Small Key

, also known simply as , are recurring in .
==Location and uses==
Small Keys are commonly found inside dungeons, with most being rewarded after completing a puzzle. In nearly all appearances, Small Keys can only be used in the dungeon where they are found.
==Mainline appearances==
======
Small Keys can be purchased from Merchants for 100 Rupees and used in any dungeon in , something that cannot be done in later appearances. Purchasing Small Keys is optional because every Locked Door has a corresponding Key within the same dungeon.
======
Keys are single-use items that can open any door in any of the six palaces. Keys are found only in dungeons, and they are no longer sold by merchants.
======
======
The Compass can reveal the location of Small Keys in , with a tone sounding upon entering a room containing a hidden Small Key. In , an icon of the Compass also appears on-screen when this happens.
======
*5 in the Forest Temple in the original (6 in Master Quest)
*8 in the Fire Temple in the original (5 in Master Quest)
*6 in the Water Temple in the original (2 in Master Quest; notice that the second locked door is only in the 3DS version of the mirrored form)
*3 in the Bottom of the Well in the original (2 in Master Quest)
*5 in the Shadow Temple in the original (6 in Master Quest)
*9 in the Gerudo Training Ground in the original (3 in Master Quest)
*5 in the Spirit Temple in the original (7 in Master Quest)
*2 in the Light Barrier section of Ganon's Castle in the original (3 in the Forest, Spirit, and Shadow Barrier sections in Master Quest)
======
In , Small Keys appear in the following dungeons:
*1 in the Woodfall Temple
*3 in the Snowhead Temple
*1 in the Great Bay Temple
*4 in the Stone Tower Temple
=== / ===
The Compass can reveal the location of Small Keys in and , with a tone sounding upon entering a room containing a hidden Small Key.
======
======
*4 in the Dragon Roost Cavern
*1 in the Forbidden Woods
*2 in the Tower of the Gods
*3 in the Earth Temple
*2 in the Wind Temple
======
 appear as objects that can be picked up, like . The must carry the to their keyholes, and will drop them if damaged. If a falls into a pit, quicksand, or water, it will reappear in its initial spot. Some enemies, such as will attempt to take from the , in which case they must be defeated, stunned, or avoided in order to progress.
======
Small Keys are found within dungeons in . Some are found in Treasure Chests, while others simply drop from the ceiling after completing a puzzle or defeating enemies Three Small Keys are acquired in unique ways: one Small Key in the Temple of Droplets has been frozen into a Key-sicle and must be thawed out by Light Beams, the first Small Key in the Royal Crypt is being visibly held by a Gibdo, and the first Small Key in Dark Hyrule Castle is given to Link after he breaks the Sorcerer's Curse on King Daltus with the Four Sword.
Small Keys are used to open Locked Doors and Locked Blocks in dungeons; when a Small Key is used on a Locked Door, it is removed from Link's inventory. He can hold multiple Small Keys, but they can only be used in the Dungeon in which they are obtained. The number of Small Keys in each Dungeon are as follows:
*4 in Deepwood Shrine
*2 in the Cave of Flames
*4 in the Fortress of Winds
*4 in the Temple of Droplets
*3 in the Royal Crypt
*6 in the Palace of Winds
*6 in Dark Hyrule Castle
======
*4 in the Forest Temple
*3 in the Goron Mines
*3 in the Lakebed Temple
*5 in Arbiter's Grounds
*4 in the Snowpeak Ruins
*3 in the Temple of Time
*1 in the City in the Sky
*7 in the Palace of Twilight
*3 in Hyrule Castle
======
======
======
*2 in the Skyview Temple
*1 in the Lanayru Mining Facility
*2 in the Ancient Cistern
*2 in the Sandship
*3 in the Fire Sanctuary
*1 in the Sky Keep
======
======
Small Keys appear as objects that can be picked up, like Pots. The Links must carry the Small Keys to their keyholes, and will drop them if damaged. If a Small Key falls into a pit, quicksand, or water, it will reappear in its initial spot. Some enemies, such as Key Bandit Poe will attempt to take Small Keys from the Links, in which case they must be defeated, stunned, or avoided in order to progress.
======
Small Keys appear exclusively in Ancient Shrine in . They are made from ancient Sheikah technology and glow with an orange light. While normal objects made from Sheikah technology are composed of non-magnetic materials, Small Keys are made from a metal that can be manipulated with Magnesis.
==Spinoff appearances==
======
======
======
======
Only two Keys appear in , a lot less than in , despite the Inventory using a double-digit counter for Keys. Both Keys are found in the Shrine of Illusion, and like other games, they are single-use items used for unlocking a Locked Door. The first Key appears in the red curtain room after Zelda defeats the Vire, and it unlocks the door in the Pasquinade taunt room. The second Key appears in the first room with Molluskas after Zelda defeats each one.
======
======
==Crossover appearances==
======
The fourteenth puzzle in the Picross series and the sixth puzzle in the Mega Picross series depict a .
======
==Nomenclature==
==Gallery==
File:OoT Small Key Game Screen Icon.png| icon from and 
File:TMC Small Key Sprite 2.png|Small Key icon from 
File:TMC Key-sicle Sprite.png|A containing a Small Key from 
File:Key GW.png| from 
File:TFoE Small Key Sprite.gif| from and