Skull Woods (A Link to the Past)


 * Not to be confused with the Skull Dungeon from Oracle of Ages.

The Skull Woods, also known as the Skull Dungeon or Skull Palace is the third dungeon in the Dark World in A Link to the Past.

Entrance to the Dungeon
The Skull Woods dungeon is found in Skeleton Forest (the Dark World counterpart of Lost Woods), north of the Village of Outcasts. Unlike other dungeons, it has a vast number of entrances throughout the forest, hidden within large, gaping skulls. It is also possible to enter the dungeon by dropping through pits in the forest floor. The dungeon sprawls under almost the entirety of the Skeleton Forest. The number of entrances to this dungeon, a total of eight in all, makes it entirely unique among Zelda dungeons.

Themes and Navigation
While Link can enter almost any entrance first, the section of the dungeon that leads to the boss is cut off from the rest of the dungeon, similar to the Desert Palace. To reach the Dungeon Master, Link must enter a huge insect-like skull near the resting place of the Master Sword in the Light World. To enter this part of the dungeon, Link will first have to obtain the Fire Rod, then locate the correct exit to reach this final section.

The dungeon introduces the powerful Gibdos to the game, and also the notorious Wallmaster, who for the first time in the series drops from the ceiling, dragging Link back to where he entered the dungeon. With the variety of entrances, this can get very disorientating. The dungeon also makes heavy use of Star Tiles, which rearrange the layout of the pitfalls found on the floors throughout the dungeon. To reach the Fire Rod, Link will have to destroy an entire a wall to reach the Big Chest, which is otherwise inaccessible. The Fire Rod is vital in the dungeon, able to destroy the immensely resilient Gibdos in one hit, and is required to light torches from a distance so Link can reach the Dungeon Master, Mothula. Mothula is also unique among bosses in the game, as the room itself is more of an enemy than it is, with moving a moving floor and unpredictable Traps lining the arena. After defeating it, Link will receive a Heart Container and the third Crystal.

Trivia

 * In the Japanese version of the game, both the Skeleton Forest and Skull Woods share the same name, Dokuro no Mori, meaning "Skull Forest". There is no apparent distinction between the forest and the dungeon itself in terms of their name. This also applies to the Thieves' Town and Misery Mire dungeons.