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Not to be confused with Big Key.

Nightmare Keys,(LA)[1] also known as Boss Room Keys,(Series)[2] and Boss Keys,(OoT | MM | OoS | OoA | PH | ST | CoH)[3][4][5] are recurring Items in The Legend of Zelda series.

Location and uses[]

Nightmare Keys, titled Boss Keys in other games, are one of the three standard dungeon items, the other two being the Compass and the Dungeon Map. They are generally harder to find than Small Keys and are used to open the big door leading to the Boss' chamber. Nightmare Keys can sometimes be used for purposes other than entering the Boss Room.

Nightmare Keys have a similar counterpart, Big Keys, which debuted shortly beforehand in A Link to the Past. Other than unlocking a Boss Room, which is generally a Nightmare Key's sole distinct purpose, Big Keys can also unlock certain Treasure Chests.

Mainline appearances[]

Link's Awakening[]

Link's Awakening Manual Description
Link's Awakening logo
Nightmare Key and Small Keys
You will need the Nightmare Key to enter the Nightmare's lair. The Small Keys, which can be used only once, are used to open other locked doors in the dungeon.

Nightmare Keys open access to a Dungeon's Nightmare in Link's Awakening.

Ocarina of Time[]

Boss Keys are always found in large Treasure Chests with yellow and blue designs in Ocarina of Time.

Majora's Mask[]

The Boss Keys are functionally identical as in Ocarina of Time, and are found in the same type of chest. This iteration has a pattern of the key being found after every second Mini-Boss of each dungeon. The Boss Key does not remain with Link should he travel back in time. Instead, he must relocate the Treasure Chest containing the Boss Key to retrieve it once more. However, Link can directly warp to the boss's chamber one they have collected the remains.

Oracle of Seasons / Oracle of Ages[]

Oracle of Seasons Manual Description
Oracle of Seasons logo
Keys and Boss Keys
You'll need the Boss Key to open the door to the boss's lair. Other keys found in the dungeon can be used only once to open a locked door or block.

Boss Keys are found in Dungeons after a puzzle in Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages. They allow entry into Boss Rooms.

The Wind Waker[]

The game has a naming discrepancy where they are named Big Keys in the English localization. Nightmare Keys function almost identically as in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask and would continue for nearly all 3D Zelda games to come. The design of the key would be carried over in later installments, such as Phantom Hourglass.

Phantom Hourglass[]

Link must carry the Boss Key in his hands rather than in his inventory in Phantom Hourglass, making him unable to attack and vulnerable to attacks.[6]

Spirit Tracks[]

Link must carry the Boss Key in his hands rather than in his inventory in Spirit Tracks, making him unable to attack and vulnerable to attacks. In some instances, Boss Keys are electrified, in which case Link must have Princess Zelda possess a Phantom to carry them on his behalf. Unlike in Phantom Hourglass, Nightmare Keys are no longer obtained from Treasure Chests.

Skyward Sword[]



Other appearances[]

Hyrule Warriors[]



Cadence of Hyrule[]



Nomenclature[]

TMC Forest Minish Artwork Names in other regions TMC Jabber Nut Sprite
LanguageNameMeaning
JapanJapanese大きなカギ (Ōkina Kagi) (ALttP)[7]
ボス部屋のカギ (Bosu Beya no Kagi) (OoT)[8]
大きな扉の鍵 (Ōkina Tobira no Kagi) (ALBW)[9]
Same as English.
Boss Room Key
CanadaFrenchCAGrande clé (ALBW)[10]
FranceFrenchEUGrande clé (ALBW)[11]
GermanyGermanGroßen Schlüssel (LA | ALBW)[12][13]
Großer Schlüssel (LANS | HWDE)[14]
Großer Schlüssel (LANS | HWDE)[15]
Big Key
Big Key
Big Key
ItalyItalianGrande chiave (LANS | ALBW)[16]Big key
South KoreaKorean커다란 문 열쇠 (Keodalan Mun Yeolsoe) (ALBW)[17]
SpainSpanishEUGran llave (ALBW)[18]
Latin AmericaSpanishLAGran llave (ALBW)[19]
This table was generated using translation pages.
To request an addition, please contact a staff member with a reference.

Gallery[]

See Also[]

References

  1. "You got the Nightmare Key! Now you can open the door to the Nightmare's lair!" — N/A (Link's Awakening for Nintendo Switch)
  2. Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 118 (Series)
  3. Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 118 (LA | OoT | MM | OoS | OoA | TWW | PH | ST)
  4. "You got a Boss Key! Get ready for the final battle!" — N/A (Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition)
  5. "Boss Key" — N/A (Cadence of Hyrule)
  6. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass — Prima Official Game Guide, Prima Games, pg. 14
  7. A Link to the Past manual, pg. 37 Nintendo Official Guidebook—The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Vol. 1 (Shogakukan 1) pg. 29 Nintendo Official Guidebook—The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past & Four Swords (Shogakukan) pg. 13
  8. Nintendo Official Guidebook—The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Shogakukan) pg. 152
  9. "「大きな扉の鍵」を手に入れた!
    大きな扉を開くことができる!
    " — N/A (A Link Between Worlds)
  10. "Vous avez obtenu la grande clé! Vous pouvez à présent pénétrer dans le repaire du boss." — N/A (A Link Between Worlds)
  11. "Vous avez obtenu la grande clé ! Vous pouvez à présent pénétrer dans le repaire du boss." — N/A (A Link Between Worlds)
  12. "Endlich! Mit dem Großen Schlüssel lassen sich die Verstecke der Endbosse öffnen!" — N/A (Link's Awakening, German version)
  13. "Du hast den Großen Schlüssel erhalten. Damit kannst du die große Tür öffnen!" — N/A (A Link Between Worlds)
  14. "Um die Tore zu öffnen, musst du den Großen Schlüssel in einer der Festungen finden." — Tutorial (Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition)
  15. "Um die Tore zu öffnen, musst du den Großen Schlüssel in einer der Festungen finden." — Tutorial (Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition)
  16. "Hai ottenuto la grande chiave! Ora puoi aprire la porta grande!" — N/A (A Link Between Worlds)
  17. "「커다란 문 열쇠」를 획득했다!
    커다란 문을 열 수 있다!
    " — N/A (A Link Between Worlds)
  18. "¡Has conseguido la gran llave! Ahora podrás accedar a la sala que se oculta tras la gran puerta." — N/A (A Link Between Worlds)
  19. "¡Has obtenido la gran llave! Ahora podrás accedar a la sala que se oculta tras la gran puerta." — N/A (A Link Between Worlds)
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