To beat King Dodongo in the Ocarina of Time remake, throw a bomb into his mouth as he breathes in, then slash him with your sword while he is stunned. Repeat that until he falls, and stand at an outer corner of the arena whenever he rolls so he passes you by.
He is the boss of Dodongo’s Cavern, the second dungeon (the remake’s own boss panel writes it as “Dodongo Cavern”), and the bombs you need are in the same dungeon. Below is what to bring, how to reach his arena, the fight step by step and what you get for winning.
Before the Fight
- The Bomb Bag. It sits in a big chest on the cavern’s second floor and holds 20 bombs. Our bomb guide has the route to it.
- Your sword. A bomb only stuns him. The sword does the rest, so have the Kokiri Sword ready on Y.
- A shield that will not burn. Fire Keese in this dungeon destroy a Deku Shield with one touch. If yours burns, or you want to be safe, our Hylian Shield guide shows where to get one that does not burn.
If you run out of bombs in the fight, do not panic: Bomb Flowers grow around the outside of the arena.
How to Reach King Dodongo
His arena is under the cavern’s first floor, and two puzzles stand in the way once you have the Bomb Bag.
- Open the giant skull’s mouth. Go to the wooden bridge on the second floor above the giant Dodongo head. Standing next to the gaps in the bridge, drop a bomb into each eye socket below. That opens a path through its mouth on the first floor.
- Go through the mouth. Drop back down to the first floor and head north.
- Solve the block puzzle. You need to get the block on the upper ledge down into the hole in the middle of the room, which is what opens the boss door. Go down the passage to the room full of blocks, push the first block underneath the one on the ledge above it, and push that one off. Move it under the gap to the left, then under the higher block in the south-west corner. Climb up, push that block out of the way, and walk along to the block on the ledge. Push it into the hole.
- Enter the boss door. Inside, bomb the floor in the middle of the room and drop through.
The Buttons You Need
| Action | Button |
|---|---|
| Open the quick-select bar | Hold R |
| Pull out a bomb | ZR, once bombs are on it |
| Throw or set down the bomb | Follow the on-screen prompt |
| Target King Dodongo | ZL |
| Slash with your sword | Y |
| Jump, or backflip while targeting | X |
Our quick swap guide explains the R bar in full, and the camera settings guide helps if the lava arena feels cramped.
How to Beat King Dodongo, Step by Step
- Put bombs on ZR before you drop in. Hold R, select them, and let go.
- Lock on with ZL. Targeting makes the throw much easier.
- Watch for the breath in. When he starts to inhale, his mouth is wide open. Pull out a bomb with ZR and throw it in.
- Run in and slash. The bomb stuns him. Hit him with Y as many times as you can before he recovers.
- Get to an outer corner. He follows up by rolling around the arena, and the outer corners of the lava area leave you enough room to stay clear.
- Repeat. Wait for the next breath in and go again until he falls.
The one mistake that costs you the most is a slow throw. If the bomb does not land in time, you get a blast of fire instead of a stun.
King Dodongo’s Attacks
| Attack | When it comes | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Fire breath | When you fail to get a bomb in his mouth in time | Move out of its path and throw earlier next time |
| Rolling attack | After he takes damage, and between fire breaths | Stand at an outer corner of the lava area |
| Baby Dodongos | They can spawn during the fight | They explode shortly after you defeat them, so hit and back off, or use the Slingshot |
Link’s jump button and dash both help you get to a corner in time. Holding the roll button keeps you running with no stamina meter to watch.
What You Get for Beating King Dodongo
He leaves a Heart Container behind. Step into the warp, and a cutscene hands you the Goron’s Ruby, the Spiritual Stone of Fire.
From there you have two good stops:
- The Great Fairy at the top of Death Mountain. Now that you carry bombs, you can open the cracked wall beside the owl at the summit. She gives you the magic meter and Din’s Fire, and our Great Fairy Fountain guide covers the climb.
- Zora’s Domain. Your bombs also clear the way up Zora’s River, the next step in the story. Our Zora’s Domain guide has the route.
Want a rematch later? The remake’s Hall of Fallen Foes lets you fight him again, and his panel there lists the bomb as his useful item. Our boss list, written for the 1998 game, runs through who else is waiting, and every remake guide is on our Zelda hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is King Dodongo in the Ocarina of Time remake? At the bottom of Dodongo’s Cavern on Death Mountain, the second dungeon. His arena is under a floor you bomb open behind the boss door.
How do you damage King Dodongo? Throw a bomb into his mouth as he breathes in, then hit him with your sword while he is stunned.
Why isn’t my bomb working on King Dodongo? It has to land in his open mouth while he is inhaling. Lock on with ZL and throw as soon as he starts to breathe in.
What if I run out of bombs during the fight? Bomb Flowers grow around the outside of the arena, so grab one of those and use it instead.
How do you avoid King Dodongo’s roll? Stand at an outer corner of the lava area. There is enough room there for him to roll past you.
What does King Dodongo drop? A Heart Container. The warp out then gives you the Goron’s Ruby in a cutscene.