The Tower of Hera,(ALttPA Link to the Past | ALBWA Link Between Worlds)[1] also known as the Mountain Tower,(ALttPA Link to the Past)[2] is a recurring Dungeon in The Legend of Zelda series.
The Tower is located at the top of Death Mountain. In order to climb Death Mountain, and thus gain access to the Tower, Link must use the Power Glove previously obtained from the Desert Palace. Link must also make a brief trip into Dark World and escape using the Magic Mirror he obtained from the Lost Old Man in order to get to the other side of Spectacle Rock, where the tower is located, it is also the last of the Light World dungeons Link must complete.
Themes and Navigation
The dungeon has many more floors than the previous dungeons encountered in the game, and features a number of new enemies, the most prominent of which are the Hardhat Beetles, strong enemies that are most effectively defeated by knocking down the many pitfalls found throughout the journey to the top of the tower. These pitfalls make their debut in the series here, allowing Link to drop from one floor to a lower one without taking damage, though in its initial appearance this results in him losing progress instead. In the same game, their positions will change when Star Tiles are walked on, and utilizing these pits and their changing locations is the only way to obtain the elusive Moon Pearl. Unlike the previous two dungeons, the treasure in the Big Chest is not vital to the completion of the dungeon. Crystal Switches debut in this dungeon in both of its appearances, which in its original form was first appearance for these objects in the series, and the raising and lowering of the orange and blue Elevator Blocks in conjunction with the placement of the pits is key to progressing through the tower, and accessing Jars in the room prior to the boss. The boss is Moldorm, which is fought atop a perch surrounded by holes. In A Link to the Past, should Link fall into a hole, he will find himself on the previous floor, and he will have to begin the battle again. After defeating this boss, Link receives a Heart Container and the Pendant of Wisdom.
It is also the last of the three "Sanctuary" dungeons that contains the Pendants of Virtue. The Dark World equivalent to this tower is Ganon's Tower, which is also the penultimate location in that world.
As with many dungeons in the game, the Tower of Hera is not given a certain "set" number. It can be accessed after completing the Eastern Palace, which means it is either the second or third dungeon Link must complete, before or after the House of Gales. The Tower of Hera is located on the summit of Death Mountain, in the northeast of Hyrule. The Hammer is required to enter it.
Themes and Navigation
The Tower of Hera has many puzzles involving the Hammer, and includes some switch puzzles. Some also involve Link Wall Merging to get to unreachable places. As with its appearance in A Link to the Past, there is extensive use of red and blue barriers that are raised or lowered by switches, with the blue barriers up while the reds are down and vice versa. As in A Link to the Past, at the top of the tower, Link gets the Boss Key to exit the tower and climb up to fight Moldorm.
The Compass can be found in the center of the first floor; it is on a platform that Link can reach by launching himself onto the second floor and then dropping back down in the center opening. The Big Key is on the eastern side of the eleventh floor; Link must launch himself off of a moving platform to reach the chest.
While fighting Moldorm, if Link falls into a Hole, Hearts can be found on the lower floor for Link to use to heal his injuries, though many Blade Traps below the battlefield can damage him if he falls down the center. Completion of the Dungeon grants Link the Pendant of Power and a Heart Container.
The following section is not part of the Zelda canon and should not be taken as such.
The Tower of Hera in the comic
In the A Link to the Past comic by Shotaro Ishinomori, Link finds himself in front of the Tower of Hera after waking up from a dream he shared with Princess Zelda.[3] Link enters the Tower of Hera and climbs to the top to battle a Moldorm, who this time has an appearance of a giant spider. After Sahasrahla informs Link that the Pendant of Wisdom is in the creature's eyes, Link seizes the pendant by pulling it out with his arm.[4] Upon grabbing the pendant, his arm, previously wounded is instantly healed,[5] and the young hero uses the spider to ride down the tower, defeating Moldorm.
Trivia
The Tower of Flames from Four Swords Adventures has a very similar structure and design to the Tower of Hera. The boss of the Tower of Flames is three Dodongos, similar monsters to the Kodongos that appear in the Mountain Tower.
The Tower of Hera may be named after the famous ancient Greek Goddess, Hera. Hera was the wife of Zeus, the King of the Gods, and is rumored that she lived in a beautiful tower or palace, built on the top of Mount Olympus, the tallest mountain in Greece.
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