To beat Morpha in the Ocarina of Time remake, fire the Longshot at its nucleus to drag it out of the water, then run in and slash it with your sword while it flops on the walkway. Repeat that pull and slash until it dies, staying near the outer wall of the room so the tentacles have less reach.
Morpha is the boss of the Water Temple, a body of living water with one weak spot. Below is how to get there ready, the buttons, the fight step by step and what you walk away with.
Before the Fight
Get the Longshot. It is in the chest past the Dark Link fight, and it upgrades your Hookshot. Our 1998 Dark Link guide covers the fight itself.
Find the Boss Key. The door takes it. With the key in hand, raise the water to the top level with Zelda’s Lullaby, Longshot across to the north door and go up the waterway past the spinning blades to the golden chained door.
Save before you go through. Our save guide covers manual saves. A fairy in a bottle helps as well, and our bottle guide lists where bottles come from.
The Buttons You Need
| Action | Button |
|---|---|
| Open the quick-select bar to pick the Longshot | Hold R |
| Fire the Longshot | ZR |
| Target the nucleus | ZL |
| Slash with your sword | Y |
| Jump, or backflip while targeting | X |
The quick swap guide explains the bar, and if you would rather not tilt the controller to aim, our guide to turning off motion aiming has the setting.
Step by Step: How to Beat Morpha
- Get your bearings. The arena is mostly water, with narrow stone walkways between the pools. Set the Longshot on ZR before anything starts.
- Move to the outer edge. Stand with your back near the wall, where the tentacles have the hardest time getting at you.
- Find the nucleus. It is the small core that travels through the water and up into the tentacles. You cannot hurt Morpha with a sword or arrows while that core is surrounded by water, so do not waste swings on the tentacles.
- Wait for your moment. Dodge and keep your distance while Morpha attacks. It tires after an attack, and the nucleus is easier to hit once it sits in a tentacle close to you.
- Pull it out. Hold ZL to target the nucleus and press ZR. The Longshot drags the core out onto the floor.
- Slash it. Run over and press Y as many times as you can. It slides back toward the pools quickly, so stop chasing once it reaches the water.
- Back off and repeat. More tentacles join in as the fight goes on, so keep returning to the edge between pulls.
Tips for the Fight
- Lead your shot. The chain takes a moment to travel, and a miss leaves you standing still near a tentacle. Fire from close range when you can.
- Keep moving on the walkways. If a tentacle slams down beside you, run first and aim afterward. A backflip with X works as a quick escape, and our jump guide covers the moves.
- Try fire on the tentacles. The game’s own description of Morpha says “Its liquid tentacles are vulnerable to heat,” and Din’s Fire is the tool for that. It comes from the Great Fairy at the top of Death Mountain, as our Great Fairy guide explains.
- A stronger sword shortens the fight. The Biggoron Sword hits harder than the Master Sword, so each pull does more.
In the 1998 game you could slash the nucleus into a corner so it could not get back to the water, which our 1998 Water Temple guide explains. Nothing we can confirm says that works the same way in the remake’s rebuilt arena, so treat it as a bonus and not the plan.
Did Nintendo Change the Fight?
Nintendo has talked about the dungeon around Morpha much more than the boss. In its Ask the Developer interview, director HokWai Ng says item toggling is “much easier” and that some walls are now lattice-style, so you can see the rooms beyond them. Our story on what changed in the Water Temple has the details. Morpha is still the same idea: the Longshot brings it to you, and the sword does the rest. Our boss list has how it fits with the others.
What You Get for Beating Morpha
A Heart Container lies on the arena floor beside a blue warp. Take it to add a heart and refill your health, then step into the warp. Princess Ruto is waiting as the Sage of Water and gives you the Water Medallion.
Lake Hylia fills back up when you return, which opens a reward on the island there. Morpha’s statue also joins the Hall of Fallen Foes, where you can rematch it against the clock. Our what to do after the Water Temple guide is written for the 1998 game, but the order of the last two temples is the same choice, and every remake guide is on our Zelda hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Morpha’s weak spot? The nucleus, the small core moving through its water. It only takes damage once you have pulled it out onto the floor.
Do you need the Longshot to beat Morpha? It is the tool the fight is built around, and it comes from the chest past Dark Link in the same temple.
Why can’t I hurt Morpha with my sword? Swords and arrows do nothing while the core is surrounded by water. Pull it out first.
Where is the safest place to stand? Near the outer wall of the arena, away from the pools in the middle.
What does Morpha drop? A Heart Container. Princess Ruto then gives you the Water Medallion.
Can you fight Morpha again? Yes. Its statue in the Hall of Fallen Foes has a Rematch option with a timer.