Spiritual Stones

"The Temple of Time is the entrance through which you can enter the Sacred Realm from our world. But the entrance is sealed with a stone wall called the Door of Time. And, in order to open the door, it is said that you need to collect three Spiritual Stones."

— Princess Zelda

The Spiritual Stones are quest items from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The Spiritual Stones are three mystical gems consisting of the Kokiri's Emerald (コキリのヒスイ, Kokiri no Hisui^?, Kokiri's Jade), Goron's Ruby (ゴロンのルビー, Goron no Rubī^?), and Zora's Sapphire (ゾーラのサファイア, Zōra no Safaia^?). During his quest, Link must gather these Spiritual Stones in order to open the door to the Sacred Realm. The symbols of the three stones can be found repeatedly in many games.

History[]

Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.

Origin[]

The three Spiritual Stones were created to serve as keys to open the way to the Sacred Realm where the Triforce is kept. It was prophesied that one destined to become the Hero of Time would collect the three stones, place them on the altar in the Temple of Time, and play the "Song of Time" on the magical instrument known as the Ocarina of Time. When all of these objectives were achieved, the Door of Time would open, allowing the prophesied one to enter the Chamber of the Master Sword. There, he would pull the Blade of Evil's Bane, the Master Sword, out of the Pedestal of Time and become the Hero of Time.

Kokiri's Emerald[]

"...You wouldn't happen to have... the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, would you?! That green and shining stone..."

— Princess Zelda

The Kokiri's Emerald as it appears in-game

The Kokiri's Emerald is held by the Great Deku Tree and the Kokiri in the Kokiri Forest. When Ganondorf came to steal the Emerald, the tree refused to hand it over. In return, Ganondorf curses the tree with Queen Gohma and her evil underlings. The Deku Tree asks Link to free him of this curse by destroying the monsters inside of him. Link relieves the Deku Tree of Queen Gohma, breaking the curse, but it is too late. The Deku Tree has been under the evil spell too long, and with the last of his power, he bestows upon Link the Kokiri's Emerald. Before dying, the Deku Tree tells Link to visit Princess Zelda in Hyrule Castle. Link sneaks into the castle and converses with Princess Zelda. The two agree to work together to stop Ganondorf's impending conquest of Hyrule. Impa meets Link on his way out and advises him to visit the Gorons on Death Mountain and inquire about the Spiritual Stone of Fire.

Goron's Ruby[]

"The Spiritual Stone of Fire, also known as the Goron's Ruby, is our race's hidden treasure...."

— Darunia

In Goron City, Link talks to the Goron leader, Darunia. He refuses to give Link the Goron's Ruby, once displayed as part of the the centerpiece of the sprawling city. While reluctant to aid Link, Darunia tells him that in return for not giving him the Spiritual Stone, Ganondorf summoned a mighty boulder to block access to the Dodongo's Cavern, the Gorons' primary food source. Additionally, he caused the Dodongos residing within to grow rapidly, filling it with the evil creatures. Link helps the Gorons by opening up the cavern and clearing it of the monsters and their leader, King Dodongo. Darunia makes Link an honorary "brother" of the tribe and presents him with the Goron's Ruby as a symbol of their new-found connection. With one Spiritual Stone left to gather, Link travels southeast, to the land of the Zora.

Goron's Ruby-like Goron symbol on the Goron's Bracelet

The Goron symbol (which appears prominently in Goron tattoos & items like the Goron's Bracelet) is apparently based off the Goron's Ruby as they both have a similar design and may indicate that the Symbol is a stylized representation of the Goron's Ruby.

Curiously, the Goron's Ruby is the only Spiritual Stone that does not bear any resemblance to a Mark of the Goddesses.

Zora's Sapphire[]

"My mother gave it to me and said I should give it only to the man who will be my husband. You might call it the Zora's Engagement Ring!"

— Ruto

The Zora's Sapphire as it appears in-game

Link enters Zora's Domain to inquire about the Spiritual Stone of Water held by the Zora. However, once inside, it is revealed that the Sapphire is with Princess Ruto, whose whereabouts are currently unknown. Link finds a bottle by the waters of Lake Hylia containing a letter supposedly written by Ruto. The letter states that she is stuck inside Lord Jabu-Jabu, the guardian god of the Zora. Apparently, Ganondorf had also come to Zora's Domain in search of the Sapphire, but King Zora XVI refused to give it to him. Ganondorf, in turn, cursed Lord Jabu-Jabu with an army of Bari led by the monster Barinade. Link ventures into Jabu-Jabu and saves Ruto. In thanks, Princess Ruto gives Link the Zora's Sapphire, a Zoran sign of betrothal. The Zora's Sapphire bears a striking resemblance to the Mark of Nayru. The Zora's Sapphire serves as the basis for the Zora symbol seen in later titles.

The Great Cataclysm[]

"Ye who owns 3 Spiritual Stones
Stand with the Ocarina of Time
And play the Song of Time"

— Inscription on the Pedestal in front of the Door of Time

Link and the Master Sword (Ocarina of Time) — Artwork depicting Link removing the Master Sword from its pedestal

With all the Spiritual Stones now in hand, Link travels to Hyrule Castle Town. However, as he approaches it, he notices that the skies have darkened and the drawbridge is up. The drawbridge lowers, and Princess Zelda and Impa ride out. Without any time to explain, Princess Zelda throws the Ocarina of Time towards Link, and it lands in the moat before they ride out of sight. As Link turns around, he encounters Ganondorf. When Link refuses to tell Ganondorf about where Zelda and Impa had escaped, Ganondorf laughs and knocks him over with a powerful magical ball before riding after Zelda and Impa. Link dives into the moat to retrieve the Ocarina of Time; as he does so, he is given a telepathic vision of Zelda. In the vision, Zelda teaches him the "Song of Time". Link travels north to the Temple of Time and plays the "Song of Time". The Spiritual Stones are summoned towards the altar and set in place, opening the Door of Time.

Inside, Link finds the legendary blade, the Master Sword. He draws the blade from its pedestal and is transported away from the land of Hyrule by a shining light. Seeing his chance, Ganondorf follows after Link and enters the Sacred Realm, where he finds the Triforce. He touches it, hoping that it will fulfill his every dark wish; however, due to the imbalance of courage, wisdom and power within Ganondorf, the Triforce is split into three pieces. Ganondorf is given the Triforce of Power, the virtue he valued most, while Princess Zelda and Link are given the Triforces of Wisdom and Courage, respectively. Despite this unforeseen turn of events, the ancient prophecy of the Great Cataclysm is fulfilled. Ganondorf uses the power of the Triforce of Power to attack Hyrule Castle and usurp the throne of Hyrule; fashioning himself "King of Evil." Seven years later, Link awakens as an adult. He had been sealed away, as he was too young to become the legendary Hero of Time. Link is told of what has transpired and embarks on a quest to defeat Ganondorf by awakening the Six Sages.

Spoiler warning: Spoilers end here.

Non-Canon References[]

Non-canon warning: This article or section contains non-canonical information that is not considered to be an official part of the Legend of Zelda series and should not be considered part of the overall storyline.

Hyrule Warriors/Legends[]

Hyrule Warriors Spear Kokiri Spear (Level 2 Spear)

A replica of the Kokiri Emerald is incorporated into the design of the Kokiri Spear.

Non-canon warning: Non-canonical information ends here.