Hyrule Castle

, also known as the Castle of Hyrule, is a recurring location in . It is the seat of Hyrule's monarchical government and the home of the Royal Family of Hyrule, which usually includes Princess Zelda and the normally unseen King of Hyrule. The castle first debuted in , the third game in the series. Each game that contains Hyrule Castle features a different layout. Near the castle is Hyrule Castle Town, which serves as the city's marketplace where Hyruleans come to engage in business and trade.
Hyrule Castle is usually directly in the center of Hyrule's geographical layout in each game, serving as the crown jewel of the kingdom. It is often one of the most important places for Link during his numerous adventures in Hyrule and many times is the site of the final confrontations, usually serving as a level or dungeon of sorts. As the seat of Hyrule's government, the Castle has been the location of multiple conflicts and has been the subject of invasion more than once throughout its depiction in .
==Mainline appearances==
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Marking its first named appearance in , Hyrule Castle is home to the Royal Family of Hyrule until shortly before the events of the game. Agahnim, after becoming the King's second-in-command and chief adviser for solving Hyrule's problems with his magic, killed the monarch with the same magic, and took control of the castle.
During the game's opening scenes, Link is telepathically spoken to in a dream by a voice belonging to Princess Zelda, who was taken hostage by Agahnim. Following her request in his dream, Link finds his way to the gates of Hyrule Castle, completely unarmed against Hyrule's corrupted soldiers. Unfortunately, the castle is well-guarded and inaccessible from a direct approach. In the courtyard, Link luckily uncovers a hidden hole beneath a bush that leads him into a Secret Passage. Link's Uncle is soon found, slumped against a wall and mortally wounded. Already exhausted and beaten, he grants Link their family's sword and shield, instructing him to save the Princess. Link then progresses through the castle, fighting off any monsters and soldiers who attempt to stop him.
The rest of Hyrule Castle plays out similarly to a standard dungeon, but it is much shorter than any others in the game and features no dungeon boss during the first visit. After Link saves Zelda from the sorcerer's clutches and brings her to the Sanctuary, Agahnim makes the upper levels of the castle inaccessible by creating an electrical barrier that cannot be bypassed. It isn't until Link retrieves the Master Sword from the Lost Woods that the young hero can access the upper area of the castle by slashing the barrier with the Blade of Evil's Bane. After reaching the top of the castle, Link witnesses Agahnim as he sends Princess Zelda to the Dark World. The young hero battles against the evil wizard who, upon his defeat, sends Link to the Dark World. It is at this point that, in the Light World, a portal is created beneath the main gate of the Castle that sends anyone who passes through it into the Dark World.
In the Light World, Hyrule Castle is found in the center of the Overworld map, and is surrounded by an impassable moat. In the Dark World, it is replaced with Ganon's Pyramid of Power, which is surrounded by pits similar to Hyrule Castle's moat. After Agahnim sends Link to the Dark World, Hyrule Castle's doors all become impossible to open, rendering any part of the castle's interior other than the underground passage behind the throne (whose entrance cannot be opened from inside the passage) inaccessible for the rest of the game.
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In , Hyrule Castle is the second northernmost location in Hyrule, second only to the Death Mountain located directly east of it. It can be accessed by passing through the adjacent Hyrule Castle Town, which is protected by another moat and a drawbridge. Since monsters roam the field outside of town at night, the bridge only lowers during the day and is promptly raised as soon as night falls.
The royal castle is home to Princess Zelda, the King of Hyrule, and other members of the Royal Family. Due to the actions of a certain foolish man who wanted to see Princess Zelda, the castle guards have increased their security and won't allow anyone into the castle. The castle's grounds are guarded day and night by Hyrulean Guards, each of which will throw out any intruders they can find. The entrance to the castle itself can only be reached with the aid of a drawbridge, although is never lowered throughout the entire game and thus impedes Link from accessing the entire castle.
After Link obtains the Kokiri's Emerald from the dying Great Deku Tree and first leaves Kokiri Forest, Kaepora Gaebora advises him to visit Princess Zelda in Hyrule Castle. Once Link successfully sneaks past the castle guards, and has assisted Malon in waking up her father Talon, Link can enter the Castle Courtyard via a secret passageway. Here, Link must sneak past even more guards to reach his destination. Coincidentally, guards in the field outside always throw Link out past the Castle's main gate, but guards inside the Castle throw him right outside the secret entrance, where Link would still be trespassing anyway.
However, when Link returns seven years later, and after Ganondorf's rise to power, he is shocked to find the Hyrule Castle completely destroyed, and Ganon's Castle erected on the ruins where the castle once stood. Ganon's Castle serves as his seat of power in Hyrule.
=== and ===
Hyrule Castle appears in the intro of both games, which is seen lying in a densely forested valley in Hyrule. Attracted by an unknown force, Link is seen riding towards the castle. Upon entering it, he discovers that it houses the Triforce, which after his arrival sends him away on a mission to either Holodrum or Labrynna, depending on which game the player plays.
Despite not being seen in the intro, the castle is still housed by the royal family, with Princess Zelda, who later leaves to aid the oracles.
The Castle is also seen several times during the linked ending, along with Princess Zelda who has returned to it after being rescued by Link.
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Hyrule Castle is home to the Master Sword, which is hidden in a basement chamber protected by a giant statue depicting the Hero of Time. The hidden chamber is decorated with stained glass windows that illustrate the Sages of , and at the center of the basement is the Master Sword resting in its pedestal.
Before the events of , the remains of Hyrule were drowned beneath the rain waters of the Great Sea as a cause of the Great Flood. Hyrule Castle was magically ensnared in a large barrier of energy, largely protecting it from any harm. However, this also caused time itself to stop, leaving the hordes of enemies who were attacking the castle at the time frozen as well.
Link can only travel beneath the Great Sea into the castle once he has completed the trial of the gods and has been acknowledged as a true hero. A gateway will then open leading to the flooded land of Hyrule, where Link is allowed access to the inner part of the castle to retrieve the Blade of Evil's Bane. Once the young hero retrieves the Master Sword from its pedestal, the flow of time returns to normal, and the enemies who were assaulting the castle come to life once more. Link must defeat all of the enemies before he is allowed to exit the castle and return to the Great Sea.
Hyrule Castle serves as a prominent location in the storyline, since it is where Tetra discovers her true identity as Princess Zelda, and it is also where she stays in hiding while Link and the King of Red Lions embark on a quest to assemble the Triforce of Courage. Later on in the game, with the Triforce of Courage in hand, Link returns to the castle's basement only to find that Ganondorf has kidnapped Princess Zelda and taken her to his Tower. 
High above the inner walls of the castle is a wall portrait depicting Princess Zelda (Tetra's ancestor) along with several of her courtiers, each of them bearing a striking resemblance to the members of Tetra's Pirate Crew.
====Minor enemies and traps====
File:TWW Darknut Figurine Model.png|Darknut
File:TWW Darknut Figurine Model 2.png|Darknut
File:TWW Blue Moblin Model.png|Moblin
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In , Hyrule Castle is the location of the entrance to the Four Sword Sanctuary, a hidden chamber where the Four Sword is enshrined. When dark clouds sweep over Hyrule, Link, Princess Zelda and the six Shrine Maidens leave to investigate the seal over the Four Sword, which seals the wind mage Vaati. When Shadow Link emerges from the sanctuary's portal's opening and the princess and Maidens are captured, Link withdraws the Four Sword and splits into four in order to combat the doppelgänger. The removal of the Four Sword, however, releases Vaati from his hold and he sends the Links away in a twister, who all land Lake Hylia. They eventually awake to Kaepora Gaebora, who implores them to save the princess and the Maidens, and the Links travel back to the castle on foot. During this time, it is revealed that an evil influence has corrupted and taken control of the castle guards.
Hyrule Castle appears as the third and final stage of the first level, Whereabouts of the Wind. The Links arrive back at the castle after making their way through Lake Hylia and the Cave of No Return. The castle greatly resembles the one from , albeit with a much larger and slightly different layout. The Links fight their way through its legions of enemy Soldiers, while also rescuing the Fairy Queen, who was captured and split into two Zoras. Eventually the Links make their way to the rooftop, which houses the boss Phantom Ganon. Upon its defeat, the Blue Shrine Maiden is freed.
Hyrule Castle makes another appearance again as the third and final stage of Near the Fields, called Infiltration of Hyrule Castle; however, the stage is set at night, and its environment is similar to that of The Wind Waker's Forsaken Fortress where the Links must evade the searchlights to prevent from getting caught and thrown into prison. At the end of the level, the Links fight the Big Poe, after which the castle makes no other appearances.
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In , Hyrule Castle is home to the Elemental Sanctuary that links Hyrule to the Minish Realm. As such, Link must return to Hyrule Castle each time he acquires another one of the Four Elements to upgrade the White Sword in the Elemental Sanctuary.
Link first visits the castle when Smith, his grandfather, asks him to deliver a sword to Minister Potho, and it is in the Hyrule Castle Garden that the award ceremony for the tournament's champion, who happens to be Vaati, takes place. Although Link is allowed to enter the Castle as he wishes early on in the game, he is only granted access to a few rooms, such as the throne room, a bedroom, and a few hallways. As the story progresses, Vaati takes control of King Daltus, forbidding Link to enter the Castle and, by extension, the Elemental Sanctuary itself. Because of this, the young hero is required to use stealth and make his way past the guards in the Garden to discover a secret entrance to the Sanctuary located beneath some bushes in the northwestern section. 
After Link restores the power of the White Sword with the Four Elements and transforms it into the Four Sword, Vaati, disguised as King Daltus, learns that the Light Force rests within Princess Zelda. He turns everyone in the Castle into stone, locks the King away, and takes the Princess onto the roof, transforming the Castle into Dark Hyrule Castle. Link must navigate the complex interior of the Castle to free Princess Zelda from Vaati's curse and seal Vaati away. 
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In , Hyrule Castle is seen in its largest incarnation to date and remains at least partially visible from almost anywhere in Hyrule. is also the first game in the series that allows Link to explore almost all of the castle's areas to its fullest, and as such, the castle plays an important role in the game since it is where most of the plot develops. It consists of a main tower composed of four floors, and the main tower is connected to six other smaller towers, three on each side. On the highest floor of the main tower is the throne room, where Princess Zelda resides. Just like in , the castle is located just north of Hyrule Castle Town, and the castle itself is accessed by crossing a small bridge over a moat where two giant doors lead to the enormous and spacious castle courtyard, which surrounds the castle in its entirety. Spread throughout the first area of the courtyard are three tall monuments depicting each of the three pieces of the Triforce. On both sides of the courtyard are two separate entrances that lead to the rest of the areas of the garden, where the right door eventually directs to the castle's graveyard located at the very back of the structure.
A passageway in Telma's Bar grants access to the castle's sewers, which is also where the prison cells are located. It is here that Link first catches a glimpse of the colossal castle since he finds himself imprisoned early on in the game after he is transformed into a wolf. A short while after, he meets Midna, who frees him and guides him to one of the outside towers, where he meets the imprisoned Princess Zelda for the first time. During the meeting, Princess Zelda informs Link of Hyrule's current state, and explains to him how it all came about. Prior to the events of , Hyrule Castle was invaded by the King of Twilight, Zant, along with his horde of Shadow Beasts. Although Princess Zelda tried to fight back, she was forced to surrender to Zant's demands, which led to Hyrule being completely covered in Twilight.
Link returns to Zelda's room after collecting all of the Fused Shadows (and losing them due to Zant), again in wolf form. This time, he brings a dying Midna to Princess Zelda, who saves Midna's life by giving Midna her life force. After this second meeting, Hyrule Castle is encased in an enormous gold colored barrier, much like in . Link and Midna cannot enter the Castle again until they have defeated Zant and regained the Fused Shadows. When these are obtained, Midna uses the power of the Fused Shadows to obliterate the castle barrier, granting them access to the castle's entrance.
It is at this point that Hyrule Castle now serves as the game's final dungeon. Link must explore all of the castle's areas in order to reach the fourth floor of the main tower, which is where Ganondorf has taken Princess Zelda hostage. At the throne room, Link and Midna come face-to-face with Ganondorf, who uses Princess Zelda as his puppet in an attempt to defeat the young hero. Link, equipped with the Master Sword, promptly defeats Puppet Zelda, and Midna uses her powers to extract Ganondorf's evil influence from the princess. It is here that Ganondorf transforms into the Dark Beast Ganon. After defeating Ganondorf's beast form, Midna will attempt to finish him off, warping Link and Zelda to Hyrule Field. The two witness a giant explosion which seemingly destroys the castle, but Hyrule Castle later appears intact during the credits sequence.
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Hyrule Castle reappears in in the re-established kingdom of Hyrule. The castle's look borrows heavily from its predecessor that was drowned beneath the Great Sea along with the rest of the original Hyrule, retaining its blue roofing and white stone build. The castle area is also home once more to Castle Town, which lies directly in front of Hyrule Castle itself as in its previous incarnations. The entrance is accessed by crossing a small bridge which runs above a moat, leading to the castle gardens and eventually to the inside of the castle itself.
At the beginning of the game, Link needs to go to the castle in order to receive his train engineer's certificate from Princess Zelda and thus officially become a Royal Engineer. The Throne Room is revealed to contain a large stained glass window of Tetra, the incarnation of Princess Zelda in her day and one of the founders of the reinstated kingdom of Hyrule. It is here as well that Princess Zelda slips him a note during the ceremony which gives Link directions to her private quarters in the northeastern section of the castle. Later on, Link and Princess Zelda sneak out of the castle in order to travel to the Tower of Spirits and find out why the Spirit Tracks have begun to disappear. After they are waylaid by Chancellor Cole and Byrne, Link finds himself and Alfonzo back in Hyrule Castle and finds Zelda's spirit wandering its corridors, he being the only person able to see her mysteriously. Link would continue to visit the castle several times throughout his adventure to defeat Cole and stop the return of the Demon King Malladus.
It is in Hyrule Castle where Link receives the Recruit's Sword from Russell, the guard captain. Unlike some games where Link's access to the castle is usually prohibited, the young hero can wander around the castle's hallways provided that he has the Recruit Uniform, which allows him to blend in with the rest of the castle guards.
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In , Hyrule Castle is home to Princess Zelda and Impa and is guarded by many soldiers. The walls are graffitied with paintings of Soldiers that come to life after Yuga conquers the castle. Link must travel here to search for the Captain to return his sword "Take that sword and hurry after the captain" — Blacksmith ()"He's got to be headed back to Hyrule Castle! — Blacksmith (). Link must journey again to the castle to warn Zelda of Yuga's attack on Seres and of Yuga's plan to target Zelda next"You've gotta report this to the castle!" — Ravio (). It is in Hyrule Castle that Link receives the Pendant of Courage from Zelda to help him obtain the Master Sword. Later, after Link has confronted Yuga in the Eastern Palace, Yuga places a barrier around the castle that can only be broken by the Master Sword. After Link obtains the Master Sword, he is able to shatter the barrier around the palaceYou have found the Master Sword! Well done, Link. Now there's no time to waste. Strike down this nefarious barrier! — Sahasrahla () and enter in an attempt to rescue the princess from Yuga. The castle serves as a dungeon, with various enemies attempting to impede Link's progress through the castle. At the top of the castle, Link must fight Yuga, who possesses the painting of Princess Zelda. Yuga ultimately escapes, with Link in pursuit, through a crack into Lorule.
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100 years prior to the events of , an evil known as the Calamity Ganon rose up and laid waste to Hyrule. Unable to be defeated, it was sealed within Hyrule Castle, where it has grown in power since. Hyrule Castle is prominently located in Central Hyrule, appearing to be one of the few intact structures that remains of the ruined kingdom. The Castle is surrounded by Giant Columns and a purple and red swirling mist that contains the Calamity Ganon itself.
Although Hyrule Castle serves as the final dungeon in the game, it can be accessed at any point after exiting the Great Plateau. It is an immense place, overtaken by Malice and swarming with dangerous enemies such as all kinds of Guardians, Lizalfos, Moblins and Lynels. However, it also contains troves of precious equipment, including the Hylian Shield, the strongest shield in the game. The castle appears severely dilapidated and crumbled, with large amounts of Malice everywhere making progression difficult. Calamity Ganon rests near the top of the castle, in the main quarters. If any of the Blight Ganons have been ignored during the main quest, Link will have to face them in succession before fighting Calamity Ganon itself.
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Following King Rauru's imrisoning of Ganondorf underground, his people constructed Hyrule Castle atop the Demon King to keep him sealed, the castle remained intact and undestroyed for ages ever since, until it was damaged for the first time during the Great Calamity 100 years prior to the Era of the Wilds.
Hyrule Castle is featured in Tears of the Kingdom as a major location and underwent significant change. Following the defeat of Calamity Ganon, the Castle has been totally cleared of all the monsters who infested the area, including the Guardians and the Malice. Princess Zelda seemingly claimed it back, but little has been made to restore it to its glorious past. Because of this, the Castle itself remains as dilapidated as it was in Breath of the Wild, although it appears to be much safer. However, Princess Zelda and Link eventually discovered that Hyrule Castle was sheltering a secret network of old caverns, deep underneath the royal domain. This would lead them straight to a tomb called the Imprisoning Room. Sealed there long before the events of the series lay the mummified corpse of Ganondorf himself, who appears to be the very source of the Malice that infected Hyrule for so long. However, the seal eventually broke and allowed its ancestral prisoner to come back to life.
The return of Ganondorf unleashed a series of cataclysms upon Hyrule and the Castle was not spared either. The Demon King's rage notably triggered was was known as the Upheaval, literally detaching the Castle from its base by lifting it up, opening an enormous chasm and rendering Hyrule Castle virtually unattainable by land. Not only that, parts of the lower levels are now covered in Gloom, and many creatures appeared as well. Following these dramatic events, Link would come back to Hyrule Castle a first time to try and find the Princess with the search party, and also much later in the game after Zelda has been spotted in the area. 
With Princess Zelda seemingly there and now accompanied by the Sages, Link would have to battle his way through the Castle until he reaches the Sanctum. For this mission, Hyrule Castle has been featured as a traditional dungeon divided into several levels. When Link finally reaches Princess Zelda in the Throne Room, it is revealed that she was nothing less than an illusion created by Ganondorf to lure Link in and kill him. To achieve his goal, the Demon King summons Phantom Ganon, and a fierce battle breaks out in the Sanctum. But Link eventually triumphs with the help of his companions, forcing Ganondorf to give up for the time being. 
Like in Breath of the Wild, the Castle itself can be accessed very early in the game. Considering that some of most precious resources can be found in this place, it is definitely worth exploring the royal domain as soon as possible. Although the weapons have been depleted by the Gloom, numerous sets of equipment such as the Royal Gear and the Royal Guard's Series are scattered here and there or hidden in various treasure chests. The Hylian Shield can be found in the Docks, as well as the Royal Guard Uniform and the Champion's Leathers (the new & improved version of the Champion's Tunic), ingeniously hidden in the Throne Room. Beware though, as the lower levels of Hyrule Castle are infested with Gloom and a wide variety of powerful foes.
==In other media==
=== (Ishinomori)===
Like in the game, Hyrule Castle is a prominent location in the . Link first ventures into the castle after Princess Zelda contacts him telepathically to save her from the castle's prison. Following Zelda's voice to Hyrule Castle, Link sneaks into the castle and sees his uncle dueling Agahnim, where he witnesses his uncle's death at the hands of the wizard. Before passing away, Link's uncle gives the young hero his sword and shield and tells him to save Zelda. The young hero eventually finds the princess and, after distracting two Castle Soldiers that were taking her away, Link rescues Zelda and the two escape the castle through a hidden passage to the Sanctuary with the use of a nearby lantern.
After Link retrieves the Master Sword, he travels to the castle's top tower via an air balloon made by his friends in Kakariko Village since all approaches to the castle are blocked by Agahnim's soldiers. Link lands on the castle's highest tower and, after easily defeating a few soldiers with the Master Sword's might, he rushes to find Agahnim in the middle of his spell. However, Link is unable to defeat the wizard in time, and Zelda is transported to the Dark World. With the help of Sahasrahla, Link kills Agahnim by deflecting his own magic, but Agahnim, with his final breath, manages to transport Link into the Dark World, with Hyrule Castle collapsing as the Pyramid of Power is revealed.
At the end of the comic, once Link makes his wish to the Triforce, Link and Zelda are transported back to Hyrule Castle, where the newly-crowned Queen Zelda appoints Link as the Master of the Knights of Hyrule.
==Spinoff appearances==
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The Hyrule Castle Courtyard appears in a Defender Mode scenario in Stage 4 of Link's Crossbow Training. Link stands in one place to slay oncoming Stalfos and Keese. Several fairies glowing green can be shot for the Automatic Crossbow Upgrade.
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Hyrule Castle appears in the background of the Hyrule Field stage in . After Ganondorf seizes the kingdom at the game's climax, the castle is transformed into his tower.
==Crossover appearances==
=== series===
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Hyrule Castle appears a Stage in . It features a similar appearance to its model seen in . Small tornadoes frequently pass through the stage, sending fighters who come in contact with one flying up in the air. It is the largest stage in the game, a tradition that continued with the Temple stage in .
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The version of Hyrule Castle can be seen in the background of the Bridge of Eldin Stage in .
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Hyrule Castle can be seen in the background of the Bridge of Eldin Stage in . Hyrule Castle also returned as a Stage as DLC in .
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Hyrule Castle reappears as a Stage in . The version of the Castle can also once again be seen in the background of the Bridge of Eldin Stage. The iteration of Hyrule Castle can be seen in the background of the Great Plateau Tower Stage as well.
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The forty-fifth puzzle in the Picross series and the forty-first puzzle in the Mega Picross series depict Hyrule Castle.
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Hyrule Castle appears in Hyrule Circuit, included in the The Legend of Zelda × Mario Kart 8 downloadable pack of and returning in the base game of . A portion of the takes place inside of Hyrule Castle, which racers can only reach by taking a ramp and gliding their way there.
Hyrule Castle features a curved staircase that leads down into a large room with the Master Sword, which rests within the Pedestal of Time. Racers can take one of two paths around the pedestal, after which is a drawbridge and a ramp for exiting the castle. Alternatively, a racer can activate all three Spin Boost Pillars on the staircase for a small Dash Panel ramp to appear in front of the pedestal so that they can pass over it and use the Master Sword as an additional Spin Boost Pillar.
==Trivia==
*In , Hyrule Castle has a Dungeon Map and a Big Key (necessary to unlock Zelda's cell), but no Compass. It is the only dungeon in the game without one. The game treats the portion of the castle after Agahnim's magical barrier as a separate area from the rest of the castle, and so the latter has no boss, while the former has no dungeon items whatsoever. As the Compass's only purpose in is to show the location of bosses, there is no use for a Compass in the lower part of Hyrule Castle.
*It is uncertain whether there has been several distinct Hyrule Castles throughout the series, or they are modified versions of the same structure. However, the Hyrule Castle of is undoubtedly different as it is located in a different Hyrule.
==Nomenclature==
==Gallery==
File:ALttP Hyrule Castle Artwork.png|Hyrule Castle artwork from 
File:TWW Hyrule Castle Inside.jpg|Hyrule Castle interior from 
File:TWW Castle Unfrozen.jpg|Hyrule Castle interior from 
File:TWW Hyrule Castle Underwater.png|Hyrule Castle beneath the Great Sea in 
File:Hyrulecastlefsa.png|Hyrule Castle from 
File:Hyrule Castle ALttP.png|Hyrule Castle from 
File:Hyrule Castle Hyrule Field 3.jpg|Hyrule Castle from 
File:Hyrule Castle Hyrule Field.jpg|Hyrule Castle from 
File:Hyrule Castle Hyrule Field 2.jpg|Hyrule Castle as seen from east Hyrule Field in 
File:North Hyrule Field.jpg|Hyrule Castle as seen from northern Hyrule Field in 
File:TP catle.jpg|Hyrule Castle courtyard from 
File:Hyrule Castle's Top Tower.jpg|Hyrule Castle's top tower from 
File:TP Hyrule Castle Diagram.jpg|Hyrule Castle diagram from 
File:LCT Hyrule Castle: Defender.jpg|Hyrule Castle's graveyard from 
File:Zelda Zone Field 2.jpg|Hyrule Castle from Zone
File:HW Hyrule Castle.png|Hyrule Castle from 
File:MK8 Hyrule Circuit.png|Hyrule Castle from 
File:MK8 Chamber of the Master Sword.png|Hyrule Castle interior from 
File:SSB4 Hyrule Castle Stage.png|The Hyrule Castle stage from 
File:SSBU Hyrule Castle.png|The Hyrule Castle Stage from 
==See Also==
*Hyrule Castle Town
*Hyrule Castle Tower
de:Schloss Hyrule
es:Castillo de Hyrule
fr:Château d'Hyrule
ja:ハイラル城
pt-br:Castelo de Hyrule