The 10 most memorable volcanic environments in The Legend of Zelda

No matter how hot it may have been this summer season, we can all be thankful that we never had to deal with the same heat that Link has been forced to endure while exploring any of the volcanic environments in The Legend of Zelda. The series’ adventures have frequently sent players into dungeons that house roaring fires, caverns that are aglow with molten rock, and even the very heart of active volcanoes ready to erupt at a moment’s notice. Volcanic environments have featured some of the greatest dangers and most dramatic scenarios, with these ten being the most memorable of all among the flames and lava.

10. Hinox Mine

You know you’re in for a good time and when mine carts enter the equation. The entire Volcano section in Tri Force Heroes is perhaps where the game’s multiplayer-focused level design shines brightest, and the highlight is undoubtedly when the trio of Links must ride along a series of rail tracks high above pools of lava. At first the Hinox Mine has you to solve puzzles by striking the right targets as the mine carts roll along, but the action picks up in a hurry once the Hinox Brothers show up. The battle against the one-eyed brutes is a nonstop firefight with both Hinoxes hurling an endless supply of bombs at you, all while the mine carts zip down the tracks.

9. Turtle Rock (Link’s Awakening)

Running deep into the western range of the Tal Tal Mountains, Turtle Rock is the last proper dungeon in Link’s Awakening, and easily one of the largest 2D dungeons in the series. Lava flows freely and plentifully in this subterranean labyrinth, but that’s just one of its many different dangers. Turtle Rock and its whopping 52 rooms house puzzles and hazards that test you to utilize items and skills that you’ve acquired from all throughout your adventure on Koholint Island. Several minibosses from previous dungeons make a reappearance to challenge you. Even in this volcanic dungeon, certain passages are frozen over and can only be cleared by using the Magic Rod.

8. Subrosia

In most Legend of Zelda games, the volcanic area is just one small portion of the larger in-game world. But Oracle of Seasons has an entire land filled with volcanoes and lava lying beneath the surface of Holodrum. Subrosia is like a miniature overworld that Link regularly drops into during his quest to collect the Essences of Nature. There is far more than just your usual mountains and pools of lava down there; Subrosia features beaches along underground seas, forests with alien-looking trees, and a village that the amusing Subrosian people call home. A few parts of Holodrum even wind up sinking to Subrosia, mostly notably the Temple of Seasons.

7. Fire Sanctuary

Very few dungeons are as visually stunning as Skyward Sword’s Fire Sanctuary, whose vibrant architecture is evocative of Buddhist temples found in Southeast Asia. The roofs, arches, and spires are shaped distinctly like the flames that burn within the temple’s halls, and effigies of creatures like owls, frogs, and lion-dogs appear at regular intervals. There is a lot going on during the journey through the Flame Sanctuary — not only is Link overcoming its many dangers, he’s also saving several Mogma captured by enemies. The task of finding the final Sacred Flame to empower the Master Sword leads through rivers of lava, open air courtyards, and even a trip or two underground thanks to the Mogma Mitts.

6. Dragon Roost Cavern

Each step through Dragon Roost Cavern is treacherous, with vast floors of lava waiting at what feels like every turn to swallow up anyone unfortunate enough to fall into their molten grip. Players need to come up with all sorts of different methods to avoid a fiery plunge. Sometimes this means hurling pots filled with water onto the lava to temporarily solidify it and make it safe to walk over. Other times it means swinging to safety by using the Grappling Hook. The most exciting way, however, is using a makeshift platform to ride the rising lava spouts. In the middle of all this is a refreshing section that takes Link back out to the sun-drenched cliffs around Dragon Roost Island, although there’s still no shortage of lava jets or crumbling stairways to keep players on their toes.

5. Earth Temple (Skyward Sword)

Skyward Sword’s Earth Temple is the perfect blueprint for how to design a lean, fast-paced dungeon that has very little downtime between setpieces. With greater attention placed on hazards and platforming challenges than on traditional puzzles, the Earth Temple feels less like a scripted video game scenario, and closer to trap-laden ruins that Indiana Jones would dive into. Link is always on the move while exploring, whether that’s to evade falling rocks while he races up a steep incline, hurrying out of the way of an oncoming boulder, or using a huge stone ball to safely roll through lava. Like the Fire Sanctuary, the Earth Temple features motifs and effigies of creatures both real and mythological from Southeast Asia: elephants, snakes, Asiatic dragons, and demonic figures that resemble the Yaksha statues of Thailand.

4. Goron Mines

Twilight Princess gets very creative with the Iron Boots its second dungeon by having Link take advantage of the metallic footwear’s magnetic properties to traverse otherwise unreachable sections of the fiery caverns within Death Mountain, including walls, ceilings, moving cranes, and even that platform where Dangoro tries to knock you into a pool of lava. The Iron Boots are occasionally combined with the Hero’s Bow as the solution to puzzles, most notably those moments where Link is forced to hit his target while hanging upside down from a magnetized foothold. This item combo coexists all the way to the very end, where both were instrumental in defeating The Legend of Zelda’s version of a Balrog ― the Twilit Igniter: Fyrus.

3. Gorondia

Little did we know while playing Breath of the Wild that the ruins of an ancient city lay beneath Death Mountain. Once thought to be merely a myth among the Gorons, the lost city of Gorondia is finally rediscovered when Link and Yunobo descend into the Depths during their quest to make sense of the Upheaval’s effects on the Eldin Region. The subterranean journey is one of the most memorable sections in Tears of the Kingdom’s story, filled with some truly arresting imagery from start to finish. Beneath Death Mountain, rivers of magma cut through the darkness, bringing welcome, yet dangerous light to the gloomy Depths. Remnants of a once grand city lay strewn about the murk and magma, while the towering walls of the Fire Temple loom in the distance.

2. Fire Temple (Ocarina of Time)

Conquering the Fire Temple’s many challenges in Ocarina of Time means far more than just finding the next sage and receiving their medallion. The fate of the Goron race is at stake as Link ventures into Death Mountain’s molten core, with the friendly, rock-eating people on the verge of being sacrificed to the dragon Volvagia. The sight of setting a Goron free from its prison cell never gets old while you progress through the dungeon. For all of the Fire Temple’s dangers, there is eerie beauty to its ambiance. Regardless of which version of the game you play, the chants in the background seem to serve as both reverent praises as well as grim warnings to those who step foot in a sanctified place built to honor the volcano. A recurring theme among the puzzles and platforming hazards is how they test your reflexes under a strict time limit, forcing you to move with urgency, but also with care to avoid any crucial missteps.

1. Eldin Region (Breath of the Wild)

If you ever wanted to explore a volcanic environment that’s as large as the entire overworld of most other Legend of Zelda games, Breath of the Wild made your wish come true with the Eldin Region. Death Mountain rises higher than ever before, consuming the horizon it sits upon and casting forth a sea’s worth of lava onto the land. Breath of the Wild’s open-world layout allows you to traverse the vast, rocky slopes in any direction you please, as long as you have a means of flameproof protection. With those safeguards, Link can even stand in the very heart of Death Mountain’s crater. Despite its scorching air that can set you aflame without the right armor or elixirs, there are plenty of areas that are a little more hospitable. Goron City and its affable residents are as welcoming as they’ve ever been, and the numerous geothermal hot springs in the region are so therapeutic that their waters heal lost hearts.