Related reads:
Zelda Fans Are Overlaying the Echoes of Wisdom Map With A Link to the Past, and Making Some Surprising Discoveries*+*
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A full FAQ/Walkthrough written by kevos
Copyright (c) 2025 Kevin Hughes
Email: sentrythedestitute[at]gmail.com
*-----------*
Version 1.0
*-----------*
Feel free to contact me with any questions, comments, corrections, or feedback
about this guide and/or the game for which it is written. Kindly do not send
hate mail or spam, as it will be ignored and deleted. Please ensure your
question has not already been answered in the guide before emailing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dedicated to the memory of Harper, my wife's
beloved cat of six years. Thank you, Harper, for being a
loving furry companion to her, as well as for keeping me
company during so many evening gaming sessions and while
I was writing the bulk of this guide.
We'll always love and miss you, buddy. <3
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
=================
TABLE OF CONTENTS
-----------------
[Z301] - Version History
[Z302] - Introduction
[Z303] - Story
[Z304] - Controls
[Z305] - Game Basics
[Z306] - Walkthrough
[Z307] - Spoiler-Free Walkthrough
[Z308] - Inventory
[Z309] - Piece of Heart Locations
[Z310] - Enemy Guide
[Z311] - Boss Guide
[Z312] - Legal Info, Acknowledgments, & Contact
NAVIGATING THE GUIDE: The bracketed codes in the Table of Contents are to help
you quickly find a particular chapter. Some of the chapters are further broken
out into subchapters with search codes of their own. You can search either via
GameFAQs's own search bar (or use their Bookmark or Last Viewed features) or by
pressing Ctrl + F on Windows or Command + F on Apple.
*******************************************************************************
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/\
[Z301] - VERSION HISTORY /--\
/_\/_\
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*******************************************************************************
Version 1.0
-----------
Date Started: June 11, 2024
Date Finished: March 20, 2025
Description: After over nine months of intermittent work, the full
FAQ/Walkthrough is complete and ready to publish. Updated versions will be
published if I decide to add/change things or, more likely, because of
corrections. I might add an Appendix chapter in a later version. For now,
though, this guide can be considered "finished."
*******************************************************************************
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/\
[Z302] - INTRODUCTION /--\
/_\/_\
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*******************************************************************************
Welcome to my guide for The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past! This is a
comprehensive guide for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System classic, first
released in Japan in 1991 (its English-translated Japanese name being "Triforce
of the Gods") and released in North America and Europe in 1992.
After Nintendo took a different and - to some - controversial approach with
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, they returned to the gameplay style and
top-down perspective used in the original Legend of Zelda. Taking advantage of
the SNES's 16-bit hardware, A Link to the Past offered a far bigger adventure
with richer colors, more detailed textures, and a wider range of player
movement. Although the game was more linear than the first, it made up for this
with fantastic side quests and challenges. Dungeons were tough and the bosses
even tougher. Players were given not just one but two whole lands to explore.
The music received a major upgrade, with composer Koji Kondo remastering the
original game's Overworld Theme while bringing in fresh pieces like "Zelda's
Lullaby," "Ganon's Theme," and "Kakariko Village." Nintendo even added more
story elements, giving players greater investment in the journey.
The game was a huge success and became massively influential. Those motifs I
mentioned a moment ago would go on to help create what is now the core musical
identity of the series. As for gameplay, A Link to the Past established a
formula that would be reused, recycled, and in some cases improved in titles
like Ocarina of Time, The Wind Waker, and Twilight Princess. These elements can
even be seen in several of the handheld 2D entries. It's a formula that stood as
the definitive way to make a Zelda game until Breath of the Wild came along in
2017 to shake things up and bring new life to the series. Such is A Link to the
Past's legacy that it was rereleased on several of Nintendo's later consoles,
ported to the Game Boy Advance in 2002 alongside the multiplayer game Four
Swords, and given a spiritual sequel in A Link Between Worlds for the Nintendo
3DS.
By today's gaming standards, A Link to the Past can certainly seem dated.
Nevertheless, it remains ranked among the best games ever made. Given that it
led to Ocarina of Time - a game generally regarded more highly, sometimes even
revered as the greatest of all time, and which set a standard for the industry
that echoes to this day - A Link to the Past will no doubt remain a significant
entry in the history of video games.
This is my first guide ever and is, in many ways, 20 years in the making. A Link
to the Past is my favorite game and I always wanted to write a guide for it. I
first attempted one when I was a teenager and got as far as the East Palace, but
life happened and I shelved the project until the original text was lost
following a hard drive failure. Every so often over the years I would come back
to the idea and now that I'm well into adulthood I have much more motivation to
do this - even if not necessarily all the time I would like!
Writing this is, therefore, more of a pet project than anything else. That said,
I believe I can make it one of if not the best guide ever written for this
title. I will guide you through every aspect of the game. We're talking about
collecting all Pieces of Heart, items, upgrades, and treasures, and exploring
the nooks and crannies of the overworlds and dungeons. As someone who has
previously used a guide or two for other games, this FAQ's structure takes
inspiration from those who have come before while adhering to the way I play and
the strategies I believe to be most efficient. I respect the authors who have
worked passionately on their guides and I aim to show that same passion and
dedication in mine.
A Link to the Past is still played around the world. There are countless videos
of first-timers proudly sharing their 100% completions, seasoned gamers looking
for a challenge through speedrunning, and veterans taking their mastery to the
next level with randomizer mods. It is my sincere hope that this game will be
played for many years to come, even as players continue to enjoy contemporary
gaming. With A Link to the Past being available on the Nintendo Switch, it seems
likely that Nintendo will keep porting older games on their next console(s),
ensuring that these classics will not be entirely forgotten. Should the day come
that a new generation is picking up A Link to the Past for the first time,
perhaps curious about this relic of a bygone age they've stumbled upon, this
guide - much like the little village bird who comes to aid the hero in his hour
of need - will be here across time and space for those who could use a helping
hand. (You'll get the reference later.)
(NOTE: As you probably know unless you're totally new to the series, the player
character's official name is "Link." You can name him whatever you want up to
six characters but I will refer to him as Link throughout the guide.)
*******************************************************************************
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/\
[Z303] - STORY /--\
/_\/_\
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*******************************************************************************
WARNING: The story below may contain game spoilers, especially toward the end,
so skip ahead if you aren't familiar with the game and want to go in blind.
The plot of A Link to the Past is fairly typical of an action-adventure fantasy
game: save the princess, defeat the bad guy, and restore peace to the land. Its
story isn't as layered or thematic as its successors (such as its immediate
sequel, Link's Awakening) but what is here works well enough. Like many games of
its time, A Link to the Past relied on its instruction manual to give players
context for their quest. Below is a copy of the story taken directly from the
game's American manual, copyright 1991. Nintendo expanded the Zelda lore here by
including the creation of Hyrule and the Triforce. They gave Ganon - the chief
antagonist of the series - a backstory and introduced the Master Sword, Link's
iconic weapon which has become as much a symbol of the series as the Triforce
itself. Basically, this game's story paved the way for the Zelda timeline
(convoluted as it is). If nothing else, it's a fun read. Enjoy!
THE LEGENDS OF HYRULE
---------------------
To set the stage for this adventure of the legendary Hero of Hyrule, it will be
informative to delve into the Triforce myth, an ancient epic about the creation
of the world that is still believed in the land of Hyrule. Every culture has
such myths and theories about the creation of their worlds, and it can be
beneficial and entertaining to examine them in detail, for they often affect the
present-day social structure. The legends say the mythical gods of Hyrule had as
their chosen people the Hylia. These ancient people left scrolls that are the
primary source of the legends...
-*- The Creation of Hyrule -*-
According to the Hylian scrolls, the mythical gods descended from a distant
nebula to the world that was and created order and life. The God of Power dyed
the mountains red with fire and created land. The God of Wisdom created science
and wizardry and brought order to nature. And the God of Courage, through
justice and vigor, created life - the animals that crawl the land and the birds
that soar in the sky. After the gods had finished their work, they left the
world, but not before creating a symbol of their strength, a golden triangle
known as the Triforce. A small but powerful portion of the essence of the gods
was held in this mighty artifact, which was to guide the intelligent life on the
world of Hyrule.
Although it was an inanimate object, the Triforce had the power to bestow three
titles which gave the person who received them great powers: "The Forger of
Strength," "The Keeper of Knowledge," and "The Juror of Courage." From its
hiding place in the so-called Golden Land where the Gods placed it, the Triforce
beckoned people from the outside world to seek it in the hope that someone
worthy of these titles would find it.
With their magic-infused blood, the Hylian people were endowed with psychic
powers and skill in wizardry. It was also said that their long, pointed ears
enabled them to hear special messages from the gods, so they were held in high
esteem by many people in Hyrule. Their descendants settled in various parts of
the world and passed on their knowledge and magical lore to all people. But in
its passing, the lore was often distorted or lost altogether...
-*- Gates to the Golden Land -*-
In Hyrule, there are many Hylian buildings which are mentioned repeatedly in the
legends. These buildings, which now lie in ruin, pale shadows of their former
splendor, are closely tied to the Triforce. Some were said to house the Triforce
itself...
If it were only a symbol of the gods, the Triforce would be coveted by many. But
a verse from the Book of Mudora (a collection of Hylian legends and lore) made
the Triforce even more desirable:
In a realm beyond sight,
The sky shines gold, not blue.
There, the Triforce's might
Makes mortal dreams come true.
Many aggressively searched for the wish-granting Triforce, but no one, not even
the Hylian sages, was sure of its location; the knowledge had been lost over
time. Some said the Triforce lay under the desert, others said that it was in
the cemetery in the shadow of Death Mountain, but no one ever found it. That
yearning for the Triforce soon turned to lust for power, which in turn led to
the spilling of blood. Soon the only motive left among those searching for the
Triforce was pure greed.
One day, quite by accident, a gate to the Golden Land of the Triforce was opened
by a gang of thieves skilled in the black arts. This land was like no other. In
the gathering twilight, the Triforce shone from its resting place high above the
world. In a long-running battle, the leader of the thieves fought his way past
his followers in lust for the Golden Power. After vanquishing his own followers,
the leader stood triumphant over the Triforce and grasped it with his
blood-stained hands. He heard a whispered voice: "If thou hast a strong desire
or dream, wish for it..." And in reply, the roaring laughter of the brigand
leader echoed across time and space and even reached the far-off land of Hyrule.
The name of this king of thieves is Ganondorf Dragmire, but he is known by his
alias, Mandrag Ganon, which means Ganon of the Enchanted Thieves.
-*- The Imprisoning War -*-
I do not know what Ganon wished for from the Triforce. However, in time evil
power began to flow from the Golden Land and greedy men were drawn there to
become members of Ganon's army. Black clouds permanently darkened the sky, and
many disasters beset Hyrule. The lord of Hyrule sent for the Seven Wise Men and
the Knights of Hyrule and ordered them to seal the entrance to the Golden Land.
The Triforce, being an inanimate object, cannot judge between good and evil.
Therefore, it could not know that Ganon's wishes were evil; it merely granted
them. Suspecting that Ganon's power was based on the Triforce's magic, the
people of Hyrule forged a sword resistant to magic which could repulse even
powers granted by the Triforce. This mighty weapon became known as the blade of
evil's bane, or the Master Sword. It was so powerful that only one who was pure
of heart and strong of body could wield it. As the Seven Wise Men searched for a
valiant person to take up the Master Sword, Ganon's evil army swarmed from the
tainted Golden Land into Hyrule and attacked the castle. The wise men and the
Knights of Hyrule combined forces to wage war on this evil horde.
The Knights took the full brunt of the fierce attack, and although they fought
courageously, many a brave soul was lost that day. However, their lives were not
lost in vain, for they bought precious time for the Seven Wise Men to magically
seal Ganon in the Golden Land. All of Hyrule rejoiced at the victory that upheld
peace and order over Ganon's evil and chaos. This war, which had claimed many
lives, became known as the Imprisoning War in stories told in later centuries.
-*- The Coming of the Wizard -*-
Many centuries have passed since the Imprisoning War. The land of Hyrule healed
its wounds and the people lived in peace for a long time. Memories of the
vicious Imprisoning War faded over the generations...
So it is no surprise that no one was prepared for the new disasters that have
recently struck Hyrule. Pestilence and drought, uncontrollable even by magic,
ravaged the land. The king of Hyrule, after counsel with his sages, ordered an
investigation of the Imprisoned Dark World (as the Golden Land had come to be
known) but the wise men's seal was apparently intact. He offered rewards for
anyone who could find the source of these troubles. In answer to these summons a
stranger named Agahnim came and quelled the disasters with a previously unseen
form of magic. As a reward, the king gave him a new position as chief advisor
and heir to the Seven Wise Men. The masses proclaimed him their hero. Peace had
returned to Hyrule... or had it?
Of late, rumors have traveled their whispering path with alarming frequency.
Rumors saying Agahnim now rules the country with his magic... Rumors of strange
magical experiments in the castle tower at night... The people of Hyrule were
gripped by dread.
-*- Prologue -*-
One night, a girl's voice awakens you from your sleep.
"Help me...
My name is Zelda...
I am in the castle dungeon."
She telepathically pleads.
You jump out of bed not knowing whether the voice was part of a dream or
reality. Upon leaving your bed, you find your uncle, who should be fast asleep
at this time, preparing to go out, girded for battle.
"I'll be back by morning," he says as he departs. "Don't leave the house."
You watch him leave with the family sword in hand and shield on arm. This is a
night like no other... Who is Zelda? Where had your uncle gone and for what
reason?
And so, on an ill-fated night, a new chapter in the legend of Hyrule's hero
begins - a new chapter in The Legend of Zelda!
YOUR QUEST AS THE LEGENDARY HERO
--------------------------------
The Golden Land of the Triforce has become a Dark World corrupted by Ganon's
evil wishes. However, this is not enough for Ganon; he also wants to make
Hyrule, the Light World, his own. To do this, he needs to break the Seal of the
Seven Wise Men.
But he cannot do this with his power alone. He must also use the life force of
the descendants of the Seven Wise Men. With Agahnim the wizard as his pawn, this
is about to become a reality (thus the late-night experiments in the castle
tower...).
You, as the legendary Hero of Hyrule, must enter the Dark World on a quest to
save the maidens that Agahnim has sent there. The aim of the game is to solve
the many mysteries and adventures that await you along the way to rescuing the
maidens, defeating Ganon, and returning peace to Hyrule.
END
---
There you have it! You have been presented with your quest and now it is time to
get underway. The next two chapters offer some basic information about the game
if needed. If you'd prefer to get straight to playing, skip to chapter [Z306]
for the walkthrough!
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[Z304] - CONTROLS /--\
/_\/_\
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Let's be honest, if you're a new player reading this, the chances you're playing
on an SNES console are probably low. After all, this guide was written between
2024-2025! Luckily, the game is available on newer consoles with equivalent
controls, not to mention that aftermarket copies of the SNES controller exist
and are mostly compatible with modern systems. Thus, I will safely assume,
whichever way you're playing, that you are familiar with the controller you're
using and can adapt it to match the controls listed below.
The game's controls are pretty straightforward. You can pick them up very
quickly and certainly long before we reach the first dungeon, but here they are
all the same for reference.
======================
Control Pad - Movement
----------------------
Use the control pad to move Link through the game. You can move in eight
directions: up, down, left, right, and diagonally by pressing two directions
simultaneously. The control pad is also used to move through menus such as the
Sub Screen and when saving the game.
===========================
Select Button - Save & Quit
---------------------------
This button brings up a menu with two options: Continue Game or Save and Quit.
Note that this menu doesn't include a Save and Continue option; you can only
choose this if you get a Game Over.
==================================
Start Button - View the Sub Screen
----------------------------------
Press the Start Button to bring up the Sub Screen, which shows your Items and
Equipment Upgrades. Pressing Start again takes you out of the Sub Screen. For
more information about the Sub Screen, see subchapter [Z305.01].
===================
Y Button - Use Item
-------------------
The Y Button lets you use whatever item you selected from the Sub Screen.
Various items can be used for attack and/or defense, and some may require magic
power.
=======================
X Button - View the Map
-----------------------
Press the X Button to view the Overworld Map or the Dungeon Map. Various icons
will flash to indicate where you are or denote places of interest. In dungeons,
getting the Compass will also reveal the boss's location.
======================
B Button - Swing Sword
----------------------
The B button lets Link attack with his trusty blade. You can hold the button
down and then release it to execute a Spin Attack. See subchapter [Z305.02] for
more info on sword combat.
==================
A Button - Actions
------------------
As noted, this button controls various actions including talking, picking up
objects, grabbing and pulling, reading, running (once you have the Pegasus
Shoes), swimming (once you have Zora's Flippers), and opening chests.
=======================================
L & R Buttons - Alternate Overworld Map
---------------------------------------
When viewing the Overworld Map (not Dungeon Maps), you can use the L & R Buttons
to quickly toggle through two modes: one which will display the Map in its
entirety and a close-up version of the Map which you can scroll through with the
Control Pad.
*******************************************************************************
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[Z305] - GAME BASICS /--\
/_\/_\
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*******************************************************************************
This chapter provides some good-to-know info before starting the game. A lot of
it is stuff you'll likely figure out as you play and you can find much of this
in the game's SNES manual, digital copies of which are easy to find online.
Still, this may be helpful if you're a new player and you're already here anyway
so you may as well read on, right? :)
As I mentioned at the top of this guide, the subchapters below also have
bracketed codes that you can use to quickly find what you're looking for. Like
the story chapter, this chapter may spoil parts of the game so please read at
your own risk.
[Z305.01] - Main & Sub Screens
[Z305.02] - Combat
[Z305.03] - Hyrule & the Dark World
[Z305.04] - Dungeons
[Z305.05] - Characters
[Z305.06] - Heart Containers & Pieces of Heart
*******************************************************************************
[Z305.01] - MAIN & SUB SCREENS
*******************************************************************************
===========
Main Screen
-----------
This is the primary screen of the game where the action takes place. At the top
of the screen are several icons to be aware of. I'll describe them from left to
right.
The green bar on the far left is your Magic Meter and shows how much magic power
you have. Some items require magic power to use them. You can refill the Magic
Meter by collecting Magic Jars, which are common items found in bushes, under
pots, or dropped by defeated enemies. Small Magic Jars will refill 1/8th of the
meter, while big jars will refill it completely. At some point in your
adventure, you can reduce your magic consumption by 50%, effectively doubling
your magic power.
The box to the right of the Magic Meter is the Item Display which, of course,
shows the current item you selected from the Sub Screen. Next to the Item
Display is the number of Rupees you've collected. Rupees are the currency of
Hyrule (the whole Zelda universe, in fact) and come in three total colors and
denominations in this game: Green = 1 Rupee; Blue = 5 Rupees; and Red = 20
Rupees. You can hold a maximum of 999 Rupees.
Next are your Bomb and Arrow counts. At the start of the game, you can carry a
maximum of 10 Bombs and 30 Arrows, though you can eventually increase these
limits. You will not be able to use Arrows without the Bow, though you can carry
them on you until you find it.
There is one additional icon that will show on the Main Screen when inside a
dungeon: Small Key. This, naturally, shows how many keys you have. Small Keys
can be used to unlock doors and only in the dungeon they are found in.
The far right of the screen shows the total number of Heart Containers you've
collected and is your Life Meter in the game. They deplete when you take damage
and you get a Game Over when all Heart Containers are empty. Other than looking
at the screen, you'll know when you're low on life energy because an annoying
beeping will sound so keep that in mind. :) You can refill your life by
collecting Recovery Hearts which are also commonly found in bushes, under pots,
or dropped by defeated enemies. Another way to refill life is to collect
Fairies. The maximum number of Heart Containers you can have is 20. For more
info, see subchapter [Z305.06].
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