Zelda franchise strategy guide/Locations/Great Sea

The Great Sea is the setting of the Nintendo GameCube video game The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and its Nintendo DS sequel, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass.

Physical geography

By the time of The Wind Waker in Zelda's (i.e. Hyrule's) chronology, Hyrule has been sealed beneath the ocean, and only a collection of mountaintops are visible above the water. These mountaintops form the islands and archipelagos of the Great Sea. There are 49 islands and archipelagos in all, the largest of which are Outset Island, Dragon Roost Island, Windfall Island, Forest Haven and the Forsaken Fortress, which is one of the game's major dungeons. Some of these islands are references to places in the Hyrule of Ocarina of Time and bear similarities to these places in their locations, cultures and inhabitants. Due to the relatively small size of many of the islands, there are large expanses of ocean between each island, making travel long and tedious until alternate means of travel can be obtained (as opposed to manually sailing between destinations.)

Human geography

On the islands of the Great Sea, local commerce is quite advanced. Most of the food is gathered from fishing and small farms. There is also a large trade boom with the Gorons, who live somewhere outside the boundaries of the Great Sea.

There is only one major town in the Great Sea, which is on Windfall Island. Prior to the events of the game, a large base of pirates competing with Tetra and crew thrived on the island that is now the Forsaken Fortress; they were subsequently wiped out by Tetra's pirates. Later, Ganondorf took it over and made it his base of operations. A large tower is raised from the depths about halfway through the game's duration, in the center of the ocean, but barring that, there is not much else of great stature, except the small settlements on Outset, Dragon Roost, and Forest Haven. There was once a similar settlement on Greatfish Island, but it was decimated by Ganondorf before Link ever visits it.

Races and governments

The governments of this time are limited to local governments consisting of a village mayor or elder. One of the reasons for this is that there are very few people (and a severe dry-land shortage) in post-deluge Hyrule. But there are still many diverse races living on the Great Sea.

Anouki and Yook

The Akouki and Yook live on the wintry Isle of Frost.

Cobble Kingdom

The Cobble Kingdom covers the Northwest Quadrant of Phantom Hourglass's Great Sea, and is a long-dead kingdom populated only by the dead during the events of this game.

Fishmen

Strange creatures which live in the ocean and draw maps. They like Beedle's All-Purpose Bait. They are very knowledgeable about the Great Sea and adept cartographers, but they tend to hint and imply when talking to Link, instead of being concise and directly giving useful information. It is revealed that the Fishmen (or one particular Fishman) were in some way indebted to the King of Red Lions, although the actual details are not disclosed. One of the fishmen will allow you to participate in a game in which Link tries to strike the fishman with an arrow, whilst the fishman leaps from the sea at varying heights. Their prime purpose consists of drawing locations on Link's map if the location is not already there; they will only comply to this after a single helping of All-Purpose Bait.

Gerudo

The Gerudo as a tribe do not appear in the game, though Ganondorf, an ancient Gerudo King, appears in The Wind Waker, and Astrid, Jolene, and Joanne, three characters resembling Gerudo, appear in Phantom Hourglass.

Golden Frogs

The Golden Frogs mainly live in a fountain on the Uncharted Isle, though six of them are abroad on the Great Sea, where they can summon cyclones.

Gorons

Most of the Gorons now live on Goron Island, visitable only in Phantom Hourglass, but there are three wayfaring traders in The Wind Waker.

HoHo Tribe

Hailing from the land of Wayaway, the HoHos are seafarers that are constantly on the look for treasure. In The Wind Waker, it at first seems that there is only one, constantly traveling Old Man HoHo, while Phantom Hourglass reveals that they are actually a full tribe of people.

Koroks

The Koroks live on a small island with the Deku Tree, who is implied to have been the Deku Sprout in Ocarina of Time. Under the orders of the Deku Tree, the Koroks move among the islands of the Great Sea, planting seeds in the hope that it will allow the expansion of the mountaintops to create one large island, combining all the current ones. It is heavily implied that the Koroks have descended from the Kokiri. The Deku Tree tells Link that their appearance changed as an adaptation to living on the Great Sea.

Pirates

Pirates plunder the ocean in search of treasure, of which there is certainly an abundance. One group of pirates is led by a young girl named Tetra. She has some knowledge of the ancient past of Hyrule and is searching a way to recover these ancient and valuable relics. They are loyal to Tetra, and they show some acts of nobility through the game, despite their profession. They temporarily adopt Aryll and seem to offer caring hospitality.

Rito

A strange race of avians apparently descended from the Zora, the Rito have developed a strong culture on Dragon Roost Island. They are fairly populous and have a strong relationship with the Humans. They are merely beaked humanoid beings until they are given a scale by the Sky Spirit Valoo, which allows them to grow wings. Until this rite of passage, each of the young Rito children use a Grappling Hook as a temporary substitute. The Ritos conduct the postal service across the Great Sea, an obvious choice since they can traverse the Great Sea with ease using their wings. Quill is the most featured of the postmen in the game. It is heavily implied throughout the game that the Rito are descendents of the Zora, who are noticably absent from this installment. For example, Medli, the eventually awakened reincarnation of the Earth Sage of Laruto, who is a Zora, wears the crest of the Zora on her robes, and Laruto calls her "my descendant".

Zora

No living Zora appears in either game, but Laruto appears as a ghost in The Wind Waker, and the Zola Warrior appears as a rare enemy in Phantom Hourglass.

Islands in The Wind Waker

The islands listed below are arranged as they appear on the map of the overworld, known in the game as the Great Sea. Islands of particular importance to the plot are listed in bold. Almost every island has some use or distinguishing feature; albeit some are not integral to the game.

Outset Island

Located in the southwest corner of the Great Sea, Outset Island is the island where Link was raised. It is one of the game's largest islands, and is divided into an east and west section, connected by two bridges. In the lower areas of the island live the people of Outset. The population of the island is eleven people (including Link), and they live in wooden houses along the coast and walls. The island is largely composed of two large cliffs, with a rope bridge connecting them. On the western cliff there is a mysterious forest that houses a fairy spring, and, on a lower cliff, is the Savage Labyrinth. There is a lookout tower on the east side of the island. Link also retrieves Nayru's Pearl in a concealed cave towards the rear of the island. The mystical beast, Jabun, finds refuge here after fleeing Greatfish Isle.

Windfall Island

Windfall Island is the site of the game's main settlement. Located in the north of the sea, the town is located on a rather small area of land, but is built up rather high. There is a grassy plain upon landing on the island. On the far side of the plain is a Bomb Shop. There is a main gate to the town, and the path through the city winds up somewhat counterclockwise. The island's most notable feature is its ferris wheel (which is easily mistaken for a windmill) that also serves as a lighthouse. There are many important locations on the island, including the Potion Shop, Lenzo's (the photographer) home, the mansion, and the jail cell where Tingle is held. It is here where the most non-playable characters inhabit, most of whom have some sort of storyline or back-story, Link can earn many valuables such as treasure maps and heart pieces via running errands relating to these characters.

The island bears a strong resemblance to Kakariko Village from Ocarina of Time, as seen by the windmill-like ferris wheel, and the island's theme is a remix of the Village's tune.

Dragon Roost Island

Located in the northeast of the Great Sea, Dragon Roost Island is a mountain-island that towers hundreds of feet above the sea. Its name comes from the fact that Valoo, a great dragon, makes his home at the top of the peak. The island is home to the bird folk, the Rito, who reside in a large cavern. Behind the cavern, within the walls of the island, is a spring filled with water, and beyond the spring lies the entrance to Dragon Roost Cavern, a magma-filled cavern that gives access to the top of the island. Bomb Flowers also grow on the mountain. At the base of the mountain is a shrine to the Wind Deities, Zephos and Cyclos. It resembles the Death Mountain of Ocarina of Time, due to the fact it shares a similar map position, has Bomb Flowers, and bears similar internal areas.

Forest Haven

Located in the southeast area of the Great Sea, the Forest Haven is an island in the shape of a humongous tree, and is home to the Deku Tree, who lives inside the island with the Korok race. From the Deku Tree's central location flows forest water, out of an opening in the side of the island and into the sea.

The Forest Haven is similar to Kokiri Forest in Ocarina of Time, due to the presence of the Great Deku Tree and the similarity of the overworld music to Saria's Song.

Nintendo Gallery

The Nintendo Gallery is a room on an island of relatively high elevation near Forest Haven. Link can take a color pictograph of any character and show it to Carlov, the figurine creator, and if he determines the picture to be sufficiently detailed, he will carve a figurine based on the picture, which will be completed after a day in the game world passes.

Dungeons in The Wind Waker

Forsaken Fortress

A dismal island located in the northwest of the Great Sea. Primarily, the fortress serves as an enemy stronghold for most of the duration of the game. The master of the island, and also the main antagonist, is Ganondorf. It is heavily guarded from all points of entry, with many shipwrecks surrounding the area as ominous warnings to those that venture near. The security is so tight that Link has to be fired in via a cannon to infiltrate the fortress. Inside the walls of the fortress are many of Ganondorf's minions, including Bokoblins, Moblins, and thieving rats. The most fearsome enemy inside the fortress (excluding Ganondorf) is the Helmaroc King, who keeps close watch of the island from its roost when it is not on searching duties. Phantom Ganon also makes an appearance here.

Aside from its role as Ganondorf's base of operations, the Forsaken Fortress also protects a holding cell situated deep within the premises. It is here that two girls from Windfall Island, Maggie and Mila, and Link's younger sister, Aryll, were held for being suspected of being descendants of Princess Zelda. After saving Aryll, Link battles the giant bird, the Helmaroc King. It is this dungeon where Link gains the Skull Hammer after defeating the Phantom Ganon.

Dragon Roost Cavern

This is the first proper dungeon of the game, and, as the name implies, is a large cavern found inside Dragon Roost Island. The entrance to the cavern lies beyond the island's spring. The inside of the cavern is filled with lava and contains bomb flowers, and extends to the very top of the island. It is in this dungeon that Link investigates what is making the dragon, Valoo, angry. As it turns out, Valoo's tail is being tormented by Gohma, a giant lava centipede. Here, Link receives the Grappling Hook from Medli after he rescues her from a gang of Bokoblins and Moblins. Through the remainder of the dungeon, Link uses the Grappling Hook to proceed past previously unreachable places, and ultimately defeates Gohma with its help.

Forbidden Woods

Located just outside the Forest Haven, the Forbidden Woods looks like a giant, rotting tree from the outside. Link has to use the Wind Waker baton and the Deku Leaf to reach this secluded spot. On the inside, the dungeon is filled with trees and vegetation of all varieties, as the dungeon adopts the customary plant theme. Some water rests in the lower levels of the woods. The Koroks say that they once lived in these woods when they took their previous forms (presumably the Kokiri), and tree-like houses can be found in the woods. Link braves this dungeon to save Makar, who falls into the woods. He then finds Makar and has to save him from a giant monster plant, Kalle Demos. Inside the dungeon Link also obtains the Boomerang.

Tower of the Gods

This gigantic tower rises out of the depths of the ocean when Link places all three of the Goddesses' Pearls on their respective Triangle Islands. Located roughly in the center of the Great Sea, the Tower of Gods is distinguishable from a large radius, given its distinct appearance. To enter it, one must have a boat, as the ocean water flows into the first floor of the tower. The first floor of the tower is somewhat flooded, but the floors above it are dry. Curiously, many of the enemies in the tower are statues such as Beamos and Armos. Most of the puzzles involve Link controlling small statues to help them reach a designated marker. At the highest chamber of the tower, Link fights Gohdan, a giant statue crafted by the gods, and is the only boss who is not technically an enemy of Link, acting as a "test" to prove him worthy of being the "Hero of Winds". After the battle, Link is transported to the top of the tower where he utilises the Grappling Hook to ring the giant bell that opens the path to Hyrule. Also, it is inside this dungeon where Link acquires the Hero's Bow.

Earth Temple

Located deep within Headstone Island in the south of the Great Sea, the Earth Temple was a once great temple that was ruined by Ganondorf's minions after he ordered the death of Laruto, the Zora sage. The inside of the temple is gloomy and lacks light, save for some light beams which emphasize a constant use of mirror light reflection in the dungeon, a technique in which many of the puzzles center around and aid in the acquisition of the Mirror Shield. The majority of the enemies in the dungeon are undead. Link ventures into this temple with Medli, who also has a reflective instrument, and at the end of the temple he fights Jalhalla, the King of Poes. Like the Wind Temple and Makar, some puzzles revolve around Link working in conjunction with his partner, Medli, and keeping her safe.

Wind Temple

Located deep within Gale Island in the north of the Great Sea, the Wind Temple served as the place where the Kokiri sage, Fado, once prayed before he was slain by Ganondorf's minions. Link ventures into this temple with Makar, and inside the temple he finds the Hookshot and battles the giant Molgera, a sand-worm type monster apparently related to the Lanmolas of previous Zelda games. The inside of the temple is grassy and full of trees, which serves as a basis for one of the puzzle themes. As the name suggests, the Wind Temple is full of wind currents, including an enormous fan in one of its largest rooms. Like the Earth Temple and Medli, some puzzles involve Link co-operating with his partner, Makar, to achieve goals, and keeping Makar safe.

Dungeons in Phantom Hourglass

Temple of the Ocean King

The Temple of the Ocean King is an extensive labyrinth located in the northern forest of Mercay Island. It is a shrine to the Ocean King, and where he is worshipped.

Sites on the Great Sea

Travelers' Ships

There are many wayfarers living on the Great Sea, and Link can visit them on their boats to help them with their troubles for various rewards. For example, in Phantom Hourglass, there are two wayfarers (Nyeve and the Man of Smiles) whose houseboats are constantly attacked by monster Pirates.

The Ghost Ship (The Wind Waker)

At night, by certain islands, a legendary ghost ship will appear sailing in circles by several select islands. It is a dark, glowing ship surrounded by blue flames, and from it can be heard cries of singing or moaning. A chart of the ship was once written, though the writer is said to have died right after writing it. This chart can be found, however, telling where and when the ghost ship appears. It also allows Link to enter the ghost ship, which is not possible without.

Submarines

There are several submarines run by enemies. By clearing them out, treasures can be found.

Sea Platforms

Out in the sea, various sea platforms can be found, run by Bokoblins. Defeating all the enemies can earn Link treasures.