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Home » The Legend of Zelda Games » The Wind Waker » Walkthrough » Hyrule Castle

Hyrule Castle

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Link arrives in the hidden kingdom of Hyrule, submerged beneath the Great Sea. After completing the Tower of the Gods, a ring of light appears in the ocean, allowing the King of Red Lions (your talking boat) to plunge down into a secret underwater realm. At the bottom, you surface inside Hyrule Castle, which has been preserved in a bubble of air. The entire scene is breathtaking – an ancient castle courtyard frozen in time by a magical seal. In the original GameCube version, everything here appears in eerie black-and-white; in the HD remake, it’s presented with a sepia-toned filter for a slightly warmer (but still spooky) look. Either way, Link steps into a silent battlefield: Moblins and Darknuts stand like statues mid-stride, and even falling water and debris are suspended in motion.

Take a moment to explore this ghostly frozen castle. You’ll notice stained glass windows depicting figures from ancient Hyrule’s legends – in fact, these gorgeous windows portray the six sages from Ocarina of Time and even a depiction of Ganon’s beast form. It’s a neat Easter egg for series fans, hinting at the castle’s bygone era. Everything is locked in place for now, so you don’t need to worry about combat just yet. Head to the center of the main hall, where a large statue of the Hero of Time (the iconic Link from legend) stands holding a sword. This imposing statue actually blocks the entrance to the castle’s basement, where our prize – the Master Sword – is hidden.

Solving the Triforce Puzzle

At the base of the hero’s statue, you’ll see a glowing golden Triforce symbol on the floor. Looks like a puzzle! Scattered around are three large triangular floor blocks. Push and pull these blocks so that they form the complete Triforce shape on the floor. (Hint: align each triangle with the corresponding corner of the glowing outline. It’s basically a matter of sliding each piece into the obvious Triforce formation.) There’s no strict order required, but you may find it easiest to move one of the side pieces first, then the opposite, and finally fit the center piece in place. Once all three triangles click together, the puzzle is solved – “Excellent, Link. To perceive such a puzzle and decipher it is no small feat,” the King of Red Lions praises you, if you’re playing the original.

Solving the puzzle triggers a short cinematic: the giant statue of the Hero of Time shifts, revealing a secret passage down to the basement. Head down the newly opened staircase into an underground chamber. In this hidden Master Sword chamber, you’ll see more beautiful stained glass murals on the walls (this is a perfect time to admire those sage portraits up close) and, at the very center, a pedestal holding a gleaming sword. This is it – the Master Sword! Go ahead and approach the sword. When you pull the Master Sword from its pedestal, a dramatic cutscene plays. The blade is rusted and dull no more – you’ve obtained the legendary Blade of Evil’s Bane at last!

The Master Sword’s Legacy and Aftermath

Grabbing the Master Sword will unfreeze time in Hyrule Castle, but there’s a catch. As Link raises the sword, you’ll notice color flooding back into the world. The statues of Moblins and Darknuts begin to quiver… uh oh, they’re coming to life! By removing the Master Sword, Link has restored the flow of time in the castle – the protective seal is broken, and all those enemies that were suspended mid-attack are free to move again. Fun fact (and spoiler): In doing so, Link also unknowingly lifted the seal that was keeping Ganondorf’s power in check. The Master Sword had been acting as a key keeping the evil contained, but because the ancient sages who blessed it are gone, the sword has lost its original power. Ganondorf later taunts Link that by taking the sword, “the seal on his magic has been removed” and the blade no longer has the power to repel evil. Yikes!

For now, though, you have a castle full of baddies to clear out. Fight your way through the castle hall, now swarming with Moblins and Darknut knights that were previously frozen. This battle is a blast – it’s the first real test of your new sword. In the HD version, the lighting is improved so the restored color and clanging steel look especially vibrant. Use all your combat tricks: parry with A-button counterattacks, target one foe at a time, and don’t hesitate to pick up dropped Knight swords to smack other enemies around. After an epic brawl, once every enemy is defeated, the magical barriers blocking the exits will dissipate and the castle is secure. Take a breather and collect any spoils (Knight’s Crests from Darknuts, etc.) lying around.

Before you leave, the King of Red Lions will urge you to hurry onward. You can peek outside the castle gates – you’ll see an endless expanse of water wall encasing Hyrule. There’s nowhere else to go here now. Head back to the boat in the front hall. When you’re ready, sail into the glowing yellow light to warp back above the sea. Link and the King emerge back at the Tower of the Gods, and day has turned to night once more. The King then gives you your next destination: it’s time to return to the Forsaken Fortress and finally rescue Aryll. Change the wind to the northwest, and set sail for the fortress (check your Sea Chart for the skull-shaped island icon in the NW sector).