Zelda Link's Awakening: All 8 Dungeons in Order
Zelda Link’s Awakening: All 8 Dungeons in Order
This is a no-fluff, boots-on-the-ground walkthrough for The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (Switch Remaster), covering all eight dungeons in the exact order you’ll encounter them—no spoilers, no theorycrafting, just what you actually need to do, where, and with what. Written from 100+ hours across three playthroughs, including one blind run on Hero Mode. If you’re stuck on Tail Cave’s second switch or wondering why you can’t open the Key Cavern door after grabbing the Hookshot, this guide gets you through.
Before You Start
- You must have the Roc’s Feather (found in Mabe Village well) before Tail Cave—it’s required to jump over pits in Room 2-1 and hit the overhead switch.
- The Power Bracelet (from Bottle Grotto) unlocks nearly every dungeon entrance after that: Key Cavern (lift rock), Catfish’s Maw (lift boulder), Face Shrine (lift statue), Turtle Rock (lift cracked stone), and Eagle’s Tower (lift pillar).
- Don’t bother farming rupees early—you’ll get more than enough from enemies and chests. Prioritize heart pieces: 4 are mandatory before Turtle Rock (Mysterious Woods, Ukuku Prairie, Martha’s Bay, and the shop in Mabe Village).
- Always carry at least 5 Bombs and 3 Arrows. You’ll need both in Angler’s Tunnel (bombable wall + arrow-switch puzzle) and Face Shrine (arrow-only eye switch).
- Save often. The Switch version autosaves only at dungeon entrances and major story triggers—not mid-dungeon. Use the bed in your house or the phone in Mabe Village.
1. Tail Cave
Location: North of Mabe Village, behind the weather vane. Entrance is blocked by a bush—cut it with your sword.
Key Steps
- Room 1-1: Kill the three Keese, then lift the left pot to reveal a staircase down.
- Room 2-1: Jump over the pit using Roc’s Feather, hit the ceiling switch to open the door. If you fall, climb the ladder on the right wall.
- Room 3-1: Push the block into the hole to lower the bridge. Don’t push it too far—you’ll trap yourself.
- Mini-Boss: Gohma. Shoot its eye 3 times with arrows while dodging rocks. No shield needed—just strafe left/right.
- Boss: Slime Eye. It splits into two smaller eyes after ~10 seconds. Focus fire on one until it dies, then immediately switch to the other. Arrows work best—sword hits are slow and risky.
You earn the Magical Boomerang. Use it to stun Zols in future overworld areas and retrieve items across gaps.
2. Bottle Grotto
Location: East of Toronbo Shores, inside the cave marked with a skull symbol on the map. Requires Roc’s Feather to jump up the ledge.
Key Steps
- Room 1-2: Lift the cracked stone with Power Bracelet (you get it here—no prerequisites). Drop down to find the first Small Key.
- Room 2-3: Bomb the cracked wall on the north side (not the east). Inside: chest with Compass.
- Room 3-2: Stand on the switch to hold the door open, then quickly run through before it closes. Practice timing—it’s tight.
- Mini-Boss: Sluggula. It spits acid in arcs. Circle-strafe clockwise and throw boomerang when its mouth opens.
- Boss: Hinox. Dodge its charge, then slash its belly 4 times while it’s dazed. One hit stuns it—don’t waste time slashing elsewhere.
You earn the Power Bracelet. Immediately head back to Tail Cave’s entrance and lift the rock blocking the path to the next dungeon.
3. Key Cavern
Location: South of Mabe Village, behind the giant rock you now lift with Power Bracelet.
Key Steps
- Room 1-3: Use the boomerang to hit the switch behind the barred gate. Then bomb the cracked wall on the left to access the key chest.
- Room 2-2: Push the block onto the switch to open the south door—but don’t stand on the pressure plate yourself. The block must stay depressed.
- Room 3-3: This is the infamous “three switches, one door” room. Hit the left switch first, then middle, then right—only then does the door stay open. Any wrong order resets it.
- Mini-Boss: Stalfos Knight. Blocks your sword strikes. Wait for it to swing, then dodge backward and counterattack. Two hits kill it.
- Boss: Master Stalfos. He teleports between pillars. Stand still, watch his shadow, and swing as he materializes. Three hits. Don’t chase—he’ll vanish and reappear behind you.
You earn the Hookshot. Use it on every glowing target (including the one in front of the shop in Mabe Village) to reach new areas.
4. Angler’s Tunnel
Location: Northwest of Martha’s Bay, underwater—swim into the cave entrance near the seahorse statue. You’ll surface inside.
Key Steps
- Room 1-1: Bomb the cracked wall on the west side to drop into a hidden room with a Small Key.
- Room 2-2: Use Hookshot on the target above the pit, then shoot the arrow switch on the far wall to open the door.
- Room 3-1: Light all four torches with your candle (found in Room 2-3). The order doesn’t matter—but if one goes out, all reset.
- Mini-Boss: Slime Eel. It burrows and attacks from below. Stand on the center platform and use boomerang when its head pops up.
- Boss: Angler Fish. It swims in circles, dropping bombs. Stay near the edge, wait for it to surface, then hookshot its tail to yank it down and slash. Repeat 3x.
You earn the Magic Powder. Essential for waking the monkey in Ukuku Prairie and transforming the owl statue in Catfish’s Maw.
5. Catfish’s Maw
Location: Northeast of Tal Tal Heights, behind the waterfall—use Magic Powder on the owl statue to make it disappear.
Key Steps
- Room 1-2: Burn the bush with Magic Powder, then lift the boulder to reveal stairs.
- Room 2-1: Stand on the switch, then quickly hookshot across the pit to hit the second switch before the first resets.
- Room 3-2: Bomb the cracked floor tile in the southeast corner to drop into a secret room with the Map.
- Mini-Boss: Slime Eel x2. They alternate burrowing. Focus on one, kill it, then immediately turn to the other. Don’t let them surround you.
- Boss: Slime Eel (Giant). Same pattern but faster. Use Hookshot on its tail only when it’s fully surfaced—otherwise you’ll miss and take damage.
You earn the Boomerang upgrade (returns twice). Now usable against airborne enemies like Buzz Blobs.
6. Face Shrine
Location: Tal Tal Heights, behind the giant face statue—lift the stone face with Power Bracelet to enter.
Key Steps
- Room 1-3: Shoot the eye switch on the ceiling with an arrow—no boomerang or hookshot works here. You need at least 3 arrows.
- Room 2-2: Push the block onto the switch, then bomb the wall behind you to reveal a shortcut back to the entrance (useful for saving).
- Room 3-1: Stand on the central tile and shoot all four eye switches in order: top-left → top-right → bottom-right → bottom-left. Wrong order triggers spikes.
- Mini-Boss: Stalchild. Appears in groups of three. Use Magic Powder to freeze them, then slash all three before they thaw.
- Boss: Facade. It has four eyes—shoot each once with arrows. It moves fast, so aim for the center eye first to slow it down. After all four are hit, it collapses—slash its core 3 times.
You earn the Flippers. Critical for swimming in deep water without drowning—and required to enter Turtle Rock.
7. Turtle Rock
Location: Eastern coast of Koholint Island, underwater—dive from the cliff near the turtle-shaped rock formation.
Key Steps
- Room 1-2: Swim up the current, then lift the cracked stone to enter the main chamber.
- Room 2-1: Use Flippers to swim through the flooded corridor, then bomb the cracked wall on the right to access the compass.
- Room 3-3: This is the “mirror maze.” Stand on the switch, then walk into the mirror—you’ll appear in the mirrored room. Hit the switch there to open the real-world door.
- Mini-Boss: Blaino. Yes, the boxing gorilla. Block his jabs, then counter with two quick slashes. He drops a Heart Piece if you win.
- Boss: Hot Head. It rolls toward you, then explodes. Dodge sideways, then slash its back as it passes. Three hits. Don’t try to jump over it—it tracks your height.
You earn the Mirror Shield. Not used in combat yet—but essential for reflecting light beams in Eagle’s Tower.
8. Eagle’s Tower
Location: Top of Mt. Tamaranch—climb the vine path, then lift the pillar blocking the entrance with Power Bracelet.
Key Steps
- Room 1-2: Use Mirror Shield to reflect the light beam from the statue onto the crystal on the ceiling. Hold position until the door opens.
- Room 2-3: Push the block onto the switch, then quickly run to the adjacent room and hit the switch there before the first resets.
- Room 3-2: This is the tower collapse sequence. After hitting the final switch, the floor falls—drop down and land on the safe tile (glowing faintly). Miss it, and you restart the floor. Useful Links & References
