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Tower of the Gods

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Covering both the GameCube original and the HD remake on Wii U

Welcome, hero! Now that you’ve braved Dragon Roost and Forest Haven and gathered all three Goddess Pearls, it’s time for the gods to test your courage. In this fun and casual walkthrough, we’ll tackle the Tower of the Gods dungeon step by step – from raising the tower out of the sea, to solving its water-logged puzzles, to slaying the boss Gohdan. Spoilers ahead, but we’ll keep it light-hearted and fan-friendly. Let’s set sail!

Raising the Tower of the Gods (Placing the Pearls)

Before we even enter the dungeon, we need to summon the Tower of the Gods itself. Link now holds Din’s Pearl, Farore’s Pearl, and Nayru’s Pearl – the sacred gifts from the Great Sea’s trials. Your task is to sail to each of the three Triangle Islands scattered across the map and place each pearl into the hands of its matching statue:

  • Northern Triangle Island – Place Din’s Pearl (from Dragon Roost Cavern) into the red statue’s hands.
  • Eastern Triangle Island – Place Farore’s Pearl (from the Forest Haven) into the green statue’s hands.
  • Southern Triangle Island – Place Nayru’s Pearl (from your meeting with Jabun) into the blue statue’s hands.

Once all three pearls are set, sit back for an epic cutscene. The statues come alive, raising the pearls skyward and firing beams of light to each other. The beams draw out the outline of a glowing golden triangle – yes, the Triforce! – on the ocean’s surface. In the center of this holy triangle, the Tower of the Gods erupts from beneath the sea, water cascading off its ancient stone walls. The scene is breathtaking… and a little humorous, too. When Link places the final pearl, the statue explodes and launches Link into the air, slamming him into the newly appeared tower’s side (ouch! Talk about a rough welcome). Luckily, our trusty boat King of Red Lions is there to fish Link out of the sea and bring him to the tower’s entrance.

(Fun fact: If you check your Sea Chart, the positions of the three Triangle Islands form a perfect triangle – a little nod to the Triforce. Pretty neat, huh?)

Flooded Halls and Rising Tides (Dungeon Mechanics)

Link sails the King of Red Lions inside the flooded first floor of the Tower of the Gods. The dungeon’s lower level is filled with water that periodically rises and falls, revealing or submerging platforms and doors.

Climb aboard the King of Red Lions and sail into the base of the towering structure. Welcome to the Tower of the Gods – notably, the only dungeon in Wind Waker that you can explore with your boat!

This grand first chamber is essentially a flooded temple hall. Every few seconds, the water level rises and then drains magically. Don’t worry, the changing water isn’t just to get you seasick – it’s a core puzzle mechanic here. You’ll need to time your movements with the waves.

Take a moment to get your bearings in this large room:

  • When the water rises, you can sail or swim to reach higher ledges with your boat.
  • When the water falls, the ground is exposed so you can walk, push blocks, or carry items around.

Start by finding the sealed door on a raised ledge. To reach it, wait for the water to be high, then hop out of your boat and climb up. You’ll see a glowing floor switch next to the door. Grab a nearby statue (those little stone idols lying around) and place it onto the switch when the water recedes. With a satisfying click, the sealed door opens. (Get used to this trick – glowing switches usually need something weighing them down. Sometimes it’s a small statue, other times a crate or block will do.)

Inside, you’ll encounter a new enemy: Yellow ChuChus (choo-choo jellies) that are electrically charged. Don’t smack them with your sword while they’re sparking, or you’ll get zapped! Instead, stun them first with a projectile (the Boomerang works great) to discharge their electricity, then finish them off. Clear the room and move on.

Throughout the first floor, you’ll solve several water-level puzzles:

  • In one side chamber, you’ll find wooden crates. These float when water rises and sink onto switches when water falls. For example, you might need to drag a crate to a certain spot while the floor is dry, then let the water lift it to press an underwater switch. This can create mystical bridges of light connecting platforms when the timing is right.
  • In another area, you’ll arrange crates into a makeshift bridge pathway. Push and line up the boxes in a row while the water is low. When the water rises, they’ll float at the surface, letting you hop across like stepping stones. Use a lit Deku Stick to ignite distant torches across the water by jumping along your crate-bridge (quickly, before the flames fizzle!). This often reveals treasure chests with goodies like small keys or a Dungeon Map.

Explore all the side rooms you can on this floor. You’ll pick up the Dungeon Map and Compass if you search thoroughly. There are also a couple of small keys you must obtain to unlock doors in the central hub. Once you’ve made a circuit of the side rooms, you’ll notice this dungeon has a clever design: it guides you in a loop around the flooded central chamber, activating bridges and passages that ultimately open the way forward.

One key task is to open the way to the northern section of the tower’s ground floor. After solving puzzles on the east and west sides, you’ll be able to sail through a newly opened gateway (the big grating in the central hub lifts up). Use your boat’s cannon (if you have Bombs already) to blast through any cracked stone walls blocking new passages. The goal is to reach a locked door on the lower level and use a small key to enter the north chamber.

Statues, Switches, and the Command Melody

Beyond the locked door, you’ll start encountering the tower’s main theme: guiding sacred statues to their proper places. This section of the dungeon is full of clever puzzles involving moving platforms, weighted switches, and our stone statue friends.

Early on, Link will learn a special song: the Command Melody. You’ll find an ancient tablet that teaches this song for your Wind Waker. (Pull out the Wind Waker when prompted and copy the rhythm – in the HD version, the gamepad will display the notes, whereas on GameCube you’ll rely on memory or the on-screen prompt.) The Command Melody lets Link take control of certain statues or beings. Think of it as a remote-control power: you play the song, and then you get to “become” the statue and move it around! This is crucial for the upcoming trials.

Your objective is to escort three glowing statues (each representing a goddess symbol) from their individual mini-dungeon rooms back to the central chamber:

  1. First Statue Puzzle: In one room, you’ll see a statue on a high ledge or behind a gap. Step on a floor switch to create a rainbow bridge of light. By playing the Command Melody, you can command the statue to walk across the light bridge to reach you. Revert control to Link and pick the statue up. Be careful carrying it – if you fall or if water interrupts, the statue might return to its start point and scold you with a funny yell (yep, these statues are surprisingly sassy!). Carry the statue through the door and back to the main hall. When you bring it close to the center of the hub, the statue will leap out of your hands and float into its matching pedestal slot automatically.
  2. Second Statue Puzzle: Another room presents a balance scale puzzle. Here you have two large weighted platforms hanging by chains, like a giant scale. One platform might rise while the other lowers. You and a statue need to get up to the door on a high ledge. The trick: place heavy objects on one platform to lift the other. For instance, toss a couple of those stone statues (or crates) onto one side to make it heavier than Link. Hop on the lighter side; it will lift you upward as the other side descends. Once at the top, you can retrieve the second sacred statue. Use the Command Melody if needed to position the statue onto the scale, or simply carry it once you’ve balanced the platforms correctly. Drop down and bring this statue back to the central hall as well, where it locks into another pedestal.
  3. Third Statue Puzzle: The last statue’s room features moving platforms and perhaps a wide gap. Navigate carefully – you might need to ride a moving stone slab across a pit. Use the Command Melody again to lead the statue safely along a path that Link can’t traverse himself. One common setup is a high walkway where the statue can toddle across a narrow beam or hover over a gap that Link would fall through. Guide it to a reachable spot, then return to controlling Link and pick it up. Defeat any enemies that try to interfere (Bubbles – the flaming skulls – like to knock you off ledges here; use your Deku Leaf to puff out their flame and then swipe them). Finally, haul the third statue to the center of the dungeon.

With all three statues placed on their pedestals in the main chamber, the gods acknowledge your puzzle-solving prowess! The giant sealed door on the far side (north side) of the central room will dramaticly slide open, revealing a glowing portal. Step into this teleportation pad to be whisked to the upper levels of the tower. (It’s like an express elevator for heroes.)

(Tip for Wind Waker HD players: The Wii U gamepad’s second screen is super handy in this dungeon – you can glance at the map while moving statues to see where you haven’t been. Also, in the HD version, an optional collectible called the Goddess Tingle Statue can be found in this area. On GameCube, you’d need the Tingle Tuner device to get it, but in HD you can simply drop a bomb at a specific hidden spot to reveal the chest. It’s not required, but a fun Easter egg for completionists!)!

The Hero’s Bow and Dealing with Beamos & Armos

Up we go! The second part of the dungeon is higher inside the tower and thankfully much drier. Here you’ll face new enemies and gain a new weapon essential for a Hero.

Mini-Boss Battle – Darknut: As you progress, you’ll enter a chamber and the doors will lock behind you. The music gets tense… A hulking armored knight, a Darknut, stomps in to challenge you. This is a tough foe clad in heavy armor and armed with a huge sword. Stay light on your feet! Target the Darknut and use dodge maneuvers (jump attacks, backflips) to get behind it. Try striking the knight’s backside, or use a Parry attack (when your A-button prompt flashes, hit it to leap over and strike). Eventually, pieces of the Darknut’s armor will break off, and its helmet will fall, revealing a pretty angry face. Keep it up with your sword strikes until this mini-boss is defeated. Darknuts hit hard but are slow – as long as you avoid their big swings, you’ll prevail.

Once the Darknut is vanquished, a chest appears. Open it to claim the dungeon’s big treasure: the Hero’s Bow! ? Time to channel your inner archer. In the original GameCube version, you’ll aim by holding the bow and using the analog stick in first-person view (or C-stick to look around). In Wind Waker HD, aiming is even smoother – you can use the GamePad’s gyroscope to fine-tune your shot by moving the controller, which feels great. Practice a few shots: the Hero’s Bow comes with a quiver of Arrows that will be incredibly useful for the rest of the game.

Now, with the Bow in hand, some previously invincible enemies can be dealt with:

  • Beamos: These are the floating one-eyed turret devices that fire laser beams at intruders. Up till now, you’ve had to dodge their laser gaze (or use cover) as there was no way to destroy them. But the Hero’s Bow changes that. To defeat a Beamos, shoot an arrow straight into its eye when it opens and turns toward you. One arrow to the eye will make a Beamos explode into bits. In the Tower of the Gods, you’ll encounter Red Beamos and Blue Beamos – the blue ones might be a bit tougher, but an arrow to the eye does the trick. (If you’re low on arrows, you can also use bombs on Beamos by tossing a bomb so it explodes near the eye, but arrows are much easier and safer!)
  • Armos: Soon you’ll run into peculiar statues that spring to life when you approach – these hopping statues with a spinning face are Armos. They’ll hop madly and try to ram into you. When an Armos opens its mouth (revealing a crystal inside), that’s your chance to attack. Toss a bomb into the open mouth to destroy an Armos from within. One well-timed bomb will make them swallow it and kaboom – no more Armos! You can also stun an Armos by shooting an arrow at the crystal when it opens its mouth, but the bomb is the traditional way to finish them off. Later in this area you’ll meet larger versions called Armos Knights – they work the same way, just with more momentum. Dodge their charges and feed them a bomb snack when they pause to inhale. They only take one bomb each to defeat as well. It’s a chaotic fight if there are multiple Armos bouncing around, but keep moving and pick them off one by one.

With your new Bow, backtrack through any rooms where an “eye” symbol was seen. For example, many Zelda dungeons have eye switches on walls – an arrow will trigger those. In this dungeon, hitting eye switches might open new paths or raise/lower platforms. Also, now that Beamos and Armos can be defeated, you can clear rooms that were death-traps before. Proceed through the upper levels, using keys to unlock new doors.

One room will grant you the Big Key (Boss Key), typically guarded by a mix of enemies. In Tower of the Gods, expect a final gauntlet of baddies on your way to the boss door. Wizzrobes (magical flying enemies) might appear here, casting fire or summoning more monsters – a couple of well-aimed arrows will take them out quickly, so they don’t cause you grief during the boss fight. When you see a glowing symbol door with big locks, use the Big Key to open it. Make sure Link is at full health (there are usually recovery pots with hearts, magic jars, and sometimes fairies near the boss door – in this case, break the pots in the corridor right before Gohdan’s lair to stock up). Now it’s time for the final challenge of this tower.

Boss Fight: Gohdan – The Great Arbiter

Boss Battle – Gohdan, the guardian of the Tower. Link faces a colossal stone head with glowing red eyes and two massive floating hands marked by targets on their palms. Use your bow to shoot Gohdan’s hands and face, then use bombs when the time is right.

Stepping through the ornate golden boss door, you enter a grand chamber with an ominous face carved into the far wall. A deep voice congratulates you for coming this far, but warns that one final trial awaits. Suddenly, the giant face on the wall comes to life, detaching along with two enormous hands. Meet Gohdan, the ancient guardian of the gods. He’s like a massive magical statue – think Bongo Bongo meets Andross from Star Fox, Zelda-style!

This battle is flashy but fairly straightforward once you know what to do. Gohdan has two hands and a head that all attack independently:

  • The floating hands will try to smack or grab you. They also fire energy orbs. Keep moving to avoid their slaps and projectiles.
  • Gohdan’s head has glowing red eyes that shoot fireballs at Link. The head will also occasionally try to suck in air, pulling you toward that electric pit around the arena (don’t fall in!).

To defeat Gohdan, you need to take out the eyes on each hand and the two eyes on its face – basically “deactivate” the hands and head – and then deal a final blow. Here’s a breakdown of the strategy:

  1. Shoot the Hands’ Eyes: Equip your Hero’s Bow and shoot an arrow at the yellow eye in the palm of each hand. One or two arrows per hand will do it. You’ll know it worked when the hand’s eye turns red and the hand falls down disabled temporarily. Do this for both hands while dodging their attacks. It helps to center target one hand at a time (you can manually aim or use L-targeting on the hands). In the HD version, gyro aiming can make this feel like an archery mini-game – have fun sniping those palms!
  2. Shoot Gohdan’s Eyes: With the hands momentarily out of commission, shoot arrows at Gohdan’s two glowing eyes on his face. Each eye will take a couple of hits. You need to get both eyes to go dark. Watch out – as you start hitting the head, the hands might revive after a short time, so you may have to disable them again. If you’re quick, you can get a few shots on the head before the hands come back.
  3. Feed Gohdan a Bomb: Once both of the head’s eyes have been hit enough, Gohdan will be stunned and his jaw will drop open, with smoke pouring out. This is your chance! Throw a bomb into Gohdan’s gaping mouth. The bomb will explode inside, damaging the boss. You’ll need to repeat this cycle – hands, eyes, bomb in mouth – a few times. After each successful bomb gulp, Gohdan reactivates for another round, and his attack speed increases. The hands swipe faster and the head shoots more fireballs as his health gets lower, so stay sharp.

Typically, it takes two or three cycles of this to defeat Gohdan. Keep an eye on your arrow count during the fight. If you run low on arrows due to missed shots, don’t panic – the gods have your back: Gohdan will periodically sneeze out arrow refills (literally dropping arrow bundles on the floor) if you’re out. So you can always replenish and continue the fight.

After enough bomb snacks, Gohdan can’t take any more. The giant head and hands crumble, and you’ve passed the gods’ trial! ? Grab the well-earned Heart Container that appears to boost your life gauge. Gohdan, in a booming (perhaps slightly impressed) voice, acknowledges your victory and says you are worthy.

The Path to Hyrule Beneath the Sea

With the dungeon boss defeated, the way to the land below the ocean is revealed. A glowing platform will appear and carry Link upward to the top of the Tower of the Gods. Here you’ll find a large bronze bell suspended from the ceiling. This bell is the final “switch” to ring. Use your Grappling Hook on the bell’s rope (there’s a convenient hook point) and swing to give it a good smack. GONG! The resonant ring of the bell echoes across the seas.

The Tower of the Gods, now risen above the waves. After conquering the trials inside, Link rings the great bell at its peak, opening the portal to ancient Hyrule hidden beneath the ocean.

Ringing the bell causes a portal to open in the pool of water below. A blinding column of light shoots down into the depths. This is your passage to Hyrule, the sealed kingdom beneath the sea. When you’re ready, jump into the glowing light. Link will descend through the water in a bubble and emerge far below the ocean’s surface, in a world frozen in time.

Congratulations! You’ve cleared the Tower of the Gods, proven your heroism to the gods, and unlocked the path to old Hyrule. Ahead lies Hyrule Castle, preserved under the sea, where the legendary Master Sword awaits in its resting place. But that’s a tale for the next chapter of our adventure.

Take a breather – you’ve earned it. From placing pearls to solving watery puzzles, to snagging the Hero’s Bow and toppling a giant floating head, this dungeon was quite the ride (or sail ?). Both in the classic GameCube version and the HD remake, the Tower of the Gods stands out as a memorable mid-game dungeon with its unique mix of boat gameplay and mind-bending puzzles. Give yourself a pat on the back for passing the gods’ test! Now onward, Hero of Winds, to whatever awaits in the land beneath the waves… ?￰ﾟﾏﾰ