Chapter 4: Eldin Volcano
Eldin Volcano is a live volcano through which the power of earth flows. The fearsome fire monsters in the area make this a dangerous place for Link, especially when equipped with flammable items.
Here you’ll also come across Scrapper, a flying robot with two arms, which it can use to help Link carry large and heavy objects through the Eldin region. Scrapper cannot defend itself, so Link must protect it from monsters while travelling through the area.
The Mogma live in the region surrounding Eldin Volcano, using their sharp nails to dig through the ground and reach their subterranean lairs. They happen to have a highly advanced culture, and a particular affinity for treasure.
The familiar Bomb and bow items from The Legend of Zelda series are back with some welcome twists. Bombs can be thrown or placed as usual, but now they can also be rolled like a bowling ball – complete with curved trajectories. Link can also charge up his strength to send arrows flying even further and with more destructive power than before.
Finding the Volcano Entrance
If you can, bring an Iron Shield here. Leave the Wooden Shield at home. On the left of the save statue at the entrance, go down the ledge to find a Goddess Cube. Then follow the path straight ahead until you meet up with two Mogmas. Continue past them to a lava-filled cave and head left into an area with a new item; the bomb flower. Pick up a bomb flower and throw it at the rock wall on the left to uncover a passage. Go through it and you’ll come to a fork in the path. If you go left, you’ll find a Goddess Cube at the end. However, if you jump down the ledge on the left of the path, and roll a bomb flower into the hole in the wall, you can crawl into the hole afterwards to find a chest on the other side, containing a Red Rupee.
Then go right at the fork, past the Mogma, and you’ll see a red monster hide into an alcove in the rockface. Take a bomb flower and roll it into its hideout to get rid of it. Take down the enemies on the path ahead, then get bomb flowers and throw them into the hole in the monsters’ shell to blow them up. If you climb up around the cliff ahead, you’ll find a Piece of Heart on a ledge at the top (see below). Otherwise, roll down a bomb flower across the bridge made of bones on the left to blow up the hole where the lava is coming out. The path above will be emptied. Cross the bone bridge by dashing across it, then head up left and step into the air draft to get inside the big rock in the middle.
Digging Mitts
Drop down and use your Sailcloth to safely land on a ledge on the left. Open the chest here to obtain some Eldin Ore. Then jump down and land on the pillar with the Goddess Cube. After taking care of that, drop down to the bottom floor. Head into the passage and go left after talking to the Mogma. You’ll need to defeat all the Bokoblins in this room, including the one on top of the wooden catwalk. Then return to the Mogma and he will give you the Digging Mitts as a reward for your help. With the mitts you can dig into little holes in the ground, no need to equip anything. Just examine the spot behind the Mogma to reveal an air draft.
Go up to a fork, and head left first. Dig up another air draft and climb up the ladder above. Jump down the middle chute in the upper area to fall down next to a treasure chest back in the previous room. Open it for some Eldin Ore. Then return to the fork in the path and head right this time. Go around the room while avoiding the fire and pick up a bomb flower in the corner. Roll it into the hole close by to get rid of the creature inside, then head into the path leading to a room with a giant air draft. Dig up the hole in front of it to go up and let the air draft take you back outside.
Volcano Climbing
As Link races to the top of the mountain, Bokoblins from the Bokoblin Fort will try to stop your progress from their fort. Link must run up the steep slope to pass them, but any attack from them will send Link right back to the bottom. Projectiles and Link’s Beetle item will come in very handy here.
Speak with the Mogma ahead, then go left. The bridge will expand so you can cross, and a mysterious character will tell you of Zelda’s whereabouts. Continue straight ahead to a slippery sand slope. Dash up to start climbing to the first wooden platform. Defeat the enemy here, then look up at the top for a Bokoblin holding a boulder he’s about to throw down. Take out the Slingshot and shoot him while he’s holding the boulder to dispose of him. Then climb up to where he was and defeat all the enemies in the area above. Then pick up a bomb flower on the left and throw it at the scaffolding with the Bokoblin to make it fall, turning it into a bridge by the same occasion. Cross to the other side and climb up the vine wall at the end of the path. Follow the way to another sand slope. Dash up to the higher wooden platform, then use the Slingshot to shoot down all three Bokoblins above while they are holding a boulder to get rid of them. Then climb up to the top to find the Earth Temple. However, it is locked down by a special key, and that key has been shattered and hidden around. Obviously, you’ll need to find all five pieces.
Finding the Key Pieces
The first Piece of Key (1) can be found right on the left of the temple entrance, by digging up one of the holes in the ground. If you dig up more holes on the left side, you’ll also uncover an air draft. Throw a bomb flower on top of the draft to blow up the boulders above. You’ll find a Goddess Cube behind those boulders. Then walk to the edge of the area (still on the left of the temple) to see a wooden scaffolding down at the bottom of a sand slope. Throw a bomb flower down the slope towards the scaffolding to make it fall and reveal a hole in the ground underneath. Dig up this hole to find the second Piece of Key (2).
Then go back up and go to the right side of the temple this time. Defeat the enemies, then walk to the edge of the area, in direction of the sand slope. To the right of the little shrine here are two bomb flowers. Pick one up and throw it down the slope, towards the left wall, where you can see some boulders in the rockface. Throw it as close to the wall as you can to blow up these boulders and reveal an alcove. Slide down to that alcove and dig up the small hole inside to obtain the third Piece of Key (3).
Head back up to the right side of the temple and throw a bomb flower at the scaffolding next to it to form a bridge. Cross to reach an area with a chasm in the middle. Check the left side to find a ledge you can shimmy across. Once on the other side, head up the cliff and climb up around the vines on the wall to get to the right side, and thus on the other side of the chasm. Step on the switch here to expand the bridge for later, then follow the path into a very hot area. You can’t stay here, so quickly go right and you’ll slide down the side of the cliff. Stick to the right and slide down to a little ledge near the wall. Look on the left for some air drafts leading to another ledge across the chasm. Get there and dig up the hole to find the fourth Piece of Key (4).
Then slide down to the very bottom of the area and head right into an opening in the rockface. Pick up the lone bomb flower here and roll it across the sand slope so it blows up the boulder on the other side of the lava. Go into the alcove and dig up the spot to recover the last Piece of Key (5). Now use the giant air draft in the room nearby to return to the surface and go back to the Earth Temple. You can now unlock the door with the full key.
Heart Piece
In the first area of Eldin Volcano, just before the spot where you had to roll a bomb flower across the bone bridge to unclog the lava, climb up around the cliff to the right and follow the path to the top. Once at the edge, look down to see a Piece of Heart at the tip of a ledge below. Jump down to collect it.