Inside the first dungeon, you will find a gap blocking access in the middle. Use the Bow to hit the crystal switch which covers the gap, allowing you to enter. In the next room ahead, defeat the lone enemy and shoot the crystal switch across the left gap to open the west door from the entrance. Go back and enter there to open a chest holding 20 Rupees. If you go into the east room while you're here, you will find just four Rupees. From the middle part of the room, continue into the following area. The narrow corridor below has large and small cannonballs being shot from the back end of the room. There will be four small cannonballs alternating left and right, followed by a larger one. With this in mind, go up the middle path, using the small side alcoves to stay safe if needed.
At the far end, go into the open room to the west. Inside, defeat the two waves of enemies that appear to make a chest appear on the upper ledge. If you walk directly southward below that platform, you will enter a hidden doorway which leads to a chest containing 20 Rupees. After that, go back out and head up the steps to the upper level now. Go through the north doorway to reach the chest containing the Compass. Next, go back out and press the floor switch to unlock the east door, which leads back to the main room again.
Up here, you can grab eight Rupees along a suspicious path; look out as you grab the last rupee as the wall will push you into the path of the cannonballs below. Get back up to where you were, then cross the small bridge and press the floor switch behind the statues to open the next room. Defeat the Armos Knight that comes to life before entering that room. Here you will find a platform moving up and down, with crystal switches on low and high ledges to the sides (low on left, high on right). Shooting the switches temporarily lowers the ledges in the northeast corner where a chest is waiting.
After hitting both switches, quickly open the chest there and obtain the Small Key. While you are here, wait for the platform to move downward, then head across it into a hidden room to the south. There are small faeries you can capture, along with 49 Rupees!
From the moving platform room, exit to the west and you will be at the north end of the main room. Unlock the door atop the steps and continue upstairs to 2F. On the second floor, step on the red floor switch and the four Armos Knights will come to life around you. Defeat them and both doors will unlock. If you look at your map, you need to reach the large southern room, so you can pick either the west or east room to proceed. Here is a quick rundown of each room:
- West room: Avoid the three vertical rows of cannonballs, then press the floor switch to make some steps appear. Quickly run up the steps before they retract, and run along the upper path once the giant cannonball passes. In the lower half of the room, the southwest floor switch unlocks the door leading to the south room. The east floor switch causes the nearby stairs to retract, revealing another floor switch. Hit it and the chest containing Monster Guts will appear.
- East room: Navigate around the room, using your Shield to block the arrows being shot out of holes in the walls. Defeat all four enemies that pop up when you are nearby (you need to explore the entire room), and a chest containing Monster Guts will appear on the upper northeast ledge. At the south end of the room is a floor switch which opens the southern room.
Either way, when you reach the southern room, you will find there are four crystal switches atop pedestals along the northern part of the chamber. The center path appears to lead to the boss room, but it actually falls short. You can only reach three of the four crystal switches for now, since the first switch is inaccessible. Go up the center path to the northern wall and shoot an arrow to the left to hit the second switch. From the center platform, stand on the right wing after defeating the Armos Knight and shoot diagonally at the last switch on the right. Then, drop to the northeast corner by the door and shoot directly at the third switch.
With three switches activated, this means the two platforms on each side of the room will move up and down. For now, ride the right platform upward and enter the east room. There, ride the platforms around the large gap while shooting the four crystal switches in the center, as well as avoiding the arrows being shot from the wall holes. After all four switches are triggered, a chest will appear on the eastern ledge, plus the arrows will cease. Ride to the right side and head up the steps to collect the
Small Key from the chest, then ride back across and exit the room.
Back in the previous room, go across to the moving platform on the west side. Ride it upward and unlock the door to enter another room. In here, you will have to fight three regular Stalfos. Throwing pots will quickly defeat them, since they jump away when you use your sword unless you corner them. Upon defeating them, the large chest will be lowered. Open it to receive the
Big Key. Before you leave here, go up the southwest steps and head into the small room across the bridge. Hit the hidden crystal switch to gain access to the first switch in the main room. Now, go back to that room and shoot the crystal switch while standing on the left moving platform at its highest point. This will allow you to reach the boss door in the middle, so unlock it and proceed inside.
In here, you will be face to face with Yuga once again. He has transformed Osfala into a painting, and then challenges you to a battle.
Boss: Yuga
Your first boss battle is actually a very simple one by Zelda standards. Yuga will pop in and out of the walls on the opposite side of the room, sometimes summoning a couple of small enemies to pop out and attack you. If you approach, Yuga will either summon the enemies or merge with the wall, so you need to attack from a distance. Whenever he appears, shoot a few arrows across to hit Yuga. Eventually, Yuga will turn red and his movements become quicker. After several rounds of shooting arrows across at him, you will win.
After the battle is over, Yuga will get his revenge by turning you into a painting as well. Luckily, Ravio's Bracelet allows you to escape by pressing A. You now have the ability to merge with walls by turning into the painting, then popping back out when you are done. Being a painting consumes your energy gauge, so make sure you have enough energy before exploring too far. Grab the
Heart Container and you will see a crack in the wall; this signifies an opening you can get through in painting form. When you are ready, flatten up and make your way through the crack.
Now you need to escape by climbing along the outside of the palace! If you climb out to the left first, you can reach a ledge containing seven rupees. Climbing to the right from the crack, you can reach five rupees and a lower ledge next to it. Pop out and land on the lower ledge, then merge and climb back along the wall to the opposite side. Pop out on the next platform, and you will see a ledge moving up and down at the far end. Before you do that though, merge into the wall again and follow the path of rupees to another ledge. Over there, open a chest to receive
100 Rupees.
From here, climb back around to the vertically-moving platform and ride it downward to 2F again. Down there, you will find a ledge that moves in and out of the wall. Run across until it starts retracting, then merge into the wall to avoid falling. Pop out when the platform is back and proceed to the end, where you can go down to 1F. Back on the bottom level, go ahead and a wall will move back and forth above the pit. Merge onto the first half of the wall, then when the two pieces meet, go across to the other one. Once you are adjacent to the platform on the other side, pop back out. You will see a crack in the wall in front of you. Before entering it, merge and go all the way left to reach another chest containing
50 Rupees!
With that done, climb through the crack and you will be back inside the palace's entrance room. Pop out and run across to the far right side of the room first. Pass through the crack in the wall there and you can reach one last chest, this one with
100 Rupees inside. Climb back inside, then exit the palace altogether.
Back outside, you will find Sahasrahla waiting for you. He is upset by the news, saying that Yuga now has captured two of the Seven Sages. Suddenly, he points out something wrong with Hyrule Castle, so you both head over there instantly. There is a magical barrier surrounding the castle now, trapping Impa and Zelda inside. Sahasrahla mentions that the hero must collect three Pendants, but since one of them is with Zelda, you are stuck. Luckily, it turns out the special charm Zelda gave you earlier is actually the Pendant of Courage! The other two pendants are located in the House of Gales, in Lake Hylia, and the Tower of Hera atop Death Mountain. Both locations will be marked on your map. You will also have a chance to save your game here.
NEXT: Before the House of Gales
