The Best Dungeons & Temples In Zelda: Ocarina Of Time, Ranked

Key Takeaways

• Ocarina Of Time has diverse and challenging dungeons with varying visuals and mechanics.
• Iconic dungeons like the Water Temple are infamous for their difficulty and unique designs.
• Final dungeon Ganon’s Castle is a climactic showdown with overwhelming challenges and epic boss fights.

Often ranked as a top-tier game in the franchise, The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time is undoubtedly a bonafide classic. It featured an epic story, enchantment, horror, and adventure and changed The Legend Of Zelda for the better with brand-new 3D visuals for the time that made the world feel massive.

One way it became such a classic was through its diverse dungeons; dungeons have been a staple of Zelda since the beginning. Some are fun but challenging worlds to explore within themselves, while others have gained a more infamous reputation due to the frustration of gamers. From a visual, structure, and difficulty perspective, the Ocarina Of Time dungeons are all over the place.

Updated on November 27, 2024, by Melody MacReady: Almost three decades later, The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time continues to be a favorite in the long line of Zelda games. That shows how much time and effort was put into making the game by Nintendo, as it not only became a favorite, it changed the direction of The Legend Of Zelda forever. The dungeons may not be what everybody immediately thinks of when it comes to The Legend Of Zelda, but they are an important piece of the puzzle that makes a beautiful picture. The dungeons and temples featured in Ocarina Of Time come in all shapes, sizes, and gimmicks to make each trek through seem fresh, particularly for first-time players.

13 The Ice Cavern

Ice Physics Makes It A Chore To Get Through

• Location: Zora’s Fountain
• Signature Item: Iron Boots

Visually, the Ice Cavern is a very impressive dungeon and features some of the more unique enemies in Ocarina Of Time. Gameplay-wise, it features all the frustrating elements and mechanics that make most ice-based levels so frustrating in video games, from slippery floors to hazards that can freeze Link in place.

The controls for Ocarina Of Time are made for exploration and combat, not platforming. As a result, what was already frustrating for players in other dungeons is amplified in the Ice Cavern. The calming music and the puzzles are highlights, but as a whole, it is considered a chore of a dungeon to get through.

12 Gerudo Fortress

Stealth Is Frustratingly Vital In The Prison Labyrinth

• Location: Gerudo Valley
• Signature Item: Gerudo Token

Much like the Ice Caverns, Gerudo Fortress is impressive with how much detail Nintendo went into. With that said, it is known for being a frustrating maze with strict stealth mechanics; Link is either hiding or is spotted. There is no in-between like in Metal Gear Solid. One teeny tiny glimpse from a guard, and it’s back to the prison cell to try and repeat the annoying maze of halls.

In a way, the relentless form of stealth does help sustain tension, knowing that one mistake can reset all progress. Thankfully, getting caught does not reset saving the trapped carpenters from their cells. Gerudo Fortress does give insight into the world Ganondorf originated and the culture of the Gerudo people, who have since become a staple in many versions of Hyrule across the series.

11 Gerudo Training Ground

An Optional Dungeon With A Worthwhile Reward

• Location: Gerudo Fortress
• Signature Item: Ice Arrows

Short and sweet, the Gerudo Training Ground is an optional dungeon hidden within the Gerudo Fortress. In it, Link is forced to go through a series of trials that test the player’s knowledge of the different dungeons, as there are lava, water, invisible, and other challenges to overcome.

The reward is worth the arduous tests, as the end of the Gerudo Training Ground gifts players with Ice Arrows. Depending on when the player unlocks them, the Ice Arrows can be a useful tool in other dungeons and certain bosses, showcasing how side quests and mini-dungeons can help Link in the main story.

10 Inside Jabu-Jabu’s Belly

Curing A Giant Fish Of A Parasite Can Be Tricky

• Location: Zora’s Fountain
• Signature Item: Boomerang

Carrying a spoiled Zora princess through a living dungeon that is constantly trying to kill Link resulted in many frustrated players. On top of that, the player must avoid falling through Inside Jabu-Jabu’s Belly, thus resetting tons of progress depending on how much they have accomplished.

Just to make it even better, the dungeon has one of the most frustrating bosses in the game. It’s the last of the starter dungeons and it shows by setting up things to come. Visually, it is kind of disturbing since Link is basically trekking through body parts, but it’s impressive at the same time.

9 Dodongo’s Cavern

A Classic Cave That Continues To Teach The Player

• Location: Death Mountain Trail
• Signature Item: Bomb Bag

The best thing about Dodongo’s Cavern is its main area containing the giant skull; it gives the dungeon a massive scope that can be intimidating. The Dodongos and Lizalfos enemies are still quite simple but can be overwhelming to first-time players trying to figure out how to get through. The dungeon has some great puzzles that require a lot of traversing, but not to the point of irritation.

The only really disappointing aspect is the final boss fight against King Dodongo, which is surprisingly easy to beat, even for an early-game boss. With that said, it is essentially a tutorial level that is meant to show off the capabilities of the bombs, which become an essential part of Link’s arsenal throughout the game.

8 The Spirit Temple

Twinrova Makes A Great Dungeon Even Better

• Location: Desert Colossus
• Signature Items: Silver Gauntlets, Mirror Shield

The Spirit Temple is a complex one, but in a good way; it features some genuinely challenging puzzles yet utilizes light and darkness to complete puzzles. It’s an improvement over the Gerudo Temple due to its interior visuals, looking akin to a tomb straight out of Ancient Egypt at times and it features a memorable boss fight.

The boss, Twinrova, is often considered the best thing about the Spirit Temple. With two different forms, which were not normal for The Legend Of Zelda games at the time, that keeps the player on their toes at all times, forcing them to utilize mirrors in dynamic ways.

7 The Water Temple

A Watery Maze That Became Infamous For Its Difficulty

• Location: Lake Hylia
• Signature Items: Longshot

Every person who has played Ocarina Of Time knows the horrors of the Water Temple. The constant raising and lowering of water levels with a confusing layout, and the aggravating backtracking to solve every puzzle to get to the end. It does deserve credit that a lot of thought and care was put into the Water Temple by the developers, despite the frustration.

The Water Temple was unique for its time and very few water-based dungeons have matched its design and visuals. It also features one of the standout rooms of the game; an ethereal plain that is psychedelic, beautiful, and eerie at the same time. Especially when Dark Link appears as a mini-boss, and it is a refreshing challenge since he is a near-perfect mirror of Link.

6 Inside The Great Deku Tree

Sinister Starting Dungeon Which Lays The Foundation Of What’s To Come

• Location: Kokiri Forest
• Signature Item: Slingshot

For a Legend Of Zelda game to really draw in the player, it needs the first dungeon to be the perfect starter. Ocarina Of Time delivers that by having Link go Inside The Great Deku Tree; it introduces the player to many central gameplay aspects, including combat complexities, puzzle-solving, and the use of items.

Normally, a tree setting would be serene, especially after Kokiri Village being such a pleasant town, but Inside The Great Deku Tree has a creepy but intriguing atmosphere, and it features a great boss to really test a first-time player’s aim and reflexes. Queen Gohma is the ideal introduction to boss fights, though she may be a little much for those with arachnophobia.

5 The Shadow Temple

Undead And Monsters Thrive In The Darkest Dungeon

• Location: Kakariko Village Graveyard
• Signature Item: Hover Boots

Despite Ocarina Of Time being a family-friendly game, it features quite the horror-centric dungeon with the Shadow Temple. The entire temple has some of the best puzzles that require the use of the Hover Boots and Lens Of Truth to navigate, making for suspense from both the enemies and the obstacles.

The murky visuals not only help the limitations of the Nintendo 64 but make every room and corridor feel like something could jump out at any time. Sometimes that feeling is correct, sometimes it isn’t, which keeps the player alert throughout the journey, aside from the boss fight against Bongo-Bongo, who doesn’t fit the horror themes of the dungeon.

4 The Forest Temple

Far From A Typical Forest Level

• Location: Sacred Forest Meadow
• Signature Item: Fairy Bow

Forest dungeons are usually about trees, grass, and serenity, but the Forest Temple surprised newcomers by having it be about a ghost-infested temple with disorienting puzzles straight out of a haunted house ride. Every second in the temple is just ominous and designed to make gamers feel uneasy; it’s filled with ghosts and monsters that can appear out of nowhere at all times.

There’s also this strange feeling that the player is being watched by something, making it one of the scariest dungeons in the franchise. Combined with creepy music in the game and a solid boss against Phantom Ganon, it is a surprising first dungeon for adult Link to tackle but establishes the tone for how all the temples feel from there on out.

3 Bottom Of The Well

A Mini-Dungeon That Childhood Nightmares Spawned From

• Location: Kakariko Village
• Signature Item: Lens Of Truth

The Forest Temple was scary but the hidden dungeon at the Bottom Of The Well in the pleasantness of Kakariko Village is considered a nightmare by fans. Every second of this dungeon belongs to a survival horror game akin to Silent Hill. It has distinguished visuals from the Shadow Temple, purposefully confusing puzzles and traversal with undead and monsters around every corner.

The Dead Hand quickly became one of the most infamous enemies in The Legend Of Zelda history for a reason. This enemy alone is enough to make any child turn off the game and run out of the room but likely inspired a few aspiring horror writers or game designers.

2 The Fire Temple

A Gauntlet Of Fire That Never Lets Up

• Location: Death Mountain Crater
• Signature Item: Megaton Hammer

As taxing as it can be, the Fire Temple is one of the longest and most thrilling dungeons in Ocarina Of Time. Every room provides a constant challenge, whether it’s the environment with its endless fire and lava or the various enemies, including Like Likes that can swallow important items such as the shield.

The Fire Temple also features another ominous soundtrack, sounding almost like wind with a light instrumental backing. Depending on the copy of Ocarina Of Time, there is an eerily chanting to the background music that became famous for scaring some players. In the end, it is topped off with Volvagia, a simple boss but its design is one of the more intimidating dragon designs in the series.

1 Ganon’s Castle

The Climactic Showdown With Ganondorf Is A Fitting Culmination Of The Whole Game

• Location: Hyrule Castle
• Signature Items: Golden Gauntlets, Light Arrows

The final dungeon, Ganon’s Castle, ends Ocarina Of Time with a bang; it is one giant gauntlet of every mechanic, puzzle, and item the player has experienced throughout their adventure. There are even elements of the dreaded Ice Caverns in this gauntlet, so this dungeon can get a bit overwhelming but never to the point of quitting rage.

That’s all before the final boss against Ganondorf himself, which is a taxing affair in itself with three different phases. It’s visually striking with everything huge and epic to make it feel like a proper climax, with plenty of build-up to the encounter against Ganondorf. One of the best details is Ganondorf’s organ getting louder as Link treks up through the castle.