Highlights
- Turtle Rock is an iconic dungeon in The Legend of Zelda that has appeared in multiple titles, with each dungeon having a unique interior design.
- The real-world inspiration for Turtle Rock could be a massive rock formation in Mongolia that resembles a giant tortoise, although it's unclear if it directly influenced the game's version.
- Turtle Rock first appeared in A Link to the Past , and has since made appearances in Link's Awakening and A Link Between Worlds , offering challenging gameplay and memorable boss battles.
The Legend of Zelda franchise, for all its innovation and evolution throughout the years, has certain elements that fans have come to expect in each entry. Beyond the inclusion of Link as the Hero of Time and an incarnation of Princess Zelda, it's practically a given that series antagonist Ganon will show up at some point, usually in both human and beast form. Dungeons are also a staple of The Legend of Zelda. Without exception, the most iconic of these dungeons to have repeat appearances in multiple titles is Turtle Rock.
First appearing in Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past on the Super Nintendo, Turtle Rock has since made two other appearances in Zelda titles that are either thematically or directly related to the SNES classic. While the exterior appearance of the dungeon is always a rock formation resembling a giant turtle, the interiors of the different Turtle Rock dungeons couldn't be more different. That they have a real-world inspiration and represent one of the best dungeon designs in each game where they appear only adds to the appeal of these iconic Zelda locations.
The Legend of Zelda's Turtle Rock Has a Real-World Counterpart
Much has been written regarding series creator Shigeru Miyamoto's inspiration for The Legend of Zelda largely coming from his childhood excursions into the forests and mountains around his childhood home. It's obvious that the Nintendo luminary and Zelda mastermind has a reverence for nature and deep appreciation of instilling a sense of adventure in his games, so it should come as no surprise that many of Zelda's iconic locations have their basis in actual places on planet Earth. However, what's likely less-known, is that the Turtle Rock dungeon has an actual real-world counterpart.
Nestled in the steppes of Mongolia is the famous Turtle Rock, a massive rock formation that bears an uncanny and unmistakable likeness to a giant tortoise. While it's never been confirmed that the inspiration for Turtle Rock in A Link to the Past comes directly from this very real location, it's not a stretch to assume that it is given how many other Zelda locations can trace their genesis back to actual places on Earth. The tumultuous history between Mongolia and Japan may be what inspired Zelda to use the Turtle Rock landmark as a dungeon.
Every Appearance of Turtle Rock in The Legend of Zelda Series
The first appearance of the Turtle Rock dungeon dates back to the SNES classic The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. In LttP, Turtle Rock is the last dungeon players traverse before heading to the Tower of Hera to face off against Agahnim one final time. Notably, this first appearance of Turtle Rock established several returning features in every subsequent use of Turtle Rock as a dungeon. One of these being the interior of the dungeon being a natural formation such as a cave or volcano, despite other dungeons featuring manmade artifices and furnishings.
The Turtle Rock dungeon made its first return in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, which is a spiritual successor to A Link to the Past. In both the original Game Boy and Nintendo Switch versions of the game, Link enters Turtle Rock as the penultimate dungeon before heading into the Wind Fish's Egg. The final, and most recent, appearance of Turtle Rock is in The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, the 3DS sequel to A Link to the Past. In addition to being a challenging lava-filled dungeon that requires deft use of the Ice Rod, the boss of this Turtle Rock is very similar to the Trinexx from LttP. Turtle Rock has yet to return to the series, but it's repeated use and reappearance in the Link's Awakening remake inspires hope that it'll appear in Zelda again someday.
The Legend Of Zelda: Link's Awakening is available now on Nintendo Switch.