Ocarina of Time Remake Great Deku Tree Walkthrough: Slingshot

This route covers the Nintendo Switch 2 remake, from preparing in Kokiri Forest to leaving the first dungeon, which the remake calls the Great Deku Tree (Inside the Deku Tree in the N64 original). The order is: sword and shield → map → Slingshot → Compass → basement → Gohma. Use the main walkthrough to find the next chapter, checking its version notice before following an older route.

What should you do before entering the tree?

1. Get the Kokiri Sword. Climb the steps to the training area in Kokiri Forest and crawl through the narrow opening beside it. Let the rolling boulder pass, follow its route to the ladder, then climb and jump across to the sword chest on the central platform.
2. Buy and equip your shield. Gather 40 Rupees from the village and buy the Deku Shield at the shop. Equip both sword and shield before returning to Mido, who blocks the path to the Great Deku Tree. Picking them up without equipping them is not the same preparation.
3. Keep some Deku Sticks. Defeat the plants along the path and collect their drops. Inside the tree you will use sticks to carry fire; save them for those puzzles instead of spending them all in combat.

How do you reach the map and Slingshot?

4. Climb instead of jumping onto the entrance web. The first low ledge is not high enough to break it. Climb the lobby vines and follow the raised path to the large chest beside the next vine wall: this holds the Dungeon Map. Leave the spiders on that wall until you have a ranged weapon.
5. Use your shield in the next room. Continue through the door. Stand back from the Deku Scrub and face it with your shield raised to reflect its projectile. Follow it when it flees and finish the encounter so the door opens.
6. Cross the collapsing bridge to the main chest. Open it for the Fairy Slingshot. There is also a small supply chest above the side vines; clear the spider before climbing to it.
7. Shoot the eye above the entrance. It releases the return ladder. Aim at the eye mechanism, rather than wasting shots on the ladder itself, then climb out.

Where are the Compass and its hidden supply room?

8. Return to the main vine wall. Shoot the spiders, climb to the upper walkway and follow it to the side room. The larger hanging spider blocks the way with a hard shell; wait for its belly to face you before striking.
9. Raise the platforms, then cross promptly. The switch beside the room entrance raises the stepping platforms. Cross to the far chest for the Compass. If they sink, return to the switch and try again.
10. Check behind the Compass chest. Cut the grass and crawl through the low passage. The vines beyond lead to a separate supply chest. This is a different route from the old room layout.
11. Take the side-ledge Gold Skulltula. Return to the platform room, clear the large spider guarding the side ledge and shoot the Gold Skulltula on the alcove wall, then trigger the platforms again and jump across to collect the first token. This detour is optional for reaching Gohma.

How do you break the large web?

12. Continue to the highest walkway in the central room. Clear the spiders along the way. Look down to line yourself up with the middle of the web, then jump out toward it. A low jump or a landing near the rim will not take you through to the basement.

How do you cross the basement water and carry fire?

13. Check the two nearby Gold Skulltulas. One is on the vines leading back toward the entrance; shoot it, then climb for the token. The other is on the grate across the water. Shoot it and jump across to collect the token. Defeating a spider alone does not collect its token.
14. Activate the torch. Step on the floor switch beside the webbed supply chest. It lights the torch and burns the chest web away. Collect the sticks, light one at the torch, then carry it across the available footholds to burn the web over the opposite doorway. Keep the flame out of deep water.
15. Learn the Scrub clue and open the eye door. Reflect the next Scrub’s projectile and follow it to hear the order 2–3–1. Shoot the eye over the onward door.
16. Lower the water before riding the platform. In the roller room, dive to the floor switch beside the grate. Return to the moving platform and cross while the water is lowered. Do not rely on the old crouch-under-the-roller shortcut.
17. Move the block beneath the high exit. After crossing the water, open the door on the far bank and enter the next room. Clear its hanging spider, push the stone block below the high exit, and climb up to the next door.
18. Light the three unlit braziers. Take fire from the already burning torch and reach all three before the earlier flames go out. Clear the plants first if they keep interrupting you.

Where is the fourth Gold Skulltula, and how do you reach the boss door?

19. Clear the larva room. Watch for the hanging spider and falling eggs. Break the eggs if possible; if they hatch, deal with the larvae before carrying fire.
20. Take the optional side branch. In a corner of the larva room, a web blocks a passage beside a lit torch. Burn it, clear the plants and spider beyond it, then shoot the Gold Skulltula high on the vines and climb to the token. The remake lets you take this fourth token now: you do not need to return with Bombs and the Boomerang for this route.
21. Return and burn the other web. Crawl through to the high side of the first basement room. Push the large block off the ledge to make a way back up from the torch. Light a stick below, return over the block and roll across the floor web with the burning stick to open the drop.
22. Reflect middle → right → left. Facing the three Scrubs on the bottom floor, use your shield against them in that order. Chase the last one to complete the encounter and open the boss door. Refill your seeds from nearby bushes before going in.

How do you defeat Gohma?

Look up in the dark boss room to trigger the fight. Her armor and the pincers covering her eye block attacks, so concentrate on an uncovered eye, not on repeatedly hitting the shell.

• On the ground: keep room to retreat from her close attacks. When the eye is uncovered, stun her with a Deku Nut from nearby or a Slingshot shot, then run in and strike with your sword. Back away when she recovers.
• On the ceiling: track her with the camera and shoot the exposed eye. She falls to the floor, giving you another chance to attack. Keep your distance and wait for the eye to become exposed.
• If you need to heal: retreat to the edge of the arena and cut the grass for Recovery Hearts before waiting for the next opening.

After the fight, pick up the Heart Container before entering the blue light. If you miss an opening, retreat and set up the next one instead of trading hits at close range.

Which chests and tokens should you check before leaving?

These numbers describe this dungeon’s route, not the numbering in the older site-wide Gold Skulltula list. Check that list’s version notice before using it for the remake.

Where should you go after the Deku Tree?

Finish the conversation outside to receive the Kokiri Emerald, then head back through the village to the forest exit. After you explain what happened, the Kokiri guarding the exit tunnel lets you through. Just beyond the tunnel, Saria is waiting among the tree roots and gives you the Fairy Ocarina. Your next story destination is Hyrule Castle; Dodongo Cavern comes later, after the intervening story steps.

Video walkthrough

Opening and Great Deku Tree — Switch 2 — YouTube