Highlights
- Twilight Princess is a cross-gen title between GameCube and Wii, and it delivered the emotionally complex story fans had been wanting.
- The dungeons in Twilight Princess are meticulously crafted and offer a varied and engaging experience for players.
- The game features standout dungeons such as City in the Sky, Palace of Twilight, and Temple of Time, each with unique challenges and boss fights.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess launched during a fascinating time, as Nintendo was in the midst of a hardware transition. As a result, it became a cross-gen title between the GameCube and Nintendo's then next-gen hardware; the Wii. Beginning as a sequel to the series' previous entry, Twilight Princess eventually did a complete 180.
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The end result was a more emotionally complex Zelda game that fans had been wanting for some time, but one design philosophy that remained intact was the dungeon design. These meticulously crafted areas in Twilight Princess are some of the most varied dungeons to be found in the franchise.
9 City In The Sky
Located in the Clouds, Reachable Only by Sky Cannon.
In a precursor to what the next Zelda title, Skyward Sword, would bring, City in the Sky sits high above Hyrule in the clouds. Reachable by the Sky Cannon, the City in the Sky is home to the Oocca people, a race of birds that operate the aerial dungeon.
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Despite their small stature, the Oocca have built a highly advanced city. Relying on wind-powered turbines and floating platforms, the player needs to make hefty use of a Clawshot upgrade - obtained from the dungeon's mini-boss - that allows them to use two claws at one time. City in the Sky is a brilliant multi-faceted dungeon that features a fantastic boss fight against a metal-plated dragon named Argorok.
8 Goron Mines
Located Deep in the Heart of Death Mountain.
Accessible only after the player acquires the Iron Boots by beating a Goron named Gor Coron in a sumo wrestling match, the Goron Mines is filled with rippling flames and a genuine sense of heat. The subtle shimmer effect around the fire pits is incredibly well done, as well as the animated textures of the fire.
The Iron Boots are also used in traversal, allowing the player to stamp their feet onto magnetized walls. The Goron Mines culminates in a boss fight against a Goron named Darbus who was transformed into a horrific fire creature named Fyrus.
7 Palace Of Twilight
Found Within the Twilight Realm
Serving as the penultimate dungeon in the entire game, the Palace of Twilight is steeped in dark tones and is the conclusion to the ongoing battle against Zant. The main thrust of the Palace of Twilight is built around powering up the Master Sword, a quest that can be completed by returning two objects called Sols back to where they belong.
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Once the Master Sword is powered up, the player can enter Zant's throne room and engage him in battle. The Palace of Twilight features a beautiful art style and some brilliant conversations with Midna that showcase her insecurities in her role in this quest to free the Twili from Zant's machinations.
6 Hyrule Castle
Accessed Through Castle Town
As a playable dungeon, Hyrule Castle has appeared in numerous Zelda games, but perhaps the best iteration of it exists right here in Twilight Princess. The sense of scale and variety in this version of Hyrule Castle is phenomenal, as Link moves in and out of the castle to progress through the dungeon.
As a result of it being the final dungeon in the game, it also features the obligatory Ganon boss fight. Set across three phases and ending with a visceral sword fight with Dark Lord Ganondorf, it also features an unnerving tilt against Puppet Zelda.
5 Temple Of Time
Found in the Sacred Grove
Though it's a recurring element within the series, the Temple of Time tends to be a place for a good plot dump. Whether it's obtaining the Master Sword or using it as a training ground of sorts, the Temple of Time tends to play a fairly important role in the series.
In Twilight Princess, the Temple of Time is a harrowing ascent to the top as Link uses the newly acquired Dominion Rod to position and manipulate statues to proceed. The climb leads to a fight against a surefire classic Zelda boss in Armogohma, a fully armored version of the gigantic spider that Link has clashed with numerous times.
4 Arbiter's Grounds
Found in the Gerudo Desert
Once a prison located in the Gerudo Desert to hold criminals awaiting trial, the Arbiter's Grounds was eventually left dormant, and the remains of it make up one of Twilight Princess' best dungeons. It makes ample use of the Clawshot in order to traverse over precarious gaps and bypass the whirling sand traps, as well as introducing the fantastic Spinner mechanic.
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Riding along magnetic rails, the player uses the Spinner device like a skateboard to reach new areas and fully explore all that the Arbiter's Grounds has to offer. It also plays a major role in the boss fight against Stallord, a huge skeleton that rests in the deepest part of the dungeon. Using the gaps in Stallord's pattern, the player can attack his vulnerable rib cage to deal damage and open him up for more attacks.
3 Lakebed Temple
Located in Lake Hylia
Twilight Princess is often compared to Ocarina of Time, as the two share a few bits of DNA, and Link from Ocarina of Time appears as the skeleton figure known as the Hero's Shade. While Ocarina of Time has the dreaded Water Temple in its arsenal, the closest that Twilight Princess gets is the Lakebed Temple.
After acquiring the Zora Armor from Rutela, Link can enter the Lakebed Temple by blowing up a boulder with water bombs. By shifting water across the temple and filling up the main room, the player can fight the dungeon boss. This multi-form Octorok named Morpheel swims around the chamber and can be defeated with clever use of the Clawshot.
2 Forest Temple
The Forest Temple is Found in Faron Woods
As the first dungeon in Twilight Princess, the Forest Temple sets the tone for the rest of the game moving forward. It seems perfectly fitting for a game with so many connections to Ocarina of Time that the first dungeon is the Forest Temple, as that was the first temple Adult Link conquered in the N64 entry.
The Twilight Princess iteration of the Forest Temple makes good on the promise Nintendo made regarding this title, as it has a dark and gloomy atmosphere that is absolutely pitch-perfect. Traveling along the overgrown forest, players eventually encounter a giant Deku Baba named Diababa as the boss of the dungeon.
1 Snowpeak Ruins
Found in the Snowpeak Mountain Range
While most dungeons in the Zelda series are built around multiple rooms and puzzles that can be solved with an item found in the dungeon, Snowpeak Ruins does something wholly unique. The absolutely darling couple known as Yeto and Yeta, a pair of charming yetis that inhabit Snowpeak Ruins, require Link's help to make a soup by collecting ingredients from around the dungeon.
This healing soup becomes a non-issue, however, when Yeta is corrupted by a piece of the Mirror of Twilight and transforms into an ice creature named Blizetta. After smashing Blizetta to bits with the Ball and Chain, Link reunites the adorable couple in one of Twilight Princess'most heartwarming moments.
