Sacred Grove

This article is about the recurring area in The Legend of Zelda series. For the area in Ocarina of Time, see Sacred Forest Meadow.

The Sacred Grove,^{(ALttPA Link to the Past | TPTwilight Princess | ALBWA Link Between Worlds | LCTLink's Crossbow Training)}^[1]^[2]^[3]^{[name references needed]} also known as the Ancient Grove,^{(TPTwilight Princess)}^[4] is a recurring location in the The Legend of Zelda series.

Features and Overview

A Link to the Past

The Sacred Grove is located in the northern portion of the Lost Woods in A Link to the Past. Both the Grove and Woods are covered in fog when Link enters. Once the hero pulls the Master Sword from its pedestal after obtaining the three Pendants of Virtue, the fog will disappear. The Sacred Grove is home to various animals, such as Squirrels. After defeating Ganon, Link returns the Master Sword to its pedestal in the Grove during the ending credits.

Twilight Princess

The Sacred Grove is located deep within the Faron Province and adjacent to the Forest Temple in Twilight Princess. It is first visited after Princess Zelda tells Wolf Link that the only way his curse will break is by finding the Master Sword.^[5] Upon returning to North Faron Woods, the Monkey who had previously helped Link in the Forest Temple comes bounding in from the cliffside and is attacked by a group of Puppets. After Wolf Link defeats them, the Monkey shows him the path to the Sacred Grove where she came from.^[6] Midna guides Wolf Link across a series of platforms and tree roots over the chasm beside the Forest Temple, until they reach an opening in the cliff. There, he must cross several bridges that rotate in the wind, followed by Tightropes with wooden Pendulums swinging above them, to reach the entrance to the Sacred Grove. Just outside the entrance is a Howling Stone marked by a Triforce symbol, where he can howl the "Prelude of Light" to make the White Wolf appear to the south of Hyrule Castle Town, who will teach him the Helm Splitter skill when they later meet.

Upon entering the Grove, Wolf Link finds himself in a small, enclosed wooded area, and must howl "Zelda's Lullaby" at another Howling Stone to make Skull Kid appear. The Skull Kid will open a new path further into the forest by making a false wall vanish. From this point on, Link must chase Skull Kid as he traverses through the forest area while avoiding or defeating his Puppets. After finding and attacking Skull Kid three times, he will retreat into a new area of the Sacred Grove, which is a round enclosure surrounded by ruins. The Skull Kid will begin summoning hordes of Puppets while jumping between various platforms. By striking him three more times, he will vanish and open up the passage to the Chamber of Stone, the area that was once where the Temple of Time stood.^[7]

Before entering the final forest area where the Master Sword is hidden, Wolf Link must stand on a Triforce symbol and howl "Zelda's Lullaby" once again to activate two guardian statues, known simply as Giants. These statues will ask that Link solve their puzzle in order to enter the true Sacred Grove.^[8] After Link completes the puzzle, the guards will yield passage to the location of the Master Sword. When Wolf Link approaches it, Zant's curse breaks, allowing him to return to his Hylian form and proceed to retrieve the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time.^[9]

Later, as Link is returning to the Sacred Grove in search of the third Mirror Shard, he encounters Rusl in North Faron Woods, who asks the hero to seek out the sacred power said to be resting in an ancient temple built by the Hylians' ancestors.^[10] Rusl whistles for his "partner", the Golden Cucco, who helps Link glide across the chasm.^[11] Inside the Sacred Grove, he must once again play hide-and-seek with the Skull Kid, who takes the hero on a different route through the Grove and hides in distant spots which require the use of the Hero's Bow to strike him. After besting the Skull Kid at his own game and defeating him in another battle in the round enclosure, the Skull Kid allows Link into a "secret place",^[12] before he and his Puppets permanently vanish from the Sacred Grove. Another false wall disappears, this time leading to the upper ledge at the south end of the Chamber of Stone, where another Giant stands guarding a mysterious door.

Once Link returns to the Pedestal of Time, he will briefly thrust the Master Sword in it, causing the Giant to disappear and allow access to the Door of Time. Before Link can make it back to the Door, he is ambushed by Shadow Beasts and Keese. Defeating them creates a Portal in the sky allowing him to Warp to the Chamber of Stone at any time.^{[note 1]} As Link opens the Door of Time, he sees a mirage-like vision on the other side. Entering through the Door, he travels back in Time to before the Temple of Time fell into ruin, and subsequently enters the Dungeon also known as the Temple of Time.

During the ending credits, The Resistance can be seen exploring an area of the Sacred Grove.

Areas

Twilight PrincessTwilight Princess HD

Animals

After Link defeats the Skull Kid

Hylian Hornet

Hylian Hornet

Enemies

Puppet ×4[a]

Puppet ×4^[a]
Skull Kid ×1[b]

Skull Kid ×1^[b]

↑ Four reappear indefinitely. After the Skull Kid is defeated, these will no longer appear.
↑ One does not reappear.

Skull Kid Battle

Puppet ×8[a]

Puppet ×8^[a]
Skull Kid ×1[b]

Skull Kid ×1^[b]

↑ Eight reappear indefinitely. After the Skull Kid is defeated, these will no longer appear.
↑ One does not reappear.

After Link has retrieved the second Mirror Shard from the Snowpeak Ruins

Imp Poe ×2[a]

Imp Poe ×2^[a]

↑ Two may appear during the daytime.

Inhabitants

Skull Kid

Skull Kid

Poe Souls

Poe	File:TPHD Sacred Grove Poe Soul.png
Location	Behind the waterfall
Poe	File:TPHD Sacred Grove Poe Soul 2.png
Location	Inside a Bomb Rock in the area where Link battles the Skull Kid

Poe	Location
File:TPHD Sacred Grove Poe Soul.png	Behind the waterfall
File:TPHD Sacred Grove Poe Soul 2.png	Inside a Bomb Rock in the area where Link battles the Skull Kid

Treasure Chests

After Link has retrieved the second Mirror Shard from the Snowpeak Ruins

Treasure Chest	Treasure Chest
Contents	Bombs (30)
Notes	Appears along the Skull Kid's path east of the pond with rock spires after both Torches have been lit
Treasure Chest	Treasure Chest
Contents	Stamp for the Hylian Letter X
Notes	Atop the ledge in the area west of the Chamber of Stone Accessible by Spinner

Treasure Chest	Contents	Notes
Treasure Chest	Bombs (30)	Appears along the Skull Kid's path east of the pond with rock spires after both Torches have been lit
Treasure Chest	Stamp for the Hylian Letter X	Atop the ledge in the area west of the Chamber of Stone Accessible by Spinner

A Link Between Worlds

The Sacred Grove is located in the northern portion of the Lost Woods in A Link Between Worlds. Link can enter the Grove after following the Poes in the Woods. Once he has obtained the three Pendants of Virtue, Link can pull the Master Sword from its pedestal, causing the fog and Poes to disappear. The Sacred Grove is home of various animals such as Birds. After defeating Yuga Ganon, the hero returns the Master Sword to its resting place in the Grove during the ending credits. In Hero Mode, he gathers alongside Princess Zelda and the seven Sages after returning the Master Sword.

Echoes of Wisdom

This section of the page is incomplete. You can help Zelda Wiki by expanding it.

Other Appearances

Link's Crossbow Training

Non-Canon Information

The following section is not part of the Zelda canon and should not be taken as such.

The Sacred Grove appears as a Defender Mode scenario in the Stage Finale of Link's Crossbow Training. During it, Link stands fixed in place and must eliminate enemies from all around him. Skull Kid appears and conjures his Puppet army. He will flash green to offer the automatic firing upgrade which takes down the large number of Puppets that appear. Skull Kid will warp to various niches in the surrounding landscape to protect himself.

Hyrule Warriors

Non-Canon Information

The following section is not part of the Zelda canon and should not be taken as such.

The Sacred Grove appears as the resting place for the Master Sword which resides inside a chamber in the Temple of the Sacred Sword. The chamber itself is also a Keep known as the Sacred Pedestal, due to the fact it holds the Sacred Pedestal of the Master Sword.

Trivia

During development of Twilight Princess, Link would howl in his Wolf form to startle the statues into moving instead of solving a Puzzle.^[13]

Nomenclature

The Sacred Grove shares its Japanese name with the Sacred Forest Meadow from Ocarina of Time.

Names in Other Regions
Language	Names	Meanings
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland English^BRBritish	Sacred Grove ^{(LCTLink's Crossbow Training)}^[14]
Japan Japanese	マスターソードの森 (Masutā Sōdo no Mori) ^{(ALttPA Link to the Past)}^[15]	Master Sword Woods
The Italian Republic Italian	Foresta Sacra ^{(ALttPA Link to the Past)}^[16]	Sacred Forest
This table was generated from Zelda Wiki's translation data.

Gallery

A Link to the Past
Link pulling the Master Sword from its pedestal in the Sacred Grove
A Link to the Past
The Master Sword resting in the Sacred Grove
A Link to the Past
Link leaving the Sacred Grove during the credits
Twilight Princess
A portion of the Sacred Grove
Twilight Princess
A portion of the Sacred Grove
Twilight Princess
A portion of the Sacred Grove
Twilight Princess
A portion of the Sacred Grove
Twilight Princess
The Master Sword resting in the Sacred Grove
Twilight Princess
An early version of the Sacred Grove
A Link Between Worlds
Link raising the Master Sword in the Sacred Grove
This image can be viewed in 3D on a Nintendo 3DS system.
A Link Between Worlds
Link, Princess Zelda, and the Sages gathering in the Sacred Grove during the Hero Mode ending

Notes

↑ The Giant will reappear in front of the Door of Time if Link leaves the area before the Shadow Beasts have been defeated.

References

↑ Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 27 ^{(ALttPA Link to the Past | ALBWA Link Between Worlds)}
↑ Only then can you enter the true Sacred Grove... — Giant (Twilight Princess HD)
↑ Sacred Grove: Defender
Skull Kid's creating havoc with his army of Puppets. Take them down! — Stage Select (Link's Crossbow Training)
↑ One is in an ancient grove... — Sage (Twilight Princess HD)
↑ Head for the sacred grove that lies deep within the lands guarded by the spirit Faron. There you will find the blade of evil's bane that was crafted by the wisdom of the ancient sages... the Master Sword. — Princess Zelda (Twilight Princess)
↑ Did... Did you save me? Th-Thank you! Listen, since you're so nice, let me tell you something: there's a really pretty wooded area on the other side of this cliff! — Monkey (Twilight Princess)
↑ Hee hee hee! ...'Bye! — Skull Kid (Twilight Princess)
↑ We are guardians of this land... Guide us to where we once stood. Only then can you enter the true Sacred Grove... — Giant (Twilight Princess HD)
↑ The sword accepted you as its master... — Midna (Twilight Princess HD)
↑ Say... Do you know about the far side of this deep gorge? Some say there is an ancient temple deep in the woods that guards a sacred power. The ancestors of the Hylians created the temple... Signs of their civilization--ancient, but very sophisticated--are everywhere. If someone could obtain the power of those ancient people... Well, I am sure it would go a long way toward saving Hyrule. — Rusl (Twilight Princess)
LinkAppears in-game as the player's chosen name.... Would you take on this task? Would you cross the gorge and find the ancient power sleeping in the temple? — Rusl (Twilight Princess)
↑ I knew you would! To cross the gorge, just use my partner here. — Rusl (Twilight Princess)
↑ Hee hee hee... That was fun! I'll tell you what: I'll let you into a secret place! — Skull Kid (Twilight Princess HD)
↑ Originally, Link would howl in his beast form to startle the statues into moving. In the final game, however, players must solve a puzzle. (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse, pg. 199)
↑ Sacred Grove Puppet Battle — Stage Select (Link's Crossbow Training, British English version)
↑ A Link to the Past manual, pg. 2, 3
↑ Enciclopedia di Hyrule, Magazzini Salani, pg. 27

Hyrule in Twilight Princess

Click on a location

[14] Four reappear indefinitely. After the Skull Kid is defeated, these will no longer appear.

[15] One does not reappear.

[16] Eight reappear indefinitely. After the Skull Kid is defeated, these will no longer appear.

[17] One does not reappear.

[18] Two may appear during the daytime.

[13] The Giant will reappear in front of the Door of Time if Link leaves the area before the Shadow Beasts have been defeated.

[E_27-1] Encyclopedia, Dark Horse Books, pg. 27 ^{(ALttPA Link to the Past | ALBWA Link Between Worlds)}

[2] Only then can you enter the true Sacred Grove... — Giant (Twilight Princess HD)

[3] Sacred Grove: Defender
Skull Kid's creating havoc with his army of Puppets. Take them down! — Stage Select (Link's Crossbow Training)

[4] One is in an ancient grove... — Sage (Twilight Princess HD)

[5] Head for the sacred grove that lies deep within the lands guarded by the spirit Faron. There you will find the blade of evil's bane that was crafted by the wisdom of the ancient sages... the Master Sword. — Princess Zelda (Twilight Princess)

[6] Did... Did you save me? Th-Thank you! Listen, since you're so nice, let me tell you something: there's a really pretty wooded area on the other side of this cliff! — Monkey (Twilight Princess)

[7] Hee hee hee! ...'Bye! — Skull Kid (Twilight Princess)

[8] We are guardians of this land... Guide us to where we once stood. Only then can you enter the true Sacred Grove... — Giant (Twilight Princess HD)

[9] The sword accepted you as its master... — Midna (Twilight Princess HD)

[10] Say... Do you know about the far side of this deep gorge? Some say there is an ancient temple deep in the woods that guards a sacred power. The ancestors of the Hylians created the temple... Signs of their civilization--ancient, but very sophisticated--are everywhere. If someone could obtain the power of those ancient people... Well, I am sure it would go a long way toward saving Hyrule. — Rusl (Twilight Princess)
LinkAppears in-game as the player's chosen name.... Would you take on this task? Would you cross the gorge and find the ancient power sleeping in the temple? — Rusl (Twilight Princess)

[11] I knew you would! To cross the gorge, just use my partner here. — Rusl (Twilight Princess)

[12] Hee hee hee... That was fun! I'll tell you what: I'll let you into a secret place! — Skull Kid (Twilight Princess HD)

[19] Originally, Link would howl in his beast form to startle the statues into moving. In the final game, however, players must solve a puzzle. (Hyrule Historia, Dark Horse, pg. 199)

[nomenclature-ref-1-20] Sacred Grove Puppet Battle — Stage Select (Link's Crossbow Training, British English version)

[nomenclature-ref-2-21] A Link to the Past manual, pg. 2, 3

[nomenclature-ref-3-22] Enciclopedia di Hyrule, Magazzini Salani, pg. 27

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Sacred Grove

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