- "Welcome, Hero, to the Cave of Ordeals. I am the Great Fairy. I reign over all fairies of this realm as their queen. In praise of your efforts thus far, I will release fairies to Ordon Spring. More challenges await you up ahead. If you want to truly measure your skills, go beyond this point."
- — Great Fairy
The Cave of Ordeals is a mini-dungeon in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. The Cave of Ordeals entrance is found in the Gerudo Mesa where the missing piece of the Bridge of Eldin used to be. The Cave of Ordeals consists of 50 rooms, most housing a set of enemies which get progressively harder as Link progresses through the cave. The Cave of Ordeals is very similar to The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker's Savage Labyrinth.
Story[]
Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.
When Link travels to the Gerudo Desert in search of the Mirror of Twilight in the Arbiter's Grounds, he passes the Gerudo Mesa, where he finds the piece of the Bridge of Eldin which was warped away earlier on in his adventure. With Midna's help, he warps the piece of bridge back to its proper place. Upon returning to the mesa, Link finds the entrance to the Cave of Ordeals, which the piece of bridge previously blocked.
While fighting his way to the bottom of the fifty floor gauntlet, he meets the Great Fairy on every tenth floor. The first time Link goes to one of the Great Fairy's chambers, she offers to send fairies to each of Hyrule's Spirit's Springs, effectively turning them into Fairy Fountains. It goes like this: First Chamber: Fairies to Ordon Spring, Second Chamber: Fairies to Faron Spring, Third Chamber: Fairies to Eldin Spring, Fourth Chamber: Fairies to Lanayru Spring. Upon reaching the fiftieth floor, which is the Great Fairy's fifth chamber, she offers to fill one of Link's bottles with Great Fairy's Tears, a drink that ties with Chu Jelly as the most powerful healing item in the game, healing all hearts and giving a temporary attack boost. Along with that is the ability to fill that bottle with the Tears at any Spring in the realm.
Spoiler warning: Spoilers end here.
Dungeon[]
The Cave of Ordeals consists of fifty single-room floors, each of which (other than every tenth floor) contains a group of enemies. These enemies get more difficult as the dungeon progresses, starting with a pair of Bokoblins and culminating in a trio of Darknuts. Unlike most dungeons, the Cave of Ordeals contains no puzzles: it is a straightforward enemy gauntlet. Of note is that no enemies within the dungeon will drop hearts or ammunition for any of Link's weapons, restricting Link to what he enters the dungeon with, with the exception of a few well-hidden hearts on a few floors. Though Link can attempt to tackle this dungeon at any point after the Gerudo Desert is accessible, the bottom floors cannot be reached until the Double Clawshots have been retrieved from the City in the Sky (as well as other items from previous dungeons). Though there is no point in doing so other than for a challenge, if the Cave of Ordeals is run through a second time, some floors will contain more enemies, and the Postman will make an appearance on the fiftieth floor. Also, Link is able to hold as many bottles of Great Fairy's Tears as times he finishes the Cave (outside of this exception, he can only carry one bottle at a time).
Items[]
- Great Fairy's Tears
- Chu Jelly
- Silver Rupee (hidden)
- Orange Rupee (hidden)
Enemies[]
- Aeralfos
- Armos
- Baba Serpent
- Beamos
- Bokoblin
- Bubble
- Bulblin
- Chilfos
- Chu
- Chu Worm
- Darknut
- Dinalfos
- Dodongo
- Freezard
- Fire Keese
- Ghoul Rat
- Helmasaur
- Ice Bubble
- Ice Keese
- Keese
- Leever
- Lizalfos
- Mini Freezard
- Poe
- Rat
- Red Bubble
- ReDead
- Skulltula
- Stalhound
- Stalfos
- Stalkin
- Tektite
- Torch Slug
See also[]
- Den of Trials
- Lightning Round
- Savage Labyrinth
- Simon's Simulations
- Take 'Em All On
- Treacherous Tower
- Cave of Shadows