Desert Colossus (Child & Adult)

1. Reaching the Basin and Unlocking the Melody

When you arrive at this westernmost boundary of Hyrule after crossing the Haunted Wasteland as Adult Link, step into the Spirit Temple entrance hall and immediately turn around to walk back outside into the desert basin. Sheik will appear on the exterior steps to teach you the Requiem of Spirit, which you can play with the buttons or by humming it into the Switch 2 microphone. Before heading out, you can defend yourself against the circling Leevers and diving Guays using your Longshot, Fairy Bow, or sword attacks.

2. Awakening the Great Fairy

Head across the open sands toward the northeast edge of the desert basin, keeping watch for aggressive Leevers and Guays. Locate the cracked rock positioned between two palm trees and blast it open using a Bomb or Bombchu to reveal the entrance to a Great Fairy Fountain. Step inside and stand on the Triforce crest to play Zelda's Lullaby, which summons the Great Fairy of Magic to grant you the protective magic spell Nayru's Love.

3. Nighttime Retrieval by the Oasis

Wait until night falls over the desert basin or eliminate nearby pests like Leevers with a Spin Attack so you can search the dried oasis safely. Turn your attention to the palm tree standing right by the oasis pond and aim your Longshot high up onto its trunk to defeat and pull in the token from Gold Skulltula 2. Once this token is secured, warp back to the Temple of Time to revert to Child Link so you can explore the area's past.

Tip: Take out diving Guays with a single Longshot or Fairy Bow shot if they harass you while aiming at the tree.

4. Planting the Soft Soil as Child Link

Play the Requiem of Spirit to teleport directly to the Desert Colossus as Child Link, bringing along a Magic Bean purchased earlier from the Magic Bean Salesman at Zora's River alongside bottled bugs. Approach the soft soil patch situated near the temple steps, release the fresh bugs directly onto the soil to force out Gold Skulltula 1, and defeat it to claim its token. Before proceeding, plant your Magic Bean into the very same patch of soil so that it can grow across the seven intervening years.

Tip: None of these items are permanently missable; you can always return to the Temple of Time to swap back to Child Link if you forgot to plant the bean.

5. The Infiltration Agreement and the Iron Knuckle

Head inside the Spirit Temple and approach Nabooru, who is blocking the narrow crawlspace, then agree to her infiltration offer so she clears the path to the gauntlet. Crawl through to battle through the trial rooms until you confront the Iron Knuckle, an armored foe that swings a massive battleaxe capable of carving away several hearts at once. Bait its axe swings, backflip out of reach, counter with jump slashes or remote explosives like Bombs and Bombchus, and remain cautious once its armor falls off and it quickens its pace.

6. The Balcony Ambush and the Silver Gauntlets

Defeating the Iron Knuckle unlocks the doorway leading out onto the Colossus's massive exterior left hand balcony. Emerging onto the balcony triggers a cinematic where Koume and Kotake ambush and abduct Nabooru. After the scene concludes, open the large treasure chest positioned on the balcony to claim the Silver Gauntlets, then use your ocarina to return to the Temple of Time, draw the Master Sword, and return here as an adult via the warp song.

7. Riding the Bean Leaf for the High Plateau Tokens

Returning to the Desert Colossus as Adult Link, hop onto the fully grown floating bean leaf hovering over the soft soil bed to glide around the desert basin. Ride the leaf up to the desert's large stone archway and leap off onto its upper surface to pick up a loose Piece of Heart. Finally, ride the platform over toward the high rock plateau at night to track down and collect the final token from Gold Skulltula 3.