To get to the Shadow Temple in the Ocarina of Time remake, play the Nocturne of Shadow (Y, A, A, L, Y, A, R) to warp to a ledge at the back of Kakariko Graveyard, go down the stairs behind the warp pad, and cast Din’s Fire in the middle of the ring of torches. When every torch is lit, the entrance opens.
Sheik teaches you the Nocturne in Kakariko Village as adult Link, after the Water Temple, and you also need the Lens of Truth before the temple is any use to you. Below is everything to collect, in order, then the warp and the way in.
What You Need
| Item | Where it comes from | Why you need it |
|---|---|---|
| Nocturne of Shadow | Sheik, in Kakariko Village as adult Link | It warps you to the temple’s ledge |
| Din’s Fire | The Great Fairy at the top of Death Mountain | It lights the torches that open the entrance |
| Magic meter | The same Great Fairy | Din’s Fire and the Lens both spend magic |
| Lens of Truth | Bottom of the Well, as young Link | Fake walls, hidden floors and invisible enemies inside |
| Longshot | The Water Temple | Hookshot targets inside the temple |
The Hover Boots are not on the list because they are inside the Shadow Temple itself. In the 1998 game a Dead Hand guarded them, and our 1998 Hover Boots guide covers them.
Step 1: Get Din’s Fire and the Magic Meter
The remake moved Din’s Fire. It now comes from the Great Fairy at the top of Death Mountain, the same fountain that gives you the magic meter, where in 1998 it came from the fairy near Hyrule Castle.
- Climb to the summit of Death Mountain Trail, as our Death Mountain guide describes.
- Bomb the cracked wall beside the owl and go in. Our Bomb Bag guide covers getting bombs.
- Stand on the Triforce symbol and play Zelda’s Lullaby (Y, X, A, Y, X, A).
- Pay the 25-rupee offering. She gives you the magic meter and Din’s Fire on the same visit.
Young Link can make this trip as soon as he has bombs, so you may already have it. Our Great Fairy guide has all six fountains, including the one in Death Mountain Crater that doubles your meter.
Step 2: Get the Lens of Truth as Young Link
The remake calls it the Lenses of Truth, and it lies under Kakariko’s well.
- Learn the Song of Storms from the Music Man in the windmill, as adult Link.
- Return the Master Sword in the Temple of Time to become young Link.
- Play the Song of Storms inside the windmill. The well drains.
- Climb down and beat Dead Hand in the Bottom of the Well for the Lens.
Our Lens of Truth guide has the full route through that dungeon.
Step 3: Learn the Nocturne of Shadow
- Finish the Water Temple. Our Morpha guide covers its boss. In the 1998 game the Kakariko scene waited until Link held the Forest, Fire and Water Medallions.
- Go to Kakariko Village as adult Link. A story scene plays near the well when you arrive. We are leaving it for you to watch.
- Learn the song from Sheik. Play the notes back when they appear: Y, A, A, L, Y, A, R on the remake’s ocarina.
Press left on the D-pad to bring out the ocarina whenever you want to play it. Our 1998 song list shows where every song comes from.
Step 4: Warp In and Open the Entrance
- Play the Nocturne of Shadow. It drops you on a ledge high at the back of Kakariko Graveyard.
- Go down the stairs behind the warp pad into the passage below.
- Walk onto the round platform in the middle of the unlit torches.
- Hold R, pick Din’s Fire so it sits on ZR, and press ZR. The flame bursts out around Link and lights the torches at once, and the doorway opens.
Din’s Fire only reaches what is close to Link, so stand right in the middle before you cast. If it fizzles, you are out of magic: pick up a green magic jar or drink a green potion and try again. Our quick swap guide covers the R bar.
Can you walk there instead? In the 1998 game you could not climb to the temple’s ledge from the graveyard, so the Nocturne was the way in. Learn the song first.
Before You Step Inside
- Bring the Fairy Bow and plenty of arrows. The boss, Bongo Bongo, is fought with them.
- Keep the Lens handy on the D-pad. The temple is built around things that are not really there, and in the 1998 game the very first rooms already asked you to find a fake wall and pick the true skull among several.
- Carry a green potion. The Lens drains magic for as long as it is on.
- Save at the entrance. It is a long dungeon.
Shadow Temple or Spirit Temple First?
Either. Neither of the last two adult temples gates the other, so pick the one you like. Our 1998 temple order guide explains the choice, and our 1998 guide to what comes after the Water Temple covers both routes. While you are in the graveyard, Dampé’s race that gives you the Hookshot and the Royal Family’s Tomb with the Sun’s Song are both there too; our Kakariko Village guide for the original lists the rest.
Every remake guide is on our Zelda hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Shadow Temple in the Ocarina of Time remake? Under a ledge at the back of Kakariko Graveyard. The Nocturne of Shadow warps you there.
How do you open the Shadow Temple entrance? Go down the stairs behind the warp pad, stand on the round platform among the torches and cast Din’s Fire. All the torches light and the doorway opens.
Where do you learn the Nocturne of Shadow? From Sheik in Kakariko Village, as adult Link, after the Water Temple.
What are the notes for the Nocturne of Shadow on Switch 2? Y, A, A, L, Y, A, R.
Do you need the Lens of Truth for the Shadow Temple? Yes. Fake walls, hidden floors and invisible enemies fill the temple, and without it you only see the boss’s hands.
Where is Din’s Fire in the remake? From the Great Fairy at the top of Death Mountain, for a 25-rupee offering, along with the magic meter.