Skyward Sword

*“While it's true that I am Hylia reborn, I'm still my father's daughter and your friend...I'm still your Zelda.”*

— Zelda

## Skyward Sword

* Wii
* HD

### Platform

Nintendo Wii
Nintendo Switch

### Release dates

 November 20, 2011
 November 23, 2011

## Map

***The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword*** is the sixteenth installment in the *The Legend of Zelda* series, released in 2011 for the Nintendo Wii. It is preceded by *Spirit Tracks* and succeeded by *A Link Between Worlds*. The Hero of the Skies is the main protagonist and Girahim is the main antagonist. The Surface's monsters are the villainous faction.

It is the sixteenth game in the series, and the earliest game in the timeline. It is set hundreds of thousands of years before the other games in the series, and tells the origin story of the Master Sword, the descendant of the Goddess Hylia, Zelda, and the beginning of the curse of Demise that stretches beyond time and space.

A high-definition remaster of the game, *Skyward Sword HD*, was confirmed as part of the February 17, 2021 Nintendo Direct. It was released on July 16, 2021.

## Synopsis

*The very first game ever in the timeline, this game picks up with a Link and Zelda living in the floating isles of Skyloft. Link lives a normal life before Zelda is abducted by a demon named Ghirahim. Link is forced to go to the surface world to get the Master Sword, save Zelda, and stop Ghirahim from resurrecting the ancient Demon King known as Demise. Link stops Ghirahim and has a fateful battle with Demise, who enacts a curse that says that he, Link, and Zelda will be resurrected for eternity so that they may redo the battle over and over and over again forever.*

## Summary

In present-day Skyloft, a small civilization has been formed where most memories and records of the Surface have been forgotten and lost. The people of Skyloft know next to nothing about the land beneath the Cloud Barrier. A young man named Link is having a strange dream depicting a gigantic dark beast and a mysterious person. He is awoken by a Loftwing owned by his childhood friend, Zelda. The Loftwing gives him a letter from Zelda asking him to meet with her at the Statue of the Goddess in preparation for the annual Wing Ceremony scheduled to take place that day. Link arrives at the Statue of the Goddess to find that his Crimson Loftwing has gone missing and begins to search for it. After overhearing Groose, Cawlin, and Strich, Link discovers that they're responsible for his Loftwing's disappearance, and that they hid his bird deep in the Waterfall Cave. Link takes a Practice Sword from the Sparring Hall and enters the Waterfall Cave. On the other end of it, he meets up with Zelda, who came to assist him in finding his Loftwing. They start to continue down the path, but Zelda hears a strange voice calling out to her, but quickly assures Link that nothing is wrong. The two find the Loftwing and free him. Zelda then asks Link if he heard the voice she had heard earlier, and says that she feels as if someone is calling out to her. She proceeds to tell him about the possibility of land beneath the clouds called the Surface, said to be far more vast than Skyloft. She quickly brushes it off, and the two fly to the Wing Ceremony together.

With all of the participants ready, the Wing Ceremony begins. Despite Groose and his lackeys' efforts to prevent him from winning, Link succeeds in grabbing the Bird Statuette from the talons of another Loftwing, making him the victor. Link and Zelda proceed to the Statue of the Goddess to complete the ceremony, where Zelda bestows the blessings of the goddess upon Link and gives him the Sailcloth. To conclude the ceremony, Link must jump off the Statue of the Goddess and land safely using the Sailcloth. Zelda pushes him off instead, and he manages to land in the center. Zelda praises him and proposes that the two fly around the clouds together in celebration. However, as they are flying, a mysterious black tornado suddenly appears and rips Zelda from her Loftwing, causing her to fall beneath the Cloud Barrier. Link tries to rescue her but is knocked unconscious by the tornado in the process.

Link's Loftwing takes him back to Skyloft. That night, Link has a dream depicting Zelda falling into the jaws of the same beast from his earlier dream. After waking up back in the Knight Academy, he explains the events that transpired to Zelda's father, Gaepora. Although Gaepora tells him to rest, Link soon hears the voice of the mysterious spirit once more and leaves his room, following the spirit to the Statue of the Goddess. A doorway opens, revealing the Chamber of the Sword. Inside, Link finds a Sword in a pedestal. The figure appears from the sword and introduces herself as Fi. Fi tells him that he must take the Goddess Sword from the pedestal and embark on his journey as the chosen hero of Hylia. Although he is apprehensive at first, Fi tells him that Zelda is still alive, and Link draws the blade. The two are joined moments after by Gaepora, who explains his hidden knowledge of a prophecy that foretold what is taking place before him. Gaepora tells Link that to reach the Surface and rescue Zelda, he must pierce the Cloud Barrier, something nobody has ever done before. Fi remedies the situation by given them the Emerald Tablet, which opens a passage through the Cloud Barrier to the Surface.

The next day, after receiving his green Knight's Uniform as the only graduating member of his class, Link makes preparations and heads to the Surface to find Zelda. As he descends, he arrives at the Sealed Grounds. He notices a dark aura emanating from the center of a large pit. Upon witnessing this, he has yet another vision of the large beast. He descends into the pit and approaches the stone, and hears a voice telling him to strike it with a Skyward Strike. Link does so, and the sinister aura disappears. Afterward, he heads to the Sealed Temple at the top of the large crater. Inside, a mysterious old woman gives him a hint about Zelda's whereabouts, urging him to venture into the nearby Faron Woods to find her. Link ventures into Faron Woods to search for Zelda and shortly thereafter meets Gorko the Goron after saving him from a group of Red Bokoblins, showing him a Bird Statue in return. Continuing his search, he discovers Machi the Kikwi and rescues them from even more Red Bokoblins. Machi tells him that they ran into Zelda, and that she hid with Bucha, the elder. After rescuing the other Kikwi, Bucha directs Link towards the Deep Woods in the direction that Zelda went. Bucha also gives him the Slingshot to aid him later. He meets up with Gorko who tells him about the Goddess Cubes scattered across the Surface. Link then enters the Skyview Temple after Fi senses Zelda's aura inside. Link ventures through the Skyview Temple and obtains the Beetle along the way, eventually arriving at the doorway to the Skyview Spring where Zelda is said to be. Before he can enter, a strange figure appears in front of him. He explains to Link that he is responsible for the tornado that brought Zelda to the Surface. He tells Link that Zelda is just beyond the door to the Skyview Spring He then introduces himself as Ghirahim Ghirahim tells him that he and his forces nearly captured Zelda before a Servant of the Goddess helped her escape. Ghirahim then prepares to fight Link, threatening to beat him within an inch of his life. Link defeats him, but Ghirahim realizes that Zelda's presence faded from the area and leaves, threatening to kill Link if he interferes with him again. Link enters the Skyview Spring, and Fi translates words that Hylia left for him, indicating that Zelda must purify her body at two different springs. Link then receives the Ruby Tablet from the Statue of the Goddess in the Skyview Spring, giving him passage to the Eldin Volcano.

Link returns to Skyloft and places the Ruby Tablet alongside the Emerald Tablet inside the Chamber of the Sword. With a new entrance to the Surface accessible, Link travels to the Eldin Volcano, where he continues his journey to find Zelda. Link meets a pair of Mogma who state they saw someone run past them, so they direct him in the direction they went. After continuing through the Eldin Volcano, he meets Tyto who explains how a group of Red Bokoblins took over his territory. Link defeats the Red Bokoblins and Tyto gives him the Digging Mitts in return. Link is eventually confronted by a mysterious person, who states that Zelda is close ahead. Link eventually reaches the Earth Temple at the top of the Eldin Volcano and finds it locked. Cobal the Mogma mentions a girl similar to Zelda got taken into the Earth Temple. Link searches and finds the five Pieces of the Key and enters the Earth Temple after Zelda. Link makes his way through the Earth Temple, obtaining the Bomb Bag along the way. He enters the room just before the Earth Spring and discovers a chain on the ground emanating Zelda's aura. Link rushes ahead searching for Zelda, but Ghirahim appears once again. He tells Link that his troops had captured Zelda so he rushed over to the Earth Temple, but when he got there someone had already rescued Zelda from the chain. In his frustration, Ghirahim turns a boulder into Scaldera and makes it attack Link. Link triumphs against Scaldera and proceeds to the Earth Spring. There, Zelda is seen with the mysterious woman from earlier in front of a golden portal. The woman prevents her and Link from reuniting, and Zelda sadly tells Link that she has to leave and apologizes to him before entering the portal. Link tries to follow her, but the woman stops him. She chastises Link for his failure to arrive in a timely fashion, and follows Zelda through the portal, which disappears in a flash of light. Link is left hurt and frustrated, and Fi translates another message from Hylia, revealing that Zelda is headed to Lanayru Desert. Link is then given the Amber Tablet which will open an entrance to Lanayru Desert.

Link returns to Skyloft and places the Ruby Tablet alongside the Emerald Tablet inside the Chamber of the Sword. With a new entrance to the Surface accessible, Link travels to the Eldin Volcano, where he continues his journey to find Zelda. Link meets a pair of Mogma who state they saw someone run past them, so they direct him in the direction they went. After continuing through the Eldin Volcano, he meets Tyto who explains how a group of Red Bokoblins took over his territory. Link defeats the Red Bokoblins and Tyto gives him the Digging Mitts in return. Link is eventually confronted by a mysterious person, who states that Zelda is close ahead. Link eventually reaches the Earth Temple at the top of the Eldin Volcano and finds it locked. Cobal the Mogma mentions a girl similar to Zelda got taken into the Earth Temple. Link searches and finds the five Pieces of the Key and enters the Earth Temple after Zelda. Link makes his way through the Earth Temple, obtaining the Bomb Bag along the way. He enters the room just before the Earth Spring and discovers a chain on the ground emanating Zelda's aura. Link rushes ahead searching for Zelda, but Ghirahim appears once again. He tells Link that his troops had captured Zelda so he rushed over to the Earth Temple, but when he got there someone had already rescued Zelda from the chain. In his frustration, Ghirahim turns a boulder into Scaldera and makes it attack Link. Link triumphs against Scaldera and proceeds to the Earth Spring. There, Zelda is seen with the mysterious woman from earlier in front of a golden portal. The woman prevents her and Link from reuniting, and Zelda sadly tells Link that she has to leave and apologizes to him before entering the portal. Link tries to follow her, but the woman stops him. She chastises Link for his failure to arrive in a timely fashion, and follows Zelda through the portal, which disappears in a flash of light. Link is left hurt and frustrated, and Fi translates another message from Hylia, revealing that Zelda is headed to Lanayru Desert. Link is then given the Amber Tablet which will open an entrance to Lanayru Desert.

Link returns to Skyloft and places the Ruby Tablet alongside the Emerald Tablet inside the Chamber of the Sword. With a new entrance to the Surface accessible, Link travels to the Eldin Volcano, where he continues his journey to find Zelda. Link meets a pair of Mogma who state they saw someone run past them, so they direct him in the direction they went. After continuing through the Eldin Volcano, he meets Tyto who explains how a group of Red Bokoblins took over his territory. Link defeats the Red Bokoblins and Tyto gives him the Digging Mitts in return. Link is eventually confronted by a mysterious person, who states that Zelda is close ahead. Link eventually reaches the Earth Temple at the top of the Eldin Volcano and finds it locked. Cobal the Mogma mentions a girl similar to Zelda got taken into the Earth Temple. Link searches and finds the five Pieces of the Key and enters the Earth Temple after Zelda. Link makes his way through the Earth Temple, obtaining the Bomb Bag along the way. He enters the room just before the Earth Spring and discovers a chain on the ground emanating Zelda's aura. Link rushes ahead searching for Zelda, but Ghirahim appears once again. He tells Link that his troops had captured Zelda so he rushed over to the Earth Temple, but when he got there someone had already rescued Zelda from the chain. In his frustration, Ghirahim turns a boulder into Scaldera and makes it attack Link. Link triumphs against Scaldera and proceeds to the Earth Spring. There, Zelda is seen with the mysterious woman from earlier in front of a golden portal. The woman prevents her and Link from reuniting, and Zelda sadly tells Link that she has to leave and apologizes to him before entering the portal. Link tries to follow her, but the woman stops him. She chastises Link for his failure to arrive in a timely fashion, and follows Zelda through the portal, which disappears in a flash of light. Link is left hurt and frustrated, and Fi translates another message from Hylia, revealing that Zelda is headed to Lanayru Desert. Link is then given the Amber Tablet which will open an entrance to Lanayru Desert.

Link returns to Skyloft and places the Ruby Tablet alongside the Emerald Tablet inside the Chamber of the Sword. With a new entrance to the Surface accessible, Link travels to the Eldin Volcano, where he continues his journey to find Zelda. Link meets a pair of Mogma who state they saw someone run past them, so they direct him in the direction they went. After continuing through the Eldin Volcano, he meets Tyto who explains how a group of Red Bokoblins took over his territory. Link defeats the Red Bokoblins and Tyto gives him the Digging Mitts in return. Link is eventually confronted by a mysterious person, who states that Zelda is close ahead. Link eventually reaches the Earth Temple at the top of the Eldin Volcano and finds it locked. Cobal the Mogma mentions a girl similar to Zelda got taken into the Earth Temple. Link searches and finds the five Pieces of the Key and enters the Earth Temple after Zelda. Link makes his way through the Earth Temple, obtaining the Bomb Bag along the way. He enters the room just before the Earth Spring and discovers a chain on the ground emanating Zelda's aura. Link rushes ahead searching for Zelda, but Ghirahim appears once again. He tells Link that his troops had captured Zelda so he rushed over to the Earth Temple, but when he got there someone had already rescued Zelda from the chain. In his frustration, Ghirahim turns a boulder into Scaldera and makes it attack Link. Link triumphs against Scaldera and proceeds to the Earth Spring. There, Zelda is seen with the mysterious woman from earlier in front of a golden portal. The woman prevents her and Link from reuniting, and Zelda sadly tells Link that she has to leave and apologizes to him before entering the portal. Link tries to follow her, but the woman stops him. She chastises Link for his failure to arrive in a timely fashion, and follows Zelda through the portal, which disappears in a flash of light. Link is left hurt and frustrated, and Fi translates another message from Hylia, revealing that Zelda is headed to Lanayru Desert. Link is then given the Amber Tablet which will open an entrance to Lanayru Desert.

With this new song, Link travels to Faron Woods and uses "Farore's Courage" to reveal the Trial Gate. Link thrusts the Goddess Sword into the Trial Gate and is taken to the Silent Realm, a parallel dimension created by Hylia for the chosen hero to prove himself. Link is tasked with filling his Spirit Vessel with the Tear of Farore while avoiding the Guardians. After Link manages to fill the Spirit Vessel, he receives the Water Dragon's Scale, allowing him to swim deeper in Water and perform a spin maneuver. Back in Faron Woods, he uses the Water Dragon's Scale to get inside the The Great Tree through an underwater passage. Link climbs to the top where he meets the Kikwi hermit, Yerbal. Link asks him about the Sacred Flames to which he explains how Hylia left Farore's Flame in the care of the Water Dragon. Yerbal gives Link directions to her lair in Lake Floria, as well as the solution for opening the sealed door to Lake Floria. Link successfully opens the gate and enters Lake Floria. While traveling through the small river in Lake Floria, Link encounters a Parella, who is frightened at the sight of Link. Link trails after the Parella who demands Link to stop following her. To the Parella's surprise, Link persists and breaks through a wooden barrier blocking his path. The Parella notices that Link carries the Water Dragon's Scale and realizes that he is the chosen hero and gets the idea that Link can help the Faron. The Parella explains that someone came in with a gang of monsters and attacked the Faron. The attacker managed to wound the Faron and that the Parella don't have what they need for the Faron to heal completely, so she asks Link to talk with the Faron. Link eventually reaches the Faron's lair, and he finds Faron, the Faron presiding over Faron Woods. Faron notices that Link carries the Water Dragon's Scale and realizes that Link must be Hylia's chosen hero, however, Faron isn't convinced. Link learns that the mysterious attacker was Ghirahim and now is healing in a Water Basin full of Sacred Water. Faron tells Link to bring her Sacred Water to heal her wounds, promising to reveal the path to Farore's Flame in return. Link returns to the Skyview Spring and bottles some Sacred Water. Link pours it into the Water Basin and Faron is revived. In return, Faron reveals that Farore's Flame lies within the Ancient Cistern, and tells Link that they will meet again. Link ventures through the Ancient Cistern obtaining the Whip along the way. Link eventually reaches the room before the Sacred Flame but is stopped by Ghirahim. He explains to Link that he is busy trying to revive the Demon King and he doesn't want Link to get in his way. Ghirahim animates the robotic monster Koloktos and leaves the room, leaving Link to battle Koloktos. Link takes down Koloktos and enters the next room where he finds Farore's Flame. Fi tempers the Goddess Sword with the Sacred Flame, transforming it into the Goddess Longsword. Fi tells Link that he can now learn a new song and that they should return to the Isle of Songs.

With this new song, Link travels to Faron Woods and uses "Farore's Courage" to reveal the Trial Gate. Link thrusts the Goddess Sword into the Trial Gate and is taken to the Silent Realm, a parallel dimension created by Hylia for the chosen hero to prove himself. Link is tasked with filling his Spirit Vessel with the Tear of Farore while avoiding the Guardians. After Link manages to fill the Spirit Vessel, he receives the Water Dragon's Scale, allowing him to swim deeper in Water and perform a spin maneuver. Back in Faron Woods, he uses the Water Dragon's Scale to get inside the The Great Tree through an underwater passage. Link climbs to the top where he meets the Kikwi hermit, Yerbal. Link asks him about the Sacred Flames to which he explains how Hylia left Farore's Flame in the care of the Water Dragon. Yerbal gives Link directions to her lair in Lake Floria, as well as the solution for opening the sealed door to Lake Floria. Link successfully opens the gate and enters Lake Floria. While traveling through the small river in Lake Floria, Link encounters a Parella, who is frightened at the sight of Link. Link trails after the Parella who demands Link to stop following her. To the Parella's surprise, Link persists and breaks through a wooden barrier blocking his path. The Parella notices that Link carries the Water Dragon's Scale and realizes that he is the chosen hero and gets the idea that Link can help the Faron. The Parella explains that someone came in with a gang of monsters and attacked the Faron. The attacker managed to wound the Faron and that the Parella don't have what they need for the Faron to heal completely, so she asks Link to talk with the Faron. Link eventually reaches the Faron's lair, and he finds Faron, the Faron presiding over Faron Woods. Faron notices that Link carries the Water Dragon's Scale and realizes that Link must be Hylia's chosen hero, however, Faron isn't convinced. Link learns that the mysterious attacker was Ghirahim and now is healing in a Water Basin full of Sacred Water. Faron tells Link to bring her Sacred Water to heal her wounds, promising to reveal the path to Farore's Flame in return. Link returns to the Skyview Spring and bottles some Sacred Water. Link pours it into the Water Basin and Faron is revived. In return, Faron reveals that Farore's Flame lies within the Ancient Cistern, and tells Link that they will meet again. Link ventures through the Ancient Cistern obtaining the Whip along the way. Link eventually reaches the room before the Sacred Flame but is stopped by Ghirahim. He explains to Link that he is busy trying to revive the Demon King and he doesn't want Link to get in his way. Ghirahim animates the robotic monster Koloktos and leaves the room, leaving Link to battle Koloktos. Link takes down Koloktos and enters the next room where he finds Farore's Flame. Fi tempers the Goddess Sword with the Sacred Flame, transforming it into the Goddess Longsword. Fi tells Link that he can now learn a new song and that they should return to the Isle of Songs.

With this new song, Link travels to Faron Woods and uses "Farore's Courage" to reveal the Trial Gate. Link thrusts the Goddess Sword into the Trial Gate and is taken to the Silent Realm, a parallel dimension created by Hylia for the chosen hero to prove himself. Link is tasked with filling his Spirit Vessel with the Tear of Farore while avoiding the Guardians. After Link manages to fill the Spirit Vessel, he receives the Water Dragon's Scale, allowing him to swim deeper in Water and perform a spin maneuver. Back in Faron Woods, he uses the Water Dragon's Scale to get inside the The Great Tree through an underwater passage. Link climbs to the top where he meets the Kikwi hermit, Yerbal. Link asks him about the Sacred Flames to which he explains how Hylia left Farore's Flame in the care of the Water Dragon. Yerbal gives Link directions to her lair in Lake Floria, as well as the solution for opening the sealed door to Lake Floria. Link successfully opens the gate and enters Lake Floria. While traveling through the small river in Lake Floria, Link encounters a Parella, who is frightened at the sight of Link. Link trails after the Parella who demands Link to stop following her. To the Parella's surprise, Link persists and breaks through a wooden barrier blocking his path. The Parella notices that Link carries the Water Dragon's Scale and realizes that he is the chosen hero and gets the idea that Link can help the Faron. The Parella explains that someone came in with a gang of monsters and attacked the Faron. The attacker managed to wound the Faron and that the Parella don't have what they need for the Faron to heal completely, so she asks Link to talk with the Faron. Link eventually reaches the Faron's lair, and he finds Faron, the Faron presiding over Faron Woods. Faron notices that Link carries the Water Dragon's Scale and realizes that Link must be Hylia's chosen hero, however, Faron isn't convinced. Link learns that the mysterious attacker was Ghirahim and now is healing in a Water Basin full of Sacred Water. Faron tells Link to bring her Sacred Water to heal her wounds, promising to reveal the path to Farore's Flame in return. Link returns to the Skyview Spring and bottles some Sacred Water. Link pours it into the Water Basin and Faron is revived. In return, Faron reveals that Farore's Flame lies within the Ancient Cistern, and tells Link that they will meet again. Link ventures through the Ancient Cistern obtaining the Whip along the way. Link eventually reaches the room before the Sacred Flame but is stopped by Ghirahim. He explains to Link that he is busy trying to revive the Demon King and he doesn't want Link to get in his way. Ghirahim animates the robotic monster Koloktos and leaves the room, leaving Link to battle Koloktos. Link takes down Koloktos and enters the next room where he finds Farore's Flame. Fi tempers the Goddess Sword with the Sacred Flame, transforming it into the Goddess Longsword. Fi tells Link that he can now learn a new song and that they should return to the Isle of Songs.

With this new song, Link travels to Faron Woods and uses "Farore's Courage" to reveal the Trial Gate. Link thrusts the Goddess Sword into the Trial Gate and is taken to the Silent Realm, a parallel dimension created by Hylia for the chosen hero to prove himself. Link is tasked with filling his Spirit Vessel with the Tear of Farore while avoiding the Guardians. After Link manages to fill the Spirit Vessel, he receives the Water Dragon's Scale, allowing him to swim deeper in Water and perform a spin maneuver. Back in Faron Woods, he uses the Water Dragon's Scale to get inside the The Great Tree through an underwater passage. Link climbs to the top where he meets the Kikwi hermit, Yerbal. Link asks him about the Sacred Flames to which he explains how Hylia left Farore's Flame in the care of the Water Dragon. Yerbal gives Link directions to her lair in Lake Floria, as well as the solution for opening the sealed door to Lake Floria. Link successfully opens the gate and enters Lake Floria. While traveling through the small river in Lake Floria, Link encounters a Parella, who is frightened at the sight of Link. Link trails after the Parella who demands Link to stop following her. To the Parella's surprise, Link persists and breaks through a wooden barrier blocking his path. The Parella notices that Link carries the Water Dragon's Scale and realizes that he is the chosen hero and gets the idea that Link can help the Faron. The Parella explains that someone came in with a gang of monsters and attacked the Faron. The attacker managed to wound the Faron and that the Parella don't have what they need for the Faron to heal completely, so she asks Link to talk with the Faron. Link eventually reaches the Faron's lair, and he finds Faron, the Faron presiding over Faron Woods. Faron notices that Link carries the Water Dragon's Scale and realizes that Link must be Hylia's chosen hero, however, Faron isn't convinced. Link learns that the mysterious attacker was Ghirahim and now is healing in a Water Basin full of Sacred Water. Faron tells Link to bring her Sacred Water to heal her wounds, promising to reveal the path to Farore's Flame in return. Link returns to the Skyview Spring and bottles some Sacred Water. Link pours it into the Water Basin and Faron is revived. In return, Faron reveals that Farore's Flame lies within the Ancient Cistern, and tells Link that they will meet again. Link ventures through the Ancient Cistern obtaining the Whip along the way. Link eventually reaches the room before the Sacred Flame but is stopped by Ghirahim. He explains to Link that he is busy trying to revive the Demon King and he doesn't want Link to get in his way. Ghirahim animates the robotic monster Koloktos and leaves the room, leaving Link to battle Koloktos. Link takes down Koloktos and enters the next room where he finds Farore's Flame. Fi tempers the Goddess Sword with the Sacred Flame, transforming it into the Goddess Longsword. Fi tells Link that he can now learn a new song and that they should return to the Isle of Songs.

Link returns to Skyloft where the Triforce is supposedly hidden, and asks Gaepora what he knows about it. However, Gaepora has little knowledge of the Triforce, and instead directs Link to Levias, the great Sky Spirit, who would most likely know the location of the Triforce. Gaepora instructs Link to talk to Instructor Owlan about the location of Levias, as he recently did reasearch on the subject. However, Instructor Owlan informs Link that Levias has been acting strange lately and suggests that he is possessed. Link insists that he must talk with Levias, so Owlan teaches him and his Loftwing the Spiral Charge manuever to try and free Levias. Owlan suggests that Link speaks to Pumm, the owner of the Lumpy Pumpkin, as he makes an offering of his Pumpkin Soup to Levias on a yearly basis. Link offers to take the Pumpkin Soup to Levias in his stead, and brings it inside the Thunderhead. The Pumpkin Soup succeeds in luring in Levias, however, Levias is indeed possessed by a creature known as Bilocyte. Link battles and destroys Bilocyte, rescuing Levias and returning him to his senses. Levias correctly gusses that Link is the chosen hero and that he is seeking the Triforce. Levias explains that even he does not know where the Triforce lies, but he did have a clue given to him by Hylia. Levias intructs Link to seek out the three Dragons on the Surface who know of three separate parts to a song known as the "Song of the Hero", which will supposedly lead the way to the Triforce.

Link returns to Skyloft where the Triforce is supposedly hidden, and asks Gaepora what he knows about it. However, Gaepora has little knowledge of the Triforce, and instead directs Link to Levias, the great Sky Spirit, who would most likely know the location of the Triforce. Gaepora instructs Link to talk to Instructor Owlan about the location of Levias, as he recently did reasearch on the subject. However, Instructor Owlan informs Link that Levias has been acting strange lately and suggests that he is possessed. Link insists that he must talk with Levias, so Owlan teaches him and his Loftwing the Spiral Charge manuever to try and free Levias. Owlan suggests that Link speaks to Pumm, the owner of the Lumpy Pumpkin, as he makes an offering of his Pumpkin Soup to Levias on a yearly basis. Link offers to take the Pumpkin Soup to Levias in his stead, and brings it inside the Thunderhead. The Pumpkin Soup succeeds in luring in Levias, however, Levias is indeed possessed by a creature known as Bilocyte. Link battles and destroys Bilocyte, rescuing Levias and returning him to his senses. Levias correctly gusses that Link is the chosen hero and that he is seeking the Triforce. Levias explains that even he does not know where the Triforce lies, but he did have a clue given to him by Hylia. Levias intructs Link to seek out the three Dragons on the Surface who know of three separate parts to a song known as the "Song of the Hero", which will supposedly lead the way to the Triforce.

When Link descends to Eldin Volcano to visit the Eldin the Fire Dragon, a volcanic eruption throws him out of the sky, knocking him unconscious. As he comes to, he finds that the Red Bokoblins had set up a new base in the area and took the opportunity to badly injure Link and steal his Items. Link finds himself in a cell with no way out, until Plats the Mogma, whom he had met in the Fire Sanctuary, burrows in and reveals that he had stolen Link's Mogma Mitts back from the Red Bokoblins, allowing Link to burrow out of the cell and begin recovering his Items. However, without the Master Sword, Link is unable to fight the Red Bokoblins directly and must use stealth to evade them and find his Items. Link manages to recover his Master Sword in the Volcano Summit, where Fi explains that she noticed Eldin's aura emanating nearby. After some time, Link manages to recover all of his Items and finds Eldin, who is suprised to see a Human that can withstand the heat of the Volcano Summit. Unlike Faron, Eldin recognizes Link as Hylia's chosen hero and teaches him his part of the "Song of the Hero".

When Link descends to visit the Thunder Dragon, Lanayru, he finds Golo the Goron who asks him about his search for Sacred Flames. Golo tells Link that he discovered a narrow passageway that leads to a hidden area in Lanayru Desert. Link crawls through the small tunnel and ends up in Lanayru Gorge, where Lanayru supposedly lives. However, he finds nothing but a large skeleton, suggesting that Lanayru had somehow died. Link recovers a Small Key and finds a room with a Timeshift Stone in a Mine Cart, which, before it broke down, was about to be sent to Lanayru. Activating the Timeshift Stone, Link is able to proceed around and through the caves to reach Lanayru's skeleton, shifting time backwards to a point when he was still alive. Lanayru is shown to be very ill and on the verge of death. Lanayru realizes that Link is Hylia's chosen hero, and explains that he cannot teach Link his part of the Song of the Hero in this condition. The only way Lanayru could be cured would be to eat the fruit from the Life Tree. A Life Tree Seedling was planted in Lanayru Desert, but it is unable to flourish in the desert's harsh climate, so Link takes it to the Sealed Grounds. Link brings the Life Tree Seedling back through the Gate of Time to the Sealed Temple, where he plants it, allowing it to grow and sprout a Life Tree Fruit in present day's Sealed Temple. Taking the fruit, Link brings it to Lanayru and saves his life, allowing him to teach Link his part of the "Song of the Hero".

When Link descends to visit the Thunder Dragon, Lanayru, he finds Golo the Goron who asks him about his search for Sacred Flames. Golo tells Link that he discovered a narrow passageway that leads to a hidden area in Lanayru Desert. Link crawls through the small tunnel and ends up in Lanayru Gorge, where Lanayru supposedly lives. However, he finds nothing but a large skeleton, suggesting that Lanayru had somehow died. Link recovers a Small Key and finds a room with a Timeshift Stone in a Mine Cart, which, before it broke down, was about to be sent to Lanayru. Activating the Timeshift Stone, Link is able to proceed around and through the caves to reach Lanayru's skeleton, shifting time backwards to a point when he was still alive. Lanayru is shown to be very ill and on the verge of death. Lanayru realizes that Link is Hylia's chosen hero, and explains that he cannot teach Link his part of the Song of the Hero in this condition. The only way Lanayru could be cured would be to eat the fruit from the Life Tree. A Life Tree Seedling was planted in Lanayru Desert, but it is unable to flourish in the desert's harsh climate, so Link takes it to the Sealed Grounds. Link brings the Life Tree Seedling back through the Gate of Time to the Sealed Temple, where he plants it, allowing it to grow and sprout a Life Tree Fruit in present day's Sealed Temple. Taking the fruit, Link brings it to Lanayru and saves his life, allowing him to teach Link his part of the "Song of the Hero".

With the Triforce in hand, Link is transported to the top of the Statue of the Goddess and he makes his wish: the destruction of Demise. In response to his wish, the Triforce breaks the entire Isle of the Goddess breaks free from Skyloft and it plummets down to the Surface, returning to its original location at the Sealed Grounds, crushing and destroying The Imprisoned as it attempts to escape its confines once more. Fi concludes that since Demise has been destroyed, Zelda will awaken from her sleep. Descending from the Statue of the Goddess, Link rushes into the Sealed Temple to witness Zelda's awakening, along with Groose and the old woman. The group bears witness to Zelda's return from her long sleep, and she and Link are finally reunited.

With the Triforce in hand, Link is transported to the top of the Statue of the Goddess and he makes his wish: the destruction of Demise. In response to his wish, the Triforce breaks the entire Isle of the Goddess breaks free from Skyloft and it plummets down to the Surface, returning to its original location at the Sealed Grounds, crushing and destroying The Imprisoned as it attempts to escape its confines once more. Fi concludes that since Demise has been destroyed, Zelda will awaken from her sleep. Descending from the Statue of the Goddess, Link rushes into the Sealed Temple to witness Zelda's awakening, along with Groose and the old woman. The group bears witness to Zelda's return from her long sleep, and she and Link are finally reunited.

With the Triforce in hand, Link is transported to the top of the Statue of the Goddess and he makes his wish: the destruction of Demise. In response to his wish, the Triforce breaks the entire Isle of the Goddess breaks free from Skyloft and it plummets down to the Surface, returning to its original location at the Sealed Grounds, crushing and destroying The Imprisoned as it attempts to escape its confines once more. Fi concludes that since Demise has been destroyed, Zelda will awaken from her sleep. Descending from the Statue of the Goddess, Link rushes into the Sealed Temple to witness Zelda's awakening, along with Groose and the old woman. The group bears witness to Zelda's return from her long sleep, and she and Link are finally reunited.

Ghirahim welcomes back his master before the latter silently raises his hand, using his power to draw his blade out from within Ghirahim. Ghirahim is then drawn into the blade, and Demise expresses his fascination with Link's courage. He remarks in disgust at Zelda and how Hylia was magnificent while immoratal, and he causes Zelda to fall from the air, but before she can hit the ground, Groose arrives from nowhere and catches her. Demise expresses his fasination of how Groose and Link would stand up to him, while Humans from the past would have ran at the sight of him. Groose tells Link that it will take some time for Demise to fully absorb Zelda's soul, giving Link a chance to save her by destroying him. Seeing Link defy his expectation of humankind by standing against him, Demise decides to give Link the chance to duel him in another realm for the fate of the world, creating a dark portal that he enters. Fi warns Link that he will not be able to go back if he enters the portal, unless he defeats Demise, and gives wishes him good luck. Link follows him through the portal and finds Demise against a backdrop of the sky. Demise speaks with Link before their battle begins, telling him of his intention to destroy him and take the Triforce to rule the world for eternity. Demise is bested by Link at swordplay, so Demise summons a thunderstorm to power his blade with Lightning. However, Link uses this to his advantage and does the same with the True Master Sword and uses electrified Skyward Strikes to match Demise's power. Finally, Demise is knocked down on his back, and Link leaps into the air, performing the Fatal Blow with the electified True Master Sword, plunging it through the Demon King's chest. Demise stumbles to his feet and watches as his sword, Ghirahim, as it disintegrates from his hand. Demise commends Link for his fight, but warns him that he is not finished. Demise casts a curse that his will renew his hatred time and time again. Demise's curse binds those who share the blood of the goddess and those with the spirit of the hero to his reincarnated hatred, making them all be reborn to fight again in a cycle without end. Demise slowly fades away until he is just a black cloud, when the True Master Sword glows a bright light. Link raises his blade and absorbs the remains of the Demon King into the True Master Sword.

Ghirahim welcomes back his master before the latter silently raises his hand, using his power to draw his blade out from within Ghirahim. Ghirahim is then drawn into the blade, and Demise expresses his fascination with Link's courage. He remarks in disgust at Zelda and how Hylia was magnificent while immoratal, and he causes Zelda to fall from the air, but before she can hit the ground, Groose arrives from nowhere and catches her. Demise expresses his fasination of how Groose and Link would stand up to him, while Humans from the past would have ran at the sight of him. Groose tells Link that it will take some time for Demise to fully absorb Zelda's soul, giving Link a chance to save her by destroying him. Seeing Link defy his expectation of humankind by standing against him, Demise decides to give Link the chance to duel him in another realm for the fate of the world, creating a dark portal that he enters. Fi warns Link that he will not be able to go back if he enters the portal, unless he defeats Demise, and gives wishes him good luck. Link follows him through the portal and finds Demise against a backdrop of the sky. Demise speaks with Link before their battle begins, telling him of his intention to destroy him and take the Triforce to rule the world for eternity. Demise is bested by Link at swordplay, so Demise summons a thunderstorm to power his blade with Lightning. However, Link uses this to his advantage and does the same with the True Master Sword and uses electrified Skyward Strikes to match Demise's power. Finally, Demise is knocked down on his back, and Link leaps into the air, performing the Fatal Blow with the electified True Master Sword, plunging it through the Demon King's chest. Demise stumbles to his feet and watches as his sword, Ghirahim, as it disintegrates from his hand. Demise commends Link for his fight, but warns him that he is not finished. Demise casts a curse that his will renew his hatred time and time again. Demise's curse binds those who share the blood of the goddess and those with the spirit of the hero to his reincarnated hatred, making them all be reborn to fight again in a cycle without end. Demise slowly fades away until he is just a black cloud, when the True Master Sword glows a bright light. Link raises his blade and absorbs the remains of the Demon King into the True Master Sword.

After the credits, it is shown that Gaepora, Cawlin, and Strich fly down through the Cloud Barrier to meet with Zelda, Link, and Groose. Groose returns to Skyloft with the others, bidding farewell to Link and Zelda, who are seen on the Statue of the Goddess. Zelda tells Link that she had always dreamt about the Surface and that she wants to remain there, and asks what Link's intentions are for the future. Link smiles at her, and both his and Zelda's Loftwings fly back into the sky, implying that Link chose to stay with Zelda.

## Media

### *Skyward Sword*

 Japanese
 USA

## Trivia

* *Skyward Sword* is said to have taken the longest development period in the history of the franchise.
* This is the second game in the series that requires an external accessory (the Wii MotionPlus) to be played, the first being *Majora's Mask* in the Nintendo 64 version (which required the Expansion Pak).
* The main theme of *Skyward Sword*, known as the "Ballad of the Goddess", is an orchestration of "Zelda's Lullaby" played in reverse.
* *Skyward Sword* is the second game in the franchise that shares its Japanese subtitle with the rest of the world, being a direct romanization of the English title (スカイウォードソード); the first is *Twilight Princess* (トワイライトプリンセス). *The Legend of Zelda*, *The Adventure of Link*, *Four Swords*, *Ocarina of Time*, and *Majora's Mask* all use the same title in English and Japanese, but they are not directly romanized.
* *Skyward Sword* is the first *Zelda* game to have the element of electricity on a major scale.
* Despite being a Wii game, *Skyward Sword* only runs in 16:9 widescreen, even with the fullscreen setting for the Wii on. In the event that the Wii's default fullscreen mode is on while playing the game, the image is displayed in a letterbox format so as not to inconvenience those without widescreen televisions.
* The American box art contains Hylian Language from *Twilight Princess* even though *Skyward Sword* introduces a new Hylian Language. *Twilight Princess* Hylian is also scarcely featured within the game.
* This is the first time the names "Din, Farore, and Nayru" are mentioned in the same game as "Faron, Eldin, and Lanayru."
* In the short Hylian text in the box art, the two words read translated "DIN" and "NAHRU" as a reference to Din and Nayru.
* The division of *Skyward Sword'*s surface world into three separate provinces that Link must dive into from The Sky is very similar to the division of *Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland* into three continents that are only accessible if Tingle uses his Tingle Balloon from the top of Rupee Tower.
* A game-ending glitch occurs if the quest for the "Song of the Hero" is done in a certain way. This prompted the release of the *Skyward Sword* Save Data Update Channel.
* *Skyward Sword* is the first 3D *Zelda* game on a home console where day and night do not alternate on their own. The only way for time to progress in the game is by having Link sleep on a bed in Skyloft.
* This is the first *Zelda* game and the first 3D *Zelda* title to have a run feature without the need for an item such as the Pegasus Boots. This was also the first *Zelda* game in the series to feature a stamina meter.

## Continuity

* Despite being the earliest game in the timeline, the Hyrule of *Skyward Sword* is one of the more futuristic *Zelda* games in the series, having some of the most advanced technology yet, with an entire dungeon staffed by Ancient Robots and the existence of a large mining corporation that created the dungeon and its robotic denizens.
* *Skyward Sword'*s in-game story establishes itself as the first game in the known *Zelda* timeline, exploring the beginning of the battle between good and evil within the legend, and establishing its key players: Zelda, as the incarnation of the Goddess Hylia, Link, the hero chosen by the Goddesses, and Ganondorf, as the manifestation of the Demon King Demise's hatred.
* Eiji Aonuma had already confirmed during the game's development that in terms of the Zelda Timeline, *Skyward Sword* comes before *Ocarina of Time*, which was later confirmed in the timeline published in *Hyrule Historia*, when it was placed before *The Minish Cap* and *Four Swords*. Aonuma did however state that *Skyward Sword* will not necessarily always be the *first* entry in the chronology, giving the possibility for future games to occur earlier.

## Gallery

Skyward Sword reveal artworkSkyward Sword the end