The Legend of Zelda Link to the Past Ice Palace Walkthrough

The Ice Palace is the next dungeon i’ll be covering for The Legend of zelda link to the past. This dungeon is known for its tricky puzzles, slippery floors, and for requiring the Fire Rod you just acquired.

Before You Begin

• Location: The Ice Palace is located in the middle of the Dark World’s version of Lake Hylia.
• Accessing the Dungeon: To get there, you’ll need to use your Magic Mirror. Go to Lake Hylia in the Light World. Swim to the small island in the center of the lake. There is a single black rock on this island; use your Titan’s Mitt (found in Thieves’ Town) to lift it. Underneath is a warp tile. Use it to enter the Dark World, and you will be on a platform right in front of the Ice Palace entrance.
• Required Items:
  • Fire Rod: This is essential for both puzzles and defeating the boss. Make sure you have enough magic power or some potions to replenish it.
  • Hookshot: Useful for crossing gaps and stopping your momentum on the slippery ice.
  • Bombs: You’ll need these to open a path to a lower floor.

Dungeon Walkthrough

The Ice Palace is a multi-level dungeon, with floors that have slippery ice and enemies that are hard to kill without the right tools.

• Entering the Dungeon: Upon entering, you’ll be faced with a sealed door. A telepathic message will hint that you need to use the power of fire. Use your Fire Rod to melt the ice on the wall to the left, and an ice enemy will appear. Defeat it with your Fire Rod, and the door will unseal.
• Finding Keys and the Big Key: The dungeon requires you to use your Fire Rod to melt ice blocks and your Bombs to open up new paths. You’ll also encounter Stalfos Knights, which can only be defeated by hitting them with your sword until they crumble and then blowing them up with a Bomb. One of the small keys is obtained this way. The Big Key is in a chest that appears after you defeat all enemies in a specific room.
• Navigating the Levels: As you descend, the puzzles get more complex. You’ll need to manipulate crystal switches and drop through holes in the floor (which are created by bombing cracked sections of the ice). Be careful on the slippery floors, as they can lead you into spikes or other dangers.
• Obtaining the Blue Mail: The main item in this dungeon is the Blue Mail, which is in the Big Chest. The Blue Mail reduces the damage you take from enemies by half, which is incredibly useful for the rest of the game.

Boss Battle: Kholdstare

The boss of the Ice Palace is Kholdstare, a large eye encased in a block of ice.

• Phase 1: Breaking the Ice: Kholdstare starts as a giant eye trapped inside a thick block of ice. To break the ice, you must repeatedly hit it with your Fire Rod. Another option is to use the Bombos Medallion which will destroy the ice in a single hit, but this consumes a lot of magic.
• Phase 2: Attacking the Eyes: Once the ice is broken, Kholdstare will split into three bouncing eyeballs. The eyeballs will bounce around the room, and ice shards will fall from the ceiling.
• Strategy:
  • The eyeballs are vulnerable to all of your attacks, but the Fire Rod is still a great way to deal damage quickly.
  • You can use your sword to attack the eyes as they bounce around, but this can be challenging to do while avoiding their contact.
  • The Cane of Byrna or Magic Cape can be very useful for this fight to avoid taking damage from the bouncing eyes and falling ice shards.
  • Focus on one eye at a time until it’s defeated.

After you’ve destroyed all three eyeballs, Kholdstare is defeated, and you’ll receive the crystal from this dungeon. With the Blue Mail in your possession, you are now much better equipped to face the challenges ahead.