Zelda: A Link Between Worlds guide – The Swamp Palace
Part thirteen of our complete Zelda: A Link Between Worlds guide, The Swamp Palace.
The Swamp Palace
Hook it up
It's about time for you to purchase the Hookshot if you haven't done so already, because it's required to enter Swamp Palace. Swamp Palace is located in south of the vacant house of Lorule (or Link's house in Hyrule). It's marked as an X on your map. Remember, you passed this earlier when entering the desert.
Swamp Palace
Get the Large Bomb
If you try to enter Swamp Palace, you'll find out that its halls are flooded, and you won't be able to access the dungeon. Bummer, but there's a way to drain it! Notice that large boulder outside blocking the water? It's cracked, but your regular bombs won't do the trick. You need something bigger. Head northwest from the palace. The Bomb Flower Store is located south of Thieves' Town, and a couple screens away from you. Talk to the Bomb-Shop Man inside, and hear his God-awful rap tone. Speak to him twice and rent the Bomb Flower for 200 Rupees.
Lead the Bomb
You can use Bomb Flowers as many times as you please since they grow back at the shop's garden. That said, you'll need to return to the garden for each use. Exit the shop from the east door to reach the garden, and then approach the bomb and press A to have it follow you. The garden's entrance is blocked by a large stone, so use the first Bomb Flower and blast it away (to trigger it, swipe it with your sword). Now grab another bomb and lead it to Swamp Palace carefully.
Drain the Palace
Place the Bomb Flower in front of the large stone at Swamp Palace and detonate it. The blast will destroy the rock and drain the water from inside the dungeon, as well as the palace's moat outside. You can't swim across this time, so latch onto one of the wooden stubs with your Hookshot to reach the entrance.
Swamp Palace – 1F
Get Over Here!
Head inside the first room on 1F and pull the lever on the north wall with your Hookshot. Move backward to extend the lever, causing water to flow into the room. Swim to either side of the room, ascend the stairs, and then go through the north passage.
No Access
Consider this the main hall of the dungeon, because 1F's central room carries three important things: the boss chamber, the large chest and a weird mechanism. You can't fiddle with any of these yet, so proceed through the east path.
Tip: Most enemies in this dungeon can easily be tamed with your Hookshot.
Cross over the rafts in the east chamber and pass the floor switch for the moment. Go to the north end and descend the passage to B1.
Swamp Palace – B1
Water Ride
Watch your step as you enter B1's northeast hall. The rivers here can knock you into the pits. Jog south and notice two stubs below you. Latch onto the lower one with the Hookshot to get across the water. Then, look across the water to your left and nail the crystal switch with your Hookshot. This stops the water flow, and you can now freely move about in this hall. Head up the stairs in the center and grab the small key, then exit via the southwest path.
The Compass
Block the water gel enemies in this cavity with your shield. Quickly grab the compass inside the chest. Forget the locked door for now, and head through the left passage.
Another Key
There's an easily accessible key in B1's northwest room. Ascend the stairs and fire a diagonal-shot with your Hookshot to snag the key resting on the pillar. To access the other chests, stand on the raft to the north and latch onto the stubs around the room with the Hookshot – you can pull yourself around in the water. Once you claim some loot, head through the door in the southeast corner.
A Rare Rupee
This room is optional, but well worth it. Take care of the shelled enemy with your Hookshot, then trigger the switch on the top of the stairs by tossing a bomb at it (be cautious of the arrow trap). This spawns a chest that holds a Gold Rupee – that's 300 big ones, folks! After you claim your prize, return to the room where you obtained the compass (the north chamber) and unlock the door.
Water Slides
Immediately head left and hit the crystal switch with the Hookshot. This changes the water flow and floods the east side of the chamber. Head over there and hop into the river. Surface out of the water and ascend the narrow stairs nearby. At the top, drop a bomb onto the crystal switch, which activates more water – this time flooding the west side.
Proceed to the west side, swim across the water, and then nail another crystal switch beside the steps. Doing so floods the central area, allowing you access to the passage leading back to 1F. Merge into the wall to get out of your position and swim there.
Swamp Palace – 1F
Mini-Boss!
You are now back on 1F in its north-most chamber. You're faced with a giant Bari, which should be an easy fight. Disable its electricity with the Hookshot and follow up with some sword hits. You need to repeat this a couple times before the foe bursts and multiplies. Take care of its remains to open two doors and the portal. You should know the drill by now – the portal leads you back to the entrance and allows you to save your game. Do so then return to this hall and go through the southwest path.
This leads you to 1F's west hall. Step on the floor switch to form a floor in front of you. Now slash the bomb critter on the cracked floor to the south (or use a bomb) to reveal a hole. Drop down back to B1.
Swamp Palace – B1
Drain the Water
You land in B1's northwest room; this time, on the upper catwalk. If you didn't grab the small key from earlier, it's easily accessible now with the Hookshot. Follow the catwalk to the southeast corner and unlock the door. This brings you to the central hall of B1. There's another mechanism seen here. Stand on the left side Hookshot symbol and grapple the machine's left bar. Pull back to drain the water in the hall.
Tip: If you notice from the water mechanism's central part, it has a symbol. One blue bar represents the water in the dungeon is at its lowest point. When raising the bar (from its right lever), the blue bars increase. This means the water is higher.
The Blue Mail
Once the water is drained, dive into the water beside the mechanism and swim through the north passage. Swim underneath the spike pillar inside and surface the north ledge. Open the big chest to obtain the blue mail. This is a more efficient tunic for Link, and reduces damage by half! With your new spiffy clothes, return to the previous room and swim through the southwest passage.
Quick Escape
In B1's southeast room, a Beamos guards the central platform. Go behind the Beamos and grapple the left lever on the north wall (after it fires its laser). You have to be quick; otherwise, the laser will hit you. Pull back mercifully on the lever to open the northwest door, leading you back to 1F.
Swamp Palace – 1F
Hook & Merge
You are now in 1F's southwest room. Immediately drop down and step on the floor switch to your right. This opens the northeast door, but you can't reach it. Swim back to the northwest land and ascend the stairs. Stand on the Hookshot symbol, and then grapple the gray picture on the north wall. Link will slam into the wall, but you can merge in the process. Move along to the left side and wrap around to the southern ledge. Go up the stairs here so you're level with another water mechanism. Latch onto the mechanism's right lever and pull it twice to raise the water to Level 3. Doing so allows you to reach the chest to your right that rests in front of a raft. Open it to obtain another small key.
Big or Small Key
Return to the mechanism and pull its left lever to lower the water to Level 2. Then proceed through the northeast path back to the main hall of 1F. If you have the Ice Rod or Tornado Rod, you can simply swim to the large chest now and put out the fire around it. The chest contains the big key. Otherwise, swim underneath the west passage. Surface the rafts that lead you to another small key. Then, head through the northeast path back to the portal room. Exit this room from the southeast door.
Another Pit
Step on the floor switch to surface a floor to your right. You can drop in the water and reach a chest containing monster guts if you'd like. Surface back to the west and bomb the cracked floor to reveal a pit. Drop down to land back on B1.
Swamp Palace – B1
You arrive on the upper catwalk of B1's northeast room. Unlock the southwest door to reach B1's water mechanism. Pull it's right lever so that the water raises to Level 3 (the highest point). Now you're capable of reaching the locked door in the southeast corner. Swim there and unlock the door.
Fight Night
Drop down to the enemies in this hall and defeat them with the Hookshot and your sword. When victorious, a water flow emerges from the south, and carries a stub down before you. Latch onto it to cross over, and follow the path to the northeastern staircase.
Swamp Palace – 1F
Marco Polo
Now back on 1F in the southeast room, you stumble upon a third water mechanism. Swim to the western staircase and fire the Hookshot at the gray frame on the west wall. Merge into it and slide to the southern ledge. Here, you can reach the mechanism with the Hookshot. Pull the left lever to drain the water back to Level 1. Drop down to the lower level and look for a floor switch in the northeast section. Stepping on it unlocks the northwest door, but you can't reach it.
You'll notice a smaller mechanism on the east side of the room. Swim to the ledge in front of it and pull its right lever with the Hookshot. This doesn't do much, but raises the water just a bit. Now head back to the west side of the hall and repeat the same process to get to the higher mechanism (by latching onto the gray frame at the top of the steps, merging into the wall and then reaching the southern ledge). Pull the right lever to raise the water back to Level 3, allowing you to exit from the northwest door.
The Big Key
The path leads you back to the central room of 1F, where the large chest covered in fire is now no more. But what gives? The room is flooded, and you can't reach the chest! Swim to the platform with the skulls to the right of the boss entry. Underneath one of the skulls lies a floor switch. Step on it to lower the water. This allows you to access the boss room, but you still need the key (unless you've already collected it). Approach the mechanism on the left side of the boss gate and pull the left-side lever – the water drains, and the chest becomes available to you. Open it to claim the boss key.
When it's all said and done, enter the boss chamber from the large gate.
BOSS! ARGHHUS
For those of you that have played A Link to the Past, you'll feel right at home and know the strategy to defeat this boss. This water monster is covered with eyeballs that protect its body. You need to yank off each eye individually with the Hookshot, and then strike the eyes with two sword hits before they retreat back to their master. The first section is pretty easy, but beware that the boss fires the eyeballs at you momentarily.
Once you shed the boss's protective layer, his body is exposed. He's certainly not too happy about this, and begins to move extremely faster. His first retaliation is a downward smash that can crush you. Steer clear and move to the side. His miss gives you a great opportunity to get some hits in. Another form of attack is a rapid water beam, which can easily be dodged by merging into the wall. It won't take much to take this boss down if you play your cards right!
Swamp Palace – 2F
At the battle's end, pick up the full Heart Container and head up the passage leading to the second floor. Check the painting on the wall to reunite with Princess Oro, that cute Zora you saved earlier in Hyrule! She's a sage, and happily returns the favor to help Link.
Don't get lost! Head back for the rest of our Zelda: A Link Between Worlds guide.