The guide follows the original Nintendo 64 release. Differences in the 3DS version are covered on Versions and Differences. The remixed dungeons of the Master Quest are covered in the Master Quest guide.
This walkthrough assumes you want complete information, so it spoils the story, puzzles and secrets from the start. Plot points arrive as the route reaches them. Listen to Navi, because her hints often point to the next step.
Child Link’s Journey
Child Link covers the first nine chapters. The Master Sword in the last one is the gate to the adult half of the game.
- Kokiri Forest and the Lost Woods: Take the Kokiri Sword, buy the Deku Shield and find the first Gold Skulltula and Heart Piece.
- Inside the Great Deku Tree: The first dungeon, from the entrance to Queen Gohma, with the Dungeon Map, Compass and Slingshot.
- Hyrule Field and Hyrule Castle: Cross the field and the castle town to meet Princess Zelda, and receive her Letter and Lullaby.
- Kakariko Village and Hyrule Market: Explore the village, the Graveyard and the market, and start the side quests with the Happy Mask Shop and the House of Skulltula.
- Death Mountain, Goron City and Hyrule Market: Climb the Trail to Goron City and the Crater, and sweep the optional Death Mountain and Hyrule Market side quests.
- Dodongo’s Cavern: The second dungeon: the Bomb Bag, the Dungeon Map and Compass, and King Dodongo.
- Zora’s River and Zora’s Domain: Frogs, the Magic Bean seller and the waterfall route into Zora’s Domain, where Princess Ruto waits.
- Inside Jabu-Jabu’s Belly: The third dungeon, entered with a fish, where you get the Boomerang and beat Barinade.
- Transition to Adulthood: The Master Sword: Place the three Spiritual Stones, play the Song of Time at the Door of Time, and pull the Master Sword to become an adult.
Adult Link’s Quest
Adult Link covers the next eleven chapters: the temples, the mini-dungeons, the Gerudo Fortress and Ganon’s Castle. Chapters follow the 100% route, so the order matters.
Following the chapters in order gives a direct path to a complete 100% file.
- Lon Lon Ranch: How to Get Epona: Learn Epona’s Song from Malon as a child, then win Ingo’s races as an adult to claim Epona.
- Forest Temple: The Minuet of Forest takes you to the temple, where you get the Fairy Bow and beat the Poe Sisters and Phantom Ganon.
- Fire Temple: Enter from the Crater, take the Megaton Hammer, clear the temple and defeat Volvagia.
- Ice Cavern: Cross the frozen Zora’s Fountain into the Ice Cavern and take the Iron Boots and the Serenade of Water.
- Water Temple: Raise and lower the water in the three levels, get the Longshot, and defeat Morpha.
- Bottom of the Well: Drain the Kakariko well and beat Dead Hand for the Lens of Truth.
- Shadow Temple: Enter from the Graveyard, clear the five keys, get the Hover Boots and defeat Bongo Bongo.
- Gerudo’s Fortress and the Haunted Wasteland: Free the four carpenters, earn the Gerudo Membership Card, and cross the valley and the Haunted Wasteland.
- Gerudo Training Ground: The optional trial behind the fortress. Collect the small keys in order to reach the Ice Arrows.
- Spirit Temple: Reach the Desert Colossus, clear both halves of the temple, get the Mirror Shield and beat Twinrova.
- Ganon’s Castle and Ganon’s Tower: Clear the six barrier trials, take the Golden Gauntlets and Double Defense, then climb the tower to Ganondorf and Ganon.
100% Checklist
| Dungeons | 8 main dungeons, 3 mini-dungeons (Bottom of the Well, Ice Cavern and Gerudo Training Ground) and Ganon’s Castle |
|---|---|
| Bosses | 8 dungeon bosses, each giving a Heart Container, then Ganondorf and Ganon |
| Pieces of Heart | 36, which make 9 Heart Containers. See Heart Piece Locations |
| Gold Skulltulas | 100 tokens. See Gold Skulltula Locations |
| Stones and medallions | 3 Spiritual Stones and 6 medallions. See Medallions and Spiritual Stones |
Reference pages
- Heart Piece Locations: All 36 Pieces of Heart and the 8 boss Heart Containers.
- Gold Skulltula Locations: The 100 tokens by area and the House of Skulltula rewards.
- Gossip Stone Locations: Where each stone is and what it says.
- Great Fairy Fountains: The six fountains, their access and rewards.
- Items and Equipment: Every item and where it comes from.
- Equipment Upgrades: Every bag, quiver, wallet and scale, with its capacity.
- Ocarina Songs: The 12 songs, their notes and their uses.
- Mask Trading Sequence: The order of the masks and the Rupee profit on each sale.
- Biggoron Sword Trading Sequence: All 11 trades, with time limits.
- Bottle Locations: The four empty bottles.
- Big Poes: All ten Big Poes and the Poe Collector.
- Magic Bean Beds: The ten soft soil patches.
- Mini-Games and Secrets: Each mini-game with its cost and prize.
- Shops and Prices: Every shop and its stock.
- Dungeon Maps, Compasses and Keys: The dungeon items for each dungeon.
- Medallions and Spiritual Stones: The stones and medallions, and what each opens.
- Boss Guide: How to beat every boss and mini-boss.
- Enemies: Every enemy and how to defeat it.
- Characters: The people of Hyrule.
- Hyrule Map: Regions, warp points and dungeon entrances.
- Versions and Differences: The N64, Master Quest, 3DS and Switch Online releases.
- 100% Completion Checklist: Every total in the game.
