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- Developer: Nintendo EAD
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Platform: Nintendo GameCube
- Mode: Single-player
- Genre: Adventure
- ESRB rating: E (Everyone)
- Release date: March 24, 2003
- Tenth Zelda game in the series
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This page is a full-text walkthrough of the 2003 adventure game The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. This guide includes detailed solutions for every puzzle and boss fight in the game, as well as island-by-island instructions to locating all items, weapons and power-ups. Use the table of contents to locate a particular section.
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Game Background
It may not be extremely clear, but Wind Waker is a direct sequel to the Nintendo 64 Zelda franchise games, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. The events of Wind Waker take place more than 100 years after the events of Ocarina of Time. -
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Introduction
This is a detailed walkthrough for the 2002 Nintendo GameCube game The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. In this guide, you will find information on how to find the three Pearls and eight Triforce Shards and defeat the ultimate evil, Ganon. You'll also find tips to collect every item, weapon, Treasure Chart and Piece of Heart. -
Fighting and Getting Around
- Moving and Looking
- Your role in The Wind Waker is to control Link on a quest to rescue his sister.
- Your basic movement controls are handled with the Analog Stick. Control the camera with the C Stick. You can move the camera in Freelook mode with the C Stick, or push it Up to take on a first-person vantage point and look around your environment. Press L to return the camera to its default position at Link's back.
- Hold L when near enemies or characters to lock onto them. Your movements will then be made in a circular direction around the locked-on target. If you hold L while not locked on, you'll stay facing the direction you were when you started holding L, but you'll strafe sideways, forward or backward.
- Holding L also gives you access to Link's several jumping dodge moves. Use the Analog Stick in conjunction with A to jump to either side, roll forward or flip backward.
- If you need to sneak up on something or crawl, hold R while moving. You can navigate tight areas while crawling, or sneak up on certain enemies and characters.
- To navigate a narrow cliff or path, hold A when facing a wall to flatten against it. You can then sidle slowly along a wall. When you come to a corner, you can continue to hold A as you reach the corner to check around the side.
- Press A while running to roll forward. Though it's referred to as the "Roll Attack," using it against enemies is completely ineffective. You can roll into walls, trees and other objects to knock things off or out of them.
- Ledges: When you come to ledges, you can step off the side slowly to catch the edge. Then use the Analog Stick to slide along the edge or climb back up. Press A to drop from the ledge.
- Climbing: You can climb up ledges that are no higher than Link's head by walking up to them. To climb certain surfaces, you may need to press A.
- Ladders: You can mount ladders and climb then simply by walking up to them. Then use the Analog Stick to climb up or down. Press A to drop from them.
- Jumping: To jump, simply run off a ledge and Link will leap in that direction. Press Forward on the Analog Stick as you land in order to roll as you fall to avoid taking damage from long drops.
- Ropes: Jump from a ledge to a rope to catch it. Push Forward and Back in rhythm to use the rope to swing. When you build some momentum, you can jump from the rope with A. If you need to adjust your position on the rope or climb it, hold R. This will stop the rope from moving. You can use the Analog Stick to turn the direction you're facing on the rope sideways, or you can push Forward or Back to climb up or down.
- Attack and Defense
- The standard weapons in Wind Waker are Link's sword and shield. You'll find them early in the game and they'll be with you until the end. Ready these weapons by pressing A to draw them.
- Press B when you have the sword to swing it. The default sword attack is a vertical slice. Use B in conjunction with the Analog Stick to execute other attacks. Pushing the Analog Stick to either side changes the attack to a horizontal slice. Pushing Forward will cause Link to stab.
- Press B rapidly four times to execute a four-slice combo. This will cause Link to do various attacks depending on which brand of sword attack you use for the second strike. This includes a spin attack and a twist attack.
- Hold B for a few seconds and Link will draw the sword back behind him and hold it there. While you hold B, you'll move with baby steps and be unable to turn. You'll also be vulnerable to attack. Release B to execute a spin attack move that will damage enemies all around Link.
- You can earn another spinning sword attack, the Hurricane Strike, by gathering 10 Knight's Crest spoils and turning them in to Orca on Outset Island. The Hurricane Strike spends magic energy, but it sends Link into a massive spin that can be directed, but continues to move until he runs out of momentum. It is executed by holding and releasing B
- Pressing B draws both sword and shield from Link's back. When his sword and shield are put away, Link is vulnerable to attack. With sword and shield drawn, you can hold R to raise Link's shield to deflect attacks. Use the Analog Stick to aim the shield when reflecting things.
- Holding L with weapons drawn and holding R readies the shield and allows Link to move. The rules of lock on and strafing still apply, however. You can only aim your shield in one direction.
- Holding L with weapons drawn allows Link one additional attack. Push A while targeting to do a jumping sword strike.
- Using Weapons and Items
- When you find other items, such as a Boomerang or Bow, you can use them by pressing Start. This will bring up your inventory screen. Move the cursor around the menu to the item you wish to use, and press either X, Y or Z. This assigns the weapon to the particular button you selected.
- Press Start to return to the game. Now you can press the button to which you assigned the weapon to use it.
- While holding L or locked on, you can also press a weapon button to use it on the character or enemy onto which you are locked. This allows you to use a weapon, such as a boomerang or a bomb, more accurately.
- Link also will have a great deal of items that are not weapons. These include items such as maps, bottles and a telescope.
- Different items have different uses. Many times through the game, a specific item is necessary to complete an important task. This walkthrough details any point at which a certain item is needed to advance the story.
- Often, the game also will provide information on how to use certain items. For example, equipping Link's telescope will bring up a circular view that you can zoom in and out to see distant things and places. The game provides instructions around the outside of this view that notify you that pushing the C Stick forward or back will zoom the telescope.
- You can also use certain items creatively. Bottles can be used to transport potions, which can be used to restore health during battle. You can also capture fairies inside bottles, which will automatically revive Link if he falls during battle. Finally, bottles can be used to carry mission-specific substances, such as special water from Forest Haven during the Island Koroks side quest.
- Weapons often are used to activate special switches or open doors in a specific way. The Hero's Bow, for example, can be used to target switches that resemble eyes. Shooting these switches has an effect in areas of the Temple of the Gods, and can be used to unseal doors or extend bridges, for example. Specific weapons are needed for specific switches.
- Taking Damage
- When Link engages with an enemy, it'll attack him with a weapon or by attempting to touch him.
- Touching an enemy or getting hit by one causes Link to lose Hearts, the game's representation of how much damage Link can handle before dying.
- Defeating enemies and destroying things like cutting grass and breaking jars and stones will reveal small floating hearts. Pick up these hearts to restore Link's Heart Gauge.
- The Heart Gauge appears in the top left corner of the screen. Link starts the game with three hearts. Defeating a boss enemy at the end of a dungeon will award you with a Heart Container. Each Container increases Link's Heart Gauge by one.
- Hidden throughout the game also are items called Pieces of Heart. You'll generally find these in hard-to-reach places or as reward for completing tasks for characters in the game.
- Pieces of Heart each represent one-fourth of a Heart Container, so collecting four pieces will increase Link's Heart Gauge by one. There are 44 Pieces of Heart scattered throughout Wind Waker. Their locations are detailed under Pieces of Heart in the Worldwide Side Quests section.
- Enemies and Characters
- Characters in Wind Waker that aren't Link are divided into two categories: Things you kill and people you talk to.
- Enemies consist of monsters. You'll know them principally by their menacing disposition, attempts to touch or hit you, and the change in music when they're near Link. The sound will grow dark and menacing, and when you L Target these monsters, Link will take on a defensive posture.
- People can be interacted with by pressing the A Button when Link goes near them. This will allow you to initiate a conversation with the person in order to gain information, progress the story, trade, obtain or give away items, or complete goals.
- You can also lock on to characters. Use L Targeting to speak with characters at a distance.
- Non-enemy characters generally inhabit cities and will give Link missions, goals and help toward his goals. Most look like humans; some others look like birds or wood nymphs, however.
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The Great Sea
- Sailing and Swimming
- Wind Waker takes place on the Great Sea, a huge ocean that is broken up by islands of varying sizes. In order to get around the sea, you'll spend a good deal of time in Link's boat.
- To move the boat, hold R. This engages the boat's cruising speed, which is extremely slow. However, turning is easier. You'll use this for precision movements when searching the ocean for treasures.
- To move more quickly, you'll acquire the sail. Equip it to a button like any other item, then push the button to which you assigned the sail to use it. When you do, the sail automatically will be strapped to the boat and catch the wind. You can steer the boat with the Analog Stick. It will gather speed based on the direction of the wind. When the wind is directly at the back of the sail, the boat will be at maximum speed. Conversely, the boat will grind to a stop when it faces into the wind.
- Enter water and you'll swim automatically with the Analog Stick. Link can only swim on the surface of the water and only for a limited time. A circle appears in the right bottom corner of the screen when Link enters the water. The circle drains of color the longer he is in the water. If the circle drains completely, Link will sink and go unconscious. He'll awaken where he entered the water with a slight deduction in hearts.
- Fighting on the Seas
- While aboard the boat, you'll occasionally be engaged by enemies. You can't use your sword here, however.
- Link only can equip and use certain items from the boat. You must first find the Boomerang, Bombs and Hero's Bow before you can use weapons aboard the boat.
- When these weapons are equipped, you can lock on to enemies in the same way you would on land. The rules of guiding the boat still apply however. Use R to cruise slowly and the sail to go faster.
- Equipping and using bombs aboard the boat will activate a cannon. While stationary, you can use the Analog Stick to aim the cannon. Press the button again to fire a bomb as a cannon ball.
- Searching for Treasures
- When you find the Grapple Hook, you can equip it while aboard the boat to use it as the boat's crane. Press the assigned button once to bring out the crane and press and hold the button again the send lower the hook into the water. When it hits the bottom, it will either find nothing or a treasure.
- You can also switch which side of the boat you want to lower the crane by using the Analog Stick.
- While holding R, you can adjust the boat's position with the crane at the ready.
- To locate treasures, keep your eyes open while traveling the Great Sea for rings of light. They mark where minor treasures are hidden. Sail into the rings and they'll disappear, but you'll hear a ringing tone that will help you find spot. Then send down the crane to dredge up the treasure.
- When you collect Treasure Charts, press Up on the Directional Pad to open your Sea Chart. Press the Y button to access your extra charts and open a Treasure Chart. You can use the chart to find an X that marks a major treasure. These are always either a silver rupee, Piece of Heart or rare chart.
- Opening a Treasure Chart also activates a much taller ring of light when you approach the treasure, helping you to find it.
- Completing the Sea Chart
- One important thing you should do while traveling is complete your Sea Chart. At the beginning of the game, nearly every of the 49 grid squares are blank.
- In each of the squares, near that square's island, is a Manfish. These intelligent fish jump from the water near the islands. Sail up to them when you have All-Purpose Bait.
- Stop beside the fish, which you'll see swimming in the water. Press the button to which you assigned the bait to throw it into the water. The fish then will fill in the square on your Sea Chart.
- The Big Grid
- The world of Wind Waker consists of an ocean that is mapped on your Sea Chart in a grid of 49 squares. Each of these squares only gets a name when you've mapped the square by visiting the Manfish at each location.
- You need to complete the chart if you plan on completing any number of side quests, because getting around a blank Great Sea can be difficult.
- However, below are grid coordinates to each island, and grid coordinates will be applied throughout this walkthrough for ease of use. Since the Sea Chart has no coordinate system of its own, you'll need to make one up.
- For the purposes of this walkthrough, the X axis, or the top of the chart moving horizontally, is A, B, C, D, E, F and G. The Y axis, the side of the chart moving vertically, is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. Therefore, Outset Island's coordinates would be B-7, Windfall Island's would be D-2, and so on. Grid coordinates will be included with each island name to help you navigate to your destinations.
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Outset Island (B-7)
- You start by being introduced to Link (or the name you gave the main character) and his younger sister, Aryll, who awakens him in a lookout tower.
- You'll learn it is Link's birthday and you'll need to make your way across Outset Island to your grandmother's house.
- Drop down from the tower by walking up to the ladder. You'll mount it automatically. Push Down on the Analog Stick to climb down or hit A to drop.
- You'll first come to a fork in the path. Heading up takes you to the Fairy Forest, which is currently sealed off. Head to your right, east, to reach the rest of the island.
- TIP: Take a moment to drop inside the first house. Enter by going to the door and pushing A. Inside, crouch down and crawl under the bed using R and the Analog Stick. You'll find a green rupee and a hidden room with a chest that contains a red rupee.
- Head back outside. Duck under the porch to find another green rupee, then head for the bridge.
- TIP: You can also go up the path that winds upward, and jump off the trail onto the roof for another green rupee. Jump by walking off the side of the path toward the roof. There's another blue rupee on a higher portion of the roof that you can't reach yet.
- Talking to the denizens of Outset will give you gameplay information. The man standing in the tall grass talks about cutting it down with a cutting tool. He also says people drop things in the grass. When you get a sword, cutting grass will reveal things such as hearts, rupees and ammunition.
- Continue along the path to the bridge. There a boy will tell you that you can jump if you run off edges. Turn left at the boy and run toward the edge. You'll jump automatically, either to the next rock or into the water. You can jump from rock to rock, collecting a blue rupee and a yellow rupee. There are more ledges you can't reach yet, however.
- Finish crossing the bridge to reach the second half of Outset. Talk to the man crouching down to learn that to catch pigs, you'll need to sneak up on them. Hold R and move to crawl and sneak up on pigs, then press A when you are close enough to pick them up. Catching pigs comes up later.
- Following the path, you'll come to a house with an old man standing on the second story. He'll explain about L-Targeting. Hold L to lock onto the man and press A to talk to him.
- Go up the ladder as he suggests by walking into it. At the top, go through the door and speak to the old man, who is named Sturgeon. He'll tell you that you can learn things by reading the notes he's tacked onto the walls -- it's an in-game tutorial that'll give you quick tips and help you learn the ropes. Read each of the notes by pressing A.
- When you're finished, head back outside. You can break the various pots inside the house by pressing A to pick them up and A again to throw them. There's nothing in them though, so don't bother. The ladder inside also goes nowhere.
- Jump down. You can go through the lower door on the house if you want. Inside is Sturgeon's brother, Orca, who will teach you the Roll Attack (Press A while running) and a give you a little sword training (Press B with a sword equipped). You'll be back here shortly, so this can be skipped, too.
- There isn't anything else in the house, so head back outside.
- Finally, you can head to Link's grandma's house. Go in and up the ladder to receive your green Hero's Clothes.
- You're tasked with going to get your sister. Jump down and head outside.
- Aryll is back at the watch tower where you first started. Head across the island, crossing the bridge, and up the ladder on the tower.
- Aryll gives you the telescope. Equip it by hitting Start to open your menu and putting the cursor over the telescope, then pushing the button you want to set it to -- X, Y, or Z. Use it by hitting the button you assigned it to.
- Once you have the telescope, you'll see a great bird fly overhead with someone clutched in its talons. The bird, called the Helmaroc King, is being pursued by a ship that fires cannon balls at it. One hits the bird, and the person it carries is dropped into the Fairy Forest in the south of the smaller island where you started.
- Head to Orca's house (the lower floor where both old men live, near Grandma's house). Go through the sword training to gain the Hero's Sword. Press B to use it.
- TIP: Use the sword to hack up everything you come across. Often cutting down trees or bushes will reveal rupees or hearts, both of which you'll often need to make progress. Hearts keep you alive when you're hurt, and rupees are necessary to buy all sorts of things.
- You can use the sword to open the way into the Fairy Forest. Continue up the path, taking the bridge to the left. Jump the gap and head inside.
- Once inside the forest, you'll see the person the bird dropped hanging from a tree.
- TIP: Try crawling inside the downed logs to collect some rupees.
- Head further into the forest, taking the path on the right. You'll drop down into a room where you'll begin your first combat against a pig-looking bad guy, known as a bokoblin. Remember what Orca taught you and you'll do fine.
- Climb the nearby stump in the left corner of the area. From there, you can jump onto a nearby rise. Notice the sign and big boulder to the right. You can come back here later with something to remove that rock.
- Continue up the downed tree. Jump down and more bokoblins show up. Dispatch them with your sword.
- The girl stuck in the tree wakes up once you've won the fight. You find out her name is Tetra. You follow her out in time to see the Helmaroc King snatch Aryll off the bridge. Link decides to head off with Tetra and her pirates to find Aryll, who you learn is being held to the north at the Forsaken Fortress. Tetra tells you that you'll need a shield in order to go on, and that you won't be back for a while.
- Go back to Grandma's house and climb the ladder to where the shield is. It's gone, so jump down and Grandma gives you the Hero's Shield.
- TIP: The little boat parked not far from Grandma's house is a shop boat. Swim out to it and head inside to buy a few things, including a Bait Bag for 20 rupees. That'll allow you to keep bait that can be used to lure animals such as pigs.
- TIP: It's worth it to take a spin around the island again to make sure you didn't miss anything. For example, crawl under Grandma's porch to find a crawl space that leads to a hidden room. Inside is a chest that holds an orange rupee -- the equivalent of 100 rupees.
- When you're ready to head off, speak with Tetra.
- TIP: If you're playing your Second Quest, this is a key moment in which to get a pictograph of Tetra for the Nintendo Gallery. It's one of only two chances you'll have to get her. See Forest Haven in the Side Quests section.

