Ocarina of Time Water Temple Walkthrough: Water Levels, Dark Link, Morpha

The Water Temple is the third adult dungeon, after the Fire Temple. The route below changes the water in a fixed order so every Small Key is picked up the first time it can be reached. For the full dungeon order, see the Ocarina of Time walkthrough.

What do you need before the Water Temple?

1. Warp to Lake Hylia. Play the Serenade of Water, which Sheik teaches you in the Ice Cavern after you get the Iron Boots.
2. Open the underwater gate. Wear the Zora Tunic, sink into the pool with the Iron Boots and Hookshot the crystal target above the gate so it floats away and the entrance opens.

How do the water levels work?

Playing Zelda’s Lullaby at a Triforce symbol sets the water for the whole temple. The water starts at its highest level.

This route plays the Lullaby six times: low, middle, high, low, middle, and high again for the boss.

How do you get the map and drain the temple?

3. Sink to the bottom of the main room. Spikes roll along the floor; a Hookshot hit makes them retract so you can finish them. Head for the east passage with a torch on each side.
4. Meet Ruto and follow her up. Talk to adult Ruto, remove the boots and float up after her.
5. Clear the Spikes for the Dungeon Map. Ignore the wall symbol for now; defeating the Spikes in the next room makes the map chest appear.
6. Drain the water. Back out, play Zelda’s Lullaby at the Triforce symbol to drop the water to low, and go back down.

Where are the first two Small Keys?

7. Light the torches for Small Key 1. At the bottom, one torch in front of a door is already lit. Shoot an arrow through it to light the others, or use Din’s Fire, then defeat the Shell Blades inside for the key chest.
8. Optional: take Gold Skulltula #72. At the south corridor’s dead end, bomb the cracked floor and sink. Deal with the Shell Blade, float up, step on the switch so the statue rises, Hookshot its target, defeat the Blue Tektites and spin attack through the bars to hit the crystal switch.
9. Push the west block into its hole. From the brown ledge on the west side, push the block until it drops, then follow it underwater and surface in the next room.
10. Ride the water jet. Hit the crystal switch so a geyser shoots up, and ride it to the far door.
11. Land on the dragon statue. In the whirlpool room, drift until you are over the dragon’s tail in the corner farthest from the door, then put on the Iron Boots.
12. Hookshot the dragon’s head for Small Key 2. Hit the crystal in its head to open the gate, Hookshot the target behind it, remove the boots and float up to the key. Return to the main room the way you came.

How do you raise the water to the middle level?

13. Unlock the central pillar. Use a key on the door at the base of the pillar, walk to the wall, turn around, Hookshot the target above and play the Lullaby: the water rises to middle.
14. Sink under the floating platform for Small Key 3. The platform inside the pillar floats up and uncovers a hole. Sink through it with the Iron Boots, hit the crystal switch, defeat the enemies, and float up past the opened gate to the key.
15. Bomb the cracked wall for Small Key 4. Float up the Ruto corridor to the ledge now in reach and bomb the odd-looking wall for a small key chest.
16. Take the Compass. At the top of the main room, enter the passage with two pots at its mouth. Hookshot the wall target, then the ceiling target, hit the switch to lower the water over the chest, and open it.

How do you reach Dark Link?

17. Raise the water to high. Swim around the pillar to the locked door on its west side and open it. Shoot the crystal switch with an arrow so the water jet lifts you to the next floor, then play the Lullaby in the southwest alcove.
18. Pull the east block now. Go into the east corridor on the top floor, sink at its end and pull the block in the wall as far as it goes.
19. Climb the waterfall room. Enter the locked west door on the top floor. Kill the two Keese first, then Hookshot from one falling platform to the next and use a key on the door at the top.
20. Cross the dragon statue room. Shoot the crystal in the centre to raise and lower the water and the statues, using their targets to hop from platform to platform. Ride the last statue up, defeat the Like Like and Hookshot the ceiling target over the spikes.

How do you beat Dark Link?

21. Cross the misty room and turn around. The far door is locked, and Dark Link appears by the tree behind you.
22. Defeat Dark Link. Pick one of the methods in the table below. He has one heart of health for each of your Heart Containers, so each Master Sword hit removes one.
23. Open the Longshot chest. Behind the chest, play the Song of Time to clear the block and drop into the river.

Where are the last two Small Keys?

24. Run the river with Gold Skulltula #73. Put the Iron Boots on well before the first vortex, go around the left side of the second, and at the third, with boots on, Longshot the Gold Skulltula on the wall. Keep right past it, pass the fourth on its right edge, then switch to the Kokiri Boots and swim to the island with two pots.
25. Shoot the golden eye for Small Key 5. From the small square island, shoot the golden eye switch and jump to the platform on your left before the timer ends.
26. Return through the whirlpool room. The passage beyond the chest leads back to the whirlpool room; Longshot to the door ledge and head to the main room.
27. Collect Gold Skulltula #74. While the water is still high, go back into the waterfall room and Longshot the token on the wall to the right of the waterfall.
28. Drain the water again. Float up the Ruto corridor and play the Lullaby to set the water to low.
29. Take Gold Skulltula #75 in the pillar. Enter the pillar, Longshot up to the symbol and raise the water to middle. From the risen platform, Longshot the Gold Skulltula high on the wall.
30. Push the block for Small Key 6. Find the gated passage with a golden eye below it. Shoot the eye, Longshot the target behind the gate before it closes, push the block you pulled earlier until it drops, and take the key on the right. Longshot out of the hole.

How do you get the Boss Key?

31. Enter the north passage. Sink at the north side of the main room, float up, Longshot over the spikes and unlock the door.
32. Cross the Tektite room. Clear the six Blue Tektites with arrows, walk across underwater with the Iron Boots and climb out to the door.
33. Solve the Stinger room. Kill the Stingers. Bomb the discoloured wall opposite the underwater switch and push the block out, bomb the cracked wall on the switch side, pull the block over, then push it into the water onto the switch. Take the door that the risen water reaches.
34. Hop the water jets. In the second water-jet room, clear the enemies, hit the switch and jump across the jets to the door.
35. Take Gold Skulltula #76 by the boulders. From the ledge above the running water, Longshot the token on the small waterfall the boulders roll down. Then go the way the boulders come from.
36. Sink past the Shell Blade for the Boss Key. In the deep water, sink, go through the tunnel, defeat the Shell Blade, rise up, use your last key and open the Boss Key chest. The pots in that room hold fairies.

How do you beat Morpha?

37. Raise the water to high one last time. Go back through the west door, ride the water jet and play the Lullaby.
38. Longshot to the dragon statue. On the top floor, Longshot the statue target you could not reach before. The pots at the door also hold fairies.
39. Run the spike corridor. Hug the right wall and keep running without stopping or turning.
40. Defeat Morpha. Jump onto one of the four platforms to start the fight, then retreat to a corner of the room where its tentacles reach you least. Target the nucleus, Longshot it out of the water and slash it; it raises up to two tentacles, and a grab throws you into the wall spikes.
41. Take the Heart Container. It drops between the platforms. Ruto awakens as the Sage of Water and gives you the Water Medallion.

Where are the Water Temple Gold Skulltulas?

The numbers follow our all 100 Gold Skulltulas checklist. Next, return as a child for the Lens of Truth in the Bottom of the Well, then take on the Shadow Temple.