How to Beat the Water Temple in Ocarina of Time
Make sure you have what you need., Go to Lake Hylia., Enter the Water Temple., Reunite with Princess Ruto., Follow Princess Ruto., Drain the water., Get the Dungeon Map., Fill the temple halfway., Find the Compass., Find Small Key 1., Locate Small...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Make sure you have what you need.
In order to beat the Water Temple, you will need arrows, bombs, the Zora Tunic, the Hookshot, and the Iron Boots.
Check that you have all of these items before you proceed. -
Step 2: Go to Lake Hylia.
To warp to Lake Hylia, play the Serenade of Water (you learn this from Sheik the first time you enter Lake Hylia).
You will see a mostly dried-up lake and a small pool of water.
You'll need to sink into that pool using the Iron Boots to enter the temple. , Put on your Zora Tunic and your Iron Boots, then sink down to the bottom of the pool.
When you look up, you will see a blue crystal.
Hit it with the Hookshot to lift the temple gate.
Take off the Boots, and you will be able to swim into the temple. , Put the Iron Boots back on.
Look for the opening with a torch on either side.
Go through it and follow the path to find Princess Ruto. , After you reunite with Princess Ruto, she will ask you to follow her upwards.
She will show you that you can change the water level in the temple.
Take the Boots back off and follow her. , When you reach the surface, you'll notice that Princess Ruto is gone.
Get out of the water and head to the Triforce symbol on the wall.
Play Zelda's Lullaby to drain all the water away.
Note that you'll need to return and repeat this process at various points to beat the Water Temple.
Every time you want to drain the water, simply come back here and play Zelda's Lullaby at the Triforce symbol again. , Go through the door and kill all the spiked enemies.
A treasure chest will appear, and you will receive the Dungeon Map.
Exit the room and jump down to the ground. , Go into the central pillar (the first time you do this, you'll need a key).
Latch onto the upper ledge with your Hookshot.
Play Zelda's Lullaby at the Triforce symbol, and the temple will fill halfway.
Note that, as with the process to drain the water completely, this procedure to fill the temple halfway will need to be repeated in order to beat the Water Temple.
Each time you need to do this, come back and play Zelda's Lullaby at the Triforce symbol in the central pillar. , Look for the door with two pots at its entrance.
Follow the path until you see spikes, then latch onto the target on the wall to get onto the ledge.
Use any target on the roof to get to the top of the room.
You will now be able to see a crystal and a chest in a geyser.
Shoot the crystal with an arrow to collect the Compass. , You probably already know that Small Keys are absolutely crucial for navigating temples.
There are six of them in the Water Temple.
To get the first one, drain the water away, then jump down to the ground.
Light the two torches, either by shooting arrows through them or by using Din's Fire, and a door will open in front of you.
Go through it and kill the Shell Blade enemies inside, and a chest containing a Small Key will appear. , This one is a bit more difficult to find and involves taking your Boots on and off to sink and surface repeatedly.
Start by draining the water away and finding the opening with a giant brown block obstructing it.
Push the block until it sinks underwater, then put on your Iron Boots to sink.
Next:
Dive down and go to the end of the hallway.
Take your Boots off and float up to the surface.
Hit the nearby crystal to activate a geyser.
Use that geyser as a step to cross the gap, and head to the next room, which will have a whirlpool.
Put your Boots on and sink underwater again.
You will see a statue.
Hit the crystal in the statue's mouth with your Hookshot and kill all the Shell Blade enemies.
Take your Boots off.
Float upwards, and you will see a chest.
Open it, and you will find
-- finally!
-- the second Small Key. , Fill the temple halfway with water.
Then return to the place where you first saw Princess Ruto and float upwards.
When you reach a wall with a crack, detonate it with a Bomb.
Collect the Small Key inside. , Fill the temple halfway with water.
You will see that the platform in the pillar rises too.
Sink into the hole underneath, follow the path, and when you see a crystal, hit it.
Kill the enemies that appear, and a gate will open on the roof.
Float upwards to get your fourth Small Key. , This Small Key is also more complicated to find.
You can only do it after you have found the Longshot and moved the block with the Song of Time to access a cavern.
Once you have done that:
Swim the cavern's path, taking care to avoid being caught in the vortexes.
At the end of the path, you will see a small ledge with an eye in front of it.
Shoot it to open the adjacent cage.
Using the Longshot, latch yourself quickly to the chest inside.
The gate will close within a few seconds, so you'll have to hurry.
Inside the chest, you will find the fifth Small Key.
Collect it and follow the short path back to the room with the dragon statue.
Follow your map to return to the main room. , Fill the temple halfway and look for the closed opening with an eye.
Shoot the eye to lift the gate and expose a target, then latch onto the target to reach the opening before the gate closes.
Follow the path until you come to a giant block.
Push the block out of the way, head right, and you'll see a chest with your sixth Small Key.
Now you have them all! To return to the main room, go to the other end of the pathway and latch onto the target above you. , To fill the temple completely, the water must be at the halfway mark, and you must be on the second floor.
Go through the door with the target.
Inside, set a bomb and stand on the geyser (but watch out for the Tektite!).
When the geyser raises you to the next room, go through the door and play Zelda's Lullaby at the Triforce symbol.
As with draining the Water Temple and filling it halfway, filling the temple completely is a procedure you will need to repeat.
Each time you need to fill the temple, repeat this step. , Return to the main room.
Go through the door with the brown platform, and you will find yourself in a room with a massive gap.
Jump onto the lowest moving platform and then use the Hookshot to climb the stairs. , You will see a room with statues and small pillars. , You will see a red crystal on one of the pillars.
Hit it with the Hookshot or an arrow to turn it blue.
The statues in the room will begin to rise, and Hookshot targets will be revealed. , To do this, first latch onto the target in front of you.
Then switch the crystal off again and latch onto the nearby target.
Climb over the statue's head, switch the crystal back on, and latch onto the last statue.
Shoot the crystal again, and once the statue has lowered, climb on its head and shoot the crystal one last time.
You will now be able to reach the ledge behind it.
Beware of the Like Like in front of the door! If it catches you, you will lose your Zora Tunic and your Hylian Shield.
To get them back, destroy the Like Like. , Dark Link is Link's evil doppelgänger.
To find him, go to the locked door on the other side of the room.
When you reach it, turn around.
You will see a shadowy figure by an island
-- that's Dark Link! , Attack the shadowy figure to start the mini-boss battle with Dark Link.
Striking him directly will not be effective; he has all of your standard attacks.
Instead, attack him with items that he cannot copy, like Din's Fire or the Megaton Hammer.
Repeat as many times as necessary to defeat him, watching his movements carefully
-- when you strike him, he will appear behind you. , When you defeat Dark Link, the room will change in appearance, and the doors will unlock.
Head into the next room and open the chest to collect the Longshot, an upgraded version of the Hookshot that can shoot twice as far. , To do that, drain the water completely.
Look for the opening that leads underwater (it's in the northern part of the temple).
Dive under, follow the path, then turn around and latch onto the target above you.
Latch onto the target above the door, then use a Small Key to open it.
You will find yourself in a room full of Tektites (the spider-like enemies). , From the Tektite room, make your way underwater using the Iron Boots.
Swim to the next room. , Once in the next room, you will see a pool of water and a long platform to your left.
Jump onto the platform and kill the Stingers.
Look at the wall by the entrance.
Part of it will have a lighter color than the rest.
Use a bomb to detonate that part of the wall, and a secret passage will appear. , After you find the secret passage, you will see another weak wall.
Detonate it with a bomb, and a brown block will appear.
Navigate around the block and push it until it falls on top of a switch.
A new door on the left side of the room will become available. , Climb the stairs, go through the new door, and press the switch to activate three geysers in the gap beside you. , Cross the gap as quickly as possible, avoiding the Tektites.
You will be able to enter the next room, where you will see a small waterfall. , Boulders will roll down from the right of the waterfall.
Avoid them and head into the gap, following the underwater path until you find a dead end. , When you hit the dead end, kill the Shell Blade and then float upwards.
Inside the door in front of you will be the Boss Key. , Once you have the Boss Key, return to the main room.
Fill the temple completely with water, then move around until you notice a statue with a Hookshot target on it.
Use your Longshot to latch onto it and access the door behind it.
You will find yourself in a room with a steep slope and a Boss door at the end.
Walk up the slope, avoiding the blades that slide across the room.
Inside the Boss door is Morpha, the Boss of the Water Temple. , Morpha is the evil monster hoarding all of Lake Hylia's water.
It can manipulate all water it touches, making it a frightening opponent.
To emerge victorious, use the following tips:
Pull Morpha's nucleus close to you with the Longshot, then hit it with your sword.
Stay off the islands and use the perimeter of the room.
Morpha's reach is limited, and you can use that to your advantage.
Don't try to handle Morpha underwater! You won't be able to use your sword underwater, so stick to the surface. , Once you have destroyed Morpha, grab your Heart Container and exit through the portal.
Congratulations! You have finally beaten the difficult and annoying Water Temple! , When you enter the Sacred Realm, you will learn that the Water Sage is Princess Ruto herself.
She will award you the Water Medallion and assure you that Princess Zelda is safe. -
Step 3: Enter the Water Temple.
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Step 4: Reunite with Princess Ruto.
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Step 5: Follow Princess Ruto.
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Step 6: Drain the water.
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Step 7: Get the Dungeon Map.
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Step 8: Fill the temple halfway.
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Step 9: Find the Compass.
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Step 10: Find Small Key 1.
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Step 11: Locate Small Key 2.
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Step 12: Obtain Small Key 3.
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Step 13: Get Small Key 4.
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Step 14: Acquire Small Key 5.
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Step 15: Collect Small Key 6.
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Step 16: Fill the temple with water.
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Step 17: Get to the top of the stairs.
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Step 18: Use a Small Key to open the door.
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Step 19: Make the statues rise to reveal Hookshot targets.
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Step 20: Get to the ledge.
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Step 21: Find Dark Link.
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Step 22: Defeat Dark Link.
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Step 23: Get the Longshot.
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Step 24: Find the room filled with Tektites.
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Step 25: Access the next room.
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Step 26: Find the secret passage.
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Step 27: Activate the switch.
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Step 28: Activate the geysers.
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Step 29: Proceed to the next room.
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Step 30: Reach the dead end.
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Step 31: Get the Boss Key.
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Step 32: Locate Morpha.
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Step 33: Fight Morpha.
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Step 34: Collect your Heart Container.
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Step 35: Get your Water Medallion.
Detailed Guide
In order to beat the Water Temple, you will need arrows, bombs, the Zora Tunic, the Hookshot, and the Iron Boots.
Check that you have all of these items before you proceed.
To warp to Lake Hylia, play the Serenade of Water (you learn this from Sheik the first time you enter Lake Hylia).
You will see a mostly dried-up lake and a small pool of water.
You'll need to sink into that pool using the Iron Boots to enter the temple. , Put on your Zora Tunic and your Iron Boots, then sink down to the bottom of the pool.
When you look up, you will see a blue crystal.
Hit it with the Hookshot to lift the temple gate.
Take off the Boots, and you will be able to swim into the temple. , Put the Iron Boots back on.
Look for the opening with a torch on either side.
Go through it and follow the path to find Princess Ruto. , After you reunite with Princess Ruto, she will ask you to follow her upwards.
She will show you that you can change the water level in the temple.
Take the Boots back off and follow her. , When you reach the surface, you'll notice that Princess Ruto is gone.
Get out of the water and head to the Triforce symbol on the wall.
Play Zelda's Lullaby to drain all the water away.
Note that you'll need to return and repeat this process at various points to beat the Water Temple.
Every time you want to drain the water, simply come back here and play Zelda's Lullaby at the Triforce symbol again. , Go through the door and kill all the spiked enemies.
A treasure chest will appear, and you will receive the Dungeon Map.
Exit the room and jump down to the ground. , Go into the central pillar (the first time you do this, you'll need a key).
Latch onto the upper ledge with your Hookshot.
Play Zelda's Lullaby at the Triforce symbol, and the temple will fill halfway.
Note that, as with the process to drain the water completely, this procedure to fill the temple halfway will need to be repeated in order to beat the Water Temple.
Each time you need to do this, come back and play Zelda's Lullaby at the Triforce symbol in the central pillar. , Look for the door with two pots at its entrance.
Follow the path until you see spikes, then latch onto the target on the wall to get onto the ledge.
Use any target on the roof to get to the top of the room.
You will now be able to see a crystal and a chest in a geyser.
Shoot the crystal with an arrow to collect the Compass. , You probably already know that Small Keys are absolutely crucial for navigating temples.
There are six of them in the Water Temple.
To get the first one, drain the water away, then jump down to the ground.
Light the two torches, either by shooting arrows through them or by using Din's Fire, and a door will open in front of you.
Go through it and kill the Shell Blade enemies inside, and a chest containing a Small Key will appear. , This one is a bit more difficult to find and involves taking your Boots on and off to sink and surface repeatedly.
Start by draining the water away and finding the opening with a giant brown block obstructing it.
Push the block until it sinks underwater, then put on your Iron Boots to sink.
Next:
Dive down and go to the end of the hallway.
Take your Boots off and float up to the surface.
Hit the nearby crystal to activate a geyser.
Use that geyser as a step to cross the gap, and head to the next room, which will have a whirlpool.
Put your Boots on and sink underwater again.
You will see a statue.
Hit the crystal in the statue's mouth with your Hookshot and kill all the Shell Blade enemies.
Take your Boots off.
Float upwards, and you will see a chest.
Open it, and you will find
-- finally!
-- the second Small Key. , Fill the temple halfway with water.
Then return to the place where you first saw Princess Ruto and float upwards.
When you reach a wall with a crack, detonate it with a Bomb.
Collect the Small Key inside. , Fill the temple halfway with water.
You will see that the platform in the pillar rises too.
Sink into the hole underneath, follow the path, and when you see a crystal, hit it.
Kill the enemies that appear, and a gate will open on the roof.
Float upwards to get your fourth Small Key. , This Small Key is also more complicated to find.
You can only do it after you have found the Longshot and moved the block with the Song of Time to access a cavern.
Once you have done that:
Swim the cavern's path, taking care to avoid being caught in the vortexes.
At the end of the path, you will see a small ledge with an eye in front of it.
Shoot it to open the adjacent cage.
Using the Longshot, latch yourself quickly to the chest inside.
The gate will close within a few seconds, so you'll have to hurry.
Inside the chest, you will find the fifth Small Key.
Collect it and follow the short path back to the room with the dragon statue.
Follow your map to return to the main room. , Fill the temple halfway and look for the closed opening with an eye.
Shoot the eye to lift the gate and expose a target, then latch onto the target to reach the opening before the gate closes.
Follow the path until you come to a giant block.
Push the block out of the way, head right, and you'll see a chest with your sixth Small Key.
Now you have them all! To return to the main room, go to the other end of the pathway and latch onto the target above you. , To fill the temple completely, the water must be at the halfway mark, and you must be on the second floor.
Go through the door with the target.
Inside, set a bomb and stand on the geyser (but watch out for the Tektite!).
When the geyser raises you to the next room, go through the door and play Zelda's Lullaby at the Triforce symbol.
As with draining the Water Temple and filling it halfway, filling the temple completely is a procedure you will need to repeat.
Each time you need to fill the temple, repeat this step. , Return to the main room.
Go through the door with the brown platform, and you will find yourself in a room with a massive gap.
Jump onto the lowest moving platform and then use the Hookshot to climb the stairs. , You will see a room with statues and small pillars. , You will see a red crystal on one of the pillars.
Hit it with the Hookshot or an arrow to turn it blue.
The statues in the room will begin to rise, and Hookshot targets will be revealed. , To do this, first latch onto the target in front of you.
Then switch the crystal off again and latch onto the nearby target.
Climb over the statue's head, switch the crystal back on, and latch onto the last statue.
Shoot the crystal again, and once the statue has lowered, climb on its head and shoot the crystal one last time.
You will now be able to reach the ledge behind it.
Beware of the Like Like in front of the door! If it catches you, you will lose your Zora Tunic and your Hylian Shield.
To get them back, destroy the Like Like. , Dark Link is Link's evil doppelgänger.
To find him, go to the locked door on the other side of the room.
When you reach it, turn around.
You will see a shadowy figure by an island
-- that's Dark Link! , Attack the shadowy figure to start the mini-boss battle with Dark Link.
Striking him directly will not be effective; he has all of your standard attacks.
Instead, attack him with items that he cannot copy, like Din's Fire or the Megaton Hammer.
Repeat as many times as necessary to defeat him, watching his movements carefully
-- when you strike him, he will appear behind you. , When you defeat Dark Link, the room will change in appearance, and the doors will unlock.
Head into the next room and open the chest to collect the Longshot, an upgraded version of the Hookshot that can shoot twice as far. , To do that, drain the water completely.
Look for the opening that leads underwater (it's in the northern part of the temple).
Dive under, follow the path, then turn around and latch onto the target above you.
Latch onto the target above the door, then use a Small Key to open it.
You will find yourself in a room full of Tektites (the spider-like enemies). , From the Tektite room, make your way underwater using the Iron Boots.
Swim to the next room. , Once in the next room, you will see a pool of water and a long platform to your left.
Jump onto the platform and kill the Stingers.
Look at the wall by the entrance.
Part of it will have a lighter color than the rest.
Use a bomb to detonate that part of the wall, and a secret passage will appear. , After you find the secret passage, you will see another weak wall.
Detonate it with a bomb, and a brown block will appear.
Navigate around the block and push it until it falls on top of a switch.
A new door on the left side of the room will become available. , Climb the stairs, go through the new door, and press the switch to activate three geysers in the gap beside you. , Cross the gap as quickly as possible, avoiding the Tektites.
You will be able to enter the next room, where you will see a small waterfall. , Boulders will roll down from the right of the waterfall.
Avoid them and head into the gap, following the underwater path until you find a dead end. , When you hit the dead end, kill the Shell Blade and then float upwards.
Inside the door in front of you will be the Boss Key. , Once you have the Boss Key, return to the main room.
Fill the temple completely with water, then move around until you notice a statue with a Hookshot target on it.
Use your Longshot to latch onto it and access the door behind it.
You will find yourself in a room with a steep slope and a Boss door at the end.
Walk up the slope, avoiding the blades that slide across the room.
Inside the Boss door is Morpha, the Boss of the Water Temple. , Morpha is the evil monster hoarding all of Lake Hylia's water.
It can manipulate all water it touches, making it a frightening opponent.
To emerge victorious, use the following tips:
Pull Morpha's nucleus close to you with the Longshot, then hit it with your sword.
Stay off the islands and use the perimeter of the room.
Morpha's reach is limited, and you can use that to your advantage.
Don't try to handle Morpha underwater! You won't be able to use your sword underwater, so stick to the surface. , Once you have destroyed Morpha, grab your Heart Container and exit through the portal.
Congratulations! You have finally beaten the difficult and annoying Water Temple! , When you enter the Sacred Realm, you will learn that the Water Sage is Princess Ruto herself.
She will award you the Water Medallion and assure you that Princess Zelda is safe.
About the Author
Harold Roberts
Harold Roberts has dedicated 1 years to mastering marketing strategies. As a content creator, Harold focuses on providing actionable tips and step-by-step guides.
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