Shadow Temple

The Shadow Temple is the fourth dungeon in the adult portion of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

Story
The Shadow Temple is one of five major temples in Hyrule that was constructed to house five of the Seven Sages. It is generally believed that the Shadow Folk, the Sheikahs, built the temple for purposes unknown. The temple lies at the back of Kakariko Graveyard in the shadow of Death Mountain. Very little of the temple is above ground, and as such, it is often referred to as the "House of the Dead". When the Phantom Shadow Beast, Bongo Bongo, breaks free from his prison at the bottom of the Kakariko Well where he was sealed years before by Impa, it retreats to a large chamber in the recesses of the Shadow Temple. Impa then goes to the temple in an attempt to seal away Bongo Bongo again. At the very bottom of the temple, Link must face Bongo Bongo with the help of the Lens of Truth and the Master Sword. Upon its defeat, the Shadow Temple is cleansed of evil and Impa awakens as the Sage of Shadow.

Dungeon
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, that is acquired quite early in order to cross the Valley of the Dead and further explore the temple. The Iron Boots must also be used to to get across the hallways with fans to prevent 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. Near the boss chamber is a large ferry that will move when "Zelda's Lullaby" is played. Once the boat traverses a small river, it sinks and Link must leap off.

Sage

 * Impa

Items

 * Hover Boots
 * Heart Container
 * Shadow Medallion

Enemies

 * Beamos
 * Blade Trap
 * Blue Bubble
 * Fire Keese
 * Floormaster
 * Gibdo
 * Gold Skulltula
 * Green Bubble
 * Keese
 * Like Like
 * Red Bubble
 * ReDead
 * Skulltula
 * Stalfos
 * Wallmaster

Mini-boss

 * Dead Hand

Boss

 * Bongo Bongo

Original Purpose
One theory about the original intention of the Shadow Temple is that it was built to absorb and concentrate all the "evil" and negative feelings of Hyrule such as greed, hatred, jealousy, etc.; all of which can form a breeding ground for what will come to grow into a corrupted world. Assuming that this statement is plausible, it would mean that Shadow Temple was in fact built for the purpose of preserving peace and calm in Hyrule, making sure it would remain a healthy and prosperous country by simply taking in all conceivable malice and negative emotions, and not to be a dark, twisted torture chamber which is easily assumed by the interiors and overall eerie feel the temple offers. Subsequently, this would mean that the Shadow Temple would have to reap the penalty of the wrongdoings of the entire world of Hyrule. Again, if plausible, this could certainly reduce the temple to nothing more than a frightening, distorted nightmare accordingly. This theory is based upon clues whispered by Skull Paintings in the Shadow Temple.

Temple Guardian
It is possible that the raven-like statue found all over the Shadow Temple symbolizes the dungeon's patron deity. This statue is never mentioned, but it is seen quite often throughout the temple. Also, all of the other adult dungeons seem to have their own representations.

Fourth or Fifth Temple?
There seems to be a minor contradiction in the game during indications of whether the Shadow Temple is the fourth or the fifth temple. By looking at the order of the medallions on the Quest Subscreen, it is revealed that the Spirit Temple is intended to be completed before the Shadow Temple. However, story wise, the Spirit Temple is the last major temple. The need for the Lens of Truth to cross the Haunted Wasteland and find the Spirit Temple also seems to imply that the Shadow Temple is intended to be completed before the Spirit Temple, as the Lens of Truth are acquired in the Shadow Temple section of Link's quest.

Trivia

 * In Japanese, Shadow Temple is "Yami no Shinden". In The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, "Yami no Shinden" was translated as Palace of Darkness. Both are actually incorrect translations; the true translation is "Temple of Darkness".
 * The engraving on the floor of the entrance to the Shadow Temple greatly resembles the design on the Mirror of Twilight.