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The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Walkthrough

By: Peter Brown, GameSpot - Posted on Nov 21, 2011

Hey! Listen! Our guide for Skyward Sword will help you master the skies on your quest to save Zelda and fulfill your destiny as the chosen one.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Walkthrough

  • The Basics: A primer on wielding your sword, defense, and helpful hints.
  • Walkthrough: Solutions for troublesome puzzles and fearsome bosses.

What's New:

  • December 12, 2011: Detailed instructions for collecting every gratitude crystal, and a list of corresponding prizes. Added the Goddess Cube list; currently halfway completed.
  • December 8, 2011: Added Ancient Cistern to the walkthrough.
  • December 5, 2011: Added detailed locations for every piece of heart and information on maxing out your heart count with life medallions.
  • December 2, 2011: Combat items added to the equipment section. First of three sacred flame quests added to the walkthrough.
  • December 1, 2011: Lanayru Mining Facility completed. Insect and treasure indexes added to the items and equipment section.
  • November 23, 2011: New video walkthroughs for Skyview Temple.
  • November 21, 2011: Tons of screenshots added to the guide, as well as walkthroughs for Eldin Volcano and the Lanaryu Desert!
  • November 20, 2011: Full walkthrough for the first two dungeons. Tips on combat and flight.
*This guide is a work in progress and will be updated frequently.

77 Comments

  • skimad432

    Posted Feb 2, 2012 9:22 pm GMT

    I am a long time Zelda fan. I was really excited to try out the motion controls with this since I've heard its the best use of motion yet. So far I'm impressed with the motion although I don't think motion in general is all its cracked up to be. I'm two and a half hours into the game. Here are my thoughts: first of all I'm disappointed with how long they took to set up the game and story. There is a lot of unnecessary conversations, the guide is a weird jananese woman who doesn't fit into the zelda universe, I havn't gotten to the first dungeon yet, and I'm doing a pointless fetch-quest. I'm sure the game will turn out to be great once I actually get into some dungeon action and boss battles. Also, the graphics are really washed out. I mean, wind waker even looked a lot sharper than this and that was 5 years ago at least.

    *Addendum : After sticking with the game and playing through the sky temple I remember what is so special about the Zelda series. I'm loving the game and the game design and use of motion controls is probably the most creativity i've seen in a game since metal gear solid. While it's still the same basic Zelda forumala it's one of the greatest in the world of videogames. They still didn't need all that wasted time in the beginning of the game but now its a joy to play.

  • Arseen

    Posted Jan 25, 2012 9:27 am GMT

    So the guide died?
    No updates in over a month!

  • so_hai

    Posted Jan 14, 2012 4:58 pm GMT

    This game is an absolute masterclass in game design, game interactivity, sound design and graphical design. Those that harken back to Ocarina really are under-stating Miyamoto's progression as a game designer and visionary. You can like OoT better if you must, but you must acknowledge Miyamoto's persistence in pushing Zelda to ever-increasing new heights. This game has double the creativity that OoT had as far as I have noticed (and I'm only 4 hours in).

  • Tsasero

    Posted Jan 1, 2012 11:09 pm GMT

    Some of what u have to do for the first Gratitude Crystal Mini-Quest is left out. Like having to talk to the young woman close to the graveyard then going to Lumpy Pumpkin and talk to the old dude. Just clarifying.

  • ADO300

    Posted Dec 26, 2011 10:06 am GMT

    Zelda: ocarina of time 3d is officially my new favorite game of all time but, Zelda: skyward sword is officially my new favorite game for the Wii, and I for one would love to see a HD port of this game for the Wii-u.

  • CTR360

    Posted Dec 26, 2011 12:55 am GMT

    mastepiece

  • jonb4play

    Posted Dec 20, 2011 5:01 pm GMT

    i enjoyed this zelda, but i think twilight princess was better. there is no replay value to this one, and zelda needs to grow up and get some voices. let Link and Zelda be voiceless but seriously, the towns people and villians need voices. This game was easier than the other Zeldas and the puzzles weren't all that spectacular, but still I am a zelda fan and enjoyed it, but i would like to see some serious development in the series.

  • Maurik03

    Posted Dec 19, 2011 4:03 am GMT

    in my opinion, this is the best zelda until now, cause the zelda games are just getting better and better...
    this is a really masterpiece for nintendo

  • da_chub

    Posted Dec 5, 2011 6:51 am GMT

    this is yet another great zelda game. I love how i have actually played every console zelda since the beginning, and even though Link to Past or OOT stand out as being great...people think that Windwaker, TP or even SS arent as good as Link to Past. Well, u know what, TP is better then OOT. It might not have made the mark on this generations gaming as OOT did, but what else was there back then? Nothing. Each zelda game has only gotten better. I went into SS not sure if id like the new graphics. TP was def beautiful. But SS just feels like this is what a Zelda game should look like. I can pick out flaws, but it is a great game. and besides, does anyone really think that nintendo is going to let us down? 25 years....and it is still on top of its genre.

  • BasilVZero

    Posted Nov 30, 2011 12:26 pm GMT

    Love this game so much

  • Maurik03

    Posted Nov 30, 2011 8:09 am GMT

    this is one of the most beautiful game i ever played, one of the best zelda games for sure.

  • Danny_from_TX

    Posted Nov 29, 2011 4:07 pm GMT

    I had fun playing this game.

  • ArmuroRay posted Nov 28, 2011 9:19 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    ArmuroRay

    Posted Nov 28, 2011 9:19 pm GMT (hide)

    While I agree with you completely, Metal Gear>>>>>> Zelda. Honestly. And irony from someone with a Final Fantasy avie.

  • almossbb

    Posted Nov 27, 2011 7:35 pm GMT

    @grim0187
    forgive my grammar. well it always depends on the gamers perspective. some gamers love a game so much that they would give it a 10, but someone else might go meh its a good game, id give it an 8, you get what im saying, cause i understand what your saying and i respect that. i absolutely love MGS and Zelda, they are at the top of my fav series, but not everyone likes them as much as i do, i respect that too. so what games do you like?

  • grim0187 posted Nov 27, 2011 6:11 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    grim0187

    Posted Nov 27, 2011 6:11 pm GMT (hide)

    @almossbb Okay, this line "i dont give for the review score cause i love the game" Is that supposed to say I dont CARE for the review score? Whatever....

    Anyways, Metal Gear is another series that is meh and that has been around forever. Im not saying its not a good game. Im just saying its not as good as people think it is. Link to the past is the best zelda game. Always has been, always will be. The rest follow in its footsteps, yes even Ocarina of Time.

  • ArmuroRay posted Nov 26, 2011 7:21 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    ArmuroRay

    Posted Nov 26, 2011 7:21 pm GMT (hide)

    Oh lawd, you fanboys are hilarious. I am a huge Zelda fan and I even realize that this one is far from perfect.

    Cry some more, newbs.

  • Elard621

    Posted Nov 26, 2011 2:04 pm GMT

    Man... I just bought the game... and it is wonderful... There are no problems with the control... and the characters are just brilliant... along with the graphics and the environment...

    You know, when a game is as good as this, you don´t care about the review. If the reviewer did not know how to play when he reviewed it, who cares. If he is a real gamer, he will re-review it. If he does not, well, I feel really sorry for him, because he does not know how to look at a masterpiece, and he is going to lose his chance of playing one of the best games ever made in the real way he should play it.

    Personally, I´m happy that other Gamespot editors are enjoying and creating excellent walktroughs for the game. In fact, I´m so happy, that I think that is not necessary to leave Gamespot because of their review for the game. I´m in peace with gaming.

  • Sgt_Crow

    Posted Nov 26, 2011 5:14 am GMT

    What an amazing game. This reviewer certainly did work with a broken controller or something... I've had nearly zero problems. Nothing game breaking anyway. The controls are fantastic and I can only hope they will mark the future.

  • almossbb

    Posted Nov 25, 2011 9:23 pm GMT

    @grim0187
    i dont give for the review score cause i love the game
    if zelda has always been a "meh" title, it would not have continued for 25 years, think about that. im not asking you to like zelda, if you dont then fine by me whatever...

  • xjonathan2005

    Posted Nov 24, 2011 5:01 am GMT

    @tremblay343 We could argue about this all day, and maybe If we want to we could fill all these comments with our comments LOL... but have you seen the Zelda hotspot? Peter Brown is the one is the one backing up TM, so I know who is writing the guide, I even saw his face LOL.

    It's not gonna be long, but I just want to say, I love this game, this game is amazing, the controller works, even though is not 100% works it didn't ruin my experience with this game, the story line is amazing, one of the scene is definitely going to be my top 5 greatest moment in Zelda... There's no such thing as 100% works especially in motion controllers... I play kinect, does it work? yes it works... does it always 100% works? no, it's lagging... even classic controllers does not always works... but does the controller troublesome just like TM mentioned in his review? no... not at all... I love it and and "most" of the people will love this game too, for me this is going to be GoTY Contender for 2011 and probably for other websites too, but for GS, who knows, probably Zelda going to be the worst game that will become the GoTY contenders in GS... LOL... Anyway I really enjoyed the game, that's the most important, I just feel sorry for some people who didn't feel like I feel...

  • mzdhr

    Posted Nov 23, 2011 1:27 pm GMT

    I will not follow a walkthrough for a loser!

  • Tremblay343

    Posted Nov 23, 2011 10:52 am GMT

    @xjonathan2005 Also IGN gets games first. That's just how it is. They almost always have first review up. Of course their guide is going to be a little bit ahead. You even said the IGN isn't complete, so WHY would the gamespot one be finished yet? It gets updated every day, just like the IGN one.

    Also maybe the guy likes SS more than Tom? It's laughable that you think a guides editor writes a guide "from the heart". A lot of people, including ex-ign Colin Moriarty and ex-gamespot Matt Rorie hated writing guides because you play way more of a game than you'd like to and you have to search every corner for every stupid collectible. So unless you know the person who's writing this guide, none of what you said makes any sense or is justifiable in any way.

  • Tremblay343

    Posted Nov 23, 2011 10:43 am GMT

    @xjonathan2005 Yes I do think they were playing it properly. This game has faults. Granted not many, but faults exist. Just because Tom doesn't go insane everytime he plays this game does not mean he did it wrong.

    This is a Zelda game. Some people are tired of Zelda games. You do a dungeon, you unlock a new piece of land, explore, go into a dungeon. There is a hookshot, a boomerang(kind of), bombs and you can shoot lasers out of your sword. This game is not a revolution.

    The controls are cool. Do they work all the time? No. Do they work most of the time? Yeah. While I do think 7.5 is low, I don't think it's very far off the mark. I have been playing Zelda games for a very long time. They definitely improved the combat, but just because people have a different opinion about the fun they're having (which is purely subjective btw!) does not mean they're "playing it wrong".

    Not everyone is 12 and and an irrational fanboy.

  • Preijnst

    Posted Nov 23, 2011 9:14 am GMT

    I've played this game for around 20 hours and so far it's been awesome. The controls are near perfect, with the only major complaint so far being swimming. Was Tom holding the Wiimote upside down or what? :/

  • Snakepond2

    Posted Nov 23, 2011 7:25 am GMT

    I love this Tom and Peter were hating on Zelda through the entire Hotspot show except for maybe one or two positive comments and now they make a walkthrough. Why?

  • grim0187 posted Nov 23, 2011 5:31 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    grim0187

    Posted Nov 23, 2011 5:31 am GMT (hide)

    I lol so hard at how so many people get butthurt over a review score. It doesnt matter if the controles are fixed and the game is rereviewed. I bet it would only bring the score up by like .5. Fact is, this is a "meh" title. Zelda has ALWAYS been "meh." But its legion of die hard fanboys cant see past the tears in their eyes or breath through the froth at their mouths. Hilarious...

  • Pdot_PWNS

    Posted Nov 23, 2011 5:25 am GMT

    @Tremblay343 ur doin it wrong then...

  • ghangiskhan1

    Posted Nov 23, 2011 1:26 am GMT

    @ElmorePOW

    everybody HAS to love this game right? opinions are for chumps

    but for what it's worth, i love this game

  • ElmorePOW

    Posted Nov 22, 2011 11:53 pm GMT

    What's wrong Gamespot? Could not blackmail enough money from Nintendo? Your review score of Skyward Sword looks ridiculous compared to general consensus that can be read from Metacritic. It is sad that this site has gone beyond the border when they do not recognize one of the greatest Zelda games ever made. I've played Skyward Sword for 10 hours now and the sheer quality of this game stuns me. Nobody cares if you re-write your review or not, because gamespot has lost the last of its respectability it ever had.

  • xjonathan2005

    Posted Nov 22, 2011 11:02 pm GMT

    @Tremblay343
    Is not that I am amazing, This game is Amazing! Some people don't realize or don't know or can't figure it out how amazing this game is... And that some people did the review, and the group from that some people are doing the walkthrough... For some people who has realize that this is an amazing game will agree with me, how could they make a guide if they can't even appreciate the amazingness of the game? You saw the review, do you think that they are playing it properly? I am not the judge here, and fyi, check on IGN's wiki, it's much better and more complete, even though some dungeons are still missing but at least they appreciate the game and they are doing the walkthrough from their heart... unlike this walkthrough they are doing it just to get more hits... 7.5 doesn't deserve a walkthrough, what would they doing it now? once again, I'm not the judge here...

  • Yodaman47

    Posted Nov 22, 2011 9:55 pm GMT

    Why would anyone want to use a Gamespot walkthrough? It'd probably tell you to waggle your way through the game.

  • iruprai500

    Posted Nov 22, 2011 9:43 pm GMT

    Why would anyone in their right mind read a walkthrough made by people who don't even know how to play the game properly? This is comedic.

  • Elard621

    Posted Nov 22, 2011 6:35 pm GMT

    Has Gamespot done a re-review with any game? because I think that Skyward Sword really deserves one, and I don´t want to leave Gamespot

  • Elard621

    Posted Nov 22, 2011 5:00 pm GMT

    It is better to prevent, than to regret Gamespot, to prevent than to regret ...

  • mello7283

    Posted Nov 22, 2011 3:45 pm GMT

    This game is great! Hard to put it down.

  • PlyrMava

    Posted Nov 22, 2011 3:39 pm GMT

    What I enjoy about this walkthrough, more than anything else, are the cheesy names he gives the next pages....."Break on Through to The Other Side"......hahaha....Bravo, editor

  • Wolflink001

    Posted Nov 22, 2011 2:52 pm GMT

    Hah! And they want to do a walkthrough now??? Are you crazy Gamespot???

  • Tremblay343

    Posted Nov 22, 2011 1:03 pm GMT

    @xjonathan2005

    Someone completely different from the review is doing the guide. Just because you don't agree with the score does not mean they're not playing it properly. I myself and experiencing issues when trying to throw/roll bombs and having to recenter the cursor all the time is really annoying. Swordplay is cool, but using stuff that requires manual aim can be fussy.

    Sorry we're not all amazing like you are.

  • xjonathan2005

    Posted Nov 22, 2011 12:33 pm GMT

    They can't even play properly, now they are going to make a walkthrough? that's like I can't cook but I'm making a cooking guide... btw, Gamespot's walkthrough is late, IGN's walkthrough already on for 3 days now...

  • LoZ4life

    Posted Nov 22, 2011 11:44 am GMT

    @Freak_Ache
    Because the review appears as Gamespot's review, and they never do any sort of second opinions kinda thing. Which they NEED to for this game. Because, It's funny how they all defend Tom even though they KNOW he is wrong, because they can't just say that they love the game.

  • cetaepsilon

    Posted Nov 22, 2011 11:22 am GMT

    What I would like to see in World of Tanks guide is what you would like to accomplish with this guide. Why do you think readers will want to read a walkthrough of a game with buggy controls and predictable formula ? Isn't the game just a tedious routine of fetch, dungeon, fecth, dungeon ?

  • nigelholden

    Posted Nov 22, 2011 10:27 am GMT

    I've been a pretty vocal critic of the original review. That said, it's probably best to take this guide as it is and not mix it too heavily with the other debate. I'm not much of a guides person, myself, but I do know they are hard to compile and it may help some people out as they play through this awesome game. Just my thoughts.

  • Freak_Ache

    Posted Nov 22, 2011 10:26 am GMT

    Why do the people in these comments think that Gamespot is one single entity rather than a collection of people?

  • JusticeCovert GameSpot staff member

    Posted Nov 22, 2011 10:20 am GMT

    @cetaepsilon What would you like to see in a World of Tanks guide? I reviewed and have played a lot of that game; it never really struck me as a game that anyone would need a guide for, particularly since the official site is so helpful.

  • toonsim2

    Posted Nov 22, 2011 10:13 am GMT

    The controls are flawless in my opinion and have had no problems using them. I really don't know how McShea can have problems with them. After this whole review debacle I have lost alot of respect for Gamespot which makes me sad

  • wolfieboy13

    Posted Nov 22, 2011 9:44 am GMT

    well gameinformer gave it a 10, and everybody knows gamespot doesn't count

  • gdepaul

    Posted Nov 22, 2011 8:33 am GMT

    Wow. There seems to be quite a few people that are unhappy with the review. Relax folks it's just a review (and a game at that). I'm an old-timer gamer, I'd buy Zelda even it got a 2.0. But if the controls ever crap out on me, it's an instant trade-in.

  • doc-brown GameSpot staff member

    Posted Nov 22, 2011 7:50 am GMT

    @cstv I can only tell you that calmly swinging a sword to familiarize your self with its limitations, is a lot different to me than fighting a boss when you have a single heart left, and your sword ends up on the wrong side of Link.

    I am not, by any agenda of my own or GameSpot's, defending Tom. I am simply agreeing with him. We are both entitled to our own opinion. It just happens to be similar.