Dungeon Overviews

Navigate Skyview Temple, Earth Temple, and Lanayru Mining Facility using the Slingshot, Bombs, and Gust Bellows in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD.

Welcome, brave hero, to the comprehensive Dungeon Overviews section! Here, you'll find detailed strategies, item locations, and puzzle solutions for every major dungeon in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD. Prepare yourself for the challenges ahead with these actionable walkthrough steps designed to guide you through each perilous location.

Skyview Temple

Your very first true dungeon, Skyview Temple, introduces you to many core mechanics. Don't underestimate its early challenges!

• Entrance and Initial Puzzles:
  • Upon entering, dispatch the two Keese. Head straight and defeat the Deku Baba to clear the path.
  • You'll encounter a locked door. To open it, look for a vine on the left wall. Climb it to reach a higher ledge.
  • On this ledge, you'll find a switch. Strike it with your sword to activate a mechanism, lowering a gate and revealing a path forward.
• Slingshot Acquisition:
  • After navigating a few corridors and defeating some Bokoblins, you'll reach a room with a large, central tree.
  • Look for a chest on a raised platform. To access it, you'll need to find a way to activate a nearby switch.
  • The switch is often hidden behind some vines or requires a precise sword slash. Once activated, a bridge will extend. Cross it to open the chest and claim your first dungeon item: the Slingshot.
• Using the Slingshot:
  • The Slingshot is crucial for hitting distant targets. Practice aiming at the eyes of Deku Babas to stun them, then finish them with your sword.
  • You'll immediately need it to hit a switch across a gap, opening a door to the next area.
• Mini-Boss: Stalfos
  • The Stalfos is a skeletal warrior with a large sword. Its attacks are slow but powerful.
  • Strategy: Observe its guard. It will block certain directions. Attack from an unguarded direction. If it raises its sword high, prepare to parry or dodge its overhead swing. Repeat this process until it falls.
  • Defeating the Stalfos grants you the Dungeon Map, revealing the layout of Skyview Temple.
• Navigating to the Boss:
  • With the Dungeon Map, you can better plan your route. Look for areas marked with a boss icon.
  • You'll encounter more Keese and Bokoblins. Use your Slingshot to stun enemies or hit switches from afar.
  • One key puzzle involves a series of rotating platforms. Use your Slingshot to hit the crystal switches on the walls to rotate the platforms and create a path.
• Boss Key:
  • The Boss Key is typically found in a chest after a significant puzzle or mini-boss encounter. In Skyview Temple, it's often located after a series of platforming challenges that require precise Slingshot usage.
  • Once you have the Boss Key, head to the large double doors marked on your map.

Earth Temple

The fiery Earth Temple presents new environmental hazards and enemies. Be prepared for intense heat and rolling boulders!

• Entrance and Lava Hazards:
  • The Earth Temple is filled with rivers of lava. Avoid touching them at all costs.
  • You'll immediately encounter Lizalfos. These agile enemies guard the initial pathways.
  • Strategy: Lizalfos are quick. Block their attacks and counter-attack when their guard is down. A well-timed Shield Bash can stun them, leaving them vulnerable.
• Bomb Bag Acquisition:
  • Progress through the initial lava-filled rooms, often by riding on moving platforms or using your Slingshot to hit switches.
  • You'll eventually reach a chamber with a large, cracked wall or a pile of rubble blocking a path.
  • Look for a chest in this area, often on a small, accessible island or ledge. Open it to receive the Bomb Bag, along with a starting supply of Bombs.
• Using Bombs:
  • Bombs are essential for destroying cracked walls, rubble, and certain enemies.
  • Immediately use a Bomb to clear the path you found earlier, revealing a new section of the dungeon.
  • Bombs can also be rolled or thrown. Rolling is useful for reaching targets at ground level, while throwing is better for elevated targets.
• Rolling Boulder Puzzles:
  • A recurring mechanic in the Earth Temple involves large, rolling boulders. These can crush Link instantly.
  • Strategy: Observe their patterns. You'll often need to use Bombs to destroy obstacles in their path or to create new paths by blowing up cracked sections of the floor or walls, diverting the boulders.
  • One notable puzzle requires you to roll a Bomb into the mouth of a large, stone statue to activate a mechanism.
• Mini-Boss: Mogma Miner
  • This mini-boss is a large Mogma wielding a pickaxe. It's surprisingly agile for its size.
  • Strategy: The Mogma Miner will burrow underground and pop up to attack. When it surfaces, quickly attack its exposed back. It will often throw rocks at you; use your shield to deflect them. Repeat this process until it is defeated.
  • Defeating the Mogma Miner rewards you with the Digging Mitts, allowing you to dig in soft patches of ground.
• Navigating to the Boss:
  • Utilize your new Digging Mitts to unearth hidden passages, switches, or even treasure chests in soft soil patches.
  • You'll encounter more fire-based enemies like Fire Keese and Pyrups. Use your shield to block Pyrup fireballs and attack their exposed bodies.
  • Many paths will require precise Bomb placement to clear obstacles or activate distant switches.
• Boss Key:
  • The Boss Key in Earth Temple is often found after a complex puzzle involving diverting a rolling boulder to smash through a specific barrier, or after a series of timed Bomb puzzles.
  • Once secured, head for the massive boss door.