Chapter 12 · Adult Link · Main dungeon
Shadow Temple Walkthrough
To clear the Shadow Temple, warp in with the Nocturne of Shadow, light the torch ring with Din’s Fire, keep the Lens of Truth handy, earn the Hover Boots from Dead Hand, then ride the ghost ship to the Boss Key and Bongo Bongo.
Almost every puzzle hinges on spotting something invisible, so put the Lens on a D-pad slot before you start. The route runs through the blade and Beamos rooms, the guillotine corridor, the fan room and the ship, collecting five Small Keys on the way. Bongo Bongo falls once you stun both hands with arrows and shoot its hidden eye.
What changed in the remake
- Confirmed The Lens of Truth can sit on a D-pad shortcut and be toggled without opening the menu, which games.gg singles out as a help in this temple.
- Confirmed Hover Boots, Iron Boots and the Lens can all be swapped through the four D-pad slots in real time.
- Confirmed No remake guide reports layout or puzzle changes inside the Shadow Temple; the route matches the original.
- Single source Bosses are described as easier overall, but no specific change to Bongo Bongo is listed.
Before you go
After the Forest, Fire and Water Temples, Sheik meets you in Kakariko Village and teaches the Nocturne of Shadow. Playing it warps you to the ledge above the graveyard where the temple entrance is.
You can’t get in without Din’s Fire. If you skipped it, visit the Great Fairy’s Fountain near Hyrule Castle; as a child, bomb open the entrance and play Zelda’s Lullaby inside. You also need the Lens of Truth from the Bottom of the Well, the Longshot from the Water Temple, the Iron Boots, the Bow, plenty of Bombs and the Sun’s Song for ReDeads and Gibdos. Learn the Scarecrow’s Song at Lake Hylia if you want every Gold Skulltula. Your magic meter will run low between the Lens and Din’s Fire, so bring a Green or Blue Potion if you have a spare Bottle.
Step-by-step route
- Stand in the middle of the unlit torch ring at the entrance and cast Din’s Fire. All the torches light and the wall opens.
- Longshot across the first pit. In the next room, turn on the Lens: only one skull is real. Rotate the bird statue so its beak points at that skull. Picking a fake one drops the floor and sends you back.
- Before crossing, find the map room through false portraits and walls, then defeat the Keese and ReDead inside. Continue through hidden walls to Dead Hand’s room and beat it for the Hover Boots.
- Return to the bird statue. Equip the Hover Boots, line up squarely with the tongue-shaped ledge and run straight across. The hover ends early, but a straight line lets you grab the edge.
- In the Beamos hub, take the spinning-blade room for Silver Rupees and the first Small Key. Freeze the two Gibdos with the Sun’s Song to earn the Compass. Bomb the Beamos and the cracked wall to move on.
- Cross the guillotine corridor one blade at a time, waiting for each to rise, and clear the Skulltulas. In the large cavern, beat the Wallmaster, Bubble and Stalfos, then use the Hover Boots to reach the rising platform.
- In the falling-spike room, push or pull the movable block under the dropping slabs so you can climb past. Pulling is safer. Step on the floor switch for the second Small Key.
- In the hidden-target room, freeze the ReDeads, Longshot to targets you can only see with the Lens, and collect the Silver Rupees. Shoot or drop a Bomb Flower into the giant skull for the third Small Key.
- In the fan room, wear the Iron Boots to walk against the wind and Longshot to the wooden beam. Raise your shield against the flame-spitting eye overhead. When the fan pauses, switch to the Hover Boots and run through the false wall. Bomb the skull pile and use the Lens to find the invisible chest with the fourth key.
- Pull the block into the gap under the ladder, climb to the ship, stand on the Triforce mark and play Zelda’s Lullaby. Fight the Stalfos during the ride and jump to the ledge when the ship starts sinking.
- Navigate the invisible-wall maze with the Lens, killing Floormasters and their small hands. Burn the spiked wooden walls with Din’s Fire, beat the ReDeads and open the large chest for the Boss Key. The south door holds the last Small Key behind an invisible Floormaster.
- Shoot the Bomb Flower beside the large statue so it topples into a bridge. Use your last Small Key, cross the final invisible platforms with the Hover Boots and the Lens, and open the boss door.
How to beat Bongo Bongo
Bongo Bongo is an invisible body with two giant floating hands, and the arena floor is a drum that bounces Link when it pounds. Wear the Hover Boots to avoid being bounced, but take them off when you need to dodge, since they slide.
Target one hand and shoot it with an arrow while it holds still, then quickly hit the other hand before the first recovers. With both stunned, turn on the Lens to see the body, and shoot the red eye before its charge reaches you. When it drops, attack with your sword, then back off and repeat. If you fall off the drum, climb back from the outer edge. Turn the Lens off while you handle the hands to save magic. When it falls, take the Heart Container and warp out for the Shadow Medallion.
Collectibles worth grabbing
The Shadow Temple holds five Gold Skulltulas, according to games.gg and the original-game guides. They are in the invisible blade room, above the spikes after you move a block, behind the giant skull, near the scarecrow ledge by the ship dock and in a room with skull pots you have to bomb. The scarecrow one needs the Scarecrow’s Song and the Hookshot. No remake Heart Piece list puts a Heart Piece in this temple.
Common stuck points
If the floor keeps dropping at the bird statue, the beak is aimed at a fake skull; use the Lens and point it at the one that stays visible. If you can’t cross the fan room, use the Iron Boots against the wind and wait for a pause to switch boots. If the ship won’t move, check you are standing on the Triforce mark. The spiked walls in the Boss Key room need Din’s Fire, not Bombs, and the statue bridge falls only when you hit its Bomb Flower with an arrow.
Frequently asked questions
How do you open the Shadow Temple?
Warp in with the Nocturne of Shadow, then stand in the ring of torches and cast Din’s Fire to light them all at once. The doorway opens behind them.
Where do you get the Hover Boots?
Inside the Shadow Temple, as the reward for defeating Dead Hand behind the false walls near the start.
Which skull is the right one at the bird statue?
Turn on the Lens of Truth. Fake skulls vanish, and the one that stays visible is where the beak should point.
How do you beat Bongo Bongo?
Shoot both hands with arrows to stun them, use the Lens of Truth to see the body, shoot its eye, then attack with your sword. Repeat until it goes down.
Did the Shadow Temple change in the Switch 2 remake?
No guide reports layout changes. The main difference is convenience: the Lens of Truth and both boots can be swapped through D-pad shortcuts.