Gold Skulltula

Gold Skulltulas, also known as Spiders of the Curse, are special gold-backed spiders related to Skulltulas. They can be found in both Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. When a Gold Skulltula is defeated, a Gold Skulltula Token (Gold Skulltula Spirit in Majora's Mask, Golden Skull Token in Ocarina of Time 3D) is left behind. The tokens are to be collected by the one who defeats the Gold Skulltula in order to have proof of their victory. Gold Skulltula Tokens are known for their ability to undo a curse made by a Gold Skulltula.

Ocarina of Time
In Ocarina of Time, the Gold Skulltulas are hidden all throughout Hyrule and were known to curse people. One family in particular was once fabulously rich, but they were cursed due to their greed and have taken the form of Skulltulas. When Link visits the House of Skulltula in Kakariko Village, he speaks to the father of the cursed family, who explains that the only way their curse will be lifted is if all of the Gold Skulltulas around Hyrule are destroyed and if their spirits are collected.

Over the course of the game, Link must collect tokens from the 100 Gold Skulltulas in Hyrule, freeing each family member from the curse one by one by collecting a certain number. By doing so, the young hero will receive rewards from each of the father's sons.

Gold Skulltulas can be located by listening for their distinctive scraping sound. They can be found anywhere, from fields to dungeons, although they will only appear above ground during the night. Gold Skulltulas like soft soil, and can be drawn out by baiting them with small bugs. Some Gold Skulltulas, at least early on in the adventure, can simply be walked up to and killed, the token achieved just by walking up to it, but Skulltulas later in the game might require ranged weapons to defeat, and the Boomerang or Hookshot needed to retrieve the tokens.

In order to make finding them easier, a small Gold Skulltula icon will appear next to an area's name on the map once all the Gold Skulltulas in that area have been collected.

Majora's Mask
In Majora's Mask, there are two Skulltula Houses, the Swamp Spider House and Oceanside Spider House, which contain 30 Gold Skulltulas each. Rather than collecting tokens from slain Gold Skulltulas, the spiders drop Gold Skulltula Spirits. If all 30 spirits are collected within the three-day cycle, a reward will be waiting for Link. By obtaining the 30 Gold Skulltula Spirits in the Swamp Spider House, Link obtains the Mask of Truth from a man who was cursed when he entered the house in search of clues to become rich. In the Oceanside Spider House, Link can obtain the Giant's Wallet if he collects all of the Skulltula Spirits during the First Day, with a Silver Rupee being awarded for completing it again on the first day in subsequent cycles. On the Second Day, he will merely receive a Purple Rupee, and his reward for clearing it on the Third Day is even less: a Red Rupee.

Glitch
In Ocarina of Time, at Hyrule Castle, near where the drain entrance is to the inner courtyard, there is a secret hole near a tree that can be opened with the Song of Storms. In this hole, a Golden Skulltula could be found. By killing it, boomeranging the resulting token and stepping into the light as soon as the boomerang picks up the token (before Link grabs it), a glitch will occur where the token will be collected, but the Skulltula will not register as destroyed, and respawn every time this is done. With this, it is possible to collect more than 100 Gold Skulltula tokens. The glitch remains present in the Collector's Edition; however, it was fixed in the Nintendo 3DS remake.

Trivia

 * Although the Megaton Hammer can be used to defeat Skullwalltulas without physically hitting them, Gold Skulltulas must be physically hit for the hammer to have any effect on it.
 * All five temples in Ocarina of Time have five Gold Skulltulas each.
 * Navi strangely has a comment for these enemies, even though they can't be targeted.
 * Due to some of the Skulltula's being well hidden in Ocarina of Time, many gamers are misled into believing there are less than 100 of them.