With Zelda’s Letter in hand, it’s time to head to Kakariko Village. Exit Hyrule Castle Town and travel east across Hyrule Field. You’ll soon see a long set of stairs leading upwards, across a bridge, to Kakariko Village. Before entering the village proper, you’ll encounter a guard standing at a gate at the bottom of the Death Mountain Trail. Show him Zelda’s Letter, and he will recognize the royal seal and open the gate for you. Proceed through the gate to enter Kakariko Village.
Kakariko Village is a bustling place with several interesting characters and opportunities for side quests. One of the first people you’ll encounter is the Cucco Lady, a woman standing near the entrance to the Graveyard who seems quite distressed. Speak to her during the daytime, and she will explain that her seven Cuccos (chickens) have wandered off and asks for your help in returning them to the pen. Locating all seven Cuccos requires exploring the entire village :
- Location #1: This Cucco is easily found between the Cucco Lady and the entrance to the Graveyard.
- Location #2: You’ll find this Cucco on a ledge next to the Skulltula House in the center of the village. You can either grab another Cucco and jump off the higher ledge of the unfinished building to float over to it, or use your Slingshot or a Deku Nut to knock it down and then grab it.
- Location #3: This Cucco is located right at the entrance to the village.
- Location #4: Look for a wooden crate near the stairs that lead up to the upper area of Kakariko Village. Roll into the crate to break it open and reveal the hidden Cucco.
- Location #5: This Cucco is standing right in front of the guard at the entrance to the Death Mountain Trail, near the ramp.
- Location #6: This Cucco is in the lower part of the secret area at the northeast corner of the village. To reach this area as a child, you can either grab a Cucco and walk up the ramp leading to the windmill entrance, then leap off the ledge at an angle to land on the skinny fence on the left, or climb to the top of the lookout tower in the center of town, Z-target the center of the village, and side jump to the left to land on a fence, allowing you to jump down into the secret area. The Cucco is near a hole, so be careful not to fall in. You might need to throw this one over the fence to get the next one first.
- Location #7: Once you’re in the secret area at the northeast part of town, climb up the ladder to find the last unsuspecting Cucco. With this one in hand, you can actually fly all the way back to the Cucco Lady.
After you have successfully gathered all seven Cuccos and thrown them into the pen, speak to the Cucco Lady again. As a reward for your efforts, she will give you an Empty Bottle. This is an incredibly useful item that can be used to catch fairies, bugs, and other helpful things throughout your adventure.
Another significant location in Kakariko Village is the seemingly abandoned house on the right side of the village. This is the House of Skulltula. Inside, you’ll encounter a family that has been cursed. They explain that by collecting Gold Skulltula Tokens hidden throughout Hyrule and returning them to the house in increments of ten, you can break the curse and receive rewards. For collecting the first ten Gold Skulltulas, you will receive the Adult’s Wallet, which allows you to carry up to 200 Rupees.
To learn the Sun’s Song, head to the Kakariko Graveyard, located at the back of the village. At the very back of the Graveyard, look for the fourth grave from the left in the last row of smaller tombstones, the one before the Royal Family’s Tomb. Pull this grave back to reveal a hidden hole. Fall into the hole. Inside, you will encounter a ReDead, a zombie-like enemy that can be quite intimidating. Play the Sun’s Song on your Ocarina to stun the ReDead, giving you an opportunity to defeat it. The Sun’s Song also has the ability to change the time of day instantly.
While in the Kakariko Graveyard, you can also obtain the Hylian Shield, a much more durable shield than your Deku Shield that won’t burn. At nighttime, go behind the second grave from the left in the main area of the graveyard, the one with flowers growing in front of it. Pull this grave back to reveal another hole. Fall in and open the treasure chest at the end of the passage to find the Hylian Shield.
Finally, you can also find a Heart Piece in the Kakariko Graveyard. Locate the top row of smaller tombstones and pull back the fourth tombstone from the right. This will reveal yet another hole. Enter it and play the Sun’s Song near the ReDead inside. This will not only stun the ReDead but also cause a treasure chest to appear, containing a valuable Heart Piece.
Gold Skulltulas in Kakariko Village:
- Gold Skulltula #7: At nighttime, this Gold Skulltula appears on the building that is currently under construction in the center of the village.
- Gold Skulltula #8: Look for this Gold Skulltula on the side of the Skulltula House itself at nighttime.
- Gold Skulltula #9: At nighttime, roll into the large tree located straight ahead from the village entrance to make this Skulltula drop down.
- Gold Skulltula #10: This Gold Skulltula appears near the top of the tall lookout tower in the center of the village at nighttime. Shoot it down with your Slingshot and then climb the ladder to collect the token.
- Gold Skulltula #11: At nighttime, you can find this Gold Skulltula on the side of the house that is closest to the gate leading towards Death Mountain.
- Gold Skulltula #18: In the Kakariko Graveyard, at nighttime, use your Boomerang to strike and defeat the Gold Skulltula that is clinging to the wall.