Ancient Ruins

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The Ancient Ruins are a recurring dungeon in The Legend of Zelda series.[1][2]

Overview

Link's Awakening

Entrance to the Ruins

The eastern side of Koholint Island houses two related shrines: the Face Shrine in the north, which serves as the sixth Dungeon, and the Ancient Ruins in the south that features a relief depicting the origins of Koholint Island. As Link travels to the Face Shrine he encounters the Owl, who suggests he first venture to the Ancient Ruins.[3]

The region features sandy terrain, with the sand covering a decorated stone path on the ground. Cracked stone walls and broken columns make navigating the area complicated as the path cannot be followed. Many Armos statues are situated among the Ruins, though approaching some of the statues reveal them to in fact be living enemies. Gels and Zols are also found in the area.

The region can only be accessed from the Shrine Waterfall region to the north-east. To the south of the region is Animal Village and the Yarna Desert, but they are blocked off by cliffs and cannot be accessed from the Ancient Ruins.

A set of stairs leading underground can be found by moving one of the Armos statues. A Secret Seashell can be found here, which is replaced with 20 Rupees if the Koholint Sword has already been obtained.

Themes and Navigation

The Writing on the Wall in the Ancient Ruins

The Ancient Ruins is a short, linear Dungeon that is guarded by an Armos Knight. Defeating it will reward Link with the Face Key, which unlocks the entrance to the Face Shrine.

At the end of the Ancient Ruins, Link comes to a room with a relief known as the Writing on the Wall. The relief is written in a riddle-like tone and reveals the secret of Koholint Island and its guardian Wind Fish. It is seemingly addressed to Link directly, and explains that Koholint Island is nothing but an illusion dreamed by the Wind Fish, all of which will completely vanish as soon as the Wind Fish is awoken.[4]

The Owl appears outside of the Ruins after Link learns of Koholint Island's secret and informs him that only the Wind Fish knows for certain if it is true.

Minor Enemies

Oracle of Seasons

Entrance to the Ruins

The Dungeon is located in the Tarm Ruins and holds the Blowing Wind, the sixth Essence of Nature. After retrieving the Nurturing Warmth from the Unicorn's Cave, Link receives a telepathic message from the Maku Tree, who will direct him towards the Tarm Ruins in the search of the next Essence of Nature.[5] If in a Linked Game, shortly after, a cutscene shows Twinrova within the Room of Rites. As the resurrection of Ganon draws near, the Flame of Destruction is lit by the chaos and destruction reverberating from Holodrum.[6] At this point, only the Flame of Despair remains unlit. This turn of events inspires a new sense of urgency to collect the remaining Essences of Nature.

The entrance to the Ancient Ruins is found atop Tarm Ruins, at the north-westernmost peak. The Dungeon itself is a tall tower, and is the highest point in all of Holodrum. In order to unlock the gate barring Link from the Ancient Ruins, he must gather the four Jewels scattered across Holodrum. Navigating the Tarm Ruins requires extensive use of the Rod of Seasons.

Themes and Navigation

The Ancient Ruins are five stories high, the most of any Dungeon in Holodrum. This often necessitates the use of Trampolines to go between floors. It features sand-colored floors and walls, creating an Ancient Egypt-style sense of design. Near the entrance is an often-revisited room containing a Dial. There are many sections of flooring throughout the Dungeon that crumbles under Link's weight, causing him to plummet to his death if he stands in one spot for too long. There is also a section where a Compactor begins to close the walls in when Link enters, which will result in an instant Game Over should Link be caught.

There are many Cracked Walls throughout the Dungeon. One of these Walls leads to an unmarked room on the map where a total of 100 Rupees are strewn across the floor. Progressing through the Dungeon requires extensive use of the Roc's Feather to cross Pits, the Magnetic Gloves to push and pull an N Ball, and the Magical Boomerang to hit Shock Switches and slay Armos. The Miniboss of the Dungeon is Vire, Onox's loyal henchman. Using the Boss Key found within the Dungeon, Link faces Manhandla in the Boss Room on the top floor of the Dungeon. After defeating Manhandla and obtaining the Heart Container, a set of Stair to the very top of the tower appears. It is here, at the highest point in all of Holodrum, that Link obtains his sixth Essence of Nature.

Minor Enemies

Nomenclature

ZW Nomenclature Asset.png Names in Other Regions ZW Nomenclature Asset 2.png
LanguageNamesMeanings
The People's Republic of China
ChineseSI
南方神殿 (Nánfāng shéndiàn) (LANS)[9]Southern Temple
Canada
FrenchCA
Temple du Sud (LANS)Southern Temple
The French Republic
FrenchEU
Temple du Sud (LANS)Southern Temple
The Italian Republic
Italian
  • Antiche Rovine (LA | LADX)[7]
  • Antiche rovine (LANS)
  • Rovine Antiche (OoS)[8]
  • Ancient Ruins
  • Same as English.
  • Same as English.
This table was generated using translation pages.
To request an addition, please contact a staff member with a reference.

Other Names

These names, though from official English sources, are not considered Canon by Zelda Wiki as they contradict a name or names from a higher-priority source.
Name
Southern Face Shrine[10]
Applies to
Source
Superseded by
Link's Awakening for Nintendo Switch
Name
Southern Face Shrine[10]
Applies to
Source
Superseded by
Link's Awakening for Nintendo Switch
NameApplies toSourceSuperseded by
Southern Face Shrine[10]
Link's Awakening for Nintendo Switch
Southern Face Shrine[10]
Link's Awakening for Nintendo Switch

Gallery

See Also

References

  1. "Ancient Ruins" — Map (Link's Awakening for Nintendo Switch)
  2. Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 151 (OoS)
  3. "Hoot! There are two shrines, one to the north, the other to the south. First, head south, where ancient ruins speak of the Wind Fish... You will learn much there..." — Owl (Link's Awakening for Nintendo Switch)
  4. "TO THE FINDER... THE ISLE OF KOHOLINT, IS BUT AN ILLUSION... HUMAN, MONSTER, SEA, SKY... A SCENE ON THE LID OF A SLEEPER'S EYE... AWAKE THE DREAMER, AND KOHOLINT WILL VANISH MUCH LIKE A BUBBLE ON A NEEDLE... CASTAWAY, YOU SHOULD KNOW THE TRUTH! ... ... ... ... What? Illusion?" — Writing on the Wall (Link's Awakening DX)
  5. "Nurturing Warmth has brought me strength! I saw a dream of Link inside vast ruins. Perhaps an essence is hidden in some." — Maku Tree (Oracle of Seasons)
  6. "Eee hee hee hee! Despair, Link... Your struggles are fruitless! Decay, seasons! Steal the fruits of the ravaged lands of Holodrum... Raze the earth! Oh ho ho ho! The lands rot, and the Flame of Destruction burns!" — Twinrova (Oracle of Seasons)
  7. Enciclopedia di Hyrule, Magazzini Salani, pg. 148
  8. "Livello 6
    Rovine Antiche
    " — N/A (Oracle of Seasons, Italian localization)
  9. "南方神殿" — Map (Link's Awakening for Nintendo Switch)
  10. 10.0 10.1 Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 234 (LA | LADX)