Hyrule

Hyrule is the name of the mythical kingdom in which a vast majority of games within the Legend of Zelda series take place and serves as the center stage for many of the stories that unfold in the series. While the name of Hyrule applies to Hyrule proper, it can also apply to outlying provinces and territories as well under the rule of Royal Family of Hyrule. It is theorized that there has been more than one Hyrule throughout the series.

Creation
Before time began, before spirits and life existed, three Golden Goddesses descended from a distant nebula upon the chaos that was Hyrule. These three Golden Goddesses were: Din, the Goddess of Power; Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom; and Farore, the Goddess of Courage. The three Goddesses each chose to infuse the land of Hyrule with each of their three powers in their own way.

Din, with her strong, flaming arms, cultivated the land and created the red earth. Hence, she created the very earth from which life in Hyrule would spring. Nayru poured her wisdom onto the earth and gave the spirit of law to the world, thus establishing order in a formerly chaotic world. She was responsible for the creation of the laws of the universe, including the laws of science and wizardry that would govern Hyrule and the universe at large. Farore, with her rich soul, produced all life forms that would uphold the law established by Nayru. As the mother of all life in the universe, she created the beings that would walk the earth, fly in the sky and swim in the waters.

The three great Goddesses, their labors completed, departed for the heavens from a parallel dimension connected to the land of Hyrule, a realm of midday golden skies rather than blue and a place where the spirits could roam free. A temple dedicated to the element of light was set at the heart of this Golden Land, the Temple of Light, and the Goddesses departed the world from the point atop the pyramidal temple, leaving behind a symbol of their power at the point atop the temple. This symbol, a golden triangle composed of three smaller triangles united to form one, came to be known as the Triforce, a relic of omnipotent and omniscient power. The Triforce, when mastered in its entirety, would grant its wielder his or her heart's desire for as long as they live. It served as a balance of the three forces: Power, Wisdom and Courage. Only one with all three forces in balance in his or her heart would be able to wield the united Triforce and use its true power to govern all. The Golden Land of the Triforce came to be known in the land of Hyrule as the Sacred Realm.

To seal the gateway to the Sacred Realm, the Ancient Sages, the appointed wielders of the powers of the world's elements by the Goddesses, crafted a sword capable of repelling even the Triforce's magic, as they knew that the Triforce could not judge between good and evil and could thus be abused by one of impure heart. This sword, forged and infused with the power to banish evil itself, came to be known as the Blade of Evil's Bane, or more commonly known as the Master Sword. The sword would serve as the key to the Sacred Realm as well as the primary weapon against those of evil intent. The sword was infused into the magical Pedestal of Time and the mighty Temple of Time was constructed around the Pedestal of Time by the Ancient Sages, with the assistance of the Oocca race. The Sages then sealed the Grand Chamber of the Master Sword with a mighty stone barrier known as the Door of Time, which was then locked by a seal that could only be broken by one possessing three magical jewels, the Spiritual Stones, and the powerful instrument known as the Ocarina of Time. Each of these items were then given to the three major races of Hyrule.

As the ages passed, a prophecy formed, telling of a catastrophic event known as the Great Cataclysm, in which the Triforce would be shattered and the land of Hyrule would be cast into darkness by the evil one that shattered the Triforce. However, this dark entity would be repelled by a great hero, the Hero of Time, who would wield the Blade of Evil's Bane on the eve of the Cataclysm. The Hero of Time would work with the mythical Seven Sages to banish the dark one and return the light of peace to the land of Hyrule. This legend passed down through time and became myth as well as prophecy, the Prophecy of the Great Cataclysm and the Hero of Time.

Hyrulean Civil War
For many ages following the creation of Hyrule, each of the races of the land formed their own governments and lived in relatively peaceful relations. However, knowledge of the mythical Sacred Realm and the all-powerful Triforce stored within spread across the land eventually, destabilizing the realm to the point of war. One tribe, a group of dark magicians known as the Dark Interlopers, crafted an ultimate weapon, the Fused Shadow, and attempted to use it to seize control of the Sacred Realm and by extension take the Triforce for their own. This set off an arms race of sorts, with each of the other tribes of the land feeling threatened not only by the Dark Interlopers themselves, but also by the threat of any one tribe attaining the Triforce, which could give them total dominance over all other races. Thus, the first major war in Hyrule's history broke out across the realm, with the Dark Interlopers declaring war on the races possessing the Spiritual Stones and the fabled Ocarina of Time, the rumored necessary keys to enter the Sacred Realm, and each of the other races fighting each other to reach the Sacred Realm first before the others.

At a certain point during the war, a Hylian woman attempted to escape the war with her infant son, only to be gravely injured in her escape to the forbidden Kokiri Forest, a place relatively untouched by the war's savagery. Once there, she was discovered by the Kokiri race and taken to their leader, the Great Deku Tree, the guardian spirit of the forest. The Deku Tree conversed with the dying mother about the future of her child, and learned the child's name was Link. The forest spirit could sense this was a child of destiny whose fate would affect the entire world and change the course of Hyrule's future in such a magnitude that he would save Hyrule in its hour of greatest need. After promising the mother to protect her child, the mother passed away, leaving her child under the Deku Tree's care. The Deku Tree decided that to protect the child, he would conceal the child's true heritage from him until he was ready to know it and take up his destiny as a Hylian. So the child, Link, was raised as a Kokiri, and for a decade he would grow up far away from Hylian civilization and would remain unnoticed by the outside world until the day would come that he would reemerge from the forest to become one of Hyrule's most legendary figures of all time, the fabled Hero of Time.

The Golden Goddesses (Din, Nayru and Farore) intervened when the war was on the verge of destroying the world they had created, and they ordered four Light Spirits to confiscate the Fused Shadow and banish the Dark Interlopers to a land of perpetual twilight, the Twilight Realm. The Light Spirits obeyed their orders, and the Dark Interlopers were chased out of the world of light, driven into the prison world of the Twilight Realm, where they evolved into the Twili race and grew into a more peaceful and humbled race. The Fused Shadow was shattered into four pieces, one of which was kept by the Dark Interlopers and their descendants. The other three were hidden across the land of Hyrule by the Light Spirits. The Gerudo King of Thieves, Ganondorf, then helped to negotiate an end to the destructive war amongst Hyrule's other races and helped to install the Hylian Royal Family as the ruling family of a new monarchy that would encompass the entire realm, with each of the races' individual governments still intact but ultimately loyal to the new Royal Family of Hyrule. The new King of Hyrule unified the country, and Hyrule was united beneath one banner. Even so, the Gerudo King who had helped make this possible was even then plotting to one day overthrow the new government and take the wish-granting Triforce for his own.

Imprisoning War
One of the most famous conflicts in Hyrulean history, the Imprisoning War would see the fulfillment of the Prophecy of the Great Cataclysm as well as the foretold rise of the legendary Hero of Time. This costly and bloody conflict would also be one of the most influential on all future events yet to come in the history of Hyrule, resulting from a time paradox established at the war's end that would in the end split Hyrule's history into two separate branches.

After a decade of relative peace and prosperity beneath the rule of the Royal Family, Hyrule's peace was once again threatened, this time by the very man who had helped unify the nation alongside the King of Hyrule, the Gerudo King of Thieves named Ganondorf. Ganondorf had spent the last decade researching the legends of the Triforce and was now resolved to find a way into the Sacred Realm and to take the Triforce for his own in order to further his own desires. He enacted a plot to seize the keys to the Sacred Realm from their respective owners and to use them to open the gateway to the Sacred Realm that rested in the Temple of Time. In order to do this however, he also plotted to overthrow the Hyrulean government he himself had helped establish and to usurp the Throne of Hyrule to unleash his own reign across the land. This occurred when Link, the Hero of Time, returned from gathering the three Spiritual Stones on orders from Princess Zelda. The boy returned just in time to witness Ganondorf's Attack on Hyrule Castle, where Ganondorf betrayed and presumably murdered the monarch and was searching for the Ocarina of Time, now in the possession of Princess Zelda. Link saw Zelda and her attendant, Impa, escaping the Hyrulean capital of Hyrule Castle Town on horseback, and as they passed, she threw the Ocarina of Time into the city's moat for Link to find and use. Ganondorf then appeared and had a brief encounter with Link before rushing off to continue his pursuit of the Princess of Hyrule. With this, the Royal Family was overthrown and Hyrule was now under the control of Ganondorf and his army, who had executed a fairly easy coup of the Royal Family. Link then entered the Temple of Time and removed the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time, causing himself to be sealed within the Sacred Realm for seven years until he was old enough to claim the mantle of the Hero of Time. Ganondorf meanwhile followed the boy into the Sacred Realm and ended up fulfilling the Prophecy of the Great Cataclysm by touching the Triforce with his tainted hands, causing the relic to split apart (leaving him with only the Triforce of Power) and causing the Sacred Realm to become a world of darkness and despair known as the Dark World. Ganondorf returned to Hyrule with the Triforce of Power at his command and used it to subjugate the rest of the realm and bend it to his will.

For seven dark years, Hyrule would live in fear and misery under Ganondorf's wicked reign. However he also knew the Prophecy of the Hero of Time, and knew that sooner or later the Hero of Time and Princess Zelda would return to challenge his rule. Sure enough, when seven years had passed, the Hero of Time returned from his slumber in the Temple of Light and embarked on a quest to rescue and awaken the legendary Seven Sages, who held the power to banish Ganondorf from the land of Hyrule. Wielding the Master Sword, the Hero of Time infiltrated the Forest Temple in the Lost Woods, the Fire Temple deep inside Death Mountain, the Water Temple deep beneath the vast Lake Hylia, the Shadow Temple beneath the graveyard of Kakariko Village, and the Spirit Temple located in the Desert Colossus to free each of the Sages and restore the various regions of Hyrule to their former beauty as much of the land had been overrun by Ganondorf's monsters in seven years' time and many regions had been harmed by Ganondorf's evil magic. Princess Zelda then revealed herself to be the seventh Sage and Leader of the Sages to the Hero of Time, but she was captured by Ganondorf and held hostage at the top of his castle's keep, Ganon's Tower. With the assistance of the remaining Sages, the Hero of Time entered the castle and confronted the King of Evil in his Throne Room at the top of the tower, where he found Princess Zelda to be a captive of the King of Evil. Ganondorf had lured Link there using Zelda hoping to steal both the Triforce of Wisdom Zelda possessed as well as the Triforce of Courage possessed by the Hero of Time. However, the Hero of Time bested Ganondorf in battle using the Master Sword, and the Dark Lord fell to the ground, seemingly dead. However, the castle began to collapse due to Ganondorf's final breath, and Link and Zelda were forced to escape the castle before it collapsed on top of them. They escaped in time, only to witness Ganondorf emerge from the rubble and transform into the Dark Beast Ganon. The Hero of Time once again triumphed over the King of Evil however, and the Seven Sages combined their powers to throw Ganondorf back into the Dark World and to seal the Dark World off. With this, Hyrule was at last free of Ganondorf's tyranny, and peace was once again able to thrive and flourish. Beings all across Hyrule broke out into celebration, and many gathered at Lon Lon Ranch to celebrate Ganondorf's defeat and the return of the Royal Family to power. Princess Zelda returned the Hero of Time to his original time using the Ocarina of Time, sending him back to the moment before she met him seven years earlier. The Hero of Time laid the Master Sword to rest and closed the Door of Time, returning to Hyrule Castle to warn Princess Zelda of Ganondorf's plot in an attempt to alter the course of events in that branch of Hyrule's two branches of history.

Zant's Invasion of Hyrule
Shortly after the Hero of Time returned to his childhood at the conclusion of the Imprisoning War, he warned the Royal Family of Hyrule of Ganondorf's treachery. Thus, when Ganondorf attempted his coup of the Hyrulean government a second time, the King's army was prepared, and Ganondorf's invasion was thwarted. As such, Ganondorf had been blind to any danger to his plans, and so he was captured and put on trial for high treason to the Royal Family of Hyrule. After being found guilty, he was taken by the Ancient Sages to the new Hyrulean prison, the Arbiter's Grounds, to await his sentence. It was determined that Ganondorf was too dangerous to be allowed to live, so he was sentenced to death by impalement. A few years after his failed invasion, Ganondorf was taken to the Mirror Chamber (the home of a relic known as the Mirror of Twilight) atop the Arbiter's Grounds to have his sentence carried out. The King of Evil was chained to a large stone in the center of the Mirror Chamber, and the Sage of Water drove the Execution Sword through Ganondorf's torso. However, because the Triforce had been shattered by his future self, the Dark Lord unknowingly possessed the Triforce of Power, and it awakened within him, giving him the ability to break free of his shackles and murder the Sage of Water. The other Sages, knowing no better solution to protect Hyrule from the reinvigorated Dark Lord, activated the Mirror of Twilight and sent Ganondorf through the portal into the Twilight Realm, where the Dark Interlopers had been banished decades earlier at the conclusion of the Hyrulean Civil War. With this, Hyrule was able to enter a period of peace and prosperity for a century. However, Ganondorf's spirit wandered the Twilight Realm for that century, seeking a way to break out of the realm and threaten Hyrule once more.

A century later, the sitting King of Twilight passed away, and the Throne of the Twilight Realm was left vacant as the Twilight King had no sons to succeed him. One of the Twilight King's advisers, a Twili named Zant, stood as a candidate to succeed him to the Throne. However, due to Zant's lust for power and conquest, the Twili race grew to distrust Zant and passed him over, giving the Throne of the Twilight Realm to the Twilight King's daughter, Princess Midna. This sent Zant into a fury, costing him his sanity in the process. It was in this state that he met Ganondorf, who posed as a god and chose to house his power inside of Zant. In exchange for giving Zant the power to take the Throne of the Twilight Realm by force, Zant agreed to release Ganondorf from the Twilight Realm once he had usurped the Throne. Zant then seized power and transformed Midna into an imp, and she fled to Hyrule while Zant turned the rest of the Twili into Shadow Beasts and sealed away the Sols, the source of light in the Twilight Realm. Zant then invaded Hyrule on Ganondorf's orders, blanketing the land in perpetual twilight and meaning to merge the two worlds into one under the rule of both Ganondorf and himself. Three of the four Light Spirits that protected Hyrule at the behest of the Goddesses were attacked and incapacitated, having their light stolen from them by Zant's Shadow Beasts. Zant then invaded the Hyrulean capital city of Hyrule Castle Town and forced Princess Zelda, the country's matriarch, to abdicate Hyrule's Throne to him. With this, Zant now had complete control of Hyrule and its government, although Ganondorf awaited in the background, the true force behind the invasion and Zant.

A new hero of the Hero of Time's bloodline, Link, arose to save the land of Hyrule from Zant's invasion. Teaming up with the impish Midna and seeking information and assistance from the imprisoned Princess Zelda, the hero helped Midna gather the three fragments of her ancestors' ancient magic, the Fused Shadow, from various locations around Hyrule: the Forest Temple, the Goron Mines, and the Lakebed Temple. However, Zant stole these fragments and attempted to murder Midna, who still possessed the true powers of the ruler of the Twilight Realm and thus was all that stood between Zant and full rulership of the Twilight Realm. Taking Midna back to Princess Zelda, Hyrule's young ruler told the hero he would need the power of the Blade of Evil's Bane, the Master Sword, to defeat Zant and told him where to find it before sacrificing her existence to heal Midna's mortal wounds. Link and Midna then departed to find the Master Sword in the Sacred Grove, deep in the heart of the Lost Woods. After acquiring the blade, the pair journeyed to the Gerudo Desert in search of the Mirror of Twilight, a relic left behind by the Goddesses that served as the only link between the Twilight Realm and Hyrule. After clearing the mirror's resting place, the Arbiter's Grounds, of enemies, the pair discover the mirror to be broken by Zant's doing and meet the Ancient Sages, who relate to them the story of Ganondorf's failed execution there a century earlier. On the advice of the Sages, Link and Midna journey around Hyrule to find the three lost fragments of the Mirror of Twilight, finding them in three separate locations: the Snowpeak Ruins, the Temple of Time, and the City in the Sky. Restoring the Mirror of Twilight at the Arbiter's Grounds, Link and Midna are approached by the Sages again, where they beg for Midna's forgiveness for their actions involving Ganondorf and reveal her to be the Twilight Realm's true ruler.

Using the Mirror of Twilight, the pair journey into the Twilight Realm and into the Palace of Twilight. There they restored the Sols and returned the Twili to their true forms with the power of the Sols. The pair then journeyed to the Throne Room of Zant, which had previously belonged to Midna. There, the maddened Twili revealed his backstory and the truth of his relation to Ganondorf. He then engaged Link in a battle to the death, transporting him to various places around Hyrule, but in the end, the Usurper King of Twilight was defeated by the hero armed with the Master Sword. Zant revealed that the curse on Midna would not lift until Ganondorf was defeated, and that his soul was now bound to Ganondorf's own. Midna took back the Fused Shadow fragments from Zant and used their combined power to destroy him. Traveling back to Hyrule, Midna used the Fused Shadow to destroy a Twilight Pyramid cast around Hyrule Castle by Ganondorf to prevent any from entering the structure, and the pair infiltrate the structure. At the top of Hyrule Castle Tower in Hyrule Castle's Throne Room, the pair meet Ganondorf, the King of Evil and former Gerudo King of Thieves, and find Princess Zelda's lifeless body suspended above Hyrule's Throne. Ganondorf taunts the pair and possesses the Princess's body in an attempt to kill them. However, Link defeats the possessed Zelda and Midna purges Zelda's body of Ganondorf's spirit. Ganondorf then takes on the form of the Dark Beast Ganon and attempts to kill them again, only to once again be defeated. Midna then restores Zelda to life, but Ganondorf's spirit reappears. Midna warps Link and Zelda to safety while she uses the Fused Shadow to battle Ganondorf in the Throne Room. Link and Zelda reappear in Hyrule Field, where they witness a massive explosion that destroys Hyrule Castle. Ganondorf rides out of the rubble on horseback and crushes Midna's helmet in his fist. He then engaged Link and Zelda in a horseback battle across Hyrule Field, but was knocked from his mount by the combined efforts of the two. Link then engages Ganondorf in a final sword duel in Hyrule Field, in which he runs Ganondorf through with the Master Sword. Ganondorf's Triforce of Power seemingly fades away, and Zant's spirit appears, snapping his neck and causing Ganondorf's eyes to gloss over, seemingly killing him. Midna reappears and is restored to her true form by the Light Spirits upon Ganondorf's defeat. She then returns home to the Twilight Realm as the true Twilight Princess, but not before shattering the Mirror of Twilight with her tear so as to prevent a similar tragedy from ever happening again.

War of the Wizard
Many centuries after Ganondorf vanished from the land of Hyrule into the corrupt Dark World, now sealed shut thanks to the efforts of the Seven Sages (thought to be the Ancient Sages themselves with the aid of Princess Zelda in this case), a multitude of plagues beset Hyrule and took their toll on the kingdom with unknown causes. Around this time, a mysterious wizard named Agahnim appeared as though from nowhere and used powerful sorcery to quell the plagues and restore peace and prosperity to the kingdom. As a reward for his efforts, the King of Hyrule allowed Agahnim to move into Hyrule Castle and made him a royal adviser. However, nobody could guess that Agahnim was the one behind the plagues or that he had other plans that involved destroying Hyrule rather than helping it. Eventually, Agahnim maneuvered his position enough that he was able to overthrow the King of Hyrule and spirit him away, taking control of Hyrule Castle and the kingdom's government himself. He then cast a powerful spell over the entire Hyrulean army, making Hyrule's soldiers answerable only to him. Following this, the wizard ordered the soldiers to capture the Seven Maidens, the descendants of the Seven Sages who sealed the Sacred Realm shut many centuries ago. Agahnim's true plan is revealed to be the capture of the Seven Maidens and to sacrifice them in order to destroy the seal their ancestors cast upon the Dark World and release Ganon from the Evil Realm. Agahnim sacrificed six of the Seven Maidens successfully in his chamber atop Hyrule Castle Tower, leaving only the seventh maiden, Princess Zelda, the sole barrier to breaking the seal. Knowing her time to be sacrificed was close, Zelda sent out a telepathic message to a young man named Link, a youth descended from the line of Heroes.

Link went to the castle and succeeded in rescuing Zelda from the castle dungeons, taking her to the nearby Sanctuary where she was then hidden by the loyal Sage who guards the Sanctuary. There, the Sage told the pair of the Blade of Evil's Bane, the Master Sword, which was said to rest deep within the Lost Woods and can only be wielded by one possessing the three Pendants of Virtue. Link resolved to find these three Pendants and claim the Master Sword so as to defeat Agahnim before he completely destroys Hyrule. Leaving the Sanctuary, Link went in search of the elder of Kakariko Village, Sahasrahla, to learn more about the Pendants. He eventually found Sahasrahla in hiding near the Eastern Palace and was told the legend of the three Pendants and the Master Sword. Sahasrahla instructed Link to retrieve the Pendant of Courage from the Eastern Palace, which he indeed succeeded in doing. Following this, Link was told the location of the other two Pendants and conquered the trials of both the Desert Palace in the Desert of Doubt and the Tower of Hera high atop Death Mountain to claim the other two Pendants, the Pendant of Power and the Pendant of Wisdom respectively. He then entered the Lost Woods and discovered the Sacred Grove deep at its heart, finally laying eyes upon the fabled Pedestal of Time and the legendary Master Sword. Presenting the three Pendants of Virtue, Link was able to pull the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time once more, becoming its new master. However, Link received a telepathic cry for help from Zelda, who had been found by the castle soldiers and taken to Hyrule Castle to be sacrificed by Agahnim. Link rushed to Hyrule Castle and succeeded in entering Hyrule Castle Tower with the Master Sword in hand, but he arrived just moments too late to stop Agahnim from sending Zelda to the Dark World. Link then battled Agahnim in the topmost chamber of the tower and succeeded in defeating the evil wizard, but in response Agahnim drew both of them into the Dark World (a twisted copy of Hyrule turned evil by Ganon's influence), depositing the Hero atop the Pyramid of Power. Link learned that the Seven Maidens were still alive and resolved to rescue them from their prisons across the Dark World.

The Hero traversed across the Dark World, freeing each of the Seven Maidens in turn and at times having to travel between both worlds with the aid of the Magic Mirror. The Hero found each of the maidens sealed within a crystal after clearing the Palace of Darkness, the Swamp Palace, the Skull Woods, the Thieves' Town, the Ice Palace, Misery Mire and Turtle Rock. It was in Turtle Rock, situated atop the Dark World's version of Death Mountain, that Link finally rescued Princess Zelda and learned the full scope of Ganon's plot to break the seal on the Dark World using Agahnim as the tool in order for him to return to Hyrule, the Light World, and to conquer it. Link then traveled across Death Mountain and entered Ganon's Tower with the assistance of the Seven Maidens, who broke the seal protecting the structure. Link then entered the tower and conquered its many trials as he ascended to the top to face the tower's dark master. At the top, Link met Agahnim once again and battled the Dark Wizard once more, defeating the evil sorcerer once and for all. After Agahnim was defeated, a demonic bat rose from the Dark Wizard's robes and took to the air, flying out of the tower and across the Dark World. Link chased after the bat, tracking it all the way to the Pyramid of Power, where it crashed through the roof. Link entered the hole left by the bat and discovered that the bat was in fact Ganon himself, a boar-like demon with demonic eyes and wielding a trident. Ganon stated his astonishment that Link had defeated his alter ego Agahnim twice and stateed his refusal to turn the Triforce of Power over to Link before attacking him. Link engaged in a fierce battle with the Dark Lord and eventually destroyed him completely using the Silver Arrows and the Master Sword. The three pieces of the Triforce were reunited shortly thereafter, and the Essence of the Triforce instructed Link to touch it with a wish in his heart. Link claimed the united Triforce and wished for all of Ganon's evil to be undone, healing the land of Hyrule of all its ills wrought upon it by Agahnim and Ganon as well as restoring the Sacred Realm to its former beauty.

The Great Flood
In an alternate timeline, several centuries after the adventures of the adult Link from Ocarina of Time, Ganon somehow escaped the Sacred Realm, and the next Link in the bloodline did not rise since the Hero of Time had been sent back to the other timeline. He managed to take over, but the Goddesses flooded Hyrule to destroy him. The population was evacuated to the mountaintops, whoever was left behind was wiped out. A seal was put over Hyrule and the newly created Great Sea, keeping Hyrule intact while keeping Ganon's powers dormant, and him and his dominions frozen in time.

He managed to break free from his seal, abolish the powers of the Master Sword, and become active again. A boy, Link, believed to be the original hero reincarnated, surfaced.

Foundation of a New Hyrule
Restoring the powers of the Master Sword after inadvertently giving the dark lord his powers back, Link and his boat, the King of Red Lions (King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule III operating the boat from under the sea) awakened the next Princess Zelda in the bloodline and killed Ganon once again by thrusting the sword through Ganondorf's skull.

The Triforce was gathered, and King Hyrule III wished for the protective shield over Hyrule to be destroyed to prevent any other evil from taking the land. Waters poured down, destroying Hyrule.

Link and Zelda set out to find the next Hyrule. On their journey, they help a man named Oshus. See The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

The rest of Hyrule's history is not chronologically detailed. Though it is known Ganon somehow returned (most likely reincarnated in Four Swords Adventures), but was killed for good in the original Legend of Zelda, and an attempt was made to revive him in Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.

The events of The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link are suspected to take place in the New Hyrule founded by Link and Tetra.

War of the Bound Chest
Following the foundation of the New Hyrule by Link and Tetra, the forces of evil followed the new civilization to its new home and attacked the new kingdom in retaliation for the defeat of their dark master, the Dark Lord Ganondorf. When the world seemed to be on the verge of being swallowed by shadow, the Hero of Men (suspected to be the original title given to the future King Gustaf) was gifted a sword named the Picori Blade and a golden light known as the Light Force by the tiny Minish race that descended from the sky to assist the race of Men. Combining the powers of the Picori Blade with the powers of the Light Force, the Hero was able to lock the Army of Evil away in an enchanted chest known as the Bound Chest, which he sealed with the Picori Blade itself. The Light Force was then secretly sealed within the Princess of Hyrule, to be magically passed down to her heirs in succession. This secret (along with the history of the war) was depicted in a series of stained glass windows in a secret chamber within the Elemental Sanctuary that links the Minish Realm to Hyrule. So the new Hyrule was able to continue its growth in joy and peace. As a sign of gratitude, the Picori Festival was held each year to honor the Minish for their service in the war.

Currency
Rupees are the unit of currency in most countries in the The Legend of Zelda series. Rupees somewhat resemble crystals and can be found with many different color tints; each with a different value. Rupees are acquired primarily by defeating enemies, found by cutting tall grass or bushes, or by opening treasure chests, and used primarily to purchase items in shops, or to gain entrance to some mini-games and, in rare cases, advance in the game.

Landmarks
Hyrule has many areas and landmarks; however, not all of them appear in all games. For more specific details, visit the main articles.

Hyrule Field
Hyrule Field is the central landmark of Hyrule. It is a large, expansive field off of which most other areas of Hyrule branch. Because of its immense size, Hyrule Field is easiest to traverse while riding a horse. Small groups of trees and brush are scattered sparsely throughout along beaten paths. Various enemies can be found throughout Hyrule Field, including Stalchildren, Peahats, Poes, and Kargarocs. During Zant's Invasion of Hyrule, Link faces off against Ganondorf to defend Hyrule.

Lon Lon Ranch
Lon Lon Ranch is located near the center of Hyrule, near Hyrule Field. It is run by Talon, his daughter, Malon, and a hired hand, Ingo. They raise horses, Cows, and Cuccos. Lon Lon Ranch is also the source of Lon Lon Milk.

At night, Malon, Talon, and Ingo retire to their homes and put away the horses and Cuccos. This is likely due to the many Guays and Gold Skulltulas that appear at night.

Frozen Hyrule
Part of Hyrule was frozen during Vaati's third invasion. This area was referred to as Frozen Hyrule, but it was thawed out later. Frozen Hyrule was an area in southwestern Hyrule that was covered with a few small forests and lakes. The Four Sword Sanctuary, the Tower of Winds, and the Ice Temple could all be found here. The area usually had mild winters that were short in length. This, however, was all changed when Vaati used his dark power to keep the area in a permanent state of snow covered winter. Link had to journey here to venture into the tower of winds to reach him and save Princess Zelda.

Tower of Winds
The Tower of Winds is a massive tower that was created and upheld by Vaati’s dark magic. It serves as a passage stretching up to the Realm of the Heavens. The Tower of Winds can only be accessed after placing all four Royal Jewels into their corresponding pillars in the Four Sword Sanctuary, located near the base of the tower. Once Link reaches the top of the tower, he is able to walk on the cloud tops in the Realm of the Heavens and reach the Palace of Winds, where Vaati resides.

Residing in the tower is the boss Frostare. After its defeat, Link rescues Zelda from the tower with the help of the Four Sword, and they proceed to the Realm of the Heavens.

After defeating Vaati, Link and Zelda must descend the tower. As they reach the exit the tower crumbles, blocking the exit. They fall through the floor and appear next to Ganon, the final battle of the game.

The Legend of Zelda and the Animated Series
Death Mountain is the location of Ganon's fortress in northern Hyrule. In the game, Ganon's lair (officially known as "Level 9") is accessible by bombing a portion of Spectacle Rock in extreme northwest Hyrule, and then only if Link has all the Triforce shards. Level 6 is also located on Death Mountain. Death Mountain is inhabited by Tektites, Lynels, and falling rocks. There is a lake on the east end which flows into a waterfall, which in turns flows into a river which that runs into Lake Hylia. The Lost Hills are located directly east of Death Mountain.

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Death Mountain is in the Southwest portion of the map. The mountain (really more of a mountain range) is home to a maze-like network of caves. The game is set in Northern Hyrule, and is believed to take place above the area in The Legend of Zelda. In fact, there is speculation that the portion of the game known as Death Mountain Area (the non-mountain area directly south of Death Mountain) is where The Legend of Zelda took place; compare the area with maps of Hyrule from The Legend of Zelda and you'll be able to identify Spectacle Rock, the graveyard, Lake Hylia, and the Lost Woods, roughly in the appropriate position in relation to Death Mountain.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Death Mountain is the location of Hera's Tower in the Light World, and Ganon's Tower and Turtle Rock in the Dark World. It's inhabited by Tektites, Lynels, and falling rocks. There is an old man living on Death Mountain as well. In the Light World, the entrance is guarded by a large boulder. Though no lake is actually seen on Death Mountain itself, there is a waterfall in the northeastern corner of Hyrule which, judging from its position, most likely comes from a body of water on Death Mountain. The waterfall flows into a river which flows into Lake Hylia, possibly a reference to The Legend of Zelda.

Usually, the King of Hyrule's authorization is needed to enter the mountain, however, the King has been dethroned by Agahnim.

Kodai no Sekiban
Death Mountain is the location of the "untranslatable slab" (no known official name) in the Light World, and Ganon's Tower in the Dark World.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The volcanic Death Mountain is located in the far northeast reaches of Hyrule. The Fire Temple is located inside the Death Mountain Crater, where Link must defeat Volvagia, an ancient, resurrected dragon that was once destroyed by the ancient hero of the Goron people.

The Gorons also live in Death Mountain, inside a cave network with four levels called Goron City. All their rock supply comes from Dodongo's Cavern, which in the time of the invasion of Ganondorf had been overrun by Dodongo and their leader, King Dodongo.

Outside the Goron City barrier, Death Mountain can be climbed but it sporadically erupts, tossing out a barrage of rocks with it. A Fairy Fountain is hidden at the top of Death Mountain; the Great Fairy there grants Link the ability to use magic. Inside the Death Mountain Crater there is a second Great Fairy who can enhance Link's magic meter. Like nearly all incarnations of Death Mountain, this one is inhabited by Tektites and falling rocks (though the Lynels appear to be missing).

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
After Hyrule was flooded by the goddesses, a peak which may be Death Mountain came to be known as Dragon Roost Island, with Lord Valoo, a dragon living on top of it. It is no longer inhabited by the Gorons, who moved to Goron Island and Dee Ess Island in the realm of the Ocean King, but instead the Rito race live there in dwellings cut into the mountain which are widely believed to be descendants of the aquatic race, the Zora. The first dungeon, Dragon Roost Cavern, takes place in the mountain, where Link must defeat Gohma.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Death Mountain is located in the far east of Hyrule, in the Eldin Province. It is home to the Goron race. Death Mountain has a hot spring along with a small shop run by a Goron. The Zora's Domain was unfrozen by a huge volcanic rock that landed here. Inside Death Mountain is a large, complex mining system known as Goron Mines. It is filled to the brim with steam and lava. It is the highest point in Hyrule. The Death Mountain trails are only passable with the help of the other Gorons, being this is the only way to get to the very top of the mountain. Death Mountain is accessible by the Kakariko Village trail.

Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (as Dragon Roost Island), The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Turtle Rock
Turtle Rock was a large rock that looked like a turtle that was on Death Mountain in the Dark World. A cavern was inside of the mouth of it that only opened when there was an earthquake. A similar rock is found on Koholint Island.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Turtle Rock is the eighth dungeon in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Link makes his way here after he has recovered six of the Seven Maidens; he must fight Trinexx to save the last of the seven, Princess Zelda. As the name suggests, Turtle Rock resembles a large brownish-green turtle rising out of the earth. The treasure item to recover here is the Mirror Shield.

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
Turtle Rock is found in the Tal Tal Mountain Range on Koholint Island. When Link reaches the entrance, he will find it blocked by a large reptilian head. By this point in his adventures, he should have acquired the Ocarina, which he must play to induce the head to attack him. He must then defeat the head through the use of his sword, which will then allow him to enter the dungeon. This is the only instance in the Zelda series to date where Link must fight an enemy to be permitted to enter one of the dungeons. Many of the rooms in Turtle Rock are encased in ice, and Link will not be able to traverse them until he has located the Magic Rod concealed somewhere inside the dungeon. Once he defeats the dungeon boss, Hot Head, he will receive the eighth and final Instrument of the Sirens, with witch he can wake up the slumbering Wind Fish.

Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (not the same one as in ALttP)

Tower of Hera
The Tower of Hera is the third dungeon of the Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. It is one of the three dungeons that house the Pendants of Virtue. Its pendant is the Pendant of Wisdom. It is the Light World equivalent of Ganon's Tower. It is probably named after the greek goddess, Hera. The origins of the tower are unknown, but it is possible that Ganon built it, as it is in the same location as his tower in the Dark World. It may be the Tower of Flames in The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures. Link is trying to get the three Pendants of Virtue in order to obtain the Master Sword. The Tower of Hera is, according to Sahasrahla, the home of the third and final pendant.

Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Tower of Flames
The Tower of Flames is a tower built on Death Mountain. Three Dodongo resided in it. Like the other towers it held a pendant. Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures

Fire Temple
The Fire Temple is the 5th dungeon in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and the second adult dungeon (although there is nothing to prevent it being completed before the Forest Temple or after the Water Temple, which are supposed to be the first and third adult dungeons respectively, providing the player has acquired the Fairy Bow from the former). It is found inside Death Mountain Crater, and the dungeon treasure is the Megaton Hammer. Volvagia is the boss of the Fire Temple, and Darunia is the sage of the temple. When Link returns to Goron City as an adult, he finds it deserted save for a single rolling Goron. This Goron is Darunia's son, who Darunia named after Link in the years since Link last visited the city. The Goron gives Link the Goron Tunic and opens the doors to the Goron Shop and Darunia's room, allowing Link to enter the Fire Temple. On the bridge to the temple, Link meets Sheik, who teaches him the Bolero of Fire to warp back to the temple, before disappearing again.

Once inside the temple, Link finds Darunia, who tells him that Ganondorf has imprisoned the Goron people throughout the temple, and intends to feed them to the dragon Volvagia as a warning to other races who try to resist him. He asks Link to free them, while Darunia himself goes into the boss room to fight Volvagia. He mentions that it would be easier to defeat Volvagia with 'the legendary hammer', but enters the chamber anyway.

Link then works his way through the temple, releasing Gorons, who each give him a hint and a small key as a thank-you for saving them. Link obtains the Legendary Hammer of the Gorons, the Megaton Hammer, and uses it to knock a pillar on the fifth floor of the temple down into the room where he met Darunia, allowing Link to follow the Goron leader into Volvagia's chamber.

The Fire Temple is a Goron temple where they pray to the mountain spirits and fire spirits. Being in the crater of Death Mountain, it is filled with lava and rooms with scorching hot temperatures. It is filled with a fire maze and flames which must be put out by hitting a switch. It consists of many cells where the Gorons are held captive. One unique feature of this temple are the fake doors which slam down when approached. The dungeon features a towering 5 floors, and two central chambers, one of which spans all 5 floors. The dungeons puzzle structure centers around finding caged gorons to gain keys, and using these keys to get to the chamber above the boss door. You then use the dungeon's special item, the Megaton Hammer, to knock a pillar into the room allowing access to the boss room. The boss of the dungeon is a fire-breathing dragon named Vovolgia. The Temple also features prominent illustrations of a face on many blocks and temple elements. The dungeon's special item, the Megaton Hammer, can be found at the very top of one of the tower's central chambers. According to the goron legends, it was used by a legendary goron hero to seal away the dragon once before.

Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Goron Mines
The Goron Mines are mines built by Gorons. They are filled with machinery and magnets which attract Iron Boots. Link ventured the Goron Mines during the Twili Invasion, receiving the Hero's Bow and saving Darbus, the new leader of the Gorons, whilst also finding the second Fused Shadow. The Goron Mines are the second dungeon of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, located near the top of Death Mountain. The item is the Hero's Bow, the miniboss is Dangoro, and the boss is Fyrus. It may be the Fire Temple from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

The patriarch of the Goron tribe and the four elders had ventured into their mines to investigate the recent appearance of many monsters. On their venture, the leader of the tribe, Darbus, was possessed by the evil power of the Fused Shadow and transformed into a raging beast, Fyrus. The Gorons, unaware of what to do, chained him up and locked him away deep inside the mines whilst they tried to find a 'cure'. After Link defeated one of the elders in a sumo-wrestling match, he was granted access to explore the closed-off mines and rescue Darbus.

The dungeon contains many settings, including lava-filled caverns, rocky pools, and storage rooms. There are also three shrines in the temple; Link must visit all of them in his journey, in order to meet all of the Goron Elders and thus reassemble the dungeon's Boss Key. It may be the Fire Temple from Ocarina of Time.

The dungeon item is the Hero's Bow, used by an ancient Goron hero (largely thought to be the Hero of Time) who saved the tribe in the past. After meeting with the elders, Link was permitted to wield this artifact, but only after he had defeated the dungeon's mini-boss, a huge Goron guard wearing thick armor, named Dangoro.

Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Lake Hylia
Lake Hylia is a lake in Hyrule. It is always in one of the southern corners of Hyrule. It connected to Zora's Domain early in Hyrule's life. Another lake is found in Hyrule in The Legend of Zelda, possibly the same one. Lake Hylia is the name of the largest body of water in Hyrule, usually fed by a river which flows from a waterfall running down a mountain (usually Death Mountain).

The Legend of Zelda
Though it is never officially named, many fans of the series theorize that the lake in central Hyrule on which Level 1 and Level 4 are located is Lake Hylia. This is due in part to its resemblance to Lake Hylia in other games. Though the area around the lake is inhabited by various creatures, the lake itself seems to be inhabited solely by River Zoras.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Lake Hylia is in southeast Hyrule and has small caves coming off it. In the center of the lake is an island featuring the Fountain of Happiness, a fairy spring that is inhabited by Venus, Queen of the Fairies, who will upgrade Links ability to carry bombs or arrows if she is given enough money. Outside the pond is a warp tile that grants access to the Ice Palace in the Dark World.

The lake itself is fed from Zora's River, which in turn flows from Death Mountain.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Lake Hylia is a lake in the south of Hyrule. It is closed off by a gate but can be entered on Epona or by scaling a ladder hidden behind one gate pillar. There is also a portal from Zora's Domain and it is possible to float down river from Gerudo Valley. Lake Hylia's water is provided by the ever-rushing streams of Zora's River. There are numerous small islands in the lake linked by bridges. The largest islet is the warp point for the Serenade of Water, and below it lies the Water Temple. There is a large tree atop this islet. Also at the shores of Lake Hylia, there is a lakeside laboratory and a fishing house.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
Lake Hylia is the location of the Temple of Droplets, which is the fourth dungeon in the game. To the south is Mayor Hagen's lakeside summer cabin, but it can only be accessed by swimming south. Until you obtain the Flippers the only way to get to the cabin is to go through a cave in the center of the Minish Woods. There are a few caves and chests that can only be accessed after you get Roc's Cape or by fusing Kinstones. One of Tingle's brothers is on a ledge by the entrance. To the west is Hyrule Castle, to the south is the Minish Woods, and to the North is Veil Falls.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Lake Hylia is, in this game, located in the far south of Lanayru Province, in northern Hyrule. Zora can be found here, along with Fyer, a cannon expert. Above the lake is the Great Bridge of Hylia, which leads to the heart of Lanayru Province. This is the only way to reach the Gerudo Desert other then the use of the Desert Twilight Portals. In the beginning, when the Province is still covered in Twilight, the lake has been drained so that it is only a puddle. Once the water of Zora's Domain has been unfrozen, the water flows down Zora's River and the lake refills. North of Lake Hylia is the Zora's River and the Zora's Domain. The Water Temple islet from Ocarina of Time is still present, with the tree atop long dead, and in advanced stages of decay. Over the years, the Water Temple has been blocked off, with the entrance functioning as a shrine to the spirit Lanayru. The lakeside laboratory has become part of Fyer and Falbi's Watertop Land of Fantastication, and a bridge has been built from the area which, in Ocarina of Time, had featured numerous rock pillars and an entrance to Zora's Domain. This bridge, the Great Bridge of Hylia, links to the Water Temple islet, and over into the Faron province.

Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Fountain of Happiness
The Fountain of Happiness is a location in the The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. It is at the center of Lake Hylia, and it houses Venus, the Queen of all Faeries. Link can throw Rupees into the fountain. Once he throws 100 Rupees in, Venus will appear and award Link either a Bomb or an Arrow upgrade. There are seven total upgrades for Bombs and Arrows. The first six increase capacity by five, and the last one increases capacity by ten. There is also a Faerie Fountain which can be accessed by bombing the crack in the east wall.

Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Ice Palace
The Ice Palace was a large palace full of ice that was in the middle of Lake Hylia in the Dark World. The Ice Palace is the tenth dungeon of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and the fifth dungeon in the Dark World. It is located on an island in Lake Hylia in the southeast corner of the game's map. Unsurprisingly, the dungeon has an ice theme. The boss is Kholdstare. The main item of this dungeon is the Blue Mail.

Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Water Temple
During the events of the Ocarina of Time Link journeyed through the Water Temple to awaken the fourth Sage: Princess Ruto, the Zora he was "engaged" to be married to. It was here that Link found his Longshot, the upgraded version of his current Hookshot. Another temple, the Lakebed Temple, was explored during the Twili Invasion by a new Link, and it is highly likely that the two temples are the one and same. He received a similar item: The Clawshot. Both Links fought a version of Morpha, and the new Link received his last Fused Shadow. They may be the same temple. The Water Temple was an underground/underwater temple built by the Zoras to pay homage to the water spirits as well as all the remaining gods and deities worshiped by the Zora race. It was located at the bottom of Lake Hylia at the base of the largest island in the lake's center. The temple was one of six temples built within the land of Hyrule for one of the Seven Sages, the Sage of Water. The Sage of Water was granted all powers associated with the element of water and was tasked with protecting the Water Temple.

Seven years after Ganondorf unleashed the Great Cataclysm at the height of the Imprisoning War, the King of Evil froze Zora's Domain with the might of the Triforce of Power and placed a monster named Morpha within the Water Temple to prevent the Sage of Water from awakening and assisting the Hero of Time in an attempt to prevent the Prophecy of the Hero of Time from coming to pass. Morpha slowly but surely began to drain Lake Hylia of its fresh water, leaving it an almost barren pit over a seven year period. Sheik rescued Princess Ruto, the Princess of the Zoras, from under the enchanted ice sheet Ganondorf had cast over Zora's Domain, and she immediately headed to the Water Temple to destroy Morpha, save Lake Hylia, and restore Zora's Domain and her people to their original states. The Hero of Time came in search of the Sage of Water and upon learning of Ruto's plan, followed her into the Water Temple. Within, he met Ruto before she was abducted by Morpha and learned of the monster's existence. He fought his way through the confusing labyrinth of waterways that made up the temple and found his way to Morpha's chamber, where he slew the beast by destroying its nucleus. He was then teleported to the Chamber of Sages within the Sacred Realm, where he met the Sage of Water, Ruto. Reluctantly putting their engagement on hold, Ruto gave Link the Water Medallion and sent him on to assist the next Sage while she remained and guarded the Water Temple.

It is likely that the Water Temple became Lanayru's shrine before the events of Twilight Princess. There are numerous similarities between the Ocarina of Time Lake Hylia, and the Twilight Princess Lake Hylia, the most notable being the presence of the Water Temple islet from Ocarina of Time, which still features the dead tree atop, and stands opposite the shore from Ocarina of Time; the lakeside laboratory has become part of Fyer and Falbi's Watertop Land of Fantastication, and a bridge has been built from the area which, in Ocarina of Time, had featured numerous rock pillars and an entrance to Zora's Domain. This bridge, the Great Bridge of Hylia, links to the Water Temple islet, and over into the Faron province.

It is located beneath the waters of Lake Hylia at the base of the lake's largest island. The Water Temple is effectively a maze of chambers on four floors, some only accessible when the water of the temple is at a certain level. Part of the challenge of this temple is being able to raise and lower the water level effectively. The temple's main treasure is the Longshot. The Water Temple's Sage is Princess Ruto and its warp song the Serenade of Water. The Water Temple has been called the hardest temple in the game due to its water puzzles which require the constant need of having to switch the Iron Boots in the menu and the water level of the whole dungeon, although the difficulty has been greatly decreased in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Master Quest. The difficulty of the dungeon results from a somewhat haphazard arrangement of puzzle groups. There is seemingly no relationship between one puzzle/room series and the next, and the player is forced to use guesswork and hope that he or she didn't miss a small key. The miniboss of the dungeon is the notorious Dark Link, a black shadow version of Link that mirrors his moves. The dungeon has a prominent theme of serpents or serpentine objects. Most pillars and ornaments have some sort of a serpentine design on them. The dungeons basement even has a section consisting of a long tunnel shaped like a curled serpent, with rapids and whirlpools swirling throughout.

Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Zora's Domain
Zora's Domain was a cavern with water in it that was home to the Zoras. Zora's Fountain was behind it, and behind that was the Ice Cavern. Zora's Domain is a reappearing location in the Legend of Zelda series. It it usually the domain of the Zora race, although it appears to be a different location in the games it appears in.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
In A Link to the Past, Zora's Domain is located in north-eastern Hyrule, situated beneath the shadow of Death Mountain. A River Zora there will readily sell his famous Zora's Flippers to visitors. Although he is very friendly, the other River Zoras in his domain will viciously attack strangers, making it more difficult for them to reach him.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
In Ocarina of Time, Zora's Domain is located in eastern Hyrule, behind the Sleepless Waterfall at the source of Zora's River. Since those who dwell there, the Zora, are a secluded race, only those knowing "Zelda's Lullaby", which is generally only taught to members of the Royal Family, are allowed to pass through the waterfall and into the domain. It can also be accessed through Lake Hylia and the Lost Woods. Zora's Domain is ruled by King Zora. It does not contain much aside from the king's throne room and a small shop. From Zora's Domain, Link can enter Zora's Fountain where Lord Jabu-Jabu, the Zora's fish-god, lives.

When Link returns to Zora's Domain after having been sealed inside the Temple of Light for seven years, he finds the entire domain encased in ice. He makes his way to the frozen Zora's Fountain, enters the Ice Cavern and successfully obtains the Iron Boots hidden there. However, even after he traverses the Water Temple and defeats Morpha, Zora's Domain remains frozen, although according to Princess Ruto the Domain would eventually thaw out and return to its original state in time. This can be seen in the end credits of the game, where Zora's Domain and the Zoras encased in it have clearly thawed out.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
In Twilight Princess, Zora's Domain can be found north of Hyrule Castle Town and Lake Hylia in the Lanayru Province. Again, it is the home of the Zora race. This is the only place the sacred Reekfish can be caught. The Domain itself consists of a large waterfall and pool, along with a small Throne Room. Although Ganondorf never froze the Domain in this timeline, the Domain was frozen with Zant/Ganondorf's power. It was later unfrozen when Link and Midna warped a burning hot lava rock from Death Mountain to here. The entrance to Snowpeak Ruins is accessible from here after the entire Domain is unfrozen. There is also a river to the south known as Zora's River.

Many Zora are found here, as well as along Zora's River and Lake Hylia, and later in the game, after he leaves Kakariko Village, Prince Ralis is found in the Throne Room sitting on the Throne. The Throne Room can only be reached by talking to a Zora near the waterfall and asking to be taken up the waterfall, or, in wolf form, using Midna's multiple-jump tactic on the nearby ledges and rocks. There is also a portal in the Throne Room that can be warped to. Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Waterfall of Wishing
The Waterfall of Wishing is a location in the The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. It houses a "Mysterious Pond," which can only be accessed if Link has Zora's Flippers. Once Link gets the Flippers, he can duck behind the waterfall and enter the Mysterious Pond. There, he can toss items into the water, and a Faerie will appear. Link's Boomerang can be upgraded to the Magical Boomerang, and his Fighter's Shield can be upgraded to a Red Shield. Also, any empty bottles thrown in will be filled with Magic Medicine. Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Lost Woods
The Lost Woods is a mysterious, forested region of Hyrule which has shown up time and time again on Link's various adventures. It is part of the larger forested region, known in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess as parts of Faron Province and Ordon Province; in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, this larger area has no name, but Kokiri Forest is the other prominant feature of the forest.

The Lost Woods is considered to be a dangerous place; Kokiri who wander off into it are said to remain trapped there forever, eventually becoming Skull Kids. (The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time) Additionally, thieves wander the woods, looking to steal whatever they can from their victims. (The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past)

One of the woods' most dangerous features is its ability to get unwitting explorers lost within its depths. In every Zelda game, navigating the maze is somehow extremely confusing; anyone wishing to pass through must be properly prepared, and have their wits about them. See 'Correct Path technique' below.

The lost woods does change over the years; it has known many inhabitants and features. It is known as one resting place for The Master Sword; It also contains certain ancient dungeons and structures, such as the Forest Temple.

In some games, such as Twilight Princess, an area appears which seems to be the Lost Woods, but due to the local Hyrule culture and language changing around it, the name may have changed. In Twilight Princess, this area is known as the Sacred Grove; There is, as of yet, no proof that this is the same as the lost woods, but there is significant evidence. See the 'Twilight Princess' section of this article for more. There may also be other examples of this ocurring.

Some Zelda games (The Legend of Zelda, The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time) use the clever ability to get hopelessly lost without the knowledge of a secret; a certain pattern of directions (north, east, south, etc.) is required in order for Link to pass through the Lost Woods. Taking the wrong path will either take him out of the main entry point of the maze (Ocarina of Time), or just make him return to the screen he was on a moment before (The Legend of Zelda, Oracle of Seasons). In Ocarina of Time, the owl states that Link must to follow the music, Saria's Song. If Link is facing a path where the music is louder, then that is the correct path to follow. In Ocarina of Time, another easy method can be used. When the path hinders the player's progress, there is a small pentagonal white ring inside, when this is absent in the correct paths.

This "correct path" technique was also used in some dungeons(Oracle of Seasons, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening), where Link couldn't reach a certain room unless he knew the pattern to get there. In The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, it is shown that there is a portal to Termina deep in the woods. In The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, the pattern is observing the different tunnels in the current clearing: if there are occasional flashes of light coming from one of them, then that is the correct path to follow to find and defeat the Skull Kid, whose lantern is the source of the light.

The Legend of Zelda
In the original game, the Lost Woods is one of two places in the game (the other being the Lost Hills) where a specific pattern must be walked in order to avoid being trapped. Moving in any direction will result in the exact same screen loading over and over; however, if Link moves east, he will escape the Lost Woods. Moving north, west, south, then west again will bring him to the graveyard.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and BS Zelda: Kodai no Sekiban
The Lost Woods is located in the northwestern section of Hyrule, directly north of Kakariko Village. It is a magical wood and the hiding place of the Master Sword (though, in Link to the Past, several fakes were scattered throughout the forest). The dark shadows of the trees are also good growing conditions for mushrooms...

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
The Lost Woods is the location of the Noble Sword. Similar to the Lost Woods in The Legend of Zelda, the Lost Woods include a repeating screen in which Link must travel in each direction in the correct order while also using the Rod of Seasons to manipulate nature in order to pass.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The Lost Woods lies directly to the north of Kokiri Forest and is inhabited by Skullkids. It is a maze of trees that can be navigated by following the sound of Saria's Song. Taking a wrong path leads back to the entrance in Kokiri Forest. Portals to Goron City and Zora's Domain are hidden within the Lost Woods. Also in the woods is a shooting challenge where players can win bullet bag upgrades. The area is also home to a few Business Scrubs. There are also a few locations where Link can play songs with the Skullkids to win heart pieces. Located in the northern portion of the woods is the Sacred Forest Meadow. This is the favorite haunt of Saria, Link's friend and the Forest Sage. It is also where the Forest Temple is hidden.

According to local folklore, anyone who isn't in possesion of a fairy who enters the forest will turn into a Stalfos (if a Hylian) and a Skullkid (if a Kokiri). In the Ocarina of Time manga, it tells of how the forest tricks human hearts into wandering the same paths over and over, and if the poor soul loses the sight of the exit, he or she will never return again. There is also talk of a Bagu Tree, the rival to the Deku Tree, for whom the Skullkid works, but this is unofficial.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
The game begins in the Lost Woods. Here Link meets the Skull Kid before traveling to Termina.

The equivalent of the Lost Woods in the alternate universe Termina is the Woods of Mystery.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The Sacred Grove in this game is believed by many to be part of the Lost Woods. Though this has never been officially stated, they carry identical music themes, and both woods are roamed by the Skullkids. It is not seen until approximately halfway through the game. Like in Majora's Mask, Link meets the Skull Kid, who summons wooden puppets to hinder him. It is here that the Master Sword is located as well as the ruins of the Temple of Time.

Additionally, it is easy to become lost in the Sacred Grove. Unlike other Zelda games, this area doesn't use the "correct path technique"; but instead, Link's map of the area is disabled, and the forest is large and complex. Something similar to the correct path technique is used during the sequence where Link pursues the Skull Kid, but if he takes the wrong path he isn't returned to the beginning; instead, he simply loses track of the skull kid.

Link's Crossbow Training
One stage of Link's Crossbow Training is set in the Sacred Grove of Twilight Princess; as stated above, this is believed to be a portion of the Lost Woods. In this stage, Link must once more face the Skull Kid, who summons his wooden puppets to attack Link, just like in Twilight Princess. They move around quickly, and are hard to hit. Hitting the Skull Kid himself gives Link temporary rapid fire.

Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland
In the First Continent of Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland, there is a land known as the Deku Forest. This forest may be composed of both the Lost Woods and Kokiri Forest; it has elements of both. However, it is said that it's easy to get lost in the forest, and indeed the Correct Path Technique (see above section) is used in the section of the woods known as the Forest Maze. However, in this game, the Great Deku Tree is the protector of all the forest, including the areas that most resemble the Lost Woods.

Additionally, the forest's greatest hero is known as Junglo, although by the time Tingle enters the forest, Junglo is an old man who's capable of very little.

Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (as Woods of Mystery), The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Kokiri Forest
Kokiri Forest is a wooded area near the Lost Woods that was home to the Kokiri and The Great Deku Tree.

Kokiri Forest is a forest south of Hyrule Field accessed by a single entrance over a bridge through the Lost Woods. Its inhabitants are the child-like Kokiri and their fairies overseen by the Great Deku Tree. Mido is the self-proclaimed Boss of the Kokiri.

Kokiri Forest contains six buildings: the houses of Link, Saria, Mido, the Twins, and the Know-It-All Brothers, and a shop. The forest has a training area and a stream running through it. To the east of Kokiri Forest lie the Lost Woods. In the early stages of the game, when Link is a child, Kokiri Forest is a peaceful place, but when he returns in the later stages as an adult, the place has become overrun with Deku Baba, and the Kokiri inhabitants only stay indoors.

Once the Forest Temple stage has been completed and the Deku Sprout appears, the area returns to normal. In the Wind Waker after the flood Kokiri Forest is now the Forest Haven and the Forbidden Woods. It is now inhabited by Koroks.

In The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, the Kokiri Forest seems to have become Ordon Village, within what is known as Ordona Province. While still located in a forest, Ordon is now a Human settlement and is more civilized. It lacks the magic of the Kokiri and the Great Deku Tree as they seem to have vanished after humans came to the forest and settled. It is still, however, Link's homeland. It is also possible that the Kokiri Forest is the area of the Faron Woods that is full of poisonous fog. Its relative location is closer to that of the Kokiri Forest, and the area has a broken bridge that looks similar to the one in the Kokiri Forest. It is also closer to the Forest Temple and the Sacred Grove, so the Faron Woods are more likely the Kokiri Forest.

Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (as the Forest Haven)

Forest Temple
Located in the Sacred Forest Meadow, the Forest Temple was home to the first of the Sages that Link, the Hero of Time would awaken. As it happened, the Sage of the Forest was his childhood friend Saria. Hidden within the Temple was The Hero of Time's trusty Fairy Bow, along with a more unpleasant surprise: Phantom Ganon. Another Link journeys into a Forest Temple, perhaps the remains of the Great Deku Tree, during the Twilit Invasion to gather the first piece of the Fused Shadow.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Upon receiving the Light Medallion from Rauru in the Light Temple and learning of Hyrule's plight thanks to the mysterious Sheikah warrior, Sheik, Link, now a teenager, began his quest for the remaining medallions needed to restore light to Hyrule. The hero began by contacting his old friend, Saria via Ocarina, learning that she had traveled to the Forest Temple in Kokiri Forest trying to find the source of the shadows invading her home. There she was trapped by a host of Ganondorf's minions, making escape impossible. She pleads with Link for help, thus making the Hero of Time's first objective clear.

The Hero of Time travels out of the Temple of Time, shocked by the state of the world. Indeed, words could not do it justice. The market, once a lively place of bustle and merriment, was now something of a nightmare, the buildings left in decay and ruin, the only population the shambling corpses lining the street. Most horrific of all however, was the imposing sight of Ganondorf's obsidian castle, rising into the dark sky like an evil antennae for demonic turbulence.

Link, horrified, hastened his steps and traveled to Kakariko Village, praying it was left in a better state than the Castle Town. Relieved, Link found the population there weary, yet intact. He traveled to the Graveyard, where he found a grave that belonged to Dampe', the very man in charge of maintaining the graveyard just seven years prior. He pulled the grave aside, revealing a cavern, and upon entry, he was greeted by none other than the ghost of Dampe' himself. The apparition challenged Link to a race, which he promptly won. The ghost, dumbfounded, handed Link his most treasured belonging in life, the Hookshot.

With a new tool in his arsenal, Link traveled to Lon Lon Ranch to see what state it had been left in. He met Malon at the stable,who informed him that Ganondorf gave the ranch to Ingo, banning her father Talon from even entering. Link, in an act of cunning, wagered Malon's prized steed, Epona on a series of races, and made out the victor. Ingo, enraged at the loss of Epona, and frightened pale at the prospect of Ganondorf's anger, relinquished control of the ranch to the Lon's, and Link sped on his way, both with a steed, and the gratitude of his old friend Malon.

Upon arrival at Kokiri Forest, Link found his old friends cowering in their houses, fearing the dread beasts that prowled the forest just outside. Link traversed the forest, and again made it through the daunting Lost Woods until he reached the entrance of the Forest Temple in the Sacred Forest Meadow. There, Sheik appeared, teaching him an Ocarina melody, and disappearing suddenly. Link used his new Hookshot and entered the temple, ready to wage war with the demons who threatened the land he had called home for over a decade.

It is an ancient ruin dedicated to the Forest. It is located in the Sacred Forest Meadow within the Lost Woods and accessible only with the Hookshot since the entrance stairs are in ruins. The temple consists of two floors and two basement levels. There is a courtyard in the back with a well that can be drained and mossy walls. The major treasure of the Forest Temple is the Fairy Bow, which is gained after defeating three Stalfos. There are four sub-bosses, the Poe Sisters, Joelle, Beth, Amy, and Meg. The Forest Temple's Sage is Saria and its warp song is the Minuet of Forest. The Forest Temple is considered by some fans as the most surreal dungeon in the game, including a room with a corridor which can be twisted and then turned back into normal and a room where the walls can be turned into the floor and then back again into walls. It may be that this Forest Temple was once a grand mansion and the Poe Sisters are the daughters of the former master. Another theory could be that the temple was built by the Kokiri to pray to the forest spirits, since all the Kokiri know of the temple and Saria is the first to go see what the trouble is.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Before reaching this temple, Link finds Faron Woods ravaged by Twilight: for instance, a whole section of the woods is covered in purple fog that has the same effect as falling down a bottomless pit. After being fully equiped with sword, shield, and hero's garb, Link is able to reach the Forest Temple where he fought the enemies that caged a monkey.

Delving into this Dungeon can be a strange experience for first time players, the puzzles and areas can be overwhelming and confusing. The Temple is complex and has areas that must be accessed with the help of an item, or with Monkeys there to make a chain.

It is infested with monkeys and baboons, and is plagued by Diababa. The item Link finds in this dungeon is the Gale Boomerang, which he receives after defeating a corrupted baboon named Ook. Other monkeys are imprisoned throughout the temple, and must be rescued in order to cross the chasm and confront the boss. The interior of the temple is the insides of a large tree and its root system. Its well-being, like that of the Great Deku Tree, seems to affect the whole forest.

Ook is an enemy that helps Link defeat Twilight Parisite Diababa, the boss of the Forest Temple.

Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Sea of Trees
The Sea of Trees is a forest southeast of Death Mountain. The Sea of Trees is a large forest in Hyrule near Death Mountain. The forest is filled with rupees, and is easy in which to become lost. Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords

Ordon Village
Home of one of the Links. This town has children, a few cuccos, a shop and a small pond. This village is a part of the Ordon Province, an annex to Hyrule, and some do not consider it officially part of the country. Ordon Village is Link's home town in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. It is located at the extreme South of Hyrule. While living there, Link works on Ordon Ranch as a goat herder. Within the town there are a few families and their homes, and a town shop. The town mayor's daughter, Ilia, is Link's greatest friend in the village. The town and the Ordona Province that surrounds the village is named after the Light Spirit, Ordona.

Ordon Village is located in a light forest area and provides a great area for a farm. Link lives in his own house just outside of the main village. Fado owns the goat pasture which borders the village to one side. Ilia and her father Mayor Bo live in a house near the entrance to the pasture. Jaggle and Pergie own a house with a waterwheel, and live there with their sons Malo and Talo. Sera, the shopkeeper, lives with her husband Hanch and her daughter Beth. Uli and Rusl live by the big tree with their young son, Colin; by the end of the game, Uli, who is heavily pregnant for the duration of the adventure, has given birth to a baby girl.

Ordon Village appears to be the Kokiri Forest-turned human settlement. This is supported by the fact that when comparing the (Gamecube) location of Ordon Village with the location of the Kokiri Forest, they are about in the same place.

Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Southern Swamp
The Southern Swamp was a swamp located in southern Hyrule later in Hyrule's life. The Southern Swamp is a region of Termina in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. It features the main swamp area, the Woods of Mystery, the Deku Palace, and Woodfall. As its name may suggest, the area is abundant in swamplands. These swamps can usually be crossed by Deku Scrubs that utilize the lilypads found there. Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (In Termina), The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures

Haunted Wasteland
The Haunted Wasteland was a large desert region of Hyrule in the western area of Hyrule. It is home to the Gerudos, who had made a fortress near it. Only a Gerudos or people accepted by them could go into the Wastleland. The Haunted Wasteland is located to the west of Gerudo Valley and only accessible through a gate kept by the Gerudo. The area is very dangerous and in order to cross it, Link must complete two challenges. The first is the "River of Sand". Link must longshot to the other side or risk being swallowed by it. Alternatively, the Hover Boots can be used to walk across it. After the river, flag posts guide Link to a platform where the second challenge--the Spirit Guide--begins. There Link must equip the Lens of Truth and follow the Poe guide through the remainder of the desert. Failing to adhere to this path results in getting "lost", and Link returns to the entrance of the wasteland. On the other side is the Desert Colossus, a huge statue that houses the Spirit Temple. Besides the two challenges, the desert is also home to a carpet merchant who sells bombchus.

In a certain area of the wasteland, by straying from the Poe's path a bit, one can see what appears to be a pyramid structure. Playing the Song of Storms while in the wastelands would summon a storm and the resulting flashes of lightning would highlight the odd structure against the skyline. During the extensive hunt for the Triforce, this pyramid was one of many points of interest for the search. It soon became apparent, though, that this "pyramid" was actually just part of the level's boundary, given the triangular shape because of occlusion by the dust in the air.

In order to see the flags easier through the constant sandstorms, Link can play the "Song of Storms". Whenever lightning strikes during the brief rainstorm that occurs after the song has been played, the outlines of the flags can be seen more clearly.

Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Gerudo Fortress
The stone fortress that guarded the entrance to the Haunted Wasteland. Located on a cliff between Gerudo Valley and Haunted Wasteland, the Gerudo used the fortress as a rest stop when traveling to and from Hyrule. It also was home to the Gerudo training grounds. In Termina, it was the base of the Gerudo Pirates, where they stayed and where they kept here treasure. The Gerudo Fortress is on the other side of Gerudo Valley, and entrance to the Haunted Wasteland. An adult Link goes there on the way to the Spirit Temple. When Link is first seen by one of the Gerudo, he is thrown into a jail. Using the Longshot to get out, Link has to make his way through the fortress and rescue the four carpenters inside. After beating a Gerudo fighter, she drops a small key to free the carpenter from the cell. Once all carpenters are free, a Gerudo will give a membership pass to move freely around the fortress. Link can then participate in the Horseback Archery Game and Gerudo Training Ground; both with helpful prizes. Also, the Haunted Wasteland is then accessible. ''Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (as Pirate's Fortress)

Desert Colossus
A large temple dedicated to the Sand Goddess of the Gerudo. The outside of it looked like the Goddess. It was the headquarters of the high-ranked Gerudo. The Desert Colossus was a location in western Hyrule, on the other side of the Haunted Wasteland, and was not nearly as volatile as the Wasteland. It was home to an oasis and a giant statue of a Gerudo goddess (the Sand Goddess) which served as the Spirit Temple and Ganondorf's headquarters. Link also found a Great Fairy by bombing a cracked wall, getting him Nayru's Love. Leevers, small dangerous cactus-like worms roamed the area.

Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Desert of Mystery
The Desert of Mystery was a small desert to the south of where the Haunted Wasteland used to be. It was home to many sand-related species and vultures. The Desert of Mystery can be found south-west of Link's House. Leevers attack Link in the Desert of Mystery. The second dungeon in the game is found there. The special weapon of the dungeon is the Power Glove which allows Link to carry small and giant boulders. However, it is revealed that Link can not lift the darker colored boulders, even the small ones. The Book of Mudora is required to enter the Desert Palace. When attempting to enter, a Giant statue will block the way but a pedestal can be found in the middle.

On the pedestal are engraved words written in the ancient Hylian language, which Link can not read without the book. Using the book to read the pedestal causes the statues to move. A cave is located inside the desert. It is sealed by a destructible wall which can be destroyed by Link's Bombss. Inside the cave there is a treasure chest and an old sage. The man inside the cave calls Link a hero and asks him to continue to travel and bring back peace to Hyrule. A strange man outside of the desert stands motionless and won't talk to Link. A sign is right next to him and says he can not talk. When spoken to, his text is a series of periods. If Link removes the sign, then throws it, he will ask why he did it and follow Link until he leaves the area. He can not visit caves or underground tunnels while the man is following him. It turns out that he was an ex-thief, and was a master at lockpicking. To get to the boss room of the Desert Palace, Link must leave through one of the three exits and travel behind the dungeon. Behind the dungeon is a cave that leads to the other part of the dungeon, where the boss room is located.

Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Spirit Temple
According to the game, the Spirit Temple was built by all-female architects and masons from the Gerudo tribe of thieves. It is said to hold a vast amount of treasure and secrets, presumably in the form of picture writing that can be seen on its walls inside the game. It was once Ganondorf's hideout, and rumor has it that it was built so that Gerudo women can pray to their goddess for a child, thus solving the mystery of Gerudo reproduction. Another possible explanation for the reproduction of the Gerudo lies in a Gossip Stone message, stating that the Gerudo women make their way into Hyrule Town Market to find a man. Whilst the Gerudo Desert does appear in Twilight Princess, the Spirit Temple is nowhere to be seen. However, the Arbiter's Grounds bear many striking similarities to the Spirit Temple both in architecture (for example, the Gerudo Goddess of the Sand appears at the top of the Arbiter's Grounds and is also a prominent feature of the Spirit Temple) as well as location, and it is possible that they could be the one and same. The Spirit Temple is located inside a gigantic statue of the Goddess of the Sand, most likely a historical figure in Gerudo legend. The temple is divided into two portions--one accessible only when Link is a child and the other only when he is an adult. The child-Link section consists mostly of puzzles. The temple consists of two sides which are nearly symmetrical. Each one is accessible in a different age of Link. Each side's whole purpose is to lead outside the temple to two large folded hands on the outside of the temple, each of which contain a treasure for Link. The child Link portion gets Link the Silver Gauntlets, which allow him to access the adult portion, which yields the Mirror Shield. The apex of the Temple design involves entering the top floor access route, to activate the light that shines down into the main room. Link then stands on lowered platform and dissolves the face of the giant statue with the mirror shield to reveal the entrance to the Temple's sacred chamber, where its boss, Twinrova, is located. The temple's prominent theme seems to take heavily from Egyptian tradition.

Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Arbiter's Grounds
Arbiter's Grounds is a prison where convicts are either executed or banished to the Twilight Realm, through the use of the Mirror of Twilight. It was the site of Ganondorf's death sentence by the Ancient Sages. Ganondorf escapes execution, but is banished to the Twilight Realm, where he gives Zant his kingship and powers of sorcery.

After receiving the Master Sword, Midna directs Link to Gerudo Desert as to enter the Twilight Realm. Upon reaching the climax of the prison roof, Midna and Link stumble across a massive skeletal beast, possibly referred to as "Stallord" when it was once alive. Zant revives Stallord by plunging a magic blade into it's skull. After the battle, Link and Midna enter the Mirror Chamber, only to find the mirror broken. The Ancient Sages appear and explain to them the tale of Ganondorf's execution and that Zant shattered the mirror. After assembling the mirror, Midna and Link enter the Twilight Realm and defeat Zant. During the ending credits, Midna leaves Hyrule and goes back to the Twilight Realm, destroying the Mirror in the process.

While it is not known for certain, the Arbiter's Grounds could have some connection to the Spirit Temple from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, as they seem to share architectural similarities (for example, the Gerudo Goddess of the Sand appears both at the top of the Arbiter's Grounds as well as within the Grounds themselves and is also a prominent feature of the Spirit Temple). Furthermore, mirrors were prominent in the Spirit Temple, and the Mirror of Twilight bears resemblance to the large round mirror that Link used to access the Spirit Temple's boss chamber. It should be noted, however, that there was no colloseum-type dome at the top of the Spirit Temple, so it may be pure Hylian addition. The fact that the Arbiter's Grounds housed many paranormal demons and spirits also seems to further support the idea that the Grounds were once the Spirit Temple, the place of worship for the spirits of Hyrule, particularly the Gerudo Goddess of the Sand.

It is located in Gerudo Desert, accessible from the cannon in Lake Hylia. The main item of the dungeon is the Spinner, the mini-boss is Death Sword and the boss is Stallord. To continue the dungeon, Link must chase down three Poes using the "Poe's Scent" as a wolf (somewhat like the Poe Sisters in the The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time). Along the way, he must also face undead monsters. The dungeon itself is desert themed; it is filled with quicksand and sand whirlpools. There are also many dark areas where the Lantern must be used. Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Hyrule Castle
Hyrule Castle is the home of the Royal Family of Hyrule, a mythical land in the popular Nintendo video game series The Legend of Zelda. The castle's first appearance was in the game The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, the third in the series. Each game that contains a Hyrule Castle either features a different layout, or denies the player access to parts that are available in other games. There are grounds for speculation that the castle is actually a different castle in each game, or that it is the same castle but was changed in each game for aesthetic or gameplay purposes.

The castle itself is prone to conflict not only because it houses the head of Hyrule's government, but also because its security is often less than impenetrable. In fact in many of the games Link took advantage of this and was able to sneak into the castle despite all of the security. Hyrule Castle is fairly important in most of the games it has appeared in and is often shown as a dungeon or a level within these games.

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Though there is no actual "Hyrule Castle" in this game, its equivalent is generally thought to be the North Castle, the resting place of Princess Zelda. This is partly because it's the only "friendly" palace in the game and, like most Hyrule Castles in other games, is surrounded by a moat.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
The third game in the series was the first to name and give a location to Hyrule Castle. It is situated in the middle of Hyrule and appears to be the seat of power of the government as well as the home of Princess Zelda. During the course of the game, Link must break into the castle. He manages to find entrance via a secret passage on the eastern side of the castle. It has a total of six floors and features a courtyard and a moat.

In the Dark World/Sacred Realm, Hyrule Castle becomes the Pyramid of Power where Ganon crashes in to start the challenge to fight.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
The castle is first seen during the opening credits. The castle is situated west of Death Mountain and just directly north of Hyrule Castle Town. The entrance to Hyrule Castle Town alone is protected by another moat and a drawbridge which lowers only during the day. Beyond Hyrule Castle Town is a path which leads to Hyrule Castle, but features a gate and several guards along the way. In order to infiltrate the castle, Link must sneak past each guard until he gets to the castle itself, surrounded by a moat. Link never directly enters any "important" parts of the castle, but he does manage to enter the courtyard (where he meets Zelda) using a secret entrance on the east side (similar to his infiltration in A Link to the Past.) Hyrule Castle is later destroyed and replaced by Ganon's Castle. However, it was apparently rebuilt, as Hyrule Castle is seen in The Wind Waker, which continues from adult Link's time.

The castle and its surrounding area is the arguably most prominent and important place in the game, housing the Temple of Time, a town, many of the game's plot twists, and the game's final bosses, Ganon and Ganondorf. Surrounded by a small village, drawbridge, and moat, it models the stereotypical monarchial or feudalist castle. The king of Hyrule is never seen in the game, although Ganondorf is seen inside the castle at one point, apparently bribing or otherwise influencing the king to support his plans. Along with the poor castle defense and the subsequent sack of Hyrule Castle, the entire ruling body of Hyrule is generally made out to seem powerless against him. This is a common theme throughout the Zelda games, leaving room for Link to quest and make right that which the kingdom cannot.

Most of the castle is never seen or explored. The extensive castle gardens and the castle courtyard are the only areas available to explore. The castle courtyard serves several purposes, both as introducing Princess Zelda and Impa into the game, and as a staging point for embarking on the next series of quests. One curious feature of the courtyard is the paintings of several Nintendo characters, including Mario and Yoshi, which can be seen through one window.

The Beta Quest, a game mode unlockable through usage of a  Gameshark, reveals the complete Triforce hidden under the courtyard. This find, although not an answer to obtaining the Triforce sought by gamers, was an interesting twist to players' understanding of the game's original intent to make the Triforce an obtainable item.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures
Hyrule Castle lies just south of Death Mountain, somewhat near the center of Hyrule (seemingly a combination of its locations in A Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time).

The interior is very similar to its A Link to the Past incarnation, while the exterior (shown) is based on that in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
Hyrule Castle has a fairly large presence in the game. To restore power in the magic sword broken by Vaati, Link must find four elemental artifacts and imbue the blade with their essence at an Elemental Sanctuary, which can be found in Hyrule Castle. As the story progresses, Vaati disguises himself as the king, making getting into the Elemental Sanctuary more difficult, requiring some stealth to make it in successfully. Finally, toward the game's completion, Vaati transforms the entire castle into Dark Hyrule Castle. Dark Hyrule castle is larger in size, and more puzzling in interior, and is considered the most difficult dungeon in the game.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Hyrule Castle, at first frozen in time, is situated under the Great Sea and accessible at the site of the Tower of the Gods. Only the main hall, which contains a secret passage to a room where the Master Sword is found, and a small courtyard may be visited. When Link takes the Master Sword, the castle and the land around it unfreezes. Enemies who were assaulting the castle at the time it was frozen reawaken and must be defeated. As time continues in the game, an area outside the castle is made accessible for Link to explore.

The area in and around Hyrule Castle has changed quite alot since the earlier games. Although it is common for each game to have different settings (so as not to have the same kind of games), the changes here are worth noting. First of all, Ganon's Tower is not only a different tower from Hyrule Castle, but is only a short walk away from it. Furthermore, The Master Sword is kept in a secret passage under the main room, whereas it is normally kept into a fairly known (though unreachable) place. The change in interior from Hyrule Castle is very well possible if one follows the Split Time Theory. The original castle was destroyed in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, so the new one could've been any shape and size. This also poses the possibility that Rauru's Temple of Time was finally destroyed, since the Master Sword has changed locations.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Hyrule Castle plays a fairly important role in the Twilight Princess. Hyrule Castle looks similar to the Wind Waker’s version of the castle with small pointy spires jutting out from its roof and a large bridge connecting it with the surrounding area. It is also the source of the Twilight that is infecting Hyrule. Inside the castle is Princess Zelda, who is being held prisoner by Zant. Early in the game, Link is transformed into a wolf by Twilight and is thrown into the castle dungeon by Shadow beasts. The player escapes, though, with the help of Midna.

Ganondorf's spirit overtakes the castle after he escapes the Twilight Realm through Zant. The castle is surrounded with a force field that blocks any access. After Zant's death, Ganondorf uses Zant's power to resurrect himself, giving himself his body back. The Castle is the last dungeon of the game, with the boss being Ganondorf himself, in two different forms: possessed Zelda, and Dark Beast Ganon, his boar form. After the dark beast form, Midna and Ganondorf battle in the castle and warp Link and Zelda to Hyrule Field, and much of the castle is destroyed in an explosion. Ganondorf rides out into Hyrule Field on horseback; he has defeated Midna. The player then fights him on horseback and in a sword duel, in the end, Link runs the Master Sword into Ganon's chest. The castle is last seen during the credits sequence, revealing that it was rebuilt.

If one looks closely, the area outside of the castle is, in truth, exactly the same as it appeared in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, except developed. Also, before one goes into the room where Link fights Ganon, if one looks in the direction of the south part of the scenery with the Hawkeye, one can see a total of four identical towers with strange runes shining on it.

Games it has appeared in: Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (underwater), The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Pyramid of Power
The Pyramid of Power is a location in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Located directly in the middle of the Dark World, it is the equivalent of Hyrule Castle in the Light World.

Ganon hid from Link in the Pyramid of Power after he stormed Ganon's Tower and defeated Ganon's servant Agahnim. For Link, entering any part the Pyramid of Power isn't a simple task. There are breakable walls on the outside of the pyramid, but they are impervious to all normal items and can only be broken with Super Bombs. Despite the pyramid's external size, not much of it's interior is seen. The areas seen are a Great Fairy Fountain, the room Link finds Ganon in, and the chamber what the Triforce is kept. Here, in a fierce battle against the King of Evil, Link became the victor by piercing Ganon's soul with the power of Silver Arrows. It is said that the Pyramid may also be the Temple of Light, the home of the Triforce at the heart of the Sacred Realm.

In the Game Boy Advance port, the entrance to the Palace of the Four Sword can be found here as well.

Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Hyrule Castle Town
Hyrule Castle Town was a town that is situated right in front of the castle. Many people live there. Hyrule Castle Town is a location from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The capital city and commercial center of Hyrule, it is located in the far north of Hyrule, bordering to Hyrule Field to the south. Being a castle town, it is surrounded by a huge, impenetrable wall, and can only be accessed by a drawbridge which is lowered only at daytime. The source of the moat surrounding the castle town's walls is Zora's River.

Hyrule Castle Market is a crowded place at daytime, with bustling crowds of people of all Hyrulean walks of life all around. Businesses like the Happy Mask Shop, the Bazaar and the Bombchu Bowling Alley are also open exclusively during the day. There is also a less crowded back alley in the town with the occasional loiterer. At night, packs of stray dogs appear in the nearly deserted market. Some more questionable shops like the Treasure Box Shop and Bombchu Shop are also open during nightfall.

On the edge of the town can be found the Temple of Time, a huge stone temple guarding the Master Sword, and also, the entrance to the Sacred Realm where the Triforce lies. When Link pulls out the Master Sword, his spirit is sealed within the Sacred Realm for seven years, in order for him to become the Hero of Time. When he awakens, he finds that Hyrule Castle Town has been destroyed by Ganondorf, the King of Evil. Some of the inhabitants were able to escape to the nearby Kakariko Village, and the ruined city became haunted by ReDeads. It is unknown whether any Hyrule Castle Town citizens were actually killed in the attack. But at the end of the game, the credits, it's revealed there are the people who lived in Market who are not found in Kakariko Village (Rumored Dead) are celebrating in Lon Lon Ranch. Hyrule Castle Town is a location in The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. It is here the festivities for the annual Picori Festival are held. The city is large and busy. The Mayor is Mayor Hagen.

Businesses include the Happy Hearth Inn (an inn where you may hire a room), Wheaton and Pita's bakery, Rem's shoe store, Stockwell's store, the carpenters, Simon's dungeon simulator, the library, Carlov's figurine lottery, Borlov's treasure chest shop, Brocco's vegetable stall, Pina's fruit store, Beedle's picolyte stall and a cafe.

Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap The Ruins in front of Hyrule Castle in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker are suspected to perhaps to have been what was Castle Town. This fact is not confirmed.

Temple of Time
The Temple of Time is where the Master Sword was before it was ever used. It was the portal between the normal realm and the Sacred Realm. It is said to have been constructed by the Sage of Light, Rauru. It is the only Temple that does not contain a maze or enemies, except in Twilight Princess. The Temple of Time is the gateway between Hyrule and the Sacred Realm. When the Master Sword was infused into the Pedestal of Time it sealed the portal between Hyrule and the Sacred Realm. That is why Ganondorf was able to enter the Sacred Realm when Link removed the sword from the Pedestal. The Temple of Time is one of Hyrule's most ancient buildings and is protected by Rauru, a Sage who aided in its construction long ago.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Within the Temple of Time stands a sacred altar which inscribes the instructions to opening the Door of Time which leads to the Master Sword. The inscription reads that the person needs to have possession of all three Spiritual Stones, to stand with the Ocarina of Time and play the Song of Time. Behind the Door of time stands the pedestal.

It was here that Link, the Hero of Time, was sent into a seven-year slumber, after drawing the sword from its pedestal, for that was the only way that he could grow old/mature enough to wield the Master Sword and possibly have a chance at defeating Ganondorf/Ganon. It was also the place where he could put back the Master Sword and warp back and forth through time.

According to history, the Temple of Time was built ages prior to Ocarina of Time, at the time of Hyrule's creation by the three Golden Goddesses (Din, Nayru, and Farore). When the Goddesses created Hyrule and the Sacred Realm, they sought to link the two dimensions to one another but also to seal the entrance to the Sacred Realm (the Golden Land). This seal would be put in place to protect the Sacred Realm and the Triforce stored within it. To this end, the Goddesses instructed the Ancient Sages to forge a sword powerful enough to repel even the Triforce's magic, knowing that evil ones could abuse the Triforce's power should they gain possession of it. The Ancient Sages did as instructed, forging a mighty weapon which they infused with the "Power to Repel Evil," housed in a yellow gem they forged into the blade's hilt. This sword came to be known as the "Blade of Evil's Bane," or more commonly known as the "Master Sword." The Master Sword would then serve as the key to the Sacred Realm, and the Ancient Sages infused it into a pedestal of stone that came to be known as the Pedestal of Time. The Master Sword and the Pedestal of Time served as the key and lock to the portal leading to the Sacred Realm, and only one worthy of the title "Hero of Time" could pull the sword from the Pedestal of Time. This was a safety feature put in place by the Ancient Sages, in the hope that this would ensure that only one pure of heart would be able to enter the Sacred Realm and lay claim to the Triforce one day to lead Hyrule to a golden age of prosperity. After the infusion of the Master Sword into the Pedestal of Time and the subsequent sealing of the gateway to the Sacred Realm, the Sages, in collaboration with the Oocca race, constructed a massive, mighty temple around the Pedestal of Time and the Master Sword, ending with the pair being in a private chamber known as the Chamber of the Master Sword. This chamber was sealed with a mighty stone door by the Ancient Sages, a door known as the Door of Time. To lock the Door of Time, the Ancient Sages crafted three magical stones known as the Spiritual Stones (each representing one of the three Golden Goddesses) along with a magical ocarina that came to be known as the Ocarina of Time. The three Spiritual Stones (the Kokiri's Emerald, the Goron's Ruby, and the Zora's Sapphire) would have to be placed on a special altar fashioned for them in front of the Door of Time, and the Ocarina of Time would have to be used to play the so-called "Song of Time" in order to open the Door of Time. Each of the stones was given to a different race within Hyrule itself, and the Ocarina of Time was gifted to the Hylian race, to be kept by their Royal Family as the race's hidden treasure. The temple itself came to be known as the Temple of Time, and became known as the gateway to the Sacred Realm, namely the Temple of Light situated at the heart of the Sacred Realm that also served as the home of the Triforce.

Many ages following the creation of Hyrule and roughly a decade following the Hyrulean Civil War, the Gerudo King of Thieves, Ganondorf Dragmire, returned to Hyrule in search of a way into the Sacred Realm so that he could lay claim to the Triforce and its great power. He learned the legend of the Triforce and the process for opening the barrier in the Temple of Time leading to the Sacred Realm, the Door of Time. To this end, Ganondorf threatened each of the leaders of Hyrule's races with catastrophes if they did not turn over the Spiritual Stones to him, each of which flatly refused his demands. Ganondorf also pledged false allegiance to the King of Hyrule at Hyrule Castle in the hope of discovering where inside the castle the King kept the Ocarina of Time. Ganondorf was ultimately spared the trouble of bringing these items together thanks to the Princess of Hyrule, Princess Zelda, and a heroic boy from the Kokiri Forest named Link. Under Zelda's orders, Link gathered each of the Spiritual Stones from Hyrule's races by defeating the evil's Ganondorf had cast upon them. When he returned to Hyrule Castle with the stones, he found the Hyrulean capital city, Hyrule Castle Town, under attack by Ganondorf and his Gerudo Army. Zelda escaped with Impa on horseback and passed Link as they fled the Hyrulean capital, but she threw the Ocarina of Time into the city's moat, meaning for Link to find it. Ganondorf appeared shortly thereafter and confronted Link as to the whereabouts of Princess Zelda and Impa, which Link refused to reveal. After Ganondorf knocked the young hero down using his dark magic learned from his surrogate mothers Kotake and Koume, he sped off after Zelda and Impa into Hyrule Field. Link retrieved the Ocarina of Time from the moat and telepathically learned the Song of Time from Zelda. He then traveled to the Temple of Time just off of Hyrule Castle Town's main square and entered the sacred structure. There, he placed the three Spiritual Stones on the altar and played the Song of Time on the Ocarina of Time, causing the Door of Time to open and yield access to the Chamber of the Master Sword. Inside, Link approached the Pedestal of Time and grasped the Master Sword by its handle. With his hand firmly on the handle, Link pulled upward and removed the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time, the Blade of Evil's Bane having recognized the purity of Link's heart and the strength of his resolve. With this, a rush of magical energy issued forth around the Pedestal of Time as the portal to the Sacred Realm was opened. However, Link was too young to wield the Master Sword at his current age, and thus he was sealed away within the Temple of Light for a seven year period until he was old enough to properly handle the Blade of Evil's Bane. Meanwhile, Ganondorf had secretly guessed that Link possessed the keys to the Door of Time and followed him into the Temple of Time, accessing the Sacred Realm through the portal Link opened. He then touched the Triforce, causing it to split apart and leave him with only the Triforce of Power in an event known as the Great Cataclysm, which also transformed the Sacred Realm into the corrupt Dark World. Ganondorf returned to Hyrule with the Triforce of Power and used it to subjugate the land to his will, ruling it with an iron fist for seven dark years, always on the lookout for the two other special people that now held the other two Triforce pieces.

Link awakened seven years later in the Temple of Light and was sent by the Sage of Light, Rauru, to awaken the rest of the Seven Sages. Returning to Hyrule through the Temple of Time, Link found that while Hyrule had become a dark and ruined place, the Temple of Time still stood, having survived Ganondorf's overtake of Hyrule. Link successfully cleansed Hyrule's temples of evil and awakened five other Sages, and upon his success, he returned to the Temple of Time to learn that Princess Zelda, disguised as Sheik, was the seventh Sage and the leader of the Seven Sages. After revealing the truth of their possession of the Triforces of Wisdom and Courage and giving Link the Light Arrows needed to battle Ganondorf, the King of Evil finally found Zelda and imprisoned her in a rose-colored crystal. As she rose into the air, Ganondorf telepathically challenged the Hero of Time to come to his home, Ganon's Castle, for a final showdown, using Zelda as the bait. Link successfully infiltrated the castle with the assistance of the other six Sages and successfully defeated Ganondorf in battle, after which Ganondorf used his last breath to knock down his own castle in an attempt to kill the Hero of Time and the Leader of the Sages. Link and Zelda successfully escaped the castle just before it completely collapsed, and they believed the battle to finally be over. However, Ganondorf emerged from the rubble and used the Triforce of Power to transform into the Dark Beast Ganon, forcing the Hero of Time into a final battle to the death. With the Master Sword, Link successfully defeated Ganon, and while he was seemingly immortal with the might of the Triforce of Power, the Seven Sages used their power to cast him into the Dark World and sealed the gateway, causing the King of Evil to vanish from Hyrule. Shortly afterward, Zelda used the Ocarina of Time to send Link back to his childhood to regain his lost seven years (creating a massive time paradox that split Hyrule's history into two branches), and the Hero of Time laid the Master Sword to rest in the Pedestal of Time, closing the Door of Time once again. He then returned to Hyrule Castle in Hyrule's still-tranquil past and revealed the truth of what was about to happen to Princess Zelda, altering the course of history in that branch of the timeline.

It is unclear what exactly happened to the Temple of Time following the Imprisoning War's end. While it is known that Ganondorf attacked Hyrule Castle just as he had previously at the outset of the Imprisoning War, the second time found the Hylian Army fully prepared for the Gerudo invasion thanks in large part to the Hero of Time's warning of what was about to happen. In Twilight Princess, the Ancient Sages show an image of the invasion which features Ganondorf with much fire and destruction behind him. This would suggest that while Ganondorf and his Gerudo Army were defeated, the Hyrulean capital, Hyrule Castle Town, took heavy damage during the attack the second time around due to the sharp resistance by the Hylian Army. A hundred years later, during Zant's Invasion of Hyrule, the Temple of Time is seen once again; however, it lies in ruins and is surrounded by the ruins of what appears to have once been a city. This evidence would seem to suggest that the Hyrulean capital was too badly damaged during the Gerudo invasion for it to be worth repairing, and this would be supported by Hyrule Castle Town's new location near the center of Hyrule Field during Zant's Invasion of Hyrule. It is possible that while the former Hyrule Castle Town's ruins were abandoned, the Temple of Time may still have been visited for a time before being largely forgotten by the mainstream public (save for the Royal Family) and abandoned. It also appears that at some point following the failed Gerudo invasion that the Hylian people removed the Door of Time from its original place guarding the Chamber of the Master Sword and installed it as the main door to the Temple of Time before the Temple of Time fell out of mainstream knowledge. This would later enable a new Link of the Hero of Time's bloodline to go back through time's flow to visit the Temple of Time as it had stood in the days of his forbearer. Whatever the reason, the Temple of Time fell into deep ruin over the next century and became a largely forgotten place to many, save for Hyrule's Royal Family and the best of Hyrulean historians. It would remain the home of the Master Sword and the Pedestal of Time, despite the Sacred Grove growing over the area surrounding it, and would later serve as the location of one of the lost fragments of the Mirror of Twilight during Zant's Invasion of Hyrule.

The Legend of Zelda:Twilight Princess
In Twilight Princess, Link, a descendant of the Hero of Time, is forced to seek out the legendary Blade of Evil's Bane, the Master Sword, in order to break a curse placed upon him by Zant, the Usurper King of Twilight. After working his way through the Faron Woods and battling a forest spirit known as a Skull Kid, Link finds himself in the ruin of a grand, ancient temple which turns out to be the ruins of the Temple of Time, the home of the Master Sword used by the legendary Hero of Time a century earlier, during the Imprisoning War. After solving the puzzle presented by the statues meant to guard the Master Sword, Link finds the Blade of Evil's Bane in a solemn grove that was once the grand Chamber of the Master Sword, right where the Hero of Time left it at the end of the Imprisoning War. After the sword breaks the curse on Link, the Hero pulls it from the Pedestal of Time so that it may once again combat evil at his side.

Later in the game, Link is in search of an "ancient grove", one of the locations said to hold one of the lost shards of the broken Mirror of Twilight. He deduces that this grove is none other than the Sacred Grove. Returning to that hallowed place, Link inserts the sword into the Pedestal of Time for a brief moment, causing a statue guarding the main door of the former temple to vanish. Upon opening this door, the Door of Time, Link finds himself teleported back through time's flow, into the mighty Temple of Time as it had stood in the days of his forebearer, the Hero of Time. Going forth to the Chamber of the Master Sword, he stabs the Pedestal of Time once more to reveal a hidden staircase leading up to the window right behind the Pedestal of Time, the same window which Navi disappeared into at the end of Ocarina of Time. This turns out to be an illusion hiding another doorway. Proceeding through this doorway, the Hero of Twilight enters a whole new area of the temple. Inside the temple, he finds a magical rod called the Dominion Rod which had been left behind by the Oocca race - this rod allows him to make certain statues come to life and then control them. Eventually, he comes upon the chamber of a gigantic arachnid called Armogohma and uses the Dominion Rod to destroy the creature. With Armogohma's defeat, Link reclaims the shard of the Mirror of Twilight that had been sent into the temple by Zant.

Some suspect the new portion of the temple is actually the Light Temple spoken of in Ocarina of Time that sits at the heart of the Sacred Realm. This is supported by the doorway seeming to be a portal to a place that doesn't appear to be in the realm of Hyrule (and where the portal to the Temple of Light should be, in the Chamber of the Master Sword), the presence of images of the Light Medallion, as well as the height of the dungeon, which could be explained if it is in the pyramidal Temple of Light (which is also said to be the Pyramid of Power seen in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past). If this were indeed true, it would be quite significant as far as the timeline is concerned. It means that there is still, even after the Sacred Realm (the Dark World at the time of Twilight Princess) was sealed in both Ocarina of Time and A Link to the Past, the original gateway portal into the Realm, situated within the Temple of Time, is still fully intact, preserved, along with the Temple, in temporal stasis. Not only would this imply that whoever was responsible for moving the Door of Time to the outside of the building (presumably the Sages) intentionally left the gateway to the Sacred Realm open to the wielder of the Master Sword, but it could mean that the Realm may play a role in future games.

It is also possible that it could be the Tower of the Gods from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. Examples of proof are the similarities between the Command Melody and the Dominion Rod, the first Darknut of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is also fought in the Tower of the Gods, and both dungeons are above Hyrule.

This dungeon is the one of the largest dungeons in the game, along with the City in the Sky. It consists of eight floors, sort of built like a tower. The main objective of this dungeon is to locate a statue that can open a large door leading to the boss. The dungeon is infested with spiders and includes electrical fences. Many of the puzzles involve weight, whether it's pushing down switches with small statues or getting across a giant libra. It should be noted that once you find the statue, navigation through the dungeon is slightly easier, as the statue appears to be wielding a large hammer that can be used to smash gates and other things (like the pesky rolling spikes)

Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Kakariko Village
Kakariko Village was once a village full of the Sheikah, but they eventually died out and Impa let other people live in the village.Kakariko Village is a recurring location in the Legend of Zelda series. Its geographical and historical situation seems to change in each game, and so many fans assert that these villages are not the same, but merely share the same name. It may have been inspired by various towns in Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, and in turn may have served as the inspiration for such future towns in the series - Mabe Village, Clock Town, Lynna City, Horon Village, Windfall Island, Hyrule Town, and various minor villages (i.e. Symmetry City).

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Kakariko Village makes its first appearance in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Here, it is located in mid-the west Light World, south of the Lost Woods. At one point, Link is asked by the priest of the Sanctuary to find the wise man Sahasrahla, who at one point lived in the village. Link first talks to the presumed wife of Sahasrahla, who tells him that he has indeed left the village. Eventually, Link finds a small boy who tells him that Sahasrahla has made the Eastern Palace Ruins his new home.

Many optional side-quests can be completed in Kakariko Village, but it is also the site of the bird sealed within a statue that Link needs to awaken with the Flute. Once he has done this, the bird inside the statue is released and the bird wlil transport him to certain areas in Hyrule whenever he sounds the Flute in the outside world.

Kakariko Village, as mentioned before, is located to the south of the Lost Woods, a place notorious for the thieves who reside there, and so it is not surprising that one thief, Blind, once had a permanent residence in the village. By the time Link visits the hideout, it has been abandoned, although treasures can still be found within. Blind himself turns out to have travelled to the Village of Outcasts, the Dark World's equivalent of Kakariko Village, a haven for thieves, gambling establishments and various monsters. He was transported there either intentionally or accidentally, and turns out to be the boss of Thieves' Town, the fourth Dark World dungeon. In the Dark World, the weather vane statue has been replaced by a gargoyle statue, which blocks the entrance to the Thieves' Town.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Kakariko Village of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is radically different from the village of A Link to the Past. Now located directly at the foot of the Death Mountain Foothills, quite distant from the Lost Woods and the Haunted Wasteland (the OoT equivalent of the Desert of Mystery), and it is built all on terraces on the side of the mountain. Kakariko Village seems to have been founded not too long ago. Villagers there recall that Impa, Zelda's nursemaid, opened the formerly Sheikah-exclusive village to the poor commoners of Hyrule (presumably not rich enough to live in the Market outside Hyrule Castle). Dominating the landscape is a windmill, which is used to draw water up from the Well of Three Features (Dark! Narrow! Scary!), the source of water for the villagers. Sheikah legend has it that Impa sealed a great evil in the Bottom of the Well. Later, when Link learns the Song of Storms as an adult, playing it can overwork the windmill, making it draw up all the water, and in effect drying up the well. This opens it up for exploration as a child to find the Lens of Truth. (Other local legend has it that a wise man with an eye that could see the truth lived where the well is located now.)

In Link's adulthood, the great evil imprisoned in the Well of Three Features escapes, setting fire to the village (fortunately, it was extinguished by rain) and beating Link and Sheik considerably before retreating into the Shadow Temple, the entrance to which is found in the Graveyard adjoined to the village. Impa then goes off to imprison the great evil again, but she fails, in so doing becoming the Sage of the Shadow Temple. Link must rescue her by defeating this great evil, which turns out to be an invisible "Phantom Shadow Beast", Bongo Bongo. Link uses the Lens of Truth to see the monster and slash its vulnerable eye.

During the seven-year period of turmoil in Hyrule between Link's drawing of the Master Sword and his awakening, the survivors of Ganondorf's reign of terror in Hyrule Castle Town fled to the village to escape persecution. It seems that this village is then the only remaining place of Hylian Resistance. Although not in the game itself, the ReDead trophy in  Super Smash Bros. Melee states that no residents of the Market died. Talon, the previous proprietor of Lon Lon Ranch, also runs off to Kakariko Village when Ingo kicks him out.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures
In The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, the village was overrun by thieves, and the four Links were required to capture them in order to advance north of the city to a place where they could summon rain, thus quelling the fire started by arsonist Shadow Link. This time, Kakariko Village had no prominent features, but was a collection of houses with few residents within. A stream outside the city led the Links to fight a Big Dark Stalfos, and in so doing recover the Green Royal Jewel. The numerous thieves in the city is obviously a nod to A Link to the Past ' s Village of Outcasts, and the Cucco population in the village may relate to the Cucco-tracking challenge in the Ocarina of Time rendering of Kakariko Village. We may also attribute the excessive thief problem to the village's new location - directly within the Lost Woods. Some fans have suggested the Lost Woods merely expanded in support of the "One Village Theory". A similar retraction of the woods, or placing OoT on the timeline before FSA, may account for the distance between Kakariko Village and the Lost Woods in OoT.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Kakariko Village was vastly different in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. The town, instead of being built on a terraced surface, was built on a rugged cliff on the side of Death Mountain. There were several small houses, shops, a hotel, and a few springs located throughout the village. It also had a small Graveyard behind it. It was a small but tranquil village in the Eldin Province under the leadership of its local shaman Renado. This would all come to change, however, when Kakariko was blanketed beneath the evil veil of Twilight. During this time, the majority of its inhabitants were killed by the Shadow Beasts. Fortunately, Link and Midna would revive the Light Spirit Eldin and release the Twilight's grasp on Kakariko Village, saving the remaining townsfolk from destruction. Although the village was saved, it was still utterly devastated (partly through Link's own actions). After Link defeated Fyrus and recovered the second Fused Shadow, the Gorons from nearby Death Mountain, the Youths from Ordon Village, and the remaining villagers helped rebuild Kakariko Village.

On a further note, it should also be noted that the actual only inhabitants in the village are Renado, his daughter Luda, Barnes, and to a lesser extent, the Gorons. The rest of the inhabitants are from Ordon Village, where Link, Ilia, and the rest of the kids lived. They were in Kakariko village because some creatures (Possibly Shadow Beasts or Goblins) kidnapped them and brought them to the village as prisoners. Kakariko Village is more likely to be a name derived from the Kakariko Village in Ocarina of Time, due to the knowledge of a sign in the Hidden Village that says "Welcome to Old Kakarico." Even though the spelling is different, Kakariko of OoT and Kakarico Village seem to be the most similar.

Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Graveyard
The graveyard was behind Kakariko Village, but eventually it moved to a different location. It was home to Poes and other ghosts.

Ocarina of Time
At the end of the graveyard, the composer brothers, Flat and Sharp are buried. In between their graves is a cave where the Sun's Song can be learned. The Shadow Temple is located at the very end of the Graveyard, right near the Royal Family's Tomb. Dampe, the graveyard keeper lives to the right of the entrance of the graveyard. After his death later on in the game he is buried on the left side of the graveyard, and aids Link by giving him the Hookshot.

Twilight Princess
The Graveyard can be accessed by entering a gate behind Shaman Renado's house. There is a small, hidden area in this graveyard far to the north of the regular graveyard, and can be entered via a small crawlspace. This area contains a small lake, and a patch of land where the old King Zora and Queen Rutela are buried. To the East and under the lake is a small hole in which Lake Hylia can be accessed. After the Zora, Prince Ralis has recovered from his sickness, he can be found at this grave until he returns to the Zora's Domain Throne Room. Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (as Ikana Graveyard), The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Shadow Temple
During the Imprisoning War, the Hero of Time braved the House of the Dead, or the Shadow Temple to awaken the 4th Sage: Impa whom he had met seven years earlier as Zelda's Nursemaid. It was in this Temple that Link recovered his Hover Boots which allowed him to walk on air or water for a short amount of time. Once he reached the bottom of the Temple he faced off against an other-worldly foe: Bongo Bongo The Shadow Temple was one of the five major temples residing in the land of Hyrule that were built to house five of the Seven Sages. It is generally thought that the Shadow Folk, the Sheikahs, were the builders of the Shadow Temple many years in the past, though it is unknown what purpose it served then. The temple was built near the back of the Kakariko Graveyard in the shadow of Death Mountain and extended several stories beneath the earth, taking on the nickname of the "House of the Dead" due to its eerie reputation as being the dark home of Hyrule's dead. During the Imprisoning War, the Phantom Shadow Beast Bongo Bongo broke free from his prison at the bottom of the Kakariko Well, where he was sealed years before by the village's then-leader, Impa. The Hero of Time was forced to journey into the House of the Dead to awaken the fifth of the Seven Sages, Impa, one of the last of the Sheikah race that constructed the temple. At the bottom of the dark and eerie temple, Link faced Bongo Bongo in combat and destroyed him using the Lens of Truth and the Master Sword. With this, the Shadow Temple was freed of the evil that had bound it, and Impa was awakened as the Sage of Shadow, the caretaker of the Shadow Temple. The Shadow Temple is located on the ledge in the far east side of Kakariko Graveyard and can be accessed only with the help of the Nocturne of Shadow. The Shadow Temple consists of four floors infested with ReDead as well as the the many paintings illustrating spirits which whisper clues and warnings. The temple is described as the house of the dead. It includes many invisible enemies and false walls making a near-continuous use of the Lens of Truth necessary for beginning players. The major prize in the Shadow Temple is the Hover Boots. The Shadow Temple's Sage is Impa and its warp song is the Nocturne of Shadow. The Iron Boots can be used to to get across the fans without being blown backwards. The temple has a prominent theme of the smiling skull or hooded skull. These can be seen in multiple pictures on the wall, and they often whisper warnings or advice that only Navi seems to be able to hear. The temple's design is somewhat different than other temples. Instead of being a standard architectural design, the temple simply goes further and further into the ground, making it the most linear dungeon out of the five major temples, in direct contrast to the Water Temple. Often gallows and whipping posts are depicted in some of the lower chambers, sometimes with spots of blood on the ground below or near them. The dungeon also has a recurring theme of spikes and guillotines.

Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Eastern Temple
The Eastern Temple is a temple near Lake Hylia. A maiden was hidden here twice. Stone Arrghus once resided here.

Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures

Village of the Blue Maiden
The Village of the Blue Maiden was a small town near the southwest cost of Hyrule. Named after the Shrine Maiden who lived here, the village was more or less the same size as Kakariko Village. The village was also home to a small number of Mages. After Shadow Link tricked Link into releasing Vaati from the Four Sword, he went to the village and was somehow able to teleport a good portion of the town’s population into the Dark World. When the real Links arrived at the town, the majority of the town’s residences were in an uproar about the missing citizens. Link, with the help of The Seekers Guild and a novice magician named Iris, was able to bring the missing people back to the Light World. The villagers of the village thanked the four Links before they headed up to Eastern Palace to free the yellow maiden. Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures

Talus Caves
Talus Cave is a large cavern up on the high slopes of a steep rock face near Death Mountain. It is filled with ice-covered path that are very treacherous to adventurers exploring the cave. Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords

Snowpeak
It is surrounded by the several mountains, it being the highest. During the Twili Invasion, its cold weather was responsible for freezing Zora's Domain, in result rendering Lake Hylia to be with little water. It is home to the fifth dungeon of the game, Snowpeak Ruins, and it is habitated by Keese, Wolfos, and several other creatures, along with two Yetis, Yeto and Yeta. The only entry to the Snowpeak is through Zora's Domain, located in the Lanayru Province.

After Link and Midna discover that the Mirror of Twilight is in pieces, the Sages indicate that one of the shards is located in the Snowpeak Ruins. Shortly after this, Ashei is found in the bottom part of Snowpeak. She relates to Link that a monster (who turns out to be Yeto) has been constantly invading Zora's Domain, stealing the sacred beast of the land, Reekfish. She then hands over a sketch of the "monster" to Link, hoping he can do something about it. Link finds Prince Ralis and reveals to him the sketch and the tale, and Prince Ralis provides Link with the Coral Earring, a special lure which attracts Reekfish, the only known one of it's kind. Link then uses it with the Fishing Rod to pull in the fish and then in wolf form, uses his olfactory senses to recognize the smell of the Reekfish.

Now with knowledge of the scent, Link trails the stench of the fish and winds up with Yeto, the culprit of the fish thievery. Unable to converse sensibly with Yeto, Link attempts to find a way to the Mirror shard and rolls into a tree, causing a frozen leaf to plummet down into the snow. Yeto takes this as a hint to race him down Snowpeak, and they both cascade down the mountain, eventually reaching Snowpeak Ruins, the mansion housing the Mirror shard.

After the mirror shard is recoverd from Snowpeak Ruins, Yeto and Yeta are found on the top of Snowpeak. They both offer Link a race hill down to Snowpeak Ruins and gives him later a Piece of Heart

Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Snowpeak Ruins
The dungeon is located in a crumbling mansion precariously perched in the mountains of Hyrule's Peak Province. It is inhabited by Yeto, Yeta, and a number of ice-based enemies.

After Link meets Yeto at the top of Snowpeak, he learns that the yeti has found a piece of the Mirror of Twilight, which he has stored back at his house. The pair snowboard back to Yeto's home, where Link sets about trying to find the key to the mansion's master bedroom, where the Mirror Shard apparently has been held. Yeto, meanwhile, attempts to help his wife to recover from an illness, due to the Mirror Shard, by cooking soup for her.

Eventually Link finds the key and Yeta recovers. However, when she leads Link to the Mirror Shard, she is possessed and transforms into the boss of the dungeon, Blizzeta. Link defeats her, returning her to her original form, and earning the Mirror Shard as a reward.

The front few rooms of the house are fairly safe, being the main living quarters of the yetis. In this area there's the kitchen, where Yeto can be found cooking and the adventurous Oocca, Ooccoo, can be found hidden behind several nearby crates. There is also a room with a fireplace, where Yeta is sitting. The back parts of the mansion are frozen and infested with monsters, including a monstrous mini-boss called Darkhammer who wields a Ball and Chain. After defeating him, Link takes the weapon for himself so he can break through ice blocks. Before getting the Ball and Chain, though, the use of cannons is needed to shatter ice blocks. Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Cave of No Return
The Cave of No Return is a massive cavern in Eastern Hyrule that runs from Lake Hylia to Hyrule Castle. The cave is very dimly lit and is filled with traps and seemingly bottomless pits. Although several adventures have tried to cross through the cave, almost all of them eventually died one way or another. Their ghosts remain, and advise Link on his way through. In fact, without four people working together, passing through the cave is virtually impossible. Link using the Four Sword was the only known person to ever successfully pass through the Cave of No Return. Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures

Above Hyrule
Much can be found in the sky of Hyrule.

Vaati's Palace
The Palace of Winds was a massive fortress constructed by a race of sorcerers who had power over the winds, a group known as the Wind Tribe. According to various sources including messages left in the Wind Ruins and the members of the Wind Tribe themselves, the Wind Tribe once called the Wind Ruins (namely the Fortress of Winds) home, just south of the muck-filled swamp of Castor Wilds. At a certain point in Hyrule's history, the Wind Tribe, which had a powerful connection to the winds and all their powers, decided to join the winds they studied so much. To this end, they chose to depart the Wind Ruins for the Cloud Tops and to take their most cherished treasure, the Wind Element, with them. According to the ruler of the Wind Tribe at the time of The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, they supposedly "moved our (their) Palace up into the skies," suggesting they had already constructed the Palace of Winds back when they still lived in the Fortress of Winds and used their magic to levitate the Palace of Winds and move it up into the skies high above Hyrule. Before departing, the Wind Tribe crafted the Ocarina of Wind and left it (along with a message explaining where they had gone) at the summit of their former home, the Fortress of Winds, as the prize for defeating the guardian they created and left to test one in search of the Wind Element. They also left half of a special golden Kinstone in the possession of the then-current King of Hyrule, King Gustaf, with whom the Wind Tribe maintained a very close friendship. This Kinstone, when fused with its counterpart embedded in a stone barrier near Veil Falls, would open the barrier and in turn open the way to Veil Springs, the road to the Cloud Tops. After magically moving the Palace of Winds up into the Cloud Tops, the Wind Tribe placed the Wind Element at the heart of the Palace and constructed the Tower of Winds in its early stages as their home and the gateway to the Palace of Winds above it.

Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

In The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, which presumably occurs many centuries after the departure of the Wind Tribe from the Wind Ruins to the Cloud Tops, Link goes in search of the Four Elements (the future "Royal Jewels") to infuse the Picori Blade with their power and transform it into the Four Sword to break a curse placed upon Princess Zelda by the evil Minish Vaati that turned her to stone. Link eventually made his way to the rumored home of the Wind Element, the Fortress of Winds in the Wind Ruins just south of Castor Wilds, in order to claim it. Upon arriving at the location of the Wind Ruins however, Link found the area completely abandoned and the Fortress of Winds in disrepair. After defeating Mazaal, a large stone guardian placed within the abandoned Fortress of Winds by the Wind Tribe to test the worthiness of one seeking the Wind Element, Link found only the Ocarina of Wind as his prize along with the message left on the Fortress' rooftop explaining the new whereabouts of the Wind Tribe and their Wind Element.

After defeating the Big Octorok of the Temple of Droplets and claiming the Water Element, the spirit of King Gustaf appeared to Link and instructed him to visit the Royal Valley, the resting place of Hyrule's past ruling figures. Link ventured to the eerie valley and entered the Royal Crypt, at the end of which he met once again with the spirit of King Gustaf, who gave Link the half of the golden Kinstone given to him ages before by the Wind Tribe when they departed for the skies and instructed Link to seek out the "Source of the Flow" in Hyrule. Link eventually guessed this place to be Veil Falls and traveled there, finding a stone barrier blocking a path that led up behind the falls. He found the stone barrier contained the other half of the golden Kinstone and fitted the half given to him by Gustaf into the door, causing it to open and reveal the path up the falls. At the top of Veil Falls, Link found himself coming upon Veil Springs, and a small whirlwind at its summit. Stepping into the whirlwind, Link was blown all the way to the land above the clouds, the Cloud Tops.

After restoring another whirlwind that led up to the Tower of Winds, Link entered the then-small tower and met with the members of the Wind Tribe and their ruler, who granted Link access to the roof of the Tower of Winds and by extension the Palace of Winds above it. On the roof, Link found a third whirlwind that sent him up to the entrance of the Palace of Winds, the home of the Wind Element. The Palace of Winds proved to be an enormous structure composed of several buildings bound together, floating above the Cloud Tops and high above Hyrule's surface. The Palace had become infested with monsters, and Link was forced to cleanse the structure of them while searching for the Wind Element. Along the way, he found the Roc's Cape, an invention of the Wind Tribe that had been left in the Palace at its creation and had the power to let one jump great distances and fly for a short while. At the top of the Palace beyond the final Boss Door, Link found a fourth whirlwind that blasted him up high into the air and onto the back of a humongous flying creature. It then became apparent to Link that a Gyorg Pair had descended from the skies to make the Palace of Winds their new home and had seized the Wind Element. With the Wind Element's power, they flew high over the Palace of Winds and attacked those who dared to enter it. Link fought the large red female and the smaller blue male Gyorgs and eventually defeated them by means of striking their multiple eyes while using clones of himself created by the Empowered White Sword. After the two flying beasts were killed, Link dropped back to the summit of the Palace of Winds, where he found the Wind Element also drifting downward from above, having been pried from the Gyorg Pair's grip. Link stepped forward and claimed the Wind Element, finally possessing the power to fully restore the sacred blade that would come to be known as the Four Sword.

Cloud Tops
The Cloud Tops contain a tower that is home to the Wind Tribe. The Cloud Tops are an area in The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. This is were the Wind Tribe moved to and built the Palace of Winds. It is filled with deadly gaps that fall down into the sky. As it is a sea of clouds, Cloud Piranhas love this area.

Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

City in the Sky
The City in the Sky is home to the Oocca. There was a monster hidden in the depths of The City in the Sky, which was troubling the small Oocca and preventing them from living properly. Link traveled to the city to collect a piece of the Twilight Mirror, and vanquished the monster. The Oocca lived in the city long before the events of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, but it is not known how it came to be built. The Oocca lack hands and, unless they posses magical abilities unseen in the game, it seems unlikely that they could have constructed such a settlement. The city was originally accessed by the Sky Cannon; however, the Oocca gradually lost touch with the world below, and the cannon fell into disrepair. At the beginning of Twilight Princess, there had been no contact between the Oocca and the Hylians in living memory.

This changed when a piece of the shattered Mirror of Twilight came to rest in the city. Zant's minions invaded and badly damaged the fortress, forcing the Oocca (presumably fairly poor fighters) to retreat to the southernmost points of the structure. However, the presence of the Mirror Shard also brought the City in the Sky to the knowledge of Link, who, helped by a scholar named Shad, was able to decipher the ancient writing of the Oocca which had been left in Hyrule. After discovering the dilapidated Sky Cannon and having it repaired by Fyer, Link launched himself up to the city, joined by his acquaintance Ooccoo (and her young son), an Oocca who had somehow been stranded on the ground.

Once in the floating fortress, Ooccoo reunited with her friends and Link ventured deeper into the ruined city to find the Mirror Shard and annihilate the invading army. After discovering a second Clawshot item, Link was able to work his way up to the highest points of the city and defeat Argorok, a fearsome dragon which he had spotted earlier on in the dungeon.

This dungeon is one of the largest dungeons in the game, along with the Temple of Time. It consists of five floor levels and three basement levels. The city is very advanced, floating in the sky using large propellers. The main theme of this dungeon is wind, as there are strong gusts due to the high elevation and large fans built within the buildings. To get around in the rooms, stray Oocca must be used to float from ledge to ledge, using fans in the floor to rise higher. Peahats also grow in the city, which can be used to grab onto with the Clawshot.

Games it has appeared in: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Hyrule's shifting geography
While certain landmarks of Hyrule communally return, Hyrules geography appears to be layed out differently with almost each new game set in it. Parts of Hyrule found in one games map may be in a different location, have different geographical features, or be completely absent in another. While some games may take into account the geography in past zelda games (A Link to the Past and Four Sword Adventures share almost the same hylian geography) others may completely ignore them (The Minish Cap's Hyrule bares almost no resemblance to any other game). Several fan explanations have been given. The first is that the changes occurred because of geological events between the games such as earthquakes, mudslides, erosion, forest growth, continental drift, or all of the above. The second theory is that Hyrules geography stays relatively the same but that each new game shows the same Hyrule seen from a different angle, that landmarks are renamed, or that other unseen parts of Hyrule are seen each game.

Some fans argue that while Hyrule does change from game to game it is simply due to gameplay reasons to give players something new to explore while staying in the same land and has no real ingame explanations. Finally since it remains to be seen if all of the games in the series fit into one timeline so the reason that the Hyrule in some games are so different may be simply because two unrelated storylines with two unrelated Hyrules.

Hyrule in The Legend of Zelda
Hyrule in the original The Legend of Zelda was very small compared to the other games. It featured no towns or castles, and simply sent the player into the action straightaway. It is likely that this region is in fact the southern region of the much larger lands shown in The Adventure of Link. Shigeru Miyamoto states that this version of Hyrule is based on the area of his homeland when he was a child, including the caves placed throughout the land.

Hyrule in Adventure of Link
Hyrule in Zelda II: Adventure of Link was much, much larger than Hyrule in the other games. It was the first Hyrule big enough to actually be considered a kingdom. There were many towns in it that were named after the sages of Ocarina of Time. It also had many landmarks and mountains, even a few islands.

Hyrule in the Minish Cap
In The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, Hyrule looked similar to A Link to the Past's Hyrule, but some of the landmarks had different names (aside from Lon Lon Ranch, Lake Hylia, Hyrule Castle Town and Hyrule Castle). There was the Minish Woods (as opposed to Lost Woods), Crenel Mountain (as opposed to Death Mountain), Castor Wilds (as opposed to the Southern Swamp) and Veil Falls (as opposed to the Waterfall of Wishing). It also included the Wind Ruins and the Cloud Tops.

The Great Sea
After Hyrule was flooded by the goddesses because no Hero appeared to save Hyrule from Ganondorf ,who had been released from his seal, the Goddesses had no choice but to cover hyrule in water eventually the people forgot about Hyrule and it became the Great Sea. This version of Hyrule is featured in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass