Light World and Dark World dungeon route
Connect the pendants, Master Sword and seven crystal dungeons in the original SNES adventure.
Spoiler notice: This guide discusses story progression or late-game content.
Original SNES release; Game Boy Advance additions are outside this guide.
| Order | Dungeon | Major item |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palace of Darkness | Magic Hammer |
| 2 | Swamp Palace | Hookshot |
| 3 | Skull Woods | Fire Rod |
| 4 | Thieves’ Town | Titan’s Mitt |
| 5 | Ice Palace | Blue Mail |
| 6 | Misery Mire | Cane of Somaria |
| 7 | Turtle Rock | Mirror Shield |
Rescue Zelda and collect pendants
After the escape to the Sanctuary, head toward Eastern Palace. The Book of Mudora supports access to Desert Palace, and Death Mountain leads to the Tower of Hera. Keep the Moon Pearl from Hera: it is essential for normal exploration in the Dark World.
Claim the Master Sword
With the three pendants, return to the Lost Woods for the Master Sword. The next story objective is Hyrule Castle’s tower. Agahnim is not defeated by simply rushing forward with ordinary sword attacks; watch his projectiles and the opportunities to return them.
Begin the crystal route
A conventional route starts with Palace of Darkness, then Swamp Palace, Skull Woods and Thieves’ Town. Equipment rewards open more of the map. If an entrance seems inaccessible, compare the Light and Dark World versions of that location before looking for an unrelated new dungeon.
Prepare for the late dungeons
Ice Palace, Misery Mire and Turtle Rock require more equipment and resources than the early route. Carry magic recovery and inspect your inventory before a long trip. Some entrances require a specific medallion or traversal tool; having the preceding crystal alone is not always sufficient.
The final tower and pyramid
After the crystals, Ganon’s Tower becomes the next major objective. Keep recovery supplies for the concluding battles and pay attention to late-game weapon upgrades. The table is a standard route rather than an assertion that every crystal dungeon must always be completed in that exact order.
Check the edition note above before following a route. Suggested preparation and tactics are editorial recommendations; alternative teams and routes can also work.