Game Scenario

The in-game scenario is unfortunately weaker than the one offered by the manual. However, it is far from non-existent, and has a rather impressive background, see game synopsis. Below, I offer you a romanticized and detailed version of Link's adventure in this third installment of the Zelda series. Relive the epic journey of our green-clad hero and enjoy the read!

Saving Princess Zelda

When Link's uncle leaves the house, Link can get out of bed and head to the castle where the famous Princess Zelda, who called out to him in his sleep, is being held. However, vigilant guards are positioned to make access to the castle difficult. Link will therefore find, next to the wall, an underground passage leading to the castle's inner gardens. In this passage, he will encounter his uncle, dying, who passes on his sword and shield to him. Thus, Link is ready for the rest of his adventure.

He emerges from this underground passage, arrives in the inner garden, and then enters the castle. He then descends into the castle's basements, avoiding guards in his path, and quickly reaches the dungeons, where Princess Zelda is held. After defeating a much tougher guard, Link frees the Princess, who informs him that there is a secret passage leading to the Sanctuary in the Throne Room. So together, they ascend the floors one by one, until they reach the first floor, in the Throne Room. Zelda tells him that he needs to push the emblem from the left (who knows why it doesn't work from the right!).

They then arrive in the sewers, where rats and bats have taken up residence. They cross them, lighting their way with Link's Lantern, and finally reach the Sanctuary. There, the priest tells Link that Zelda will stay here, because the guards will never think to search this place: she will be safe there. There, Zelda asks Link to get rid of the Sorcerer Agahnim, the one who imprisoned her, in order to destroy the seal that holds back the Demon. But for that, he needs the famous Excalibur sword, which can only be retrieved if he possesses the three Pendants. Link will then have to go see the descendant of the Seven Sages, Sahasrahla, who will inform him in more detail about these pendants.

In Search of the Pendants

So he goes to Kakariko Village, west of Hyrule, but his grandson, who raises cuccos, tells him he's not there, and advises him instead to go east of Hyrule. Link then turns around and finds an isolated house in a maze, where he finds the old man Sahasrahla. The latter tells him to go find the Pendant of Courage in the Eastern Palace, which is a short walk away. Link goes there, and after triumphing over the Armos statues, he returns, proudly displaying the green Pendant. Sahasrahla then tells him about the Seal War, and gives him the Pegasus Boots. Before leaving him, Sahasrahla advises Link to go check out Lake Hylia. Link goes there and obtains the Ice Rod.

Link will then go in search of the Pendant of Wisdom in the Desert Palace, but before that, he will take a detour to Kakariko Village where he will retrieve the famous Book of Mudora, a book that allows reading ancient Hylian. He will fight the Lanmolas there, then he will head to Death Mountain. To do this, he will have to cross dark caves, where he will encounter a lost old man. This old man is actually another descendant of the Seven Sages, and his daughter has also been kidnapped and imprisoned by Agahnim. He gives Link the Magic Mirror, telling him it will be useful, and advises him to retrieve the Moon Pearl from Hera's Tower.

Link thus heads to the summit, but during his journey, he is transported to a strange world, where he is transformed into a pink rabbit, and where he encounters two strange individuals, one playing ball with the other. He then uses the Magic Mirror, which allows him to return to the normal world, and arrives in front of Hera's Tower, at the summit of Death Mountain. There he retrieves the Moon Pearl, confronts Moldorm, then recovers the last Pendant, that of Power.

Armed with the three Pendants and the Book of Mudora, Link heads towards the Lost Woods, covered in a thick fog, and assaulted by a horde of bandits searching for Excalibur. After dodging all these bandits, Link arrives in a clearing where animals frolic innocently. At the very back of this clearing, there is a large pedestal, in which a sword is planted: Excalibur. With the help of the Book of Mudora, Link understands that he must use the power of the three Pendants to remove the sword, which he does. Thus, the fog in which the forest was plunged dissipates. But then, the priest of the Sanctuary contacts him by telepathy. Zelda has been found! Link must come as quickly as possible!

But Link unfortunately arrives too late, missing the Princess by a few minutes. He then witnesses the death of the priest, who, with his last breath, tells him to stop Agahnim at the very top of the highest tower of Hyrule Castle. Link therefore returns to Hyrule Castle, and thanks to Excalibur, breaks the magic barrier set up by Agahnim, which allows him to ascend to the 7th floor. But it's too late: Agahnim sends Zelda to the Dark World, before Link's eyes, then flees. But Link hasn't said his last word, and, finding the passage leading to the next room, confronts the Sorcerer. The latter loses the fight, but then decides to take Link with him to the Dark World.

The Crystal Quest

Link now finds himself at the top of a pyramid, in a completely unknown world, plunged into twilight. He is then contacted by Sahasrahla, who informs him that he must free the seven maidens in the different temples of the Dark World. He then tells him the location of the first temple, the Palace of Darkness. Link goes there without delay. He realizes, by the way, that this world resembles the Light World from which he came, except that hordes of monsters have invaded the plains. He then finds himself in a natural labyrinth, where he meets Kiki the Monkey, who asks him for 10 rupees, then 100 to open the entrance to the Palace of Darkness. Link reluctantly accepts, having no choice, and enters the temple. He finds the Magic Hammer there, and confronts the formidable King Helmasaur, thus freeing the first maiden in the first crystal. The latter then indicates to him the locations of the six other maidens to be freed.

Link will then go to the swamps, but as he enters the Swamp Palace, he realizes that the water level is too low for him to progress inside the Palace. He will therefore have to return to the Light World using his Magic Mirror to drain the water, because since the two worlds are connected, the water will also drain in the Dark World. But he cannot swim. So he will go to Zora, the King of aquatic beings, who will sell him his Zora's Flippers for 500 rupees. He will then return to the Swamp Palace, there find the Hookshot and defeat Arrghus, the giant jellyfish.

He will then continue his quest in the Skull Woods, a replica of the Lost Woods, where the Fire Rod will allow him to defeat Mothula, the ultrasonic butterfly. Then he will descend into the Thieves' Town, where he will find the Titan's Mitt, allowing him to lift infinitely heavy rocks. A young girl will be imprisoned in dungeons, but Link will accidentally lead her to the light, revealing then Blind the Thief, whom he will fight and defeat. Then, thanks to his new power, Link will enter the Ice Palace, where he will find the Blue Mail, making him more resistant. There he will defeat Kholdstare, a kind of cyclops ice cloud.

Link will find, south of the Thieves' Town, a young man who was also searching for the Golden Power, who played the flute, but the Golden Land changed him into a tree, so he could no longer move until then. He will then ask Link to find his flute in the Light World, which Link will eagerly do. Then, he will play the flute in front of the Kakariko Village weathervane, giving birth to the bird, which can take him to the four corners of Hyrule. He will take the opportunity to climb back to the top of Death Mountain to find the Ether Medallion, then head south to the desert, to an inaccessible point, where he can teleport to the Dark World. There, he will find the entrance to Misery Mire, where he will use the Ether Medallion to open it. He will find the Cane of Somaria inside, then defeat Vitreous, an eyeball capable of sending lightning, bathing in a kind of viscous jelly.

There is only one maiden left to save, and it is Princess Zelda. She is held captive in Turtle Rock, at the summit of Death Mountain in the Dark World. But before that, Link explores the surroundings of Zora's Domain in the Dark World, and emerges at the Lake of Ill Omen. There he will retrieve the Quake Medallion, which will serve to open the entrance to Turtle Rock. In this last, more than tortuous dungeon, which will require significant magical resources, Link will find the Mirror Shield, capable of repelling the rays of the eyes guarding the place. At the very bottom of Turtle Rock, Link will find Trinexx, the three-headed serpent, one of ice, one of fire, and the last of rock. Armed with his Fire and Ice Rods, Link will defeat Trinexx, thus freeing the last maiden, Princess Zelda.

Towards the Final Battle

The seven maidens now all freed, Link goes to Ganon's Tower to finish him off: indeed, he learned earlier that a being named Ganon, who possesses the power of the Triforce, had enlisted Agahnim to break the Seal of the Seven Sages, with the aim of extending his power to the Light World. The seven maidens, thanks to their combined power, allow Link to access Ganon's Tower, where he will find, not without difficulty, the Red Mail, which will make him even more resistant. Link will then ascend the floors of Ganon's Tower one by one, re-fighting old Bosses he had already defeated, but in more difficult forms to beat. He will finally arrive before Agahnim, who will create two copies of himself to fight Link. But the latter will be more cunning, and will still defeat the Sorcerer. A giant bat will then emerge from his body, leaving him for dead, and return to the pyramid itself, creating a gaping hole. The hour of the final battle has struck.

Link then goes to what would be his house in the Light World. He finds a bomb merchant there who sells him a Super Bomb for 100 rupees. Link takes the Super Bomb to an enormous crack in the pyramid and detonates it. He then finds a Fairy Fountain where the Great Fairy transforms the arrows of his bow into Silver Arrows, the only weapon, coupled with Excalibur, capable of defeating evil. Link then goes to the top of the Pyramid, and drops into the hole. Ganon, armed with his trident and the powers that the Triforce grants him, challenges him to a duel. It is finally at the end of a fierce battle that Link sends his last Silver Arrow at Ganon, defeating him permanently. He can then access the place where Ganon held the Triforce.

The Triforce asks Link to make a wish. I don't know what wish Link made, but the Light World then returned to its former state. The King of Hyrule came back to life and reigned over the Kingdom of Hyrule with his daughter, the flute player returned to his family, the Great Fairies of the Dark World were able to return to the Light World and regain their natural form, Link's uncle was resurrected, while Link finally rested Excalibur in its pedestal, closing a new chapter of The Legend of Zelda.