The Ending - The Legend of Zelda Walkthrough

The Legend of Zelda 100% Completion Walkthrough14 chapters

The GatheringGet the Wooden Sword, buy bombs, take your first Heart Container, collect early rupees and buy the Blue Candle.
Money Caves, the Red Potion and the Blue RingMoney cave payouts, the Blue Candle, a Heart Container gift, the Magical Shield for 90, Red Potion for 68.
Level 1 The EagleKeys, Bow, Boomerang, Dungeon Map, Compass, the Aquamentus boss, and the Heart Container.
Level 2 The MoonReach the entrance, get the Magical Boomerang and Map, then beat Dodongo for a Heart Container and a Triforce piece.
Level 3 The ManjiTake its keys, the Raft, Compass and Map, then defeat Manhandla for a Heart Container and the third Triforce piece.
Level 4 The SnakeLevel 4 The Snake walkthrough with the lake route, keys and dark rooms, Stepladder.
The Magical Sword and the Medicine ShopThe graveyard cave with the Magical Sword, the three-staircase warp cave.
Level 5 The LizardReach the statue cave on the Lost Hills, collect small keys, and buy the 100-rupee bomb upgrade that raises bomb.
Level 6 The DragonKeys, the Magical Rod, Gleeok mini-boss and Gohma boss tactics for its Heart Container and sixth Triforce piece.
The Potion Shop and the Ring Shop AgainBuy the Red Potion and the Monster Bait between Level 6 and Level 7 in The Legend of Zelda NES.
Level 7 The DemonRecorder entrance, bomb upgrade, Monster Bait, Red Candle, Map, Compass, Aquamentus and Triforce piece 7.
Level 8 The LionBurn the entrance bush, get the Book of Magic and Magical Key, then beat four-headed Gleeok for its Heart Container.
Level 9 Death MountainReach Spectacle Rock, clear the skull-shaped dungeon, and get its Map, Compass, Red Ring and Silver Arrows.
The EndingBeat Ganon in his dark room with a Silver Arrow after the sword hits, take the Triforce of Power.

Covers	Ganon’s lair at the end of Level 9, the fight with Ganon, the rescue of Princess Zelda and the ending of the First Quest
Dungeon	Level 9, Death Mountain: final room. Boss: Ganon. Finish him with a Silver Arrow after he is stunned.
Rewards	Triforce of Power (taken from Ganon’s ashes), Princess Zelda rescued. No Heart Container and no Triforce of Wisdom piece.

The First Quest ends in Ganon’s lair, behind the door that opens when you clear the Patra room at the top of Level 9. Before you open that door you should carry the Silver Arrows and at least one sword, since the fight cannot be won without a Silver Arrow. This chapter covers the boss fight, the Triforce of Power and the rescue of Princess Zelda.

Link at the bottom door of the lit grey lair, with Ganon in cyan in the upper left

Ganon’s lair

Enter the dark room

Walk through the door into Ganon’s lair. The room is dark. As you step in, Link raises the Triforce of Wisdom, and its light shows the room and, for a moment, Ganon himself, before Ganon turns invisible for most of the fight. He moves in small circles and fires energy orbs and fireballs at you. The Magical Shield does not block his fireballs, so keep moving rather than standing still in front of him.

The dark outlined walls of Ganon's lair before the fight, with no enemy in view

Ganon in cyan at the upper left of the lit grey room, shown by the Triforce light, with Link at the bottom door

Hit Ganon with your sword

Ganon becomes visible only for a moment after you strike the right spot. Stab with your sword at the place where you expect him to appear, and keep thrusting. When you connect, he shows his body briefly before he goes invisible again and resumes his circling.

Ganon as an orange beast on the right side of the grey room

Ganon in orange on the right side of the grey room, with Link below him

The sword hits needed to stun him depend on the sword you carry. The Wooden Sword needs 16 hits, the White Sword needs 8, and the Magical Sword needs 4. Once he is stunned, he turns red and stops moving for a short time, and he recovers if you wait too long.

Ganon standing still in brownish orange on the right side of the grey room, stunned, with Link below him

Ganon still stunned in orange on the right side of the room, with Link below him

While he is stunned, fire one Silver Arrow at him. The arrow finishes him: Ganon flashes, bursts apart and leaves only ashes. Do not spend the arrow while he is still moving, because he will recover before it lands.

Ganon on the right side of the grey room with Link's silver arrow in flight beside him

Ganon's body breaking up in red fragments with blue sparks on the right side of the room

The Triforce of Power and Princess Zelda

Take the Triforce of Power

When Ganon is gone, the Triforce of Power appears where he fell. Walk over it and Link takes it, and the screen flashes white, completing the Triforce. It is not a Triforce of Wisdom piece, and it is the last piece in the game.

The yellow Triforce of Power on the floor at the right of the room, with Link near the centre

Link beside the Triforce of Power on the right side of the room, with red ashes around

Rescue Princess Zelda

Go to the room above Ganon’s lair and put out the fires there with your sword. Continue into the final room, where Princess Zelda is waiting. This is the only place in the First Quest where you meet her in person, and rescuing her ends the main story.

Link at the bottom of the room above Ganon's lair, with fires burning on both sides

Link swinging his sword between two fires in the room above Ganon's lair

After the rescue

The ending screens and the Second Quest offer

After Zelda is rescued, the game plays its closing messages and credits. When the credits finish, the game offers a Second Quest. This guide covers only the First Quest, so the offer is the last thing you need to know here.

Closing text reading 'Thanks Link, you're the hero of Hyrule' beside Zelda and Link

Closing text reading "Finally, peace returns to Hyrule. The End."

Chapter checklist

Type	Name	Where
Boss	Ganon	Dark room at the end of Level 9. Needs a Silver Arrow after the stun.
Triforce	Triforce of Power	Left behind when Ganon falls
Character	Princess Zelda	Final room past Ganon’s lair
Heart Container	None in this dungeon	Level 9 has no Heart Container

The Ending Walkthrough

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