Chapter 06 · Child → Adult Link · Main quest
Temple of Time and the Master Sword
With all three Spiritual Stones, go back to the Castle Town drawbridge, dive into the moat for the Ocarina of Time Zelda throws you, learn the Song of Time, then play it at the Temple of Time altar to open the Door of Time and pull the Master Sword.
Drawing the sword seals Link away for seven years. You wake as an adult in the Chamber of Sages, receive the Light Medallion from Rauru, and meet Sheik back in the Temple of Time. On Switch 2 the Song of Time is A L R A L R, and humming it only works once the game has taught it to you.
What changed in the remake
- Confirmed Cutscenes are fully voiced, including Zelda and Ganondorf, so the drawbridge escape and the Sacred Realm scenes now have spoken dialogue.
- Confirmed The Song of Time is A L R A L R on Switch 2 buttons, mirroring the N64 C-Right, A, C-Down pattern.
- Confirmed Songs can be hummed into the Switch 2 microphone or played on a real ocarina, but this does not skip progression: the Door of Time stays shut until Link has learned the Song of Time in the story.
- Confirmed The Threads of Time tapestry shows your current story objective, which helps if you lose track of where to go after waking as an adult.
Before you go
Open the quest screen and confirm you hold Kokiri’s Emerald, Goron’s Ruby and Zora’s Sapphire. If the Sapphire is missing, you still need Ruto’s Letter and Jabu-Jabu’s Belly. Nothing else is mandatory.
It is worth tidying up child-only tasks first, though none of them lock you out permanently because you can return to childhood later. The most important is Epona’s Song from Malon at Lon Lon Ranch, since adult Link needs it to win Epona. FinalBoss’s remake guide also lists teaching the scarecrow Bonooru a tune, planting Magic Beans in soft soil, and other setups that only pay off as an adult.
Also remember that adult Link cannot use the Slingshot, Boomerang or Kokiri Sword, and on N64 the Deku Shield was too small for him; plan on buying a Hylian Shield. Remake guides have not reported a change here.
Step-by-step route
- Leave Castle Town toward Hyrule Field with all three Spiritual Stones. Approaching the drawbridge triggers the escape scene: Impa rides out with Zelda on horseback and Ganondorf follows.
- Watch for Zelda throwing something into the moat as she passes. When the scene ends, Ganondorf confronts Link briefly, then leaves.
- Dive into the moat beside the drawbridge and pick up the Ocarina of Time. If you cannot see it, swim along the bank near the bridge; it settles in the water close by.
- Taking it starts a vision of Zelda who teaches the Song of Time. Play A L R A L R on Switch 2 when prompted (C-Right, A, C-Down twice on N64).
- Walk back through the Market and take the northeast path to the Temple of Time.
- Go up to the altar at the back of the main hall. Link sets the three Spiritual Stones in place.
- Play the Song of Time at the altar. The Door of Time behind it opens.
- Walk through to the inner chamber and pull the Master Sword from its pedestal.
- Watch the cutscene: Ganondorf slips into the Sacred Realm behind you, and Link is sealed away for seven years.
- Wake in the Chamber of Sages, talk to Rauru, and receive the Light Medallion.
- Return to the Temple of Time, where Sheik explains the five temples and the Sages you need to wake.
- Head out to a changed Castle Town and on to Kakariko. Your next goal is Dampé’s grave race in the graveyard for the Hookshot, which opens the route to the Forest Temple.
Switching between child and adult
Time travel is done at the pedestal: put the Master Sword back to become a child, pull it again to grow up. FinalBoss notes that you cannot return the sword straight after first waking; it only becomes a free age switch once the Forest Temple is cleared. After that dungeon, Sheik teaches the Prelude of Light (X A X A Y X on Switch 2) in the Temple of Time, which warps you straight back to the pedestal from anywhere.
The Song of Time also moves the blue blocks marked with the Door of Time emblem, which turn up later in the adult half of the game.
What changes when you wake up
Seven years pass in the story, and Hyrule reflects it. Castle Town is overrun and empty, Ganondorf now holds the castle, and several characters you met as a child have moved or changed roles. Talon, Malon and Ingo at Lon Lon Ranch, the Kakariko residents and the Gorons all have new situations to deal with, and most of the adult side quests start from those changes.
Your toolkit changes too. Adult Link swings the Master Sword, can later wield the Megaton Hammer and Bow, and gains the Hookshot from Dampé’s race. Child items such as the Slingshot and Boomerang wait in your inventory for trips back in time. Because the remake adds four D-pad shortcut slots, it is worth re-assigning them after the jump so your adult tools are one press away.
If you lose the thread after the long cutscene sequence, open the Threads of Time tapestry. It shows the current objective, which right now points you toward the Forest Temple via Kakariko and the Lost Woods.
Common stuck points
The cutscene does not start at the drawbridge: you are missing a Spiritual Stone. Check the quest screen.
The Door of Time stays closed: Link has not learned the Song of Time yet. Knowing the melody yourself, or humming it, does not replace the lesson by the moat.
You cannot become a child again: finish the Forest Temple first.
An item is greyed out: several items are restricted to one age even though they stay in your inventory.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Ocarina of Time?
In the moat next to the Castle Town drawbridge. Zelda throws it there during her escape once you hold all three Spiritual Stones, and you dive in to get it.
What is the Song of Time input on Switch 2?
A L R A L R. On N64 it was C-Right, A, C-Down, repeated.
How do you open the Door of Time?
Stand at the altar in the Temple of Time with all three Spiritual Stones and play the Song of Time.
Can you go back to being a child after getting the Master Sword?
Yes, by returning the sword to its pedestal, but only after you clear the Forest Temple. Pull it again to switch back to adult.
Should I finish anything before pulling the Master Sword?
Learning Epona’s Song is the most useful. Everything else child-only can be done later after you unlock age switching.