The time has come to defeat Ganondorf, save the princess, and complete the journey. You’ve had your final battle with King Bulblin, made your way through the ground floor of Hyrule Castle, and have entered the tower from the pouring rain. The end is so close, but there is one last trial for you to face: You must complete the climb to reach the throne room where Ganondorf awaits.
Immediately you know the stakes have risen when you enter the previously locked door. The eerie music from before is intensified with pounding brass once you arrive. Before you is a floor with missing pieces, and the only way to find your way is by using your wolf senses. By doing this, phantoms of Hyrule Castle soldiers, who you can only assume were the fallen soldiers of Zant’s raid, can guide you by pointing cryptically in the direction the hero is meant to go.
The tower is still in ruins once you progress forward to the staircase, which is shattered and leaves gaping holes in which you could fall. The drop from this height would be immense and the damage only gets worse from here.
As you approach the next level of the climb, Ganon’s theme begins to play alongside Hyrule Castle’s theme, which can only mean trouble. Two Lizalfo’s block your path and the only way past is to defeat them in combat. The empty room between the two stairwells provides enough room for the battle to take place, though, with Link’s level of skill by this point in his journey, it should not take much time at all before you approach your next obstacle.
You must cross another crumbled stairwell to progress to the next floor. Unlike the last one, these gaps are too far to jump, even in wolf form. Carefully, you observe your surroundings, looking for anything that may assist your climb. Caged lanterns line each side of the wall, and those cages can be latched onto with the Double Clawshot. Slinging from side to side, you make your way to the next floor and the next challenge.
You enter another barren room with two masked foes awaiting your arrival. They try to stop you as well, but Link is too powerful to be struck down so easily. Another stairwell follows them, though this time it’s lined with spiked mechanisms to stop you. For one last time, you use your trusty Spinner to propel up the railways built into the castle walls. Leaping from side to side to dodge these traps, you ascend to the final floor.
You reach the top and are challenged by a lone Darknut. He is the final guardian to the King of Evil. Defeat him, and you are ready to face the final foe. This may be a tougher fight, but if you were thorough in your exploration of the castle and found the secret key, a special surprise may await you near the end.
When the Darknut is defeated and the barriers created by it give way, two doors lie before you. The significantly bigger one leads the way to Ganondorf himself. The smaller one, however, hosts a trove of treasure chests. Each chest contains one type of rupee, and there’s enough chest for every type of rupee in the game. Why would this be important at the final point in the game? The rupees can fuel your Magic Armor, which can protect you in the many battles that lie before you.
The final gate is unlocked. You’ve reached the highest point in Hyrule Castle. Zelda is waiting for your rescue. Go forth, and fulfill your destiny.
