Lava

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Lava
Lava in the Goron Mines in Twilight Princess
First appearance	The Legend of Zelda (1987)
Appearances	The Legend of Zelda The Adventure of Link A Link to the Past Link's Awakening Ocarina of Time Majora's Mask Oracle of Ages Oracle of Seasons Four Swords The Wind Waker Four Swords Adventures The Minish Cap Twilight Princess Phantom Hourglass Spirit Tracks Skyward Sword A Link Between Worlds Tri Force Heroes Breath of the Wild
Use	Trapping and damaging Link

"You're just a measly human! If you fall into that lava, that's the end of it, so be careful!"

— Midna

Lava is a recurring obstacle in the Legend of Zelda series. Lava is typically found in the form of bodies of molten rock, which have damaging or otherwise negative effects upon Link should he come in contact with it. Commonly, he will merely suffer some damage and be returned to the entrance of the room in question; however, in some cases, he will die instantly. Lava is also damaging to enemies, and most will be destroyed if pushed into a lava pit. Some enemies may also be found lurking within pits of lava. Lava is often associated with, and appears in, dungeons and locations with a distinctly fire-related theme.

Appearances

The Legend of Zelda

Lava is found in various dungeons and carries traits similar to water, in that it impedes Link's progress; while otherwise impossible to bypass, the Stepladder allows Link to travel across lava. Projectiles may also fly over lava without any trouble.

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Lava is found in many caves and palaces throughout Hyrule. If Link falls into a lava pit, he dies instantly, causing him to lose one life regardless of his current health status.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Lava can be seen in one room within Turtle Rock, the seventh dungeon in the Dark World. The lava merely serves as scenery and cannot be interacted with, as Link only passes over it on platforms, or inside a pneumatic tube. This is the only appearance that molten lava makes in the entire game, and the game has no predominantly fire-themed dungeons.

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

Lava is found exclusively within Turtle Rock, the last dungeon of the game. Both the mini-boss, Fire Cephalopod, and the boss, Hot Head, reside within a room that has a massive pool of lava in the center, considerably hampering Link's ability to maneuver.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Lava is prevalent in Dodongo's Cavern, Death Mountain Crater, the Fire Temple, and the fire room of Ganon's Castle. Ganon's Castle itself is floating above a large lava pit, and cannot be accessed until Link gains all Six Medallions and summons the power of the Seven Sages in order to create a magical bridge.

Should Link fall into a pit of lava, he returns to the entrance and suffers damage, similar to falling into a bottomless pit. Shallower pits, such as those that appear during Link's battles with King Dodongo and Volvagia, merely cause damage to Link. Interestingly, the lava within these rooms cools and hardens upon the bosses' defeat. If Link is wearing the Goron Tunic when walking on shallow pits of lava, he sustains damage with longer periods of intermittency.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

Lava is found in Snowhead Temple and Stone Tower Temple. The latter temple is at one point turned upside down, causing damaging drops of lava to rain from the ceiling where it before was found on the floor. Link's Goron form is impervious to the damaging effects of lava, while his Deku and Zora forms are vulnerable to the point where they are returned to the entrance to the room in question if they come in contact with it.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages

Symmetry City has several pools of lava in the past. Before the city is saved, the future Symmetry City has lava in the same place. After the city is saved, the lava is replaced by water and Link can enter Skull Dungeon where there is more lava. Lava Juice can also be obtained through the Goron Gallery mini-game.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons

The entire subterranean country of Subrosia is filled with lava, as is the Sword & Shield Maze found there. While Link suffers damage if he falls into it, Subrosians are immune to such effects, even going as far as bathing in lava as if it were water, and treating it as food. Lava Soup is also given to Link by the Subrosian Chef.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords

Lava is found within Death Mountain. If the Links touch it they will take damage and go back to the location they were at before entering the lava.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

Lava is found in several Hidden Holes, Dragon Roost Cavern, Fire Mountain, and in Ganon's Tower; in the latter case, it is found in both the central chamber, and the room that represents Dragon Roost Cavern. If Link falls into lava, he will bounce up from being burned, and then return to the start of the room. The exception is when fighting Gohma, in which Link will simply bounce out of the lava after suffering damage. Interestingly, if he falls into lava right after Gohma is defeated, he will keep bouncing until Gohma's death sequence is finished. Link can throw Water Pots or shoot Ice Arrows into the lava to create temporary platforms to stand on, and needs to do so over geysers of lava in order to reach higher floors.

Lava pits also house Fire Keese, Red Bubbles and Magtails.

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures

Lava is found in the Tower of Flames, the last stage of Death Mountain.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

Lava is found within the Cave of Flames. During the battle with the dungeon's boss, Gleerok, it will sink into a pit of lava in order to stay out of the reach of Link's sword. As the battle progresses, Gleerok will flood the room with lava, greatly reducing Link's mobility space for a short period of time. Link can use the Cane of Pacci to flip over platforms found in lava pits in order to safely cross them.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Lava is found within the Goron Mines, as well as a secret cavern. If Link falls into a pit of lava while wearing the Zora Armor, he dies immediately (unless he has a fairy in a bottle). Otherwise, it will only do two hearts worth of damage.

Interestingly enough, Link can somehow fish in lava, though he will not catch anything. Also, if Link jumps in the lava while the Fishing Rod is in his hand, it will make a splashing sound as if he jumped in water.

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

Lava is found within the Temple of Fire. If Link falls into a lava pit, he suffers damage and returns to the last point before entering the lava area.

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

Lava is found within the Fire Temple and on several floors of the Tower of Spirits; Cragma, the boss of the Fire Temple, resides in the middle of a pool of lava. While Link suffers damage and returns to the last point before entering the lava area when he touches it, Phantoms are immune to it and are even able to walk through pools without adverse effects. Princess Zelda, while possessing a Phantom, can carry Link over pits of lava, using the Phantom's shield as a platform.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Lava is found mostly on the Eldin Volcano and its temples. If Link touches the lava, he will immediately catch fire and return to the last touched solid ground. The Wooden Shield and its upgrades will burn up if Link has one of them equipped. Strangely, if Link gets a Game Over by touching lava, the Wooden Shield and its upgrades will not burn. If Link falls into the lava near the location of the Mysterious Crystals in the Fire Sanctuary, it results in an instant death. Interestingly, if Link touches the lava while in the Silent Realm, his spirit will scatter and reform on the solid ground; this will not cause the trial to fail or the Guardians to awaken. Like the Water Pots in The Wind Waker, Link can use Water Fruits to cool down and solidify lava to create temporary platforms.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

Lava can be found in Turtle Rock and Lorule Castle. Like in previous games, if Link falls into a pool of lava, he will take damage and reappear on the last piece of solid ground he touched. Link can freeze lava with the Ice Rod. In certain areas, pillars of lava will shoot up into the air. These pillars can be frozen with the Ice Rod, not only making them safe to walk on, but also safe to merge with. The boss of Turtle Rock, Grinexx, resides in a pool of lava.

The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes

Lava can be found in all four levels of Volcano, and in the Training Ground level of Fortress. When Link falls into lava, he will take damage and reappear on the last piece of solid ground he touched. Link can knock back some enemies into the lava to instantly defeat them. He can traverse over lava by riding a Totem Armos. If he is wearing the Goron Garb, Link can swim harmlessly in lava.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Lava can be found exclusively in the Eldin province of Hyrule within the Death Mountain, Eldin Canyon, and Eldin Mountains regions. Normally when Link steps in lava he will sink and "die", though as long as Link has enough health this only causes the screen to fade to black and Link reappears on the last portion of solid ground he touched before sinking. Sinking in lava causes him one Heart Container of damage; thus, he will be killed if he has less than two full Heart Containers, resulting in a Game Over. Link can cross lava by gliding over it using the Paraglider, using Magnesis on metal boxes to create makeshift bridges, or traveling on rails via mine cart (Link must use the Stasis Rune to store kinetic energy to move the cart along the track). Additionally, some areas feature natural or artificial bridges that allow Link pass over areas of molten lava. The province of Eldin features lakes, rivers, and even ponds made of lava.

Unlike past games, there are times when Link can touch lava briefly and not sink, causing him to only receive damage. This generally occurs in shallow areas near solid ground, though it difficult to correctly gauge where this is possible. In addition to molten lava, Link also encounters lava that has started to cool and harden, becoming solid enough to climb and stand on, though it will cause fire damage Link unless he is wearing the "Flamebreaker" Armor set with a "Fireproof" set bonus, making him immune to fire damage and allowing him to climb and stand on harden lava, though even this will not protect him from sinking in molten lava. Despite its name, the Fireproof Elixir only grants the "Flame Guard" effect, protecting Link from volcanic heat. Igneo Talus and Igneo Pebblits are protected by a protective layer of harden lava that makes touching them dangerous, forcing Link to cool it with Ice Arrows and/or Ice Elemental weapons in order to throw Igneo Pebblits or climb Igneo Talus. He can also wear the "Flamebreaker" Armor set with Fireproof set bonus, which allows him to pick up Igneo Pebblits and climb Igneo Talus without having to cool them down. As part of "The Champions' Ballad" DLC, a special Igneo Talus called Igneo Talus Titan appears who fires Link from the lava Lake Darman.

Most enemies will die if they come in contact with molten lava; however, Fire-Breath Lizalfos are capable of swimming in molten lava in the same manner that other Lizalfos can swim in water. As a result, Link can kill most enemies by knocking them into lava, with the exception of Fire-Breath Lizalfos. Knocking enemies into lava will usually prevent Link from collecting their materials, which will be lost if they fall in molten lava. Interestingly, despite their molten bodies, Fire ChuChus cannot survive contact with molten lava.

Lava is abundant in and around Death Mountain; even Goron City contains several lava pools, though the Gorons have built bridges within the city that make traveling across easier and safer. Other areas in Eldin feature lava rivers (Golow River and Goronbi River), lava ponds (Darb Pond), and even entire lakes of lava (Darunia Lake, Gorko Lake, Goronbi Lake, and Lake Darman), indicating that Death Mountain is more volcanically active to the point the volcanic activity in and around Death Mountain is comparable to the activity of Eldin Volcano in Skyward Sword. The exact reason for the increased activity is unknown but it is suggested that the corrupted Divine Beast Vah Rudania is responsible, as it has the ability to fire Magma Bombs.

In addition to building bridges such as the Bridge of Eldin (a drawbridge that spans over the Death Caldera, allowing access to Death Mountain itself), the Gorons have also built railways for mine carts such as the one that allows access to the Isle of Rabac which is surrounded by Darunia Lake, though these are rare and is a somewhat dangerous means of travel due to the danger of derailing right into lava.

Volcanic Heat

Areas with lava also produce volcanic heat which damages Link unless he has a "Flame Guard" effect active or is in contact with water. This volcanic heat is so hot that it maxes out the Sheikah Slates temperature gauge causing it read "error" on the Sheikah Slates map, causes wooden equipment to catch fire and burn up if it is not removed, and forces Link to resort to using metal or technology based weapons and shields in these areas. The heat causes Torches to remain lit even when sheathed though this will not damage Link, nor will it cause the torch to burn up as torches never burn up completely as being lit on fire does not effect their durability. Also Arrows will light on fire when draw in areas of volcanic heat, turning them into makeshift Fire Arrows. The heat causes Bomb Arrows will automatically detonate when drawn, damaging Link rendering Bomb Arrows extremely dangerous to use in such areas, though Remote Bombs can still be used without any problems as they are energy based explosives. Fire Arrows, Ice Arrows, and Shock Arrows are not affected. However the heat is not all bad as it can be used for Roasting food by simply dropping it on the ground. As normal arrows become makeshift fire arrows in these areas they will automatically roast meat of animals killed by them, preventing them from being used to obtain raw meat. However as Shock Arrows do not affect meat and drops of animals hit, they can be used to hunt animals such as Eldin Ostriches and Hotfeather Pigeons found in these areas, though Link must collect any meat they drop before it roasts due to the volcanic heat. Link can also automatically create Campfires by simply dropping Wood on the ground, which is useful if he wishes to pass the time. However the heat will cause most materials to burn, which can destroy or roast materials preventing Link from obtaining them or obtaining them in their raw unroasted state. However Link can avoid this by collecting materials before they burn up or roast completely. Additionally the heat can overcook roasted food as well if Link does not collect after it has roasted, as overcooking roasted food destroys it. However some materials are immune to burning such as Red Lizalfos Tails, Fire Keese Wing, Red Chuchu Jelly, Fireproof Lizards, Fairies, Star Fragments all Dragon Parts, all Guardian Parts, and all types of Ore. The heat also turns Chuchu Jelly, White Chuchu Jelly, and Yellow Chuchu Jelly into Red ChuChu Jelly. Interestingly, most creatures living in these areas have naturally adapted to the extreme heat, as shown Fireproof Lizards, Smotherwing Butterflies, Hotfeather Pigeons, Golden Sparrows, Eldin Ostriches, Gorons, and monsters Link encounters have no problem with the heat. However Hylians and Gerudo visiting these areas must take measures to protect themselves usually by wearing flame and heat resistant armor or using Fireproof Elixirs (which can either be consumed or according to a Gerudo Link encounters can be applied to the skin to protect the user). Interestingly, despite their plant-like bodies, Koroks seem to have no problem with this heat, though it is unknown if this is due to them being resilient to it or if they too are using Fireproof Elixirs like Hylians and Gerudo do. Interestingly, no Zora or Rito are encountered on Death Mountain, though in the case of the Zora it is likely due to their race's vulnerability to fire and heat. Presumably Rito avoid the volcanic areas of Eldin province (as Kass can be encountered at the Foothill Stable which is located outside of the volcanic areas of Eldin Canyon) as they have become adapted to cold climates.