1 (B1).
Downstairs, you’ll be under constant fire from stone Medusa statues that spit fireballs. Keep your Red Shield raised to block fireballs or dodge them as you move. In the southwest corner of this room, lift the lone skull pot to reveal a floor switch. Step on the switch to make a chest appear in the north alcove. Open it to obtain Small Key #1. This little key will open one of the palace’s many locked doors.
Head back up the stairs to 1F and return to the entrance hall. This time, go through the east door. Take out another Helmasaur on the landing, then descend the stairs. In the chamber below, an Anti-Fairy (the flashing skull) bounces around – avoid or sprinkle Magic Powder on it to turn it into a healing fairy if you need energy. Step on the active warp tile (the yellow glowing floor tile) to teleport to a new part of the dungeon.
You’ll materialize in a room patrolled by two Anti-Fairies. (This is a safe spot to use Magic Powder again – two free fairies for your bottles or health!). There’s also a telepathy tile here: use it to telepathically communicate with Princess Zelda, who whispers a hint that she’s in Turtle Rock on Death Mountain and urges you to rescue the maidens. When you’re ready, dash into the cracked south wall to smash it open (no bomb needed for these crumbly walls). Go through the broken wall into a long, dark corridor.
In this hallway, jelly-like Blue Bari enemies drop from the ceiling. Blue Baris will occasionally electrify themselves (turning bright) – don’t strike them with your sword while they’re charged or you’ll get a shocking jolt. Either wait until they stop sparking to slash them or use non-conductive weapons (the Boomerang won’t work on them, though). Weave past three Blue Baris. At the far end of the hallway, dash into another breakable wall to the south to bust into the next room.
Here you’re confronted with a new challenge: a trio of mirror-eyed foes called Goriyas. Two are green and one is red. The Green Goriyas mimic your movements exactly, while the Red Goriya mirrors your movement opposite (when you move up, it moves down, etc.). They throw projectiles if you line up directly with them. A good strategy is to reposition so that the Red Goriya moves into the path of your Arrows – face just off to its side to bait it, then fire an arrow and shift to guide the Goriya into it. Two arrows will take down the Red Goriya, and a few sword hits or a thrown pot will dispatch each Green Goriya. Once all three are defeated, the north door unlocks. Go through it.
Sprint straight north through the next chamber – it’s a narrow conveyor belt bridge loaded with traps. Blade Traps slide at you, Baris (including red ones) bounce around, and the floor conveyor moves against you, slowing your progress. Keep moving and dodge diagonally as needed. A Red Bari might split into two small Biri if struck, so it may be safer to avoid or quickly dispatch them with the Hookshot (if you have it from later dungeons) or a well-timed slash when they’re not electrified. At the end of the gauntlet, head up the stairs to return to 1F.
Emerging onto a balcony, you’ll see three Red Bari guarding a treasure chest. Carefully defeat or circumvent the Red Baris (remember, when you strike a Red Bari it will split into two tiny Biri – these mini jellies can still shock you, so take them out or avoid them). Open the chest to obtain the Dungeon Map! Now you can view the layout of the Dark Palace floors – extremely handy, given how many twists and turns lie ahead.
While still in the Map chest room, note the cracked walls on both the east and west sides. Bomb the east wall first to uncover a hidden Fairy fountain – inside are three fairies. This is a perfect opportunity to heal up and capture fairies in bottles for safety. Next, bomb the west wall. In the small closet behind it, you’ll find a chest – open it to get Small Key #2. Two keys down!
(You may notice three strange turtle-like statues (so-called “Helmasaur moles”) in the north part of the Map room. Ignore them for now – you can’t do anything with these curious moles until you have a certain item. We’ll be back.)
Having collected Key #2 and the Map, backtrack to the previous room with the conveyors. Rather than go through that hazard again, save time by using the Magic Mirror. The Mirror will warp you back to the dungeon’s entrance instantly. From the entrance hall, you can now unlock the northern door with one of your small keys.
Big Key Quest – Keys #3 & #4 and the Big Key
Proceed through the now-unlocked north door into a large two-part chamber. You are on the south side of a wide gap, with a low fence separating two halves of the room. Two Medusa fireball statues guard the area, and a couple of Blue Baris roam about. You have two route choices: east or west. First, take the eastern path. Push the heavy block out of your way (shove it “into” the pit) to clear a path on the narrow ledge. Hug the wall and slip into the door in the northeast corner.
In this small room you’ll find a lone treasure chest – open it to obtain Small Key #3. Easy enough! Now head south through the door. You’re back in the big chamber, on the upper ledge of the east side. Immediately step off the ledge here to drop to the floor below. Link will fall down to B1, landing in a turtle-decorated room.
Downstairs, you land amid two shelled enemies called Terrorpins. Terrorpins are invulnerable to your sword right now because they’re flipped over on their shells – you’ll need the dungeon’s special item to deal with them properly. For now, don’t bother fighting; simply weave around them. Walk to the left side of the room. Four skeletal Yellow Stalfos warriors drop from the ceiling, flinging their skull heads at you. Raise your shield to block or slash the flying skulls out of the air. Defeat the Stalfos bodies (they go down in a couple of sword hits each). Once all the floating heads are gone, lift the skull pot at the end of the row of blocks on the floor. There’s a pressure switch underneath. Step on it to make a chest appear in the corner. Open that chest to get Small Key #4.
Dodge the still-invincible Terrorpins and step on the warp tile in the corner of this room. The warp delivers you back near the dungeon entrance (specifically, in the room where you got Key #1). From here, push the statue aside and go through the north door to re-enter the large central chamber on 1F.
This time, in the two-sided chamber, take the western side. Clear out or avoid the enemies as before. Notice the cracked floor along the narrow walkway on this side. Place a Bomb and wait for it to explode on the cracked section, creating a large hole in the floor. Now fall through the hole you just made.
You’ll drop back into the Terrorpin/Stalfos room on B1, but now you land on a high ledge that was previously unreachable. Follow this raised walkway to a locked door. Use Key #3 (from earlier) to unlock the door and ascend the staircase beyond it. This brings you to a new area on 1F – a small room with a prominent chest in the center. Open it to finally obtain the dungeon’s Big Key! The Big Key is crucial: it will open the big locked doors and the big treasure chest in this palace.
With the Big Key in hand, we can now access the palace treasure. From the Big Key’s treasure chest, jump off the east side to return to the area you found Small Key #4 and use the warp tile once more. From there, retrace your path to where you found Small Key #3, the big two-part chamber, on the lower east side. You should see a bright arrow floor pattern here pointing north across a gap. Follow the arrow’s hint: hop off the ledge to jump the gap toward the north. Link will land on a lower platform with an upward stairway.
Take these stairs up and then turn left (west). Use Key #4 to unlock the door in the northwest corner of this area (leading into the left half of the big chamber).
In the next hallway, time is of the essence. You find yourself on a narrow bridge made of fragile tiles that start collapsing the moment you step on them. Quickly run south to north across this collapsing bridge! Halfway across, a Helmasaur blocks your path – without slowing down, toss a skull pot at it or slash it aside so you can keep moving. Continue running north before the floor falls out from under you. At the end, another Helmasaur guards solid ground. Dispatch it (a quick diagonal strike or pot throw works) and lift the skull in your way to stand on safe flooring. You made it across in time! Now run through the open door to the east.
You’ll emerge into a brightly lit chamber on 1F. Four Terrorpins immediately attack. You can’t damage them just yet, so simlpy avoid them and open the treasure chest in the center of the room. Open it to obtain the Compass, which will pinpoint the boss’s location on your map (the big skull icon).
This room has two stairways leading down (one on the left, one on the right). They both lead to the same basement area, so take either. You’ll find yourself in a long B1 passage littered with blue rupees. Two Anti-Fairies roam here as well. Feel free to dust them with Magic Powder for extra fairies, then collect all the rupees – there are 27 blue rupees (worth 5 each) totaling 135 Rupees on the floor, plus some in pots, making 270 Rupees overall. This secret stash more than makes up for Kiki’s fee earlier, so don’t leave it behind! At the far south end of this treasure hall, you’ll see two small chests. One chest holds a single Arrow (random junk), but the other contains Small Key #5.
This leads into a dark maze room. It’s pitch black, so equip your Lamp and light it or use the Ether Medallion if you want to briefly see the layout. (There are no torch sconces to light in this maze, so your Lamp will only illuminate a small circle around you.) The maze is filled with waist-high barriers and a couple of fire-breathing enemies called Kodongos. Kodongos periodically spit fireballs that bounce around the corridors – on SNES you might catch the glint of their fire even in darkness, but on GBA you’ll pretty much need the Lamp’s light to see them coming. Try to keep your shield forward to block stray fireballs, and move carefully through the maze.
Navigate to the northwest corner of the dark maze first, where you’ll find a chest containing some Bombs. These Bombs are a clue for what’s next. Now make your way to the southeast corner of the maze. There’s another chest here – open it to get Small Key #5. Just above this chest, on the north wall of the maze, you’ll find a cracked section of wall. Set a Bomb and blow open this wall.
Step through the new opening and you’ll be in a small treasure room with the dungeon’s big treasure chest. Use your Big Key to unlock the ornate chest and claim the Magic Hammer!
Item: Magic Hammer
This is the Palace of Darkness’s prized item. The Magic Hammer packs a punch (literally) – it can smash pegs and pound enemies, albeit with a very short range. Now those stubborn obstacles and enemies we’ve avoided can be dealt with.
With the Magic Hammer in hand, the entire dungeon opens up.
Dark Palace – Finishing Up: Last Key,and Boss
Second Half – Key #6 and Unlocking the Boss
Retrace your steps to the big hub room with the arrow floor on the lower level. Drop from the upper level on the north side to the area below. Now you’re on that lower central platform. Two or three Hardhat Beetles (the round, spiked beetles) will charge at you here. Use your shield or sword to bump them into the pits before they knock you in. Notice the color of the Crystal Switch at the south end of this platform; if it’s blue (blocks up), hit it with your Boomerang or an Arrow to toggle it orange (this lowers the orange blocks to the east). Now head to the east door – it should be open if the orange blocks dropped.
You’ll enter the lower level of the room you acquired the Dungeon Map. The door at the top of the stairs to the north is locked. Lift up and toss all of the pots on the right side of the stairs will reveal a switch that opens the door when you step on it, but when you step off, it closes! Here’s the solution: Push the northeast statue in the room on top of it. Now that the switch holds constant weight, we can proceed through the door.
You enter an enemy ambush: two Green Goriyas and one Red Goriya attack in this room. Use the same tactic as before (for Green ones, sword or throw pots; for the Red one, line up diagonally and shoot it with Arrows when it moves into position). With your stronger Master Sword and more room to maneuver, they should fall fairly quickly. Defeat all three to unlock the north door.
In the next chamber, you’ll see a line of orange posts blocking the way and Blade Trap moves along the path. Hit the Crystal Switch to drop the blocks so you can pass. Begin your movement on the path to the east once the Blade Trap is moves past you going west.
On the east side, you’ll face a giant statue with an eye – an Eyegore statue. Fire an Arrow into its eye and the wall to the north will slide open, revealing a hidden staircase. Go up these stairs to the second basement, B2.
Boss Fight – Helmasaur King (Crystal #1)
You’ve reached a long corridor in B2 – this is the final approach to the boss. The hallway is dark, so equip your Lamp if needed. Immediately, 8 mechanical moles (orange posts) block your path. Whack them down with the Hammer. Two Terrorpins attack from the darkness; flip and smash them as usual. Continue forward and you’ll find a Crystal Switch in the middle of the hall. Strike it so it turns red, lowering nearby orange blocks. Go past the now-lowered blocks, then throw your Boomerang (or hookshot) at the switch again from a distance to flip it back to blue, which lowers the blue blocks ahead and raises orange behind you. This puzzle allows you to progress without getting trapped. Now unlock the door to the west with your small key and step through.
In the next narrow passage, one lone Terrorpin will lunge at you. Take it out with the Hammer. Continue south through the door.
You enter a large, dimly lit chamber. Six (!!) Terrorpins drop from the ceiling around you. This can get chaotic, so quickly light a couple of the floor torches with your Lamp to illuminate the battlefield (and to see the Terrorpins better). Methodically flip and destroy all six Terrorpins. You need to defeat every enemy for the doors to open. Move around to avoid getting cornered, and remember if a flipped Terrorpin uprights itself, it becomes faster – try not to let them pile up. Once all turtles are gone, the north and east doors both unlock with a satisfying click.
In the next room, push the conspicuous block in the northeast corner forward; it conceals a hidden warp tile underneath. Step on it, and you’ll be teleported to a short corridor just before the boss lair. (This warp acts as a shortcut from the entrance if you ever needed to leave and come back.)
Head north up the corridor, dealing with two final pairs of Terrorpins that pop up along the way. Use your Hammer one more time to flatten them. At the end of the passage, ensure you have full health or a fairy on standby, then go through the door to the boss chamber.
Boss: Helmasaur King
The boss of the Palace of Darkness is the formidable Helmasaur King, a giant dinosaur-like monster wearing a massive spiked mask. This fearsome beast guards the first crystal and maiden. The arena is a rectangular platform surrounded by a pit, so watch your footing. Here’s how to take it down:
The Helmasaur King’s thick mask makes its face invulnerable, so your first objective is to break the mask. Equip the Magic Hammer and move in towards its head. When the Helmasaur King isn’t swinging its tail at you, get close and hammer the mask repeatedly. It takes a lot of hits – around 17 hammer strikes on SNES – to crack the mask. (Alternatively, you can use Bombs: five well-placed Bomb explosions on its face will also destroy the mask. This tactic lets you keep distance, but bombs require timing and leave you open to attacks, so use whichever method you prefer.)
The Helmasaur King has two main attacks. It will shoot fireballs from its mouth that split into spreading fire fragments – these fireballs always break apart diagonally, so try to stay at right angles (above/below or left/right) relative to the projectiles to dodge the fragments safely. The boss also lashes out with a spiked tail whip if you linger near its back. You can avoid the tail by staying either very close to its face (right in front of it, where the tail can’t reach) or keeping a good distance away when you see the tail start to swing. If you’re directly in front of the Helmasaur, be ready to move if it starts charging forward.
Aim to hammer the mask between fireball volleys. One strategy is to circle around the Helmasaur, bait a fireball shot, dodge it, then rush in to hit the mask a few times. When it steps back or prepares another fireball, back off. Keep an eye on the tail – if you see it raise the tail, quickly move toward the Helmasaur’s front or far away to avoid the swipe.
After enough damage, the Helmasaur King’s mask will shatter dramatically. Now its green, gem-like forehead is exposed – this is its weak point.
Switch to your Bow or Sword at this stage. The Helmasaur King will become a bit more aggressive without its mask. It may move around faster and continue using fireballs and tail swipes. Shoot the green gem on its forehead with Arrows – each hit will damage the boss. Silver Arrows (if you somehow have them early) will slay it in one hit, but otherwise it takes roughly 4–5 standard arrows or a series of sword slashes to finish the job. You can also strike the gem with your Master Sword if you’re in close range; just be cautious of its movements.
After enough hits to the forehead gem, the Helmasaur King will let out a final roar and explode in a flash of flames. Congratulations! The giant beast is defeated.
In the aftermath, a Heart Container drops onto the floor – pick it up to increase your life by one heart. Additionally, the first crystal will descend from the ceiling. Grab the crystal to free the maiden trapped within. This maiden is Princess Zelda’s friend and one of the Seven Maidens you need to rescue. She will thank you and hint at the Dark World’s origin and your quest to save all seven maidens and defeat Ganon. In the GBA version, there is an extra scene with Sahasrahla’s telepathy after each dungeon, but the core message is the same – your journey in the Dark World has truly begun.
After the dialog, you’ll be transported outside the Dark Palace, your mission in this region complete. The path forward leads to new areas and dungeons (and plenty more collectibles), but for now take pride in conquering the Palace of Darkness. You have Crystal #1 in hand, the Magic Hammer at your side, and new parts of the world to explore with your updated arsenal. Onward to the next adventure!
