What order should I do the six barriers in?

Do Shadow first. Its big chest holds the Golden Gauntlets, which the Fire and Light barriers need and which open the Great Fairy fountain outside the castle. The other five can be cleared in any order.

Where are the Small Keys in Ganon's Castle?

There are two, and both are in the Light barrier. One chest drops after you kill the invisible Skulltula and Keese, and the other appears when you play Zelda's Lullaby on the Triforce symbol.

How do I beat Ganondorf?

Hit his energy ball back with your sword or an empty bottle until it strikes him, then shoot a Light Arrow. When he drops onto the centre platform, get over there and slash him. Counter his many-ball attack with a spin attack or interrupt it with a Light Arrow.

Ganon knocks the Master Sword away, so use Biggoron's Sword or the Megaton Hammer on his glowing tail. Light Arrows to the face stun him. When he collapses, pick up the Master Sword, hit the tail again, and deliver the final blow after Zelda holds him still.

Ocarina of Time Ganon's Castle Walkthrough: Six Barriers, Ganondorf, Ganon

Ganon’s Castle floats over the ruins of Castle Town and tests almost every item you own. For the full dungeon order, see the walkthrough hub.

What do you need before entering Ganon’s Castle?

Item	Detail
Unlocks	After all six medallions; Zelda gives you the Light Arrows in the Temple of Time
Small Keys	2, both in the Light barrier
Items inside	Golden Gauntlets (Shadow barrier), Boss Key (tower)
Just outside	Great Fairy: Double Defense (halved damage)
Bosses	Ganondorf, then Ganon
Bring	The items in the barrier table below, plus bottles

A hidden room sits in the south wall of the lower floor, under the entrance between the Spirit and Forest doors; the Lens of Truth reveals it. Inside are fairies and four Business Scrubs selling a Green Potion, Bombs, Arrows and a Red Potion.

Which barrier should you do first?

Start with Shadow: its big chest holds the Golden Gauntlets, which the Fire and Light barriers need. Each barrier ends with an orb you break with a Light Arrow, and a sage appears.

Barrier	Colour	Sage who appears	Key items
Shadow	Purple	Impa	Fire Arrows, Lens of Truth, Megaton Hammer, Longshot
Forest	Green	Saria	Din’s Fire, Fire Arrows, Iron Boots, Hover Boots, Longshot
Water	Blue	Ruto	Bottle (Blue Fire), Megaton Hammer
Fire	Red	Darunia	Goron Tunic, Hover Boots, Golden Gauntlets
Light	Yellow	Rauru	Golden Gauntlets, Lens of Truth, Zelda’s Lullaby, Longshot
Spirit	Orange	Nabooru	Bombs, Bombchus, Fire Arrows, Mirror Shield

How do you clear the Shadow barrier?

Light the torch on the left. A Fire Arrow on the unlit torch raises a short-lived row of blocks; cross them to the centre platform. The small chest at the start holds only a Blue Rupee.
Deal with the Green Bubble and Like Like. The Like Like can swallow you and drop you into the pit, so shoot both from range.
Relight the torch and find the hidden path. Burn the torch again, then use the Lens of Truth to see an invisible walkway on the left.
Hammer the rusted switch. The Megaton Hammer on this floor switch opens the barred door.
Burn the next torch and step on the switch. A Fire Arrow at the torch by the opened door makes new blocks. Follow them to a floor switch.
Longshot to the big chest. It holds the Golden Gauntlets.
Cross to the barrier and fire a Light Arrow. From the chest, the Lens shows the invisible route to the exit. Shoot the orb, and Impa appears.

Where is the Great Fairy outside Ganon’s Castle?

Leave the castle and lift the pillar. On the dirt path left of the castle, the Golden Gauntlets can heave the tall stone pillar aside.
Play Zelda’s Lullaby in the fountain. Stand on the Triforce symbol inside. The Great Fairy gives you Double Defense, which halves all damage for the rest of the game.

How do you clear the Forest barrier?

Kill the Wolfos and light the torches. Din’s Fire lights the four torches around the room; quickly add a Fire Arrow to the torch above the doorway.
Play the Song of Time at the entrance. A Time Block appears. Put on the Iron Boots so the fans cannot blow you off as you cross it.
Switch to the Hover Boots for the fan platforms. Float between platforms and bomb the Beamos on the way.
Collect all five Silver Rupees. Stand on the switch with the Iron Boots to raise a Longshot target under the floating rupee. Grab the rest, then shoot the orb for Saria.

How do you clear the Water barrier?

Beat the two Freezards. Watch for falling icicles. The barred door opens once both are gone.
Skip the left chest. It is an ice trap; the right chest holds a Recovery Heart.
Melt the red ice with Blue Fire. Scoop Blue Fire into a bottle and use it on the red ice on the far wall.
Solve the ice block puzzle. You have two minutes. Push the far block right twice so it drops into the hole, then push the second block over it and left twice.
Hammer the rusted switch. Climb the ledge, melt its red ice and smash the switch with the Megaton Hammer. Shoot the orb for Ruto.

How do you clear the Fire barrier?

Wear the Goron Tunic and Hover Boots. The centre platform sinks into the lava unless you have the Hover Boots on.
Take the side rupees. Float to the right platform and back, then take the left one past the spinning flame.
Lift the giant pillar with the Golden Gauntlets. It lands as a new platform, and a Silver Rupee sits in the hole underneath.
Finish the set of five. One rupee is on the torch slug platform and the last is on the pillar itself. Longshot to the exit and shoot the orb for Darunia.

How do you clear the Light barrier?

Move the pillar at the entrance. Only the Golden Gauntlets can lift it.
Kill the invisible enemies. An invisible Skulltula and three invisible Keese hide here; the Lens shows them, or aim where Navi flies. A chest with the first Small Key drops in the middle. Three of the six side chests are ice traps.
Play Zelda’s Lullaby on the Triforce symbol. A chest with the second Small Key falls.
Grab five Silver Rupees in one minute. Dodge the rolling boulders. Two rupees are in wall alcoves, two in the central structure, and one up high for the Longshot.
Walk through the fake wall. In the last room a Wallmaster drops on you. The real orb is behind an illusory wall; shoot it for Rauru.

How do you clear the Spirit barrier?

Bomb the Beamos and use the Armos. Destroying the Beamos uncovers one Silver Rupee. Pulling the Armos statues changes where the blade traps can reach, so you can grab the rupees along the walls.
Longshot the ceiling rupee. It hangs above where the Beamos stood. That makes five. Playing the Sun’s Song near the centre calls a Big Fairy if you need a refill.
Send a Bombchu over the bars. The crystal switch is on the far side of the bars, so aim a Bombchu through the gap at the top. It also opens a chest of 20 Bombchus.
Burn the web and aim the sunlight. A Fire Arrow burns the cobwebs over the skylight. Catch the beam on the Mirror Shield and reflect it onto the sun face to the right of the doorway you came in by. The other faces drop Wallmasters.
Shoot the orb. Nabooru appears. With all six barriers down, the tower opens.

What is in the tower?

Climb past the Keese. They swarm the first staircase; fight or run.
Defeat the two Dinalfos. The door upstairs opens afterward.
Defeat the two Stalfos for the Boss Key. A chest appears when both are down.
Wake the Iron Knuckles one at a time. Two sit asleep in the last room. Beyond them, the Boss Key door leads to Ganondorf.

How do you beat Ganondorf?

Rally his energy ball. Hit it back with your sword or an empty bottle until it strikes him.
Follow up with a Light Arrow. He falls onto the centre platform. Get over there and slash him before he rises. Do not stay on that platform, because he pounds it.
Stop his many-ball attack. When he gathers dark energy, interrupt him with a Light Arrow or send the balls back with a spin attack.
Restock below if you need to. His attacks break the floor. The lower level has pots with hearts, arrows and magic. Repeat until he falls.

How do you escape and beat Ganon?

Follow Zelda down the tower. You have three minutes. On the way, two Stalfos trap Zelda in a ring of fire; beat them to free her.
Hit Ganon’s glowing tail. He knocks the Master Sword out of reach. Roll under him and strike the tail with Biggoron’s Sword or the Megaton Hammer. A Light Arrow to the face or Deku Nuts stun him first. Rubble he smashes drops recovery items.
Pick up the Master Sword. When Ganon collapses, Zelda tells you to take it back. Hit the tail again before he rises.
Deliver the final blow. When he falls a second time, Zelda holds him in place. Strike his face with the Master Sword to end the game.

What should you read next?

Ocarina of Time walkthrough hub: the full dungeon order
Gerudo Training Ground walkthrough: optional, and home of the Ice Arrows
Spirit Temple walkthrough: where you get the Mirror Shield this castle needs
Gold Skulltulas checklist: #46 is on the castle grounds outside
Heart Pieces checklist: check what is left before the final fight