Welcome to the Dark World

Guide to exploring the Dark World in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, including finding Piece of Heart #12, the Quake Medallion, and Piece of Heart #13.

Standing atop the Pyramid of Power, you now get to explore the Dark World in full. Sahasrahla will contact you via telepathy for a lengthy pep talk. Once he finishes, it's time to begin! Note that you can return to the Light World anytime you want using the Magic Mirror. Also of note is that from now on, the gate at Hyrule Castle will serve as a portal between the two worlds, transporting you to the Dark World whenever you pass through it (to the foot of the very pyramid where you find yourself now).

Climb down the steps of the pyramid, and stay toward the east as you do so, taking the eastern set of stairs when they split in two, and from there drop off the eastern ledge. Then work your way east to the edge of the pyramid, then turn north at the end to find Piece of Heart #12. A new Heart Container is a great way to start off your Dark World campaign!

As you'll find once you reach the bottom, the enemies here are considerably more powerful than their Light World counterparts--both in damage they can absorb _and_ dish out, so be especially careful while fighting them. The large cyclops enemies are known as Hinoxes, and they take so many hits at this point (even with the Master Sword) that it's best to avoid them--and the bombs they throw. The Moblins who patrol this area throwing spears are much less threatening, going down in just two hits (though watch out for those spears). The Snap Dragon--a plant-like enemy that's all mouth--will do a lot of damage to you but doesn't take too many hits, so take it out whenever you see one. If you pull on the far western statue at the bottom of the pyramid, Rupees will pop out. Also, if you're hurting for health, dash into the west purple tree for a Fairy.

From the Pyramid of Power, go east to an area with lots of large rocks (where Octoroks would roam in the Light World). Turn north, fighting your way past numerous enemies. You'll eventually encounter a tentacled mollusk called a Ropa. Ropas look like Popos, but they're much stronger. They hop toward you, so defeat them as they come to you, just bearing in mind they take several hits each. Turn east to find the place where the Magic Shop would be located in the Light World--which in the Dark World is just a regular item shop. Continue northeast, meeting new enemies Slarok (the Dark World version of the Octorok) and Ku (the Dark World version of the Zora).

Once you've gone as far northeast as you can go (i.e. where the Waterfall of Wishing and Zora's Waterfall would be in the Light World), you should see a sign warning you not to throw anything into the nearby circle of stones. This is the Lake of Ill Omen, and you should ignore that sign and throw something into that rock circle--you can even pick up and throw in the sign itself! Once you do, the Catfish who lives in this lake will surface from the circle of stones and give you an item in exchange for leaving him in peace: the Quake Medallion. This is one of three powerful medallions you can earn in the game. Using this one will cause the entire screen to shake, destroying weak enemies and turning stronger ones into Slimes. As with all medallions, be careful when using it because it consumes a lot of magic!

Backtrack southwest until you're back at the shop again. Jump into the water here, and avoiding Ku, swim into the whirlpool you find farther west. You'll be transported to the place where Lake Hylia would be in the Light World, but here in the Dark World it's the Ice Lake. Use caution as you swim west into the Ice Lake proper, as not only will Ku continue to hound you with fireballs, but so will flying mushroom-like enemies called Zirros. Blue Zirros simply fly around trying to hit you, but will fly out of the way once you attack. Green Zirros do the same thing, except they also drop bombs on you repeatedly!

Ignore the large icy edifice as you swim in these frozen waters, and make your way northwest to a large circle of stones with shallow water in the center. (Along the way you may encounter a hopping enemy known as a Pikit. Be careful of its long tongue that it will use to try to steal items from Link--including shields! If you lose the Red Shield, it costs 500 Rupees to replace it at a shop in the Dark World you can't even access yet! So make sure to give Pikits a particularly wide berth.) Defeat or evade the Green Zirro, then use the Magic Mirror while standing in the shallow water to be taken onto an otherwise inaccessible island in Lake Hylia in the Light World. Defeat the Buzz Blob here who guards Piece of Heart #13. Return to the Dark World, then swim east to a dock in the northeast corner of the Ice Lake. Time to make our way to the first dungeon of the Dark World.

Make sure you have at least 110 Rupees before beginning this next segment. (If not, there are some Rupee spots in the Light World where you can accumulate as many as you need.) From the dock where you emerged from the Ice Lake, go due north until you reach a diagonal line of trees and a cave beyond them. You'll also meet a couple new enemies here, known as Blue Taros--who charge toward you with their spears similar to Spear Soldiers in the Light World. Enter the cave to meet a Great Fairy if you need some healing. Now continue north to reach the grounds of the Palace of Darkness (this is the same place where the Eastern Palace grounds would be in the Light World).

A Snap Dragon and a Ropa meet you here. Get past the nearby Hinox as well, and follow the path it was guarding to reach a building. Inside is a tiny sentient tree. Feel free to talk to the storytelling tree to learn all about the Dark World and the Golden Power that transformed it, then dash into the north wall to break open an entrance. Inside are four skulls, each hiding a Heart in case you still need to heal. Now leave this building and follow the path south. Once you're past the six statue heads, turn east. You'll come to some gold trees, upon