The Earth Temple (大地の神殿 Daichi no Shinden?) is the fifth dungeon of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. Its main puzzles revolve around the manipulation of sunlight. It once housed the Sage of Earth, Laruto, until she was sought out and killed by Ganondorf some time before the events of The Wind Waker. Link visits the temple to restore power to the Master Sword, and brings the new sage, Medli, with him. He and Medli work together to clear the dungeon.
Story[]
Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.
The Earth Temple was built before Hyrule was flooded and was used by the Earth Sages to pray to the gods for the power to repel evil to remain in the Master Sword. The last sage of the temple before the events of The Wind Waker, the Zora Laruto, did this by playing the "Earth God's Lyric" on her harp. When Ganondorf attacked, the Hero of Time did not reappear to save Hyrule, as had been hoped, so the Master Sword was unused. Ganondorf realized that the Master Sword could still be a threat despite the Hero of Time's absence. In order to neutralize this threat, he decided to kill the two sages (Laruto and Fado) who were praying for the power to repel evil to remain in the blade. He sent his minions to attack them, Jalhalla leading the army which invaded the Earth Temple. Laruto was overwhelmed and killed, and Jalhalla took up residence in the temple to prevent any future Earth Sage from restoring the Master Sword's power.
After Link’s failed attack on Ganondorf in the Forsaken Fortress, the King of Red Lions informs him that he suspects the cause of the sword's unexpected failure is that something has happened to the sages. However, because of the barrier Ganondorf had erected around Hyrule Castle, it is impossible for Link to access the two temples by simply walking to them in Old Hyrule. Therefore, he needs to enter through the mountaintop entrances, which the King of Red Lions marks on Link's Sea Chart.
Link enters the Earth Temple from Headstone Island and discovers that the Earth Sage Laruto is dead. Her ghost informs him that Ganondorf’s minions had killed her, and the sealed door of the temple would only open when her descendant, the next sage, plays the Earth God's Lyric there using a harp identical to the one she used in the past. Laruto teaches Link this song, and he then departs to search for the new sage, who Link discovers is the Rito Medli. Link awakens her to her true purpose by conducting the Earth God’s Lyric for her to play on her harp, which is identical to Laruto’s harp. Laruto’s spirit then informs Medli of what she must do, and she agrees to accompany Link to the Earth Temple, amazed that there is something that she can do to help the world.
Medli and Link sail to Headstone Island and play the "Earth God's Lyric" to open the door. The pair then enters the temple itself. Together they solve its puzzles and vanquish its evil inhabitants, including Jalhalla. Medli then begins playing and praying in the boss room, restoring the Master Sword to half of its full power. She remains behind in the temple to pray while Link departs to locate the Wind Sage and finish restoring the sword.
Spoiler warning: Spoilers end here.
Dungeon[]
The entrance to the Earth Temple
The Earth Temple is a dark, dungeon-like structure filled with light-based puzzles and undead enemies. Link must command Medli with the Command Melody to fly to places he cannot reach and to reflect Sunlight using her harp. After Link defeats three Stalfos and acquires the Mirror Shield, the dungeon’s main treasure, he can also reflect Sunlight, allowing himself and Medli to either reflect Sunlight at two targets at once or reflect a single beam of Sunlight twice. These new abilities allow the pair to eventually reach the room where Jalhalla lurks.
Items[]
Enemies[]
Mini-boss[]
- Stalfos (x3)
Boss[]
Other appearances[]
Subseries warning: This article or section contains information on a subseries within the Legend of Zelda series and should be considered part of its own separate canon.
Hyrule Warriors Legends[]
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The Wind and Earth Temples' merged boss rooms in Hyrule Warriors Legends
An altered version of the Earth Temple appears merged with the Wind Temple as the final stage in the new Era of the Great Sea storyline. It is where the main antagonist of that storyline is fought. The merged nature of the stage is due to the warping of time and space. In the Earth Temple portions of the stage, Statues appear that can be destroyed with Sunlight reflected off Scorpion Mirrors. Sunlight can be poured into the these sections by hitting nearby hammer switches.
Subseries warning: Subseries information ends here.