FAQ

If you are stuck in a particular place on The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, then maybe these hints and tips will help you out.


How do I catch the man that runs away from me in the Light World village?

Approach him from the west. As soon as he starts running away from you, Dash Attack (via the Pegasus Shoes) towards him. You'll catch him. All he does is tell you to try dashing into Trees, anyway.

How do I open the locked chest I found in the Dark World?

Take it to the 'middle-aged man' at the entrance to the Desert in the Light World. Agree with whatever he asks you.

What should I do with the Magic Powder?

Once you've gotten the Magic Hammer, go jump into the hole outside the Blacksmiths' House in the Light World. Sprinkle Magic Powder on the altar you'll find down there, and you'll gain the ability to perform magic at half the normal magic point cost.

You can also sprinkle it on the white-and-red flying skulls that drain your Hearts and Magic gauge in the dungeons, and they'll turn into Fairies. Quite an improvement. (A rare few of them are immune to this.)

There's also a chicken in one of the houses that will turn into a woman if you sprinkle Magic Powder on her. Doesn't accomplish anything, but it's amusing.

Where are the eight Transport Squares in the Light World?

1) In the far Southwest corner of the Desert, under a black rock. Only reachable via the Flute.

2) In the Northwest part of the grassy area in the Southern part of the world, under a white rock. You need the Magic Hammer to reach it.

3) At one of the lowest points on Turtle Rock.

4) On the top of Death Mountain.

5) On top of Turtle Rock, but you must first use the Magic Hammer to hammer down the posts you find there. Hammer them in a Counterclockwise direction, starting with the Southeastern one.

6) In the easternmost Southern entrance to the Lost Woods. If you go there from the South, you'll need the Titan Gloves to lift a black rock. If you go there from the North (inside the Lost Woods), you'll need the Magic Hammer. The transporter is under a white rock.

7) Under the black rock on the largest island in Lake Hylia.

8) In the center of a circle of posts (need Magic Hammer) near a cave mouth in the eastern quadrant of the world. It's under a white rock.

X) The entrance to Hyrule castle, after you've defeated Agahnim for the first time. Just walk through the front gates, and you'll appear in the Dark World...it's not strictly a Transport Square.

I'm at the end of level 3F in Ganon's Tower (the final Dark World dungeon, after Turtle Rock), and I can see a ledge along the south wall, but I can't seem to reach it.

See those blocks across from the ledge? Dash into them from the south, by either standing right on the edge of the platform, or by facing east, holding the button down to Dash, and then facing North just before the Dash causes you to move.

Use magic powder on the statue in the well off the blacksmith house to half your Magic consumption.

If you use the Magic Powder on the Sweeping Lady in Kakariko Village, she will turn into a Fairy. Go into the house and come back out and you can turn into a Fairy again.

The Bottle Merchant in Kakariko Village will buy fish and the Good Bee, that is found in the Ice Cave, use a Bottle and Net to get it.

Hit a chicken over and over if you want to get attacked.

After hitting the switch at the Swamp Ruins, you can take the fish that is outside, to deeper water for a reward.

In the Game of Chance, in the Village of Outcasts, you can get up to 300 ruppees from one of the chests.

At the start of the game, if you don't get the Lamp in the house, you will find it in Hyrule Castle.

You can get 300 rupees in a cliff by the corner of Lake Hylia, in the basement of Hyrule Castle, and in two houses in the Village of Outcasts.

At the Fountain of Happiness, bomb to the right, to get Fairies.

There are some trees that you can talk to.

In the 15-Second game, where the sign is, go down and jump over the fence to get to the end faster.

At the Waterfall of Wishing, is there any thing else that I can get besides having my bottles filled with magic?

Yes, throw in your Shield to get the Red Shield, and throw the Boomerang in to get the Magical Boomerang.

How do you get passed the bumpers?

Use the Magic Cape.

Here are some places where you can get Pieces of Heart

If you climb the ladder that is north of the Cemetery, in the Dark World, you can get a Piece of Heart by using the Magic Mirror. Enter the cave and then bomb through the right wall.

At the northwest corner of the Ice Palace, you will see a large circle of stones. Go inside the circle and use the Magic Mirror and you will end up on an island with a piece of a heart on it.

At the 22 stakes south of the Smithy in the Dark World, hit them with the hammer and you will find a passage way to a piece of heart.

Find the sign that says "I'll give a piece of heart to the person who wears the cape." Go in the cave and go to the second floor. Use the Hookshot to cross the hole, and then use the Magic Cape to walk through the bumper, then go outside to find the piece of heart.

In the Dark World, south of the Haunted Grove, there is a small circle of bushes. Get in the center and use the Magic Mirror, and then go in the cave to find the piece of heart.

In the Village of Outcast, you can get a piece of heart at the digging game and the chest game.

In Kakariko Village you can get a piece of heart from jumping in the well, and playing the 15-second game.

There are 24 pieces of heart.

To find the Book of Mudora, you must go into the library in Kakariko Village. Inside the library, a book sits high on a bookshelf; it seems too high to be reached. However, if you dash into the bookshelf using the Pegasus Shoes, the book will come tumbling down.

Four bottles that can hold valuable potions or fairies are hidden throughout Hyrule. Some are very easy to locate and others are more difficult. The first bottle Link can acquire is in Kakariko Village. Near the beginning of Link's quest, he can purchase it from a salesman near the town square for 100 rupees. The next bottle is also located in the village. Link can walk into the back door of the Inn, which is located in the south-east corner of town, to find a chest containing the bottle. Another bottle can be found near Lake Hylia. Once Link has gotten the Flippers, he must simply swim upstream from the great lake. As he swims, he will go under a bridge where a friendly hobo will offer him the third bottle. The last bottle is the most difficult to locate. After Link has had his sword tempered, he must journey to the Gossip Shop (the Blacksmith's Shop in the Dark World) where he will find a locked chest. If he attempts to open it, he notices that the key has been locked inside and that the chest mysteriously follows him wherever he goes. To open the chest, Link should travel to the desert in the Light World where an odd middle-aged man sits alone by a sign. As it turns out, this man is a retired lock-smith who will help you if you keep a secret for him.

The Bug Catching Net is found in Kakariko Village. A sick boy resides in a house south-east of the town square. When you talk to the boy, he realizes your predicament and gives you his net.

The Cane of Byrna is found on Death Mountain in the Dark World. To obtain it, start in the Light World and step on the warp tile right below the third Pendant Palace. When you appear in the Dark World, walk straight down off the edge of the cliff to land on a narrow ledge with a cave. Enter the cave to find the chest that contains the Cane of Byrna. On the way there to avoid being hurt by the spikes in the floor, bring Fairies, Red or Blue Medicine or use the Magic Cape.

The Cane of Somaria is in the Big Chest inside the sixth Crystal Palace. The Big Chest is found in the far right room in on the first basement level. When you enter this room, quickly use the Hookshot to cross over a small pit, then dash up the narrow bridge above you before it collapses. Use the Big Key to open the Big Chest and receive the Cane of Somaria.

The Magic Cape is found in the Light World Cemetery. Use the Titan's Mitt to clear a way to the small stone near the upper-right corner of the graveyard. Then, perform the dash attack against the grave stone located here. Enter the opening to find the chest containing the Magic Cape.

The Flute is found in the Haunted Grove in the Light World. After getting the Shovel in the Dark World, dig up all the flowers in the Grove. If you are very thorough, the Flute can be found with little difficulty.

The Hammer is found in the on the first floor of the first Crystal Palace. Go to the room that has a blue bumper in the center. (A blue bumper is the object that bounces you back when you touch it.) Hit the Crystal Switch so the blue posts go down. Drop a Bomb, pick it up and toss it at the Crystal Switch, then run as fast as you can past the blue posts. Walk to the upper-right corner of the room and enter the door. Quickly cross the break-away bridge at the top of the room and go through the door on the left. You will enter a darkened room. Bomb the crack in the lower-right corner of the wall and walk through to find the Big Chest and Hammer.

The Hookshot is located on the first basement floor of the second Crystal Palace. From the entrance of the palace, work your way to the large room in the center of the first basement. The chest is located on a platform in the center of this room. Use the Big Key on the Big Chest to receive the Hookshot.

The Magic Cape is found in the Light World Cemetery. Use the Titan's Mitt to clear a way to the small stone near the upper-right corner of the graveyard. Then, perform the dash attack against the grave stone located here. Enter the opening to find the chest containing the Magic Cape.

You will receive the Magic Mirror on your journey to the top of Death Mountain. As you work your way up the mountain, you will run into an old man that has lost his way. Escort the man to his home on Death Mountain and he will reward you with the mirror.

The Moon Pearl is located in the Big Chest inside the third Pendant Palace. The chest is located in the top-center area of the fourth floor. You cannot access the chest directly, so you must go up to the fifth floor, step on a Star Tile and drop from the top side of the hole in the center of the room. This will place you next to the Big Chest. Open it with the Big Key to obtain the Moon Pearl.

The Pegasus Shoes are found in Sahasrahla's hideout near the first Pendant Palace. After receiving the Pendant from the palace, show it to Sahasrahla to prove your worth. He will then give you access to the chest that contains the Pegasus Shoes.

To obtain the Power Glove from the second Pendant Palace, Link must use the Big Key to unlock the Big Chest in the upper-left corner of the first basement.

The Shovel can be found in the Haunted Grove in the Dark World. Talk to the Flute Boy who has been transformed into an Aardvark in the Dark World. He will give you the Shovel and a valuable clue regarding his Flute.

The Titan's Mitt is found in the second basement of the fourth Crystal Palace. From the entrance of the palace, work your way to the top-left corner of the second basement. The Titan's Mitt is in the Big Chest in the lower-left corner of this floor. If you don't have enough small keys to reach it, open the chest in the jail cell in the top-right corner of this floor to find more.

Medallions

To acquire the Bombos Medallion, travel to the entrance of the Desert in the Dark World and look for. several purple posts surrounding a grassy area. Stand within the posts and use the Magic Mirror to appear near a monolith in the Light World. Use the Book of Mudora to read the script on the monolith and receive the Bombos Medallion.

The Ether Medallion is hidden atop Death Mountain. Venture west of the Tower of Hera to find a large green monolith. Use the Book of Mudora to translate the ancient symbols. If you have the Master Sword, you will receive the Ether Medallion.

To find the Quake Medallion, you must journey to northeastern Hyrule in the Dark World, past the area where the Medicine Shop would be located at in the Light World. As you work your way towards the water to the northeast, you will find a sign that reads: "Curses on anyone who throws something into my circle of stones!" Toss any object--a rock or bush will work fine--into the circle to receive the Quake Medallion.

Weapons

To find the Bow, you must explore the first Pendant Palace thoroughly. The Big Chest, located near the top-center portion of the first floor, contains the Bow. Remember, you must also recover the Big Key in order to open the Big Chest.

The Ice Rod is located on the eastern shore of Lake Hyrule. Once you have the Flippers, swim to the eastern shore and walk up to find a cave entrance. To the left of the entrance, you will notice a strange rock. Use a Bomb on this rock to create a new entrance. Follow the path to the Ice Rod.

The Fire Rod is found on the first floor of the third Crystal Palace. Lift away the square-formation of flowers located up and right from the first skull entrance to reveal a hole leading down. Drop into the hole and bomb the left wall to reveal an opening. Step on the Star Tile at the bottom of the room and walk left through the path you just opened. Pull the lever in the center of the room to destroy the bottom wall and go down and open the chest to receive the Fire Rod.

The Silver Arrows are hidden in a secret chamber in the Dark World Pyramid. To gain entrance to this chamber, purchase the Super Bomb from the Bomb Shop and walk back to the Pyramid. Use the Super Bomb on the cracked portion of the Pyramid's wall. If the Super Bomb is not in the Bomb Shop, you have not completed the first six Crystal Palaces or you do not have the Tempered Sword. Once you're inside the chamber, throw the Bow and Arrow into the pond to receive the Silver Bow and Arrow.

Swords

The Master Sword is located in the upper-left corner of the Light World forest. The forest contains several false swords, but if you explore thoroughly, you will discover a raised cement slab in a peaceful grove. Once you've obtained the three Pendants, stand in front of the slab and you will receive the sword.

To acquire the Tempered Sword, you must rescue the Black Smith's long-lost apprentice from the Dark World. The apprentice, who looks like a frog, is trapped between some rocks at the bottom of the Village of Outcasts. Lift the rocks with the Titan's Mitt to free him, then lead him back to the Black Smith's Shop in the Light World. At that point, you will be told to come back later to get your Sword tempered. While they are upgrading your Sword, go to the Village and come back to their house to find that they've finished the job.

The Golden Sword is hidden in a secret chamber in the Dark World Pyramid. Link must use the Super Bomb, which is purchased at the Bomb Shop, to open the cracked spot on the Pyramid wall. Once inside, throw the Tempered Sword into the pond and you'll receive the Golden Sword in return.

Shields and Armor

Link can obtain the Large Shield one of two ways. First, he can receive it for free at the Waterfall of Wishing. This special waterfall is located north-east of the Medicine Shop. Link can swim up into the waterfall to find a mysterious pond. This pond will offer Link two different items. First, choose the shield icon using the control pad. Then, press the A button to throw the shield in the pond. After discarding the shield, a friendly faerie will arrive to give Link an improved shield. The Large Shield is also available for purchase at the Forest Shop for 500 Rupees. The Forest Shop can be found south-east of the Fortune Teller's shop next to Kakariko Village in the Light World.

The Mirror Shield is found in the Big Chest inside the seventh Crystal Palace. To reach the Big Chest, you must go to the lower left corner of the first basement and bomb the crack in the southern wall. Walk out onto a ledge and go right to re-enter the palace. Finally, use the Cane of Somaria to reach the chest.

The Blue Armor is found in the Big Chest located on the fifth basement level of the fifth Crystal Palace. Work your way through to the far left room in the third basement. Walk down the stairs in this ice-filled room to enter a room with a cracked section of floor and a hole. Place a bomb on the spaces above the stairway to reveal a second hole. Then, drop down into the hole to land next to the Big Chest.

The Red Armor is in the Big Chest located in Gannon's Tower. To reach the Red Armor once you have the Big Key, go to the large room with the invisible floor. This room is found in the bottom center of the first floor. Walk up through the top left door in this room to find the Big Chest.

Tips on Light World Bosses

The Armos Knights guarding the Pendant of Courage look like six bouncing statues. To defeat them, you must use both your swordsmanship and archery skills. The Armos Knights are weakest to Arrows, and can be defeated with three Arrows each. If you run out of Arrows, switch to the Sword and swing for all you're worth. One Armos Knight takes 12 strikes from the Sword to be defeated.

The Lanmolas that guard the Pendant of Power are three large green worms which shoot up out of the sand floor and dive back down again. To defeat them, power up your Sword by holding the B Button and use the Whirling Blade Technique on the worms' heads. Each of the Lanmolas will require eight hits from the sword before they are vanquished.

Moldorm is a large, yellow worm with five round sections, whose only vulnerable point is at the tip of his tail. Stand at a safe distance from the edges of the platform and hold the B Button to charge up your Sword. Once your Sword is fully charged, release the B Button to perform the Whirling Blade Technique. Six hits to Moldorm's tail will put him away for good! Be careful -- if you fall off the platform, Moldorm will regain all of his energy. If this happens, you will have to climb back up and start again. (All the hits you scored against him will have been healed, and you will have to hit him another six times without falling off the edge.)

The only way to defeat Agahnim is to use his own magic against him. To do this, swing your Master Sword at the fireballs Agahnim throws to deflect them back to him. Occasionally, Agahnim will stand at the top of the room and unleash an incredible lighting attack. To avoid being hit, stand against one of the side walls in the room.

Tips on Dark World Bosses

Helmasaur is a red four legged monster with a spiked tail that he lashes out at you. He has a weak point in the middle of his forehead that he carefully protects with a strong purple mask. Use three Bombs or your Hammer to break through the mask. Then, attack the gem in the center of his head with your Sword or the Arrows to finish him off.

Arrghus is a large, one-eyed jellyfish that has a thick coating of pink puff balls surrounding him. To defeat him, you must destroy the pink balls one at a time. Do this by using your Hookshot to pull a pink ball near you and hit it with your sword until it disappears. Repeat this process until you destroy all of the pink puff balls surrounding Arrghus. Once this is done, you must hit Arrghus eight times with your Sword or four times with the Hammer to defeat him.

Mothula is a giant moth that shoots rings of fire at you. Before you go into battle with Mothula, you should have one Magic Medicine bottle (the blue one) and the 1/2 symbol above your Magic Meter. Shoot Mothula repeatedly with the Fire Rod as you try to avoid the spike traps in the room. If you are having trouble doing avoiding the traps, use the Cane of Byrna for protection. Mothula will take 15 shots from the Fire Rod or eight hits from Link's Sword to be defeated.

Blind the Thief is a demon that moves around the room shooting out red lasers at Link. To defeat him, stand behind the square patch of sunlight and swing your Sword at him whenever he is nearby. While he's circling around the room, move left and right to dodge his laser attacks. Keep hitting his head until a total of three heads have fallen off. Each head takes three hits from the Sword or Hammer.

Kholdstare looks like an eye frozen inside a huge chunk of ice. To defeat him, thaw him out with eight shots of your Fire Rod while avoiding his icy attacks. After the eighth shot, he will break up into three eyeballs that bounce around the room. Hit each eyeball six times with the Sword to defeat them.

Vitreous is a large eyeball surrounded by a bunch of smaller eyes that fly at you. To defeat him, stand in the bottom-left or bottom-right corner of the room to avoid his lighting attacks. Destroy the small eyes that fly at you. The Whirling Blade Technique works the best. After defeating all of the small eyes, the big eye will start to bounce around. Use the Whirling Blade Technique again to finish him off.

To defeat Trinexx, you must combine the powers of the Fire Rod, the Ice Rod, and your Sword. Use the Fire Rod on Trinexx's blue head to stun it, then hit it with your Sword. Repeat this until the blue head is defeated. Then, use the Ice Rod on Trinexx's red head to stun it, then hit it with your Sword until it also disappears. Trinexx will then change into a worm-like creature with a flashing circle near the center of his body. Hit this flashing area three times with the Sword to defeat Trinexx once and for all.

When you fight Agahnim in the Dark World, he brings along two friends. You can tell who the real Agahnim is because the other two are slightly hazy. Attack the real Agahnim by using his own magic against him: Swing your Master Sword at the fireballs he throws to reflect their evil power back at his image. Caution: Agahnim will occasionally stand at the top of the room and unleash an incredible lighting attack. Stand to one side of the wizard to safely avoid it. Once he's gone, you're off to Ganon!

To defeat Ganon, you must use the Silver Arrows when he is weak. Unfortunately, he isn't a push-over. The battle will be a long and difficult one. Avoid Ganon's attacks while hitting him with your Sword as often as you can. After a while, Ganon will attempt to put out the lights in the room. When this happens, light BOTH pots with your Fire Rod (this is REALLY important), then hit Ganon with the Sword to turn him blue. Hit him with the Silver Arrows when he's blue, then wait for him to recover. Repeat the process of lighting the braziers and shooting Gannon with the Silver Arrows three more times. Once you've defeated him, you have completed your quest.

Q: Why does this bomb follow me around?

A: It is a Super Bomb. Use it on the crack in the wall of the Pyramid to find a Mysterious Pond.

Q: What does "number of games played" mean?

A: This tells you how many times you lost a life!

Q: Where is the gossip shop?

A: The Gossip Shop is a run-down shack near the Village of Outcasts in the Dark World. From the village, walk right one screen along the path in the lower-right corner of the village, then climb the stairs to the house. After you have received the Tempered Sword, a locked treasure chest will appear. Take it to the middle-aged man in the Desert (in the Light World) to receive the fourth Bottle.

Q: I picked up a fish. What do I do with it?

A: You can take it to the man in Kakariko Village who sold you a Bottle, or you can find some water and throw it back in. Either trick will get you some extra Rupees.

Q: Is there a second quest?

A: Nope!

Q: A demon cursed me and now I have a "1/2" symbol above my magic meter. How do I get rid of it?

A: You don't want to get rid of it. You weren't cursed! The demon actually did you a favor. Now whenever you use a spell, you only need half as much magic as you used to need to cast it.

Q: There's a doorway in the pyramid surrounded by two statues. How do I get to it?

A: It is an exit, not an entrance. If you fall down the hole while fighting Ganon, you'll come out here.

Q: How do I get through the cracked walls in the path to the sanctuary?

A: You must come back when you have the Bombs.

Q: Where is a good place to build up rupees?

A: In the Desert in the Light World, there is a cave under a rock next to the Middle-Aged Man (the man standing by the sign). Move the rock, enter the cave, lift the pots, collect the Rupees and leave. When you leave, the Rupees in the cave will reset so you can re-enter the cave and collect as many as you need.

Q: I just finished the second dungeon in the Dark World. When I try to get to the Village Of Outcasts through the south, my passage is blocked by a boulder that requires the Titan's Mitt to lift. How do I get through?

A: First, you'll need to use the Magic Mirror to warp back to the Light World. Go to Kakariko Village and go to the Lost Woods from the village. You'll have to head northwest when in the village. Then you should approach an area with trees and soldiers. Fight them off and proceed while noticing the sign, "Lost Woods". When you first enter, keep south and head out the first entrance on the right. Then, you appear at an area with stakes that can be pounded with the Magic Hammer. Pound them and list the rock to warp back to the Dark World. From there on, you should find your way to the Village Of Outcasts!


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