Chapter 04 · Child Link · Second dungeon
Dodongo’s Cavern Walkthrough
This Dodongo’s Cavern walkthrough covers the required route from the blocked entrance through King Dodongo. To clear Dodongo’s Cavern, get the Goron’s Bracelet from Darunia with Saria’s Song, blow open the entrance with a Bomb Flower, follow the Bomb Flower route to the Bomb Bag on the upper floor, bomb the giant skull’s eyes, then feed King Dodongo Bombs when he inhales.
The remake keeps the original layout and key-item order, so the route is the same chain of cracked walls, switches and a staircase you lower with a chain of explosions. The one new wrinkle reported inside is a chest holding the Business Scrub Seed, a remake-only item. Beating King Dodongo gives a Heart Container and the Goron’s Ruby, the second Spiritual Stone.
What changed in the remake
- Confirmed Dungeon order, key item (Bomb Bag) and overall layout are unchanged from the N64 original; Nintendo describes dungeon mechanics as largely kept, with some objects moved.
- Single source New remake item, the Business Scrub Seed, which summons a Business Scrub to sell to you on demand. Nintendo Life places one in a chest after the second Lizalfos pair on 2F; the item’s existence is also documented by Zelda Wiki, but its exact chest location here rests on one guide.
- Confirmed Dedicated jump button and free camera replace the automatic ledge jump and fixed angles, which matters on the 2F gaps and the spike maze.
- Confirmed Gyro aiming for the Fairy Slingshot, useful for the eye switches above doorways and for Fire Keese.
Before you go
Dodongo’s Cavern is the second Child Link dungeon. Show Zelda’s Letter to the guard at the north gate of Kakariko Village to open Death Mountain Trail, then climb to Goron City. On the lowest floor, play Zelda’s Lullaby at the sealed door to reach Darunia, then play Saria’s Song for him. He hands over the Goron’s Bracelet, which lets a child lift Bomb Flowers.
Leave Goron City by the upper exit, pick up the Bomb Flower by the fence above the cave mouth and toss it down at the boulders blocking the entrance. You do not need your own Bombs to get in; Bomb Flowers grow throughout the early rooms and do every job until you find the Bomb Bag.
Bring the Fairy Slingshot, a few Deku Sticks and, ideally, the Hylian Shield from the Castle Town bazaar. Fire Keese and fire breath will burn a Deku Shield, and Respec’s remake guide recommends swapping before you enter. The remake’s D-pad shortcut slots make it easy to keep the Slingshot and Deku Sticks on hand without pausing.
Step-by-step route
- In the entrance hall, bomb the cracked wall ahead, then use the platforms around the central Beamos. Throw a Bomb Flower at the Beamos from the edge, head west and bomb the north wall to reach the Dungeon Map.
- Go east and bomb the south wall into the Baby Dodongo corridor. Baby Dodongos explode a moment after they die, so hit and step back or shoot them. At the far end, push the statue onto the pressure switch to open the locked door.
- Pass the Keese corridor and beat the two Lizalfos with a shield-then-counter rhythm. This opens the north-west door and drops a chest with a Red Rupee.
- In the big Dodongo hall, light a Deku Stick on the burning central torch and carry the flame to the unlit torches. That opens the switch door in the north-west of the main room.
- Bomb the left wall of the next room, deal with the Armos, and climb the ladder to the Compass.
- Back in the main hall, look for the row of Bomb Flowers with one gap. Set a Bomb Flower in the gap; the chain reaction lowers the giant staircase. Placing it while standing still is more reliable than throwing it.
- Climb to 2F. Shoot Fire Keese with the Slingshot before they reach you, use Bomb Flowers on the Armos, hit the floor switch at the top of the ladder and cross the wooden bridge to the north-west room.
- Cross the spike maze carefully (pan the camera first), push the block in the south-east corner to the west ladder, climb, and bomb the wall beside the far platform.
- Shoot the eye above the doorway to kill the flames, then defeat the second Lizalfos pair. The chest that appears holds the Business Scrub Seed, per Nintendo Life.
- Go west, shoot the eye switches to clear the fire barriers, and reach the large chest for the Bomb Bag. You can now throw Bombs at any time.
- Return to the bridge above the giant Dodongo skull and drop a Bomb into each eye socket. Both eyes must light up red before the mouth opens onto a new route on 1F.
- Go through the mouth. In the block room, push the lower blocks so you can climb, then shove the block on the upper ledge into the central hole to unlock the boss door.
- Inside, bomb the cracked floor and drop down to King Dodongo.
How to beat King Dodongo
King Dodongo has a single pattern. When he stops and starts to inhale before breathing fire, throw a Bomb straight into his open mouth; locking on helps the aim. If it lands, the blast stuns him and his head drops. Run in and slash it with the Kokiri Sword before he recovers.
After each hit he curls up and rolls around the arena. Stand in an outer corner beside the lava pit or on the sloped inner edge, where he has room to roll past you, and stay out of the lava. If you miss the Bomb timing you get fire breath instead, so sidestep and wait for the next inhale. Bomb Flowers line the arena if you run low, and a couple of Baby Dodongos may join in.
Most players finish him in a few cycles. Take the Heart Container, then step into the blue light; Darunia presents the Goron’s Ruby in the cutscene that follows.
Common stuck points
The staircase will not drop: the gap in the Bomb Flower row is the trigger. Set the Bomb Flower down in that exact spot rather than lobbing it, and stand clear as the fuse runs down the line.
The skull mouth stays shut: you need a Bomb in both eyes, and they must glow. Drop them from the bridge directly above rather than throwing from the side. One remake guide words this as a single socket, but the other remake guide and the original both require two, so treat two as the safe answer.
Doors with flames in front: look up. A small eye above or near the doorway is a Slingshot switch, and gyro aim makes the shot easier.
Gold Skulltulas: remake guides disagree on the count here. Nintendo Life lists four and FinalBoss three, while the N64 original had five, so check the Gold Skulltula checklist rather than trusting any single number.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need Bombs to enter Dodongo’s Cavern?
No. Lift the Bomb Flower above the entrance with the Goron’s Bracelet and throw it at the boulders. Bomb Flowers inside handle everything until you find the Bomb Bag.
Where is the Bomb Bag in Dodongo’s Cavern?
It is in the large chest on 2F, past the second Lizalfos fight and the eye-switch fire barriers on the west side.
How do you open the giant Dodongo skull?
Stand on the bridge above it and drop a Bomb into each eye socket. When both eyes glow red, the mouth opens a path on the ground floor.
How do you beat King Dodongo?
Throw a Bomb into his mouth while he inhales, slash his head while he is stunned, then dodge his rolling attack from an outer corner. Repeat until he falls.
What is the reward for Dodongo’s Cavern?
A Heart Container and the Goron’s Ruby, the second Spiritual Stone. The Bomb Bag you found inside also opens many cracked walls on Death Mountain.