Places in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

There are a number of locations in the video game The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. The fictional kingdom of Hyrule, where the game takes place, is split up into six distinct provinces.

Ordona Province

The Ordona Province is the southernmost area in the game. In it lies Ordon Village and Ordon Spring, the home of the Light Spirit Ordona. Ordona is not considered part of Hyrule proper .

Ordon Village

Ordon Village is Link's home town. While living there, Link worked on the Ordon Ranch as a goat herder. Within the town there are a few families and their homes, and a town shop. The town mayor's daughter, Ilia, is Link's greatest friend in the Province. In earlier demos of Twilight Princess, Ordon Village was known as Toaru (???) Village, meaning "unnamed" village. The name "toaru" is used in some translations of Twilight Princess, such as the French version, where Ordon has become "Toal".

Faron Province

The Faron Province is located directly north of the Ordona Province. It contains Faron Woods, home to the spring where the Light Spirit Faron resides, which is connected to Ordona Province by a wooden bridge. Located deep within Faron Province is the Sacred Grove. The title "Faron" bears close resemblance to the name of the Goddess of Courage, "Farore."

Faron Woods

The main area in the Faron Province is Faron Woods. In the very core of the woods is the game's first dungeon, the Forest Temple. After the Twilight Realm took over the province and was eventually eliminated from the area, a poisonous fog had permanently fallen in the large clearing in the north of the woods. Though seemingly impossible to pass through, a friendly monkey used Link's lantern to temporarily burn away the fog and allowed him to access the temple. The forest is also home to Coro, who sells lantern oil. Coro's talking pet myna bird, Trill, sells red potions and lantern oil.

Sacred Grove

The Sacred Grove is found near the entrance to the Forest Temple, but to enter it, one must find a way to cross the deep gorge around the Forest Temple. Link did so once as a wolf, and another time with the help of a Golden cucco. Deep within the grove lies the ruins of the Temple of Time, where the Master Sword rests. The presumed guardian of the woods is a Skull Kid that Link must play a game of hide and seek with while fighting off the imp's "puppets." Upon defeat, the Skull Kid will open the path to the Temple of Time. The Sacred Grove itself bears great resemblance to the Lost Woods from previous Zelda games, and they may be the same place. This is supported by the fact that Saria's Song plays in the background. The only part of the Sacred Grove that can be seen on the map is the remains of the Temple of Time.

Eldin Province

The Eldin Province is located northeast (although it is northwest in the mirrored Wii version) of the Faron Province. Here resides Kakariko Village, home to the spring of the Light Spirit Eldin, which is found within a small valley close to Death Mountain. The second syllable in the title "Eldin" is also the name of the Goddess of Power, "Din".

There are two major fields in Eldin. One is south of Kakariko Village and is split in two by a large rift in the ground named Kakariko Gorge. The other field is north of Kakariko and is extremely large, the largest field in Hyrule Field. It is inhabited by Bulblins riding boars. a huge rift almost completely surrounds this field, and north of the field is the humongous Bridge of Eldin, which leads north over a canyon that contains Zora's River down below.

Kakariko Village

Kakariko is a small, prairie-style village situated in a valley close to Death Mountain. During the cover of Twilight, most of the villagers were killed by the dark monsters trying to save the woman who owned the General Store (later Malo Mart). Therefore many buildings in the village are empty and the only shops are Barnes Bombs and Malo Mart. The village is home to Kakariko's shaman, Renado, who works to restore Ilia's memory throughout the game. Kakariko Village also contains a small graveyard, where Link finds the grave of the late king of the Zoras. Renado, Luda and Barnes are the only surviving permanent residents of the village, though the village is also inhabited by numerous Gorons as well as the Ordon children throughout the adventure. There is also a graveyard with a secret tomb of the Zora Royal Family.

Death Mountain

A strange volcano, Death Mountain is located close to Kakariko Village. Below the enormous mountain lies Spectacle Rock (as north as the player can get in the Death Mountain area). Spectacle Rock is the home of the Goron race, and also houses the entrance to the Goron Mines. Lava flows inside the mountain, and there is a hot spring located behind Spectacle Rock itself. A location is visibly reminiscent of Dodongo's Cavern from Ocarina of Time, but is inaccessible to Link.

Hidden Village

A barren, western-style town, the Hidden Village was once occupied by protectors of the Royal Family of Hyrule. Impaz, an old woman named after the original proprietress of the town, lives there in solitude under Royal Decree. Since it was abandoned, this gulch has been overrun by a band of Bulblins, who constantly patrol the area, stopping Impaz from ever leaving her home. It could be concluded that this village is the original Kakariko, from Ocarina of Time, as it was founded by a Sheikah, Impa, and resides in a similar location. Such a theory gains strength when translating the Hylian language in the Hidden Village, as one billboard says "Welcome to Old Kakariko".

Lanayru Province

The Lanayru Province is located north of the Faron Province. It is also the largest province of Hyrule. It contains Zora's River, which flows down from Zora's Domain, in the north, to Lake Hylia, where the shrine to the Light Spirit Lanayru is found. Hyrule Castle is located in the center of the province, and boasts a bustling town, Castle Town, in front of it. The name "Lanayru" bears resemblance to Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom.

Lake Hylia

Located within a large crater is Lake Hylia. The crater is spanned by a huge bridge called the Great Bridge of the Hylia. The lake is situated at the end of Zora's River. At the bottom of the lake, the Lakebed Temple can be found. The lake is also home to two business partners called Fyer and Falbi. They own, between them, a giant cannon that can fire Link from Lake Hylia to higher ground around it, and also to the Gerudo Desert.

If compared to Lake Hylia in Ocarina of Time, the water level has dropped quite dramatically, the tree that once stood on the island in the middle of the lake is now a massive stump, and the Lakeside Laboratory is Falbi's residence.

Upper Zora's River

Connecting Lake Hylia and Zora's Domain is Zora's River, but only the upper part is accessible for Link without a boat. Here, Link can find Iza, who will allow Link to canoe down the river and play a mini-game simultaneously. A short-cut to northern Hyrule Field exists here as well. Zora's River itself splits in two once leaving Zora's Domain. One part flows south and the other flows east and turns around to face west and flows under the Bridge of Eldin before meeting up with the other branch. Part of the river actually flows underground.

Fishing Hole

Existing as a sub-area within Upper Zora's River, Link can fish with various lures here. Owned by Hena, the Fishing Hole is the only place in Twilight Princess that experiences season change, which is triggered by leaving and entering the area. Hena will allow Link to either fish alone or with her, but at an extra cost. Link can also play Hena's mini-game, called Rollgoal, in order to use the frog lure.

Zora's Domain

The headwaters of Zora's River, Zora's Domain is the home of the Zora race. Initially frozen, the waters of the river must be thawed in order to refill Lake Hylia. It is the main source of water in all of Hyrule. In the water at the head of the domain there is a location Prince Ralis refers to as Mother and Child Rocks, almost definitely an allusion to the Mother and Child Islands in The Wind Waker. The Zora's Throne Room is located at the top of the huge waterfall and far above Zora's Domain. It is home to the Zora Royal Family and seems to be main source of all the water in Hyrule. It is much larger than the Throne Room featured in Ocarina of Time and features a deep pool-like area that can be explored using the Zora Armor and Iron Boots. Zora's Throne Room also contains a Warp Point which Wolf Link can access after defeating three Shadow Creatures inside the frozen Throne Room. This warp point is needed to unfreeze both the Zora's Throne Room and Zora's Domain.

Castle Town

Castle Town is located in front of Hyrule Castle, and is accessible from the east, south and west. Many businesses reside there, including Telma's Bar, where Link may gather information from the group of vigilantes working to restore peace in Hyrule. Shops there are expensive, but if Link donates enough money to Malo, found in Kakariko Village, a branch of Malo Mart with cheap prices will open in Castle Town.

Desert Province

Gerudo Desert

A desert wasteland to the west of Lake Hylia (east in the Wii version), this is the home of the Arbiter's Grounds. Since Ocarina of Time, the desert has lost the fortress once inhabited by the Gerudo, who are not mentioned in the game, despite Telma's visual resemblance to the warrior women. The Cave of Ordeals can be found in the southwest of the desert, where the Great Fairy resides. Gerudo Desert is inaccessible by conventional means from the rest of Hyrule; one must either pay Fyer for a cannon trip there or use a warp portal to Gerudo Mesa. The Mirror Chamber exists on top of the Arbiter's Grounds. In the northern part of the desert lies the Arbiter's Grounds, an ancient, abandoned prison. At its base are the ruins of a Hylian fortress now overrun by Bulblins.

Cave of Ordeals

Found in Gerudo Desert, this large cave is made up of 50 rooms, most housing a set of enemies. The battles get progressively harder as Link progresses through the cave. Every 10 floors, Link meets the Great Fairy, who releases fairies in each of the springs of the Light Spirits. The final prize is access to Great Fairy Tears, and the releasing of other Great Fairies to each spring, where Link can get a bottle of Great Fairy Tears as long as he doesn't already have some. The Cave of Ordeals is very similar to The Wind Waker's Savage Labyrinth.

Peak Province

Snowpeak

An old mansion sits here, in which two yetis, Yeto and Yeta, reside. Accessible through a small tunnel in Zora's Domain, one of the pieces of the Twilight Mirror is located here, having been collected by Yeta. Link must, however, snowboard (on a frozen leaf) down a winding path to access the mansion. Later in the game you can also race Yeto and Yeta. Once you beat Yeta, you will be rewarded a Piece of Heart.

Hyrule Field

Hyrule Field is a series of interconnected fields located in the Faron, Eldin, and Lanayru Provinces. Here Link is vulnerable to attack from many enemies found within the game. Also, a number of Golden Bugs and Pieces of Heart can be found in the various areas of the field. Link must escort Telma, Ilia, and Prince Ralis through Hyrule Field in order to advance.

Underground Caverns

There are numerous small underground caves that can only be accessed using Wolf Link's dig ability found throughout Hyrule. These caverns contain several enemies. Once all of the enemies have been defeated, a treasure chest usually appears. These chests normally contain Rupees, or, less frequently, Pieces of Heart.

Dungeons

Template:Vg-in-universe There are a total of nine dungeons in the game. Every dungeon contains a mini-boss, and later on a boss to fight. Link will find one item within each dungeon (except for the Palace of Twilight and Hyrule Castle), which becomes essential to continue through the dungeon. Link will also be able to pick up two heart pieces in each dungeon and one Heart Container after defeating each boss, except for in Hyrule Castle.

Forest Temple

• Special item: Gale Boomerang
• Mid-Boss: Ook the Baboon
• Boss: Twilit Parasite: Diababa

The Forest Temple is located in the northern section of Faron Woods. It greatly resembles the two parallel trees from Wind Waker and has the mark of the Kokiri through its walls and doors. Prior to Link first entering the Forest Temple, a total of eight monkeys have been captured and imprisoned by the malevolent forces currently residing within the temple. The mini-boss is called Ook the Baboon who throws a boomerang at Link while jumping on the pillars located in his room. Link frees and uses the help of the monkeys and the Gale Boomerang found there to defeat the boss, twin Deku Babas. After defeating them, the boss Diababa emerges out of the water. At this point, Ook will come to your aid and help you defeat Diababa. Another small detail about the Parasite is that it attaches itself to what is seemingly the core of the tree, perhaps implying that the tree is the life of the forest.

Goron Mines

• Special item: Hero's Bow
• Mid-Boss: Dangoro
• Boss: Twilit Igniter: Fyrus

Similar to its appearance in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Death Mountain has now been mined by the Gorons that reside there. When Link first comes to Death Mountain, the Gorons have become defensive. However, after winning a sumo wrestling match with a Goron elder, Link is finally granted access to the lava-filled mines. The mini-boss is a giant Goron called Dangoro. Within, Link must locate The Hero's Bow, as well as three Goron elders holding pieces of a key that will grant access to the boss of the mines. One feature within this dungeon is that Link must walk on magnetic walls and ceilings with his Iron Boots. Goron patriarch Darbus has been transformed by the second fused shadow into the Twilit Igniter: Fyrus. Interestingly, the Hylian text on the Dungeon Map reads "Golon Mines." This is only due to the lack of distinction in the Japanese language between the "R" and "L" sounds found in many other languages.

Lakebed Temple

• Special item: Clawshot
• Mid-Boss: Deku Toad
• Boss: Twilit Aquatic: Morpheel

Located at the bottom of Lake Hylia, hence the name, the Lakebed Temple, previously called the Zora Temple, is a holy place to the Zora race. After obtaining the Zora Armor, which gives Link the ability to breathe and swim underwater, Link is able to visit the Lakebed Temple. The mini-boss is called Deku Toad. By obtaining the Clawshot, Link is able to navigate the Temple, defeat Twilit Aquatic: Morpheel and obtain the third and final Fused Shadow. This temple strongly resembles the Water Temple of Ocarina of Time including its location at the bottom of Lake Hylia.

Arbiter's Grounds

• Special item: Spinner
• Mid-Boss: Death Sword
• Boss: Twilit Fossil: Stallord

Located in Gerudo Desert, Arbiter's Grounds includes an ancient arena housing the Twilight Mirror. It was originally used as a prison due to its isolation to the rest of Hyrule. This is the reason for many of the undead enemies within the area. Resting in the second basement of the dungeon is a lone sword tied down by a number of ropes. Cutting the ropes awakens the Mid-Boss, Death Sword, who bears a striking resemblance to Phantom Ganon. After obtaining the Spinner by defeating Death Sword, Link is able to find, and ultimately defeat, Twilit Fossil: Stallord. Once Link has finished the dungeon, however, he finds that the Twilight Mirror has been shattered. Arbiter's Grounds shares a similar theme to the Forest Temple of Ocarina of Time in which Link must defeat four flame-stealing Poes before he can continue his quest through the dungeon. It is also the fourth dungeon in the game, as is the Forest Temple. The sages of the Hyrule royal family originally dwelled here, protecting the Twilight Mirror. When viewed from a distance, Arbiter's Grounds resembles the Roman Colosseum, while on the inside it resembles Egyptian ruins.

Snowpeak Ruins

• Special item: Ball and Chain
• Mid-Boss: Darkhammer
• Boss: Twilit Ice Mass: Blizzeta

Snowpeak Ruins is the home of two friendly creatures: Yeto, and his wife, Yeta. It is possible that the mansion was abandoned and soon after inhabited by the two. Their mansion contains three floors, a small chapel, and a tower. Most rooms are covered in ice, due to the icy locale and the ruined state of the building (some ceilings are collapsed). The mini-boss is a living suit of armor called Darkhammer. The tower contains the bedroom of Yeto and Yeta. Here Link witnesses Yeta succumb to the power of the Twilight Mirror shard and she subsequently transforms into the Twilit Ice Mass: Blizzeta. After defeating Blizzeta, Yeto and Yeta are reunited and Link receives the second shard of the Twilight Mirror. During the ending credits, a restored Snowpeak Ruins can be seen.

Temple of Time

• Special item: Dominion Rod
• Mid-Boss: Darknut
• Boss: Twilit Arachnid: Armogohma

The Temple of Time is in ruin in the present but can still be accessed by traveling into the past via a mystical doorway. The mini-boss is a Darknut. Link obtains the Dominion Rod within the temple, which allows him to take control of specific statues, in which case, one of the statues is moved from the top floor to the bottom. Within the temple, he defeats the boss Armogohma and recovers the third shard of the Twilight Mirror. The entrance of the Temple of Time and the ruined contemporary counterpart bear uncanny resemblance to the Temple of Time and Forest Temple, both present in Ocarina of Time, while the inside resembles the Temple of the Gods from Wind Waker. The plainchant version of the Song of Time used as background music is the same sound file as was used in Ocarina of Time.

City in the Sky

• Special item: Double Clawshots
• Mid-Boss: Aeralfos
• Boss: Twilit Dragon: Argorok

The City in the Sky, a set of floating buildings, is home to the ancient Oocca race of bird-like creatures. Set high above the ground, Link must propel himself by use of a giant cannon, found in the basement of Renado's home in Kakariko Village. The mini-boss is called Aeralfos. Within the temple, Link gains another Clawshot (thus, forming the Double Clawshots), which allows him to use one to target something while holding on with the other. Link can then gain access to the boss, Twilit Dragon: Argorok, a dragon-like creature terrorizing the city. The crest on the big door leading to the Twilit Dragon bears resemblance to the crests seen on the doors in the Wind Temple in The Wind Waker.

Palace of Twilight

• Special item: Light Sword (only while in Twilight Realm)
• Mid-Boss: Phantom Zant
• Boss: Usurper King: Zant

After gaining all four shards of the Twilight Mirror, the portal to the Twilight Realm opens in the Mirror Chamber atop Arbiter's Grounds. After entering the portal, Link can reach the Palace of Twilight. The mini-boss, which is battled twice, is called Phantom Zant. There are three parts of the palace; first Link enters the left wing of the palace, and later the right wing (vice versa in the Wii version). After collecting two Sols (the power source of the Twilight Realm, compared to the Sun in Hyrule - the word "sol" also means "sun" in Latin), the power of the Sols is stored into the Master Sword (but only while in the Twilight Realm). Link gains the power to repel fog made from Shadow Crystals and defeat the boss, Usurper King: Zant.

Hyrule Castle

• Mid-Boss: King Bulblin
• Bosses:
  • Ganon's Puppet: Zelda
  • Dark Beast: Ganon
  • Dark Rider: Ganondorf
  • Dark Lord: Ganondorf

Hyrule Castle is helmed by Ganondorf. The mini-boss is King Bulblin, who is revealed to be intelligent. Much of the castle is in ruins, forcing Link to use items such as the Spinner and the Double Clawshots to propel him across long distances. In the Hyrule Castle throne room, Ganondorf takes control of Zelda's body, and Link must fight her. Ganondorf is then transformed into Dark Beast: Ganon. Once he is defeated, Midna attempts to destroy him using the Fused Shadows. Ganon survives, and fights Link on a horse in the form of Ganondorf. Zelda fires Light Arrows at him, and Link follows up with sword attacks. Finally, Ganondorf duels with Link on foot. When Ganondorf is defeated, Link impales him in the chest with the Master Sword, and light returns to Hyrule.

Trivia

In the original version of the game (the GameCube version, as opposed to the Wii version which is mirrored), most places are located in exactly the same location as Ocarina of Time, with Death Mountain in the northeast, Lake Hylia in the southwest, Gerudo Desert (Desert Colossus) in the west, and Hyrule Castle Town in the very center.