TheLegend of Zeldafranchise has some of the most immersive andwell-designed dungeons on the market. Some of the most memorable palaces and temples have even resurfaced multiple times throughout the series' long history, offering new challenges in familiar locales.
But one particularly devious recurring motif is the labyrinth. Throughout the ages, Link has had to confront some truly tricky mazes, full of traps and hidden treasure. Here are ten of the best mazes and labyrinths in theLegend of Zeldaseries.
Wind Wakeris known to be a pretty charming and colorful game. Itsquaint, cel-shaded artmakes it one of the more cheerful entries in theZeldafranchise. But like allZeldagames, it’s not without its fair share of darkness. The whole game is situated over the flooded ruins of a Hyrule that fell to Ganondorf, and it’s full of grim secrets.
One of the most sinister is the Savage Labyrinth. This dungeon is a deep pit full of deadly monsters, taken from some of the most dangerous corners of the Great Sea. Link must fight through countless waves of foes to reach the great treasure at the very bottom of the labyrinth. Worse, this horrifying gauntlet is hidden just behind Link’s own house.
Much ofLink Between Worldstakes place inLorule, a dark and twisted reflection of Hyrule. Most of the dungeons in this alternate realm are, in turn, alternate versions of dungeons Link has already traversed in his home world. The sinister Dark Palace is a reflection of the Eastern Palace, the very first dungeon in the game.
In order to access the Dark Palace, however, Link must complete a segment that mirrors a different game altogether. The path to the Dark Palace is lined with guards, who will capture and imprison Link on sight if he is seen. Dodging the line of sight of these patrolling foes is a direct callback to an early moment inOcarina of Time, where a young Link must avoid castle guards in order to speak to Princess Zelda. The grim, lightless environs, twisting labyrinthine halls, and much higher stakes make this a much darker reflection of that classic segment.
The eerie world of Termina is full of strange secrets and some of the darkest content theLegend of Zeldafranchise has ever seen. The mysterious and labyrinthine dungeon hidden under the game’s empty well is no exception. This sinister underground maze is populated with undead Gibdo guarding every door.
In order to progress through the dungeon, Link must don the Gibdo mask and parley with these sinister mummies. Each has a different request, and if Link is able to collect all the necessary items without getting lost, he’ll be able to reach the end and acquire the powerful Mirror Shield.
The originalLegend of Zeldaset a lot of standards for the franchise. Many of the most iconic locales and tropes in later games got their start here, and that includes the Lost Woods. This mysterious sylvan glade can trap Link indefinitely if he’s not prepared to navigate it well.
While future iterations of the Lost Woods will misdirect Link to keep him out, the original will keep him inside. Once Link is inside this region, any wrong turn he makes trying to leave will warp him back to the beginning. An old woman hidden elsewhere on the map will give Link the directions he needs to make it out, but only for a price.
Link’s Awakeningisone of the most surreal entriesin theLegend of Zeldaseries, and the Signpost Maze is a particularly unusual example. This strange clearing is exactly what it sounds like: a labyrinthine arrangement of signs in a clearing. Each sign bears instructions on a direction, and Link must follow these directions to the letter if he wants to successfully navigate the maze.
In order to clear the maze, Link must visit each sign in exactly the right order. Tricky placement of signs deceptively close to each other will attempt to trip him up. Once the maze is successfully sorted out, Link can learn the Frog’s Song of Soul, which is required to progress later in the game. The origin and nature of this odd arrangement of signs is never explained.
The vast open world ofBreath of the Wildis full of secrets and mysteries to discover. It’s also built on the legacy of the games that came before, which is especially evident in areas like the Lost Woods. Thismystical forest is home to the Koroksand the great Deku Tree, and more importantly, it holds the Master Sword itself.
In order to access the Koroks' forest home, Link must carefully navigate the Lost Woods, a sprawling and maze-like stretch of trees and fog. One wrong turn will see Link consumed by the mists and deposited at the start of the maze. In order to make it through successfully, Link must hold on tight to a torch and trust the guidance of the light.
Twilight Princesshas a notably more aggressive approach to maze design than most other games in the series. Link must navigate the mystical Sacred Woods, a legendary grove that’s appeared in manyLegend of Zeldatitles, in order toreach the Temple of Time. In order to successfully cross these mystical woods, the hero has to pursue the tricksy Skull Kid.
This chase plays out at high speeds due to the increased mobility of Link’s wolf form. Skull Kid conjures puppet minions to hinder Link in this chase, but the hero’s canine aggression will soon see the Skull Kid caught and subdued, at which point he will open the path to the Temple of Time.
Misery Mire is the sixth dungeon in the Dark World ofLink to the Past. It’s a perfect fit for this twisted world of shadow, as it sits in the middle of the Swamp of Evil. Link must use the Ether Medallion to enter, at which point he will be lost in a labyrinthine dungeon full of devious wizzrobes.
One of the rooms in this grim dungeon features a double maze; if Link falls from the upper floor, he’ll be lost in the second floor, another twisted maze full of hostile serpents. If he perseveres, Link will find himself face to face with the boss Vitreous, a hideous monstrosity made of slime and eyeballs.
Ocarina of Timeis arguably the most prominent game in theLegend of Zeldafranchise, and certainly one of the most renowned games of all time. Almost every moment in the game is iconic at this point, and that’s especially true of the twisting tunnels of the Lost Woods.
In order to make his way through the Lost Woods, Link must listen closely at each tunnel. When he hears the well-known notes of Saria’s Song, he can make his way deeper into the forest. This will lead the Hero of Time to the Forest Temple, a sinister and haunted domain and the first dungeon Link must clear in his adult form.
Breath of the Wildintroduced theLomei Labyrinths, three intricate and monolithic mazesthat Link had to navigate to acquire the Barbarian armor set. InTears of the Kingdom, these immense mazes were heightened considerably. In order to successfully navigate one of the labyrinths, Link must navigate the land-based maze, then take to the sky to soar and glide through an airborne portion hanging above it.
After the airborne maze is finished, Link must make an immense leap of faith from the top of the airborne maze, through the surface labyrinth, and down into the Depths, where an imposing boss battle awaits. These challenges call to mind the Minotaur at the heart of the original Labyrinth from the Greek Myth, and the challenge of taking them on in the immense darkness of the Depths makes for a truly intimidating challenge.
