Nightmare Key
Nightmare Keys,(LA)[1] also known as Big Keys,(ALttP | TWW | TMC | TP | ALBW)[2] Boss Room Keys,(Series)[3] and Boss Keys,(OoT | MM | OoS | OoA | PH | ST | CoH)[2][4][5] are recurring Items in The Legend of Zelda series.
Location and Uses
Big Keys are one of the three standard dungeon items, the other two being the Compass and the Dungeon Map. They are generally harder to find than Small Keys and are used to open the big door leading to the Boss' chamber. Nightmare Keys can sometimes be used for purposes other than entering the Boss Rooms.
A Link to the Past
Big KeySome chests and doors only open with a Big Key.
In addition to opening doors, Big Keys are also used to open the Treasure Chests containing a dungeon's item in A Link to the Past. Doors unlocked by the Big Key may not necessarily lead directly to the boss.
Link's Awakening
Nightmare Key and Small KeysYou will need the Nightmare Key to enter the Nightmare's lair. The Small Keys, which can be used only once, are used to open other locked doors in the dungeon.
Nightmare Keys open access to a Dungeon's Nightmare in Link's Awakening.
Ocarina of Time
Boss Keys are always found in large Treasure Chests that have yellow and blue designs in Ocarina of Time. This iteration only opens the door to that dungeons Boss.
Majora's Mask
Functionally, the Boss Keys are the exact same as its predecessor, the same chest and all. This iteration has a pattern of the key being found after every second Mini-Boss of each dungeon. The Boss Key does not remain with Link should he travel back in time. Instead, he must relocate the Treasure Chest containing the Key to retrieve it once more. However, Link can directly warp to the boss's chamber one they have collected the remains.
Oracle of Seasons
Keys and Boss KeysYou'll need the Boss Key to open the door to the boss's lair. Other keys found in the dungeon can be used only once to open a locked door or block.
Boss Keys are found in Dungeons after a puzzle in Oracle of Seasons. They allow entry into Boss Rooms.
Oracle of Ages
Keys and Boss KeysYou'll need the Boss Key to open the door to the boss's lair. Other keys found in the dungeon can be used only once to open a locked door or block.
Boss Keys are found in Dungeons after a puzzle in Oracle of Ages. They allow entry into Boss Rooms.
The Wind Waker
Big Keys function nearly identical to how they functioned in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask (the counterpart pair) and would continue for nearly all 3D Zelda games to come. The design of the key would be carried over in later installments such as Phantom Hourglass and The Minish Cap.
Four Swords Adventures
In this game, Big Keys are optional items that open Big Chests, which contain a large number of Force Gems.
The Minish Cap
Big keyThe door that leads to the dungeon boss’s room can only be opened with the Big Key
There are six Big Keys in The Minish Cap, all of which are found inside Dungeons (Deepwood Shrine, the Cave of Flames, the Fortress of Winds, the Temple of Droplets, the Palace of Winds, and Dark Hyrule Castle). Most of them reside in a large blue Chest, and are used to open the large Locked Doors covered by golden chains. The exception to this is the Big Key found in the Temple of Droplets; it is frozen into a Key-sicle, and must be thawed out using Light Beams.
In the Palace of Winds, there are two of these large Locked Doors; however, unlike Small Keys, Big Keys are not consumed after being used as long as Link is in the same Dungeon, and thus the second Locked Door can simply be opened with the same Big Key used to open the first. According to artwork, the Big Key's design is nearly identical to the design in the Wind Waker.
Twilight Princess
The Big Key from the Goron Mines must be put together by obtaining the three Key Shards from the Village Elders in Twilight Princess. In the Snowpeak Ruins, the Big Key is replaced by the Bedroom Key, as said dungeon is actually the mansion residence of Yeto and Yeta.
Phantom Hourglass
Link must carry the Boss Key in his hands rather than in his inventory in Phantom Hourglass, making him unable to attack and vulnerable to attacks.[6]
Spirit Tracks
Link must carry the Boss Key in his hands rather than in his inventory in Spirit Tracks, making him unable to attack and vulnerable to attacks. In some instances, Boss Keys are electrified and Link must have Princess Zelda possess a Phantom in order to carry them for him. Boss Keys are now not obtained from chests as they were in Phantom Hourglass.
Skyward Sword
A Link Between Worlds
Other Appearances
Hyrule Warriors
Cadence of Hyrule
Nomenclature
 Names in Other Regions  | ||
|---|---|---|
| Language | Names | Meanings |
 Japanese |
| |
 FrenchCA | Grande clé (ALBW)[18] | |
 FrenchEU | Grande clé (ALBW)[16] | |
 German |
|
|
 Italian |
| |
 Korean | 커다란 문 열쇠 (Keodalan Mun Yeolsoe) (ALBW)[15] | |
 SpanishLA | Gran llave (ALBW)[17] | |
 SpanishEU | Gran llave (ALBW)[19] | |
| This table was generated using translation pages. To request an addition, please contact a staff member with a reference. | ||
Gallery
Completed Goron Mines Big Key from Twilight Princess
Key Shard icon from Twilight Princess
Key Shard icon from Twilight Princess
Key Shard icon from Twilight Princess
Key Shard icon from Twilight Princess HD
Key Shard icon from Twilight Princess HD
Key Shard icon from Twilight Princess HD
Completed Goron Mines Big Key icon from Twilight Princess
Completed Goron Mines Big Key icon from Twilight Princess HD
Boss Key from Hyrule Warriors
Boss Key icon from Hyrule Warriors
See Also
References
- ↑ "You got the Nightmare Key! Now you can open the door to the Nightmare's lair!" — N/A (Link's Awakening for Nintendo Switch)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 118 (ALttP | LA | OoT | MM | OoS | OoA | TWW | TMC | TP | PH | ST | ALBW)
- ↑ Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 118 (Series)
- ↑ "You got a Boss Key! Get ready for the final battle!" — N/A (Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition)
- ↑ "Boss Key" — N/A (Cadence of Hyrule)
- ↑ The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass — Prima Official Game Guide, Prima Games, pg. 14
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Enciclopedia di Hyrule, Magazzini Salani, pg. 133
- ↑ "Hai ottenuto la Grande Chiave!" — N/A (A Link to the Past, Italian localization)
- ↑ "Hai ottenuto la grande chiave! Ora puoi aprire la porta grande!" — N/A (A Link Between Worlds)
- ↑ "「大きな扉の鍵」を手に入れた！
大きな扉を開くことができる！" — N/A (A Link Between Worlds) - ↑ A Link to the Past manual, pg. 37 Nintendo Official Guidebook—The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Vol. 1, Shogakukan, pg. 29 Nintendo Official Guidebook—The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past & Four Swords, Shogakukan, pg. 13
- ↑ "Um die Tore zu öffnen, musst du den Großen Schlüssel in einer der Festungen finden." — Tutorial (Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition)
- ↑ "Endlich! Mit dem Großen Schlüssel lassen sich die Verstecke der Endbosse öffnen!" — N/A (Link's Awakening, German version)
- ↑ "Du hast den Großen Schlüssel erhalten. Damit kannst du die große Tür öffnen!" — N/A (A Link Between Worlds)
- ↑ "「커다란 문 열쇠」를 획득했다!
커다란 문을 열 수 있다!" — N/A (A Link Between Worlds) - ↑ "Vous avez obtenu la grande clé ! Vous pouvez à présent pénétrer dans le repaire du boss." — N/A (A Link Between Worlds)
- ↑ "¡Has obtenido la gran llave! Ahora podrás accedar a la sala que se oculta tras la gran puerta." — N/A (A Link Between Worlds)
- ↑ "Vous avez obtenu la grande clé! Vous pouvez à présent pénétrer dans le repaire du boss." — N/A (A Link Between Worlds)
- ↑ "¡Has conseguido la gran llave! Ahora podrás accedar a la sala que se oculta tras la gran puerta." — N/A (A Link Between Worlds)