Sanctuary (A Link to the Past)


 * For other uses, see Sanctuary.

The Sanctuary is a church-like building in, located north of Hyrule Castle. It is the home of the Loyal Sage.

Overview
A secret underground tunnel runs between the castle and the Sanctuary. After Link rescues Princess Zelda from her prison in Hyrule Castle, the young hero uses this tunnel to take her to the Sanctuary. She remains there with the Loyal Sage, hiding from Agahnim. However, when the young hero withdraws the Master Sword from its pedestal, the Sanctuary is attacked by castle soldiers. When Link reaches the Sanctuary, he finds the mortally-wounded Loyal Sage lying on the ground. The sage informs the young hero that the princess was kidnapped and taken back to the castle so Agahnim could use her to open the Seven Sages' seal.

The Sanctuary is last seen during the ending credits, showing that the Loyal Sage has fully recovered from his wounds.

A Link to the Past comic
In the A Link to the Past comic, Link and Princess Zelda reach the Sanctuary after escaping Hyrule Castle through the Secret Passage. Upon reaching the Sanctuary, the Old Man living there explains the consequences of Agahnim's plan. However, Agahnim suddenly appears and commands that Zelda return to the castle. Although Link steps in to protect the princess, the wizard easily  defeats him when the young hero tries to attack him. As he takes Zelda  away, Zelda reveals to Link that only the Master Sword can harm Agahnim. The young hero then rushes out of the Sanctuary to find the legendary sword.

Trivia

 * In the Japanese version of A Link to the Past, the Sanctuary is known as the Church, while the Loyal Sage is known as the Priest. A few other minor name changes were made to the game for similar reasons. Visually, the location and the Sage remain the same despite the name change.