Water Temple

1. Infiltrate the Sunken Temple

Dive to the bed of drained Lake Hylia with your Iron Boots and Hookshot the blue switch above the gate to unlock the entryway. Step into the Central Tower (Main Hall), an enormous multi-tier cylindrical space featuring a hollow central pillar and floating platforms, flanked by open lattice-style stone partition walls. Equip and remove your Iron Boots seamlessly on the fly by mapping them directly to the D-pad to skip opening sub-menus.

Tip: Use the D-pad mapping for the Iron Boots to handle vertical swimming without pausing into menus.

2. Lower Tier Encounters and Water Level Control

Explore the lower corridors to encounter Princess Ruto, selecting your preferred dialogue prompts regarding her marriage claim to hear minor reactive lines without shifting the main story. Locate the Water Level Altars (Triforce Crests) along three separate vertical planes, manipulating the water depth to expose side passages where you can collect the Dungeon Map and Compass. Deal with swimming Shell Blades by striking when their shells part, and defend against rolling Spikes by raising your shield to hit their exposed soft cores.

Tip: Hit Biri and Bari from range with your Hookshot to avoid taking melee shock damage, and use jump attacks or Hookshot shots on skittering blue Tektites.

3. Central Pillar Exploration and Hidden Keys

Adjust the vertical water levels to reveal side branches and unlock access into the hollow middle pillar. Ascend and dive between the floors to claim Small Keys hidden inside walls behind Hookshot targets, as well as the key stashed beneath the rising floating block in the central tower. Fight through puzzle-gated chambers holding Stalfos as you navigate the dungeon branches in your preferred order to retrieve the necessary keys.

4. Duel in the Misty Grove

Make your way into the Illusion Room (The Misty Grove), an isolated chamber characterized by reflective shallow water and a lonely dead tree. Engage Dark Link in combat, avoiding targeted Master Sword thrusts since he hops onto your blade and mirrors standard swings. Bypass his defensive posture by using wide-radius un-targeted swings, the Megaton Hammer, or Din's Fire, then open the chest that spawns right after his defeat to claim the Longshot.

Tip: Wide-radius un-targeted swings, the Megaton Hammer, and Din's Fire will cleanly strike Dark Link through his guard.

5. Claim the Boss Key

Advance through the upper branches using the extended reach of the Longshot and sequencing the water planes to access the dragon-head switch puzzles. Work through the dragon-head mechanisms to unlock the chest holding the Boss Key. Before heading upward, ensure you have gathered all necessary supplies and mastered using your Longshot against moving aquatic targets.

Tip: Use the Longshot's increased reach to latch onto distant targets that were previously out of range.

6. Slay Morpha and Awaken the Sage

Enter The Master's Lair (Morpha's Sanctum) and stay safely back on the perimeter platforms. As water tentacles rise to grab and squeeze you, pull Morpha's red core nucleus from the water with the Longshot, then corner it on dry land and slash it with your sword. Collect the Heart Container from the floor, step into the portal to reach the Chamber of Sages, and watch Princess Ruto awaken as the Sage of Water to receive the Water Medallion and restore Lake Hylia.

Tip: Pull the red core all the way onto the outer platforms with the Longshot so you can slash it repeatedly without it slipping back into the pool.

The short version

What matters

• Longshot obtained in the Misty Grove illusion room expands your grappling distance for puzzles and combat.
• Water Level Altars across three vertical planes must be shifted to reach all passages and keys.
• Water Medallion and Heart Container earned by eliminating Morpha's nucleus.

Common mistakes

• Overlooking the Small Key positioned directly under the central tower's rising floating block when the water plane shifts.
• Locking onto Dark Link with standard Master Sword thrusts, which he counters by jumping on your blade.
• Striking Biri or Bari with basic sword strikes, which causes Link to take immediate melee shock damage.

What you can skip

• Princess Ruto's marriage dialogue prompts, as your answers only change minor lines of text without altering the story.