Gold Skulltula

Gold Skulltulas, also known as Spiders of the Curse, are recurring enemies in.

They are special, gold-backed spiders related to Skulltulas. When a Gold Skulltula is defeated, a Gold Skulltula Token, also known as a Gold Skulltula Spirit, is left behind to be collected. Gold Skulltula Tokens are known for their ability to undo a curse made by a Gold Skulltula.

In, Gold Skulltulas are hidden all throughout Hyrule and are known to curse people. One family was once fabulously rich, but 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 Cursed Rich Man, who explains that the only way the curse on him and his sons will be lifted is if all of the Gold Skulltulas around Hyrule are destroyed and if their spirits are collected.

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 Tokens can be collected by just walking up to them, but some require ranged weapons to be reached.

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 defeated and their Tokens collected.

In, Gold Skulltulas appear in the two Skulltula Houses, the Swamp Spider House and Oceanside Spider House, which contain 30 Gold Skulltulas each. Rather than collecting Tokens, the Gold Skulltulas drop Gold Skulltula Spirits. By obtaining the 30 Gold Skulltula Spirits in the Swamp Spider House, Link obtains the Mask of Truth from the Cursed Rich 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 receive a Purple Rupee, and a Red Rupee on the Final Day.

In, the Giant's Wallet can be obtained on any day. If the Adult's Wallet has not been previously obtained, Link will instead receive it, while the Giant's Wallet will now be obtained from the Banker. Collecting all the Gold Skulltula Spirits a second time at the Oceanside Spider House will award Link with a Fishing Hole Pass.

In, Gold Skulltulas appear throughout many battles in the game, in both Legend Mode and Adventure Mode, and behave similarly to their previous incarnations. A total of 100 Gold Skulltulas (with at least 60 more added through DLC) appear in the game, and appear only after certain criteria have been met. When a Gold Skulltula appears, a spider web appears on the HUD map, indicating their general location. The exact locations of the hidden Gold Skulltulas are indicated by the noise of their scratching legs. However, after a certain period of time, the Gold Skulltulas will disappear and will not reappear until the battle is reset and the requirements are met again.

Gold Skulltulas drop Illustration Pieces when slain, which then appear in the Gallery menu. Collecting Illustration Pieces helps toward unlocking new content, including new upgrades at the Bazaar. Completing an Illustration unlocks a new battle in the Rewards Map.

Upon completing all of the Legend Mode Scenarios the first time, Hero Mode is unlocked along with additional Gold Skulltulas. These Gold Skulltulas require the difficulty setting be set to Hard or Hero Mode, and require certain characters or weapons to be present before they may appear. The criteria for their appearance in Legend Mode Scenarios is visible on the Select Scenario screen.

The Legend Mode and some Adventure Mode scenarios have two Gold Skultulas to find. However, only one can be found during a single playthrough of the scenario, even if the conditions for both Gold Skultulas are met.

Trivia

 * Although Gold Skulltulas cannot be Z-targeted, unused comments from Navi and Tatl exist within the coding of and,  respectively. However, Tatl's comment was not translated and was removed from localized versions.