What do I need before the Shadow Temple?

The Nocturne of Shadow, which Sheik teaches in Kakariko Village once the Forest, Fire and Water Temples are done, and Din's Fire to light the entrance torches. Inside you will want the Lens of Truth, Longshot, Bow, Bombs and Iron Boots; the Sun's Song makes the ReDeads and Gibdos much easier.

How does the bird statue puzzle work?

Look at the skulls around the pit with the Lens of Truth: all but one vanish. Push the bird statue until its beak faces the skull that stays, and the gate across the pit opens. Cross later with the Hover Boots.

How do I beat Bongo Bongo?

Shoot each hand with an arrow so both turn blue, then use the Lens of Truth to see the body and shoot its eye before it reaches you. Run in and slash it while it is down. Wearing the Hover Boots while the hands pound the drum keeps you from bouncing.

How many Small Keys are in the Shadow Temple?

Five. They come from the scythe room, the falling-spike room, the giant skull, the Gibdo room and the invisible Floormaster. The Boss Key is in the room with the closing wooden spike walls.

Ocarina of Time Shadow Temple Walkthrough: Hover Boots, Boat, Bongo Bongo

Fake walls, invisible platforms and an invisible boss: bring the Lens of Truth from the Bottom of the Well. For the full route, see the walkthrough hub.

What do you need for the Shadow Temple?

Item	Detail
Location	Under the Kakariko Village Graveyard (warp: Nocturne of Shadow)
Needed to enter	Nocturne of Shadow, Din’s Fire
Needed inside	Lens of Truth, Longshot, Bow, Bombs, Iron Boots
Helpful	Sun’s Song (ReDeads, Gibdos), Scarecrow’s Song (one Skulltula)
Small Keys	5
Dungeon item	Hover Boots
Mini-boss	Dead Hand
Boss	Bongo Bongo
Rewards	Heart Container, Shadow Medallion
Gold Skulltulas	5 (#82–#86)

How do you open the Shadow Temple?

Warp to the Graveyard. Play the Nocturne of Shadow and walk down the stairs behind the warp point.
Light the torch ring. Stand on the centre platform among the torches and cast Din’s Fire. Once every torch is lit, the entrance opens.

How do you get the Hover Boots?

Cross the first gap. Longshot over the pit and walk through the talking skull wall. The Lens reveals every fake wall from here on.
Take the Map on the way. Past the next fake walls, a side door leads to a ReDead and two Keese. Defeat all three for the Dungeon Map chest.
Beat Dead Hand. Take the hidden passage on the other side. Lens its burrow spot, break free when a hand grabs you, and hit its head when it leans in. The chest holds the Hover Boots.

How do you solve the bird statue puzzle?

Find the real skull. In the statue room, view the pillar skulls through the Lens. The one that stays is real.
Turn the beak toward it. Push the statue until its beak faces that skull; stopping on a wrong one drops the floor. The gate across the pit opens.
Run across in the Hover Boots. Run straight at the tongue-shaped ledge; if you fall short, Link usually grabs the edge.

Where are the Compass and the first two Small Keys?

Clear the Beamos room. Bomb the Beamos. The hidden doorway on the right (south) leads to two Gibdos.
Take the Compass. Freeze them with the Sun’s Song, defeat them, and open the chest.
Collect the scythe room’s Silver Rupees. Take the door straight across (north). Five Silver Rupees circle a spinning blade; four are on the floor, the last needs a Longshot onto the wooden platform. Duck or roll under the blades. The gate opens on Small Key 1.
Bomb the last wall. Back in the Beamos room, bomb the remaining cracked wall (east) and open the locked door behind it.
Walk down the guillotine slope. Skulltulas drop from the ceiling (Longshot them early) and two guillotines guard the path. At the big room a Wallmaster falls; keep moving, then kill it.
Cross the guillotine platforms. Time each jump with the blades. A Red Bubble attacks near the third blade, and a Stalfos drops onto the next platform. Defeat it.
Detour to the invisible scythe room. Left of the Stalfos platform, the Lens shows two invisible platforms to a door. Inside, kill the Keese and the Like Like while dodging an invisible blade. The gate opens on Gold Skulltula #82, a rupee chest and an invisible arrow chest.
Ride the rising platform. From the Stalfos platform, hover onto the moving platform when it sinks and step off west when it rises.
Take five more Silver Rupees. Bomb the Beamos between the blade traps; one rupee hides under it. The gate opens.
Use the stone block in the spike room. Pull the hidden block out of the fake wall on the right and push it under both spike traps. Gold Skulltula #83 waits in the barred cell beside the path.
Claim Small Key 2. Pull the block to the far end, climb it and the spike tops, and step on the switch. A chest appears with Small Key 2; another chest up here holds rupees.

Where are Small Keys 3 and 4?

Use the invisible platforms by the lone guillotine. Back in the big room, follow the narrow path to a lone guillotine. The Lens reveals invisible platforms, one moving, to a locked door.
Clear the invisible spike room. Keep the Lens on to see the floor spikes; freeze and defeat the two ReDeads for a chest.
Longshot through the Silver Rupees. Line up each floating rupee between you and a Longshot target; one target is invisible, above the locked door’s ledge. Five rupees open the west door.
Blow up the giant skull. Gold Skulltula #84 clings behind the flaming skull. Climb the steps and throw a Bomb Flower into it for Small Key 3; killing all four Keese opens the exit.
Longshot up to the fan corridor. Back in the spike room, Longshot the invisible target above the upper locked door.
Walk into the fans in Iron Boots. Kill the Skulltula that drops, then cross the gap by Longshotting the wooden beam, or in Hover Boots when the fan pauses.
Cross the fan bridge. Stay in Iron Boots and shield the fire from the ceiling eye. The side door is optional (two ReDeads, invisible arrow chest).
Ride the gust through the fake wall. Opposite the last fan is a fake wall. When the fan stops, switch to the Hover Boots and run as the gust returns.
Find the invisible chest in the Gibdo room. Defeat both Gibdos (their chest holds 5 rupees), bomb the rubble in the corner by the entrance, and use the Lens: the invisible chest holds Small Key 4 for the next door.

How does the ferry work?

Move the block under the ladder. Pull the corner block along the floor path to below the ladder, then climb.
Call Pierre at the top. Play the Scarecrow’s Song at the top and Longshot to Pierre on the west ledge for Gold Skulltula #85.
Start the ferry. Stand on the boat’s Triforce and play Zelda’s Lullaby. Two Stalfos board; fight them or block.
Jump before it sinks. When Navi warns you, jump to the landing on the left before the boat drops.

Where are the last Small Key and the Boss Key?

Navigate the invisible maze. Past the landing, a room of invisible walls holds several Floormasters. Keep the Lens on.
Kill the invisible Floormaster. In the south room, find it with the Lens, then finish its small hands. The chest holds Small Key 5.
Check the west room. Gold Skulltula #86 is on the wall behind three spinning skulls, which hold only rupees.
Burn the spike walls. In the north room, burn the closing wooden spike walls with Din’s Fire, defeat two ReDeads and open the Boss Key chest.
Drop the statue into a bridge. At the ferry landing, shoot the Bomb Flowers around the statue across the pit; it falls into a bridge. For hearts, play the Song of Time at its base, then the Scarecrow’s Song.
Cross the last invisible platforms. Unlock the door with Small Key 5, then Hover Boots and Lens across to the boss door and drop in.

How do you beat Bongo Bongo?

Stun both hands. Z-target a hand and shoot it; it turns blue. Hit the other before the first recovers. Hover Boots stop you bouncing while the hands pound the drum.
Shoot the eye. Use the Lens to see the body and shoot its open eye as it charges.
Slash while it is down. Remove the Hover Boots, run in and strike the eye. Repeat, then take the Heart Container.

Attack	How to avoid it
Hands drumming	Hover Boots stop the bounce; standing near the drum’s edge also helps
Grab and throw	Stun the raised hand with an arrow before it closes
Punch or slam	Keep both hands in view and move away

What comes after the Shadow Temple?

Impa, the Sage of Shadow, gives you the Shadow Medallion. Next is the Spirit Temple.

Where are the Gold Skulltulas in the Shadow Temple?

#	Where	How
#82	Invisible scythe room	Left of the Stalfos platform via invisible platforms; kill the Keese and Like Like to open the gate
#83	Falling-spike room	In the barred cell beside the spike path, once the block covers both traps
#84	Giant skull room	On the wall behind the flaming skull
#85	Ferry room	Scarecrow’s Song at the top of the ladder, then Longshot to Pierre
#86	Invisible maze, west room	On the wall behind the three spinning skulls

Ocarina of Time walkthrough hub: the full dungeon order
Bottom of the Well walkthrough: get the Lens of Truth first
Spirit Temple walkthrough: the final medallion
Gold Skulltulas checklist: all 100 tokens
Heart Pieces checklist: what to sweep up next