After awakening the Sages and receiving the power to defeat Ganon, you enter Ganon's castle.

Reach the Castle

Go to where Hyrule Castle was and approach the edge up a partial set of stairs. The six sages will create a bridge that you can walk across to enter Ganon's Castle.

Go to the Central Room

Go down the stairs and quickly run past the Beamos, then go through the door. You will reach a central room, where the middle area is blocked by an evil barrier.

This central room leads to six areas. Each area is a reflection of the six Sages' temples. You need to reach the end of each area and shoot a Light Arrow to destroy the orb at the end. After destroying all six orbs, the barrier around the central area will disappear.

If you run low on health, go to this central room and go down to the lower floor. There is a hidden chamber in the southern wall, below the castle entrance. You can use the Lens of Truth to see it. In the hidden chamber, you find fairies, and Business Scrubs who sell potions and items. Use the Hylian Shield against the Business Scrubs. The Mirror Shield doesn't make the Deku Nuts bounce off.

A Note About the Hallways

You can go through the six hallways in any order, but you might want to complete the Shadow Hallway first. You can get an upgrade there that can make the rest of Ganon's Castle easier.

Forest Hallway

Go into the room and kill the Wolfos that attacks. The chest just contains a Blue Rupee.

Use Din's Fire to light the torches in the lower area, then use the Fire Arrows to shoot the unlit torch above the exit. Go through the door.

This room requires you to collect silver rupees using the Hover Boots. Try not to be hasty. Play the Song of Time where you entered the room, then equip the Iron Boots to walk over the Time Blocks to collect the silver rupee without getting blown away by the fan.

Then, while the fan is blowing, equip the Hover Boots (but don't move) to be pushed onto the platform below the floating rupee. Ignore the floating rupee for now, but throw a bomb at the Beamos. Then use the Hover Boots to float to the switch near the far wall, and step on it.

Put on the Iron Boots and look back at the floating silver rupee that you ignored earlier. There is now a Longshot target pillar below it. With Iron Boots equipped, use the Longshot on the pillar to reach the floating rupee.

Step down from the Longshot pillar, then equip the Hover Boots and float to the platform that the Beamos was on. From here, you can get the remaining silver rupees fairly easily, but when you get the silver rupee near the fan, be sure to wait for the fan to completely stop before you jump to that platform. After you collect all of the silver rupees, go through the door that opens.

Break the pots in this room to replenish your magic and get a recovery heart. Shoot the Barrier Orb with a Light Arrow to destroy it. You will be returned to the central room. From there, you can go into the hidden chamber on the lower floor under the castle entrance (between the Spirit Hallway and the Forest Hallway) to replenish health or items.

Water Hallway

Keep moving so you can avoid the falling icicles.

The chest on the right contains a recovery heart, but the chest on the left is a freezing trap.

Kill the two Freezards in this room to open the bars on the door.

Then break the icicles around the blue fire in the center of the room, and use an empty bottle to catch some blue fire. Use it to melt the red ice blocking the door, then catch more blue fire.

You have two minutes to solve the ice block puzzle. First, push the far block to the right, and again to the right so it falls into the hole. Then push the other block away from the wall so it goes over the one that fell into the hole, then push it left, and left again so it stops under the ledge. Climb onto the ledge, melt the red ice, and hit the switch with the Megaton Hammer to open the door. The timer will continue to count down until you have left the room, so go through the door before time runs out.

Break the pots, then shoot the barrier orb with a Light Arrow to be returned to the central hall. Go into the hidden chamber on the lower floor in the south wall (between the Spirit Hallway and the Forest Hallway) if you want to catch another fairy or replenish items.

Shadow Hallway

There is a chest on the left, but it just contains a Blue Rupee.

You can try to shoot the Green Bubble with an arrow to kill it, but it moves quickly. The green bubble is vulnerable to arrows even if it is surrounded by green flame. Then you might want to shoot the Like Like behind where the Green Bubble was.

Use a Fire Arrow to light the torch to the right, then carefully jump across the blocks before they disappear. When you reach the center platform, wait for the blocks to disappear if they haven't already, then turn around and shoot that torch with a Fire Arrow again. Then turn around once more and jump across the single white platform to reach a smaller stone platform that has a dark square on it.

From here, use the Lens of Truth to see an invisible path coming from the left side of the platform. At the end of that path, you find a rusted switch on the floor. Use the Megaton Hammer on the switch. This opens the bars on the door. Go back to the previous platform with the dark square on it. Use a Fire Arrow on the torch near the door that you just opened. More temporary blocks will appear. Carefully jump across those blocks to another switch. Just step on this one to activate it. Then use the Longshot on the big chest that appeared. Open it to get the Golden Gauntlets. Now you can lift huge pillars! This allows you to get an upgrade outside of Ganon's Castle, but first you should complete the Shadow Hallway.

From the platform where you got the Golden Gauntlets, use the Lens of Truth to see an invisible path near the chest. Walk along that path to reach the door at the end, and go through.

Break the pots to replenish magic and arrows, then shoot the Barrier Orb with a Light Arrow. You will be returned to the central chamber. You should now exit Ganon's Castle to get an upgrade.

Get an Upgrade Outside

After you exit Ganon's Castle, cross the bridge. Go to the left, past the boulders, until you find a tall stone pillar at the end of the dirt path. Now that you have the Golden Gauntlets, you can lift this pillar. After you lift it, go into the cave, then stand on the Triforce symbol and play Zelda's Lullaby. The Great Fairy will upgrade your defense, so damage from enemies will be reduced by half.

Now go back into Ganon's Castle.

Fire Hallway

You need to get an item from the Shadow Hallway before you can complete this hallway, so go there if you haven't already.

Equip the Goron Tunic right away, as well as the Hover Boots. The central platform will slowly sink into the lava if you aren't wearing the Hover Boots. Wearing the boots will prevent the platform from sinking.

Float onto the central platform, then float to the platform on the right to get the first silver rupee, but quickly return to the central platform, because this platform is going to fall. Then get the silver rupee from the platform on the left, but be careful to avoid the spinning flame.

Go farther along the central platform until you see a giant pillar on the left side of the room. If you don't have the Golden Gauntlets from the Shadow Hallway yet, go there and get them, then come back here. Lift the giant pillar. You will throw it, and it will become a platform that lets you reach another silver rupee. Before you get that rupee, collect the rupee that is where the pillar was, then return to the center platform, and hover to the platform with the torch slug on it. Get the silver rupee there, then hover onto the pillar to get the final rupee. Carefully go back to the central platform, then use the Longshot to reach the door that you opened. Go through.

Break the pots, then shoot the barrier orb with a light arrow. You will return to the central room where you can go into the hidden chamber on the lower floor in the south wall (between the Spirit Hallway and the Forest Hallway) to replenish health and items.

Light Hallway

This hallway is blocked by a giant pillar. You have to get an the Golden Gauntlets from the Shadow Hallway to be able to lift the giant pillar. Then go through the door to enter the Light Hallway.

There are many invisible enemies in this room. If you use the Longshot in the center of the room, you can kill the hidden Skulltula without using the Lens of Truth. Navi will show you where it is.

There are also three invisible Keese on the treasure chests here. The chests that the Keese are on contain useful items, while the ones that have no keese are traps. Slowly approach the chests, and use arrows to shoot the invisible Keese when Navi shows you where they are. Then open each chest that a Keese was on to get an item. The diagram below shows what each chest contains.

        Locked Door
Recovery Heart         Trap
Trap                 Arrows
Blue Rupee             Trap

After you kill the Skulltula and Keese, a chest appears in the middle. It contains a small key. After you get the key, open the locked door.

Stand on the Triforce symbol and play Zelda's Lullaby to get another key. Go through the door.

You have one minute to collect the silver rupees in this room. Avoid the rolling boulders to get the two silver rupees in alcoves along the walls, and two in the central Y-shaped structure. Use the longshot to get the one on top, then go through the exit door. If you get disoriented, the correct exit is the one with the symbol above it. The countdown continues until you go through the door, so be sure to go through before time runs out.

This looks like the room where the Barrier Orb should be, but it's empty and a Wallmaster tries to fall on you. Quickly run straight ahead through the fake wall to reach the real Barrier room. Shoot it with a Light Arrow to be returned to the central room. Replenish health and items in the hidden room on the lower floor in the south wall if you need to (between the Spirit Hallway and the Forest Hallway).

Spirit Hallway

You need to collect silver rupees while avoiding the Razor Traps. Bomb the Beamos to reveal one of the silver rupees. Pull the Armos so that the Razor Traps can go farther, giving you more time to collect the Silver Rupees in their paths. Use the Longshot on the ceiling to collect the silver rupee above where the Beamos was. Play Sun's Song near the center of the room to make a Big Fairy appear. It replenishes health and magic. After you collect all of the silver rupees, go through the door that opened.

There is a crystal switch here. In the N64 version, it is on the other side of the bars and you need to use a spin attack or Biggoron's Sword to hit it. In the 3DS version, the crystal switch is against the wall and easy to hit. If you hit it, a chest appears. Open it to get Bombchus. Use a Bombchu on the bars to make it go through the hole at the top and hit the crystal switch on the other side. After the door opens, go through, then proceed through the archway to the next area.

Burn the cobwebs in the ceiling with a Fire Arrow, then use the Mirror Shield to aim the sunlight at the sun switch to the right of the arch through which you entered. The other three sun switches are traps that cause a Wallmaster to fall from above, so don't shine light on those.

Go to the next room, and shoot the Barrier Orb with a Light Arrow. You will be returned to the central room, where you can go to the hidden chamber on the lower floor (between the Spirit Hallway and the Forest Hallway) to replenish health and items.

Resupply

After you destroy the barrier around the central area, you should restock your arrows and catch some fairies in bottles. You can buy Green Potion from the hidden room on the lower floor, between the Spirit Hallway and the Forest Hallway.

When you are ready, cross the bridge to go into Ganon's Tower.

Ganon's Tower

Keese will attack. You can shoot them down or just run to the top of the stairs.

Kill the Dinalfos that attack in the next room, then continue on.

Go up the stairs to the next room. Two Stalfos will attack. Open the chest to get the Boss Key.

Continue to the next room, where two Iron Knuckles sleep. You can wake them both up at the same time if you want an extra challenge, or just awaken one at a time and kill them one at a time.

Continue on. After you go through the big locked door, don't break the pots or climb the climbing wall that you go past. Just go through the next door.

Ganondorf

Run to the wall to avoid Ganondorf's first attack. The floor around the center will collapse, leaving only the central platform and the edges. Throughout the battle, Ganondorf can make more the edges collapse until only the corners are left.

If you jump to the central platform, avoid staying there for long, because Ganondorf will eventually pound it, hurting you a lot.

Use your sword to hit the energy orbs that Ganondorf throws at you. The orb will bounce back at Ganondorf, who will try to bounce it back to you repeatedly. Keep bouncing the orb back at Ganondorf until it hits him. When it does, shoot him with a Light Arrow. When Ganondorf falls onto the central platform, jump onto the central platform and hit him repeatedly with your sword, but don't swing too quickly, because he is invulnerable for a moment after you hit him.

When Ganondorf recovers, quickly go back to the edge. Get your sword out again to be ready for the next orb that Ganondorf throws at you.

If you have been hitting the orb back and forth for a long time, try charging up a spin attack after you hit the orb, then hit it with a spin attack next time. The orb is more likely to hit Ganondorf if you used a spin attack to hit it.

If Ganondorf absorbs black energy, charge up a spin attack. You can deflect the orbs from this attack with a spin attack. The orbs will knock a piece of the edge off if it hits the edge.

If you are running low on magic or arrows, climb down to the lower floor and break some pots to get some recovery items. Try not to use potion or fairies yet (if you have any).

Continue with the strategy above until Ganondorf is defeated.

Escape Ganon's Tower

The tower will start to collapse and you have three minutes to escape. Follow Zelda as she leads the way to safety. Watch out for falling rocks. When you first go back into the tower, look to the left to find Zelda. Navi will also float to where Zelda is, so hold the targeting button if you are having trouble finding her.

At one point Zelda will be trapped in a ring of fire and you must fight two Stalfos to save her. Be careful not to touch the burning rocks on the floor or you will get hurt. Zelda releases recovery hearts after this battle.

There is a ReDead on the bridge in the central room, but you can't use your Ocarina, so you have to just keep your distance and let it freeze you, then either run away or kill it. If you kill it, it drops a magic jar. After you get past the ReDead, follow Zelda outside.

After a cutscene, approach the rubble in the middle. A new battle begins.

Ganon

If you have Biggoron's Sword, be sure to equip it now. If you don't have Biggoron's Sword, equip the Megaton Hammer.

Ganon's tail is vulnerable. You can roll under him to reach his tail. Just wait for him to slowly move toward you, then run directly toward him and roll under him before he can hit you with his swords. Or you can let him slash with his swords, and run around him while he is slashing. When you reach his tail, since you don't have the Master Sword, you must either use the Megaton Hammer or Biggoron's Sword if you have it. As soon as you hit his tail, run out of the way to avoid getting hurt when Ganon turns around.

If you stand in front of Ganon too long whenever he stops and stares at you, he will slash at you, so do a backflip to avoid it, or use that opportunity to roll under him.

If you are ever in need of magic, arrows, hearts, or anything else, wait behind some rubble and Ganon will break it apart, releasing recovery items.

Eventually, Ganon will collapse for a moment and Zelda will call to you. The fire has gone away temporarily, so you can get the Master Sword. Go get it. It will automatically be equipped.

Run back toward Ganon and hit his tail with the Master Sword before he has a chance to stand up. Ganon reacts more quickly than before, so you might not be able to roll under him like you did before. If you have trouble, you can wait for him to approach you, then shoot him in the face with a Light Arrow. Then you can go around and hit his tail with the Master Sword while he is stunned.

Eventually, Ganon will collapse again, and Zelda will use her power as a Sage to freeze him. Save the game, then hit Ganon's face with the Master Sword.

Congratulations! Be sure to watch the entire ending. The 3DS version has an extended ending and will unlock the Master Quest if you watch the entire ending. You will be able to select normal quest or Master Quest from the title screen. Master Quest has separate save slots from the normal quest.

In the N64 and Virtual Console versions, if you wait for a while after the ending is complete (a long while), if you taught a song to Pierre the scarecrow (which doesn't have to be the same as Scarecrow's Song, which you can teach to Bonooru), you will hear the song six times with six different synthesized sounds, one minute apart. If you didn't record a song for Pierre, you don't hear this.