Palace

are a recurring type of location in . They are frequently dungeons.
==Characteristics==
Palaces are predominant in and . In the former game, palaces house sacred lecterns where Link must place magic crystals that lift the seal blocking the entrance to the Great Palace, which itself houses the long-missing Triforce of Courage. In the latter game, palaces guard either sacred pendants that are the key for obtaining the Master Sword or crystals where imprisoned Maidens are encased. 
In , the palaces are explored with a side-scrolling format and, like the labyrinths in The Legend of Zelda, can be distinguished by the color of the bricks they were built with; they usually require Link using magic spells to be conquered, and fighting enemies is now optional (as long as they're easy to overlook, of course). In , the palaces are explored in top-view perspective, and have a more elaborate interior than the previously cited dungeons, having more hazards, obstacles and traps; as with all other dungeons in the game, a Big Key is required in each palace to meet the boss.
Palaces appear to a lesser extent in other games in the series, for different purposes. The Palace of Twilight, in , houses Usurper King Zant and three of the Fused Shadows.
==List of Palaces==
======
Palaces appear primarily in , and are the dungeons of the game. In order, these are:
#Parapa Palace
#Midoro Palace
#Island Palace
#Maze Island Palace
#Palace on the Sea
#Three-Eye Rock Palace
#Great Palace
======
The term Palace is also used to refer to certain dungeons in :
#Eastern Palace
#
#Palace of Darkness
#Swamp Palace
#Ice Palace
#Palace of the Four Sword (GBA remake only)
======
#Deku Palace
======
#Fanadi's Palace, home to Madame Fanadi, is located in Hyrule Castle Town.
#Palace of Twilight.
======
The term Palace is also used to refer to certain dungeons in :
#Eastern Palace
#
#Swamp Palace
#Dark Palace
==Trivia==
*In , and in some cases in (i.e., East Palace, , and the Dark Palace), the term "palace" is used as a translation of the Japanese term ; in the Japanese version of the former, the term "sanctuary" is used instead. This may be related to the policy of Nintendo of America to remove overt religious references from games. From onward, however, this policy was no longer applied to locations in this series, and so 神殿 is given its literal translation of "temple".
==Nomenclature==