A Link to the Past

“Long ago, in the beautiful kingdom of Hyrule surrounded by mountains and forests... legends told of an omnipotent and omniscient Golden Power that resided in a hidden land.”

— Intro

A Link to the Past
Developer	Nintendo
Publisher	Nintendo
Genre	Action, Adventure,
Platform	Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Release dates	November 21, 1991 April 13, 1992
Chronological Order
Previous	"Zelda II: The Adventure of Link"
Next	"Link's Awakening"
Map

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is the third installment in the The Legend of Zelda series, released in 1992 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is preceded by Zelda II: The Adventure of Link and succeeded by Link's Awakening. The Hero of Legend is the main protagonist and Aghanim is the main antagonist. Ganon's minions serve as the villainous faction.

It is the third game in the series, but it is set hundreds of years before Zelda I in the downfall timeline. This timeline branch starts with Ganondorf successfully defeating Link in Ocarina of Time and obtaining the complete Triforce. The seven Sages seal him immediately within the Sacred Realm. Years later, greedy people enter the Dark World seeking the Triforce, turning into monsters and becoming part of Ganon's army. In the war that ensues, the Knights of Hyrule protect the Sages from Ganon's minions, while they cast a seal to close off the entrance to the Dark World. Ages later, when Ganon attempts to escape from the Dark World in order to conquer Hyrule, the events of A Link to the Past take place.

A Link to the Past was re-released in 2002, on the Game Boy Advance, sharing a new game called Four Swords.

Chronologically this game takes place between Ocarina of Time and the Oracle games.

Official Description

The story is set many years before the events of the first two Zelda games. The player assumes the role of Link as he journeys to save Hyrule, defeat the demon king Ganon, and rescue the descendants of the Seven Sages. It returns to a top-down perspective similar to the original The Legend of Zelda, dropping the side-scrolling gameplay of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. It introduced series staples such as parallel worlds and items including the Master Sword.

Summary

The Imprisoning War

One day, a band of evil thieves managed to open the gateway to the Sacred Realm, where the mystical Triforce was hidden. Upon finding the sacred golden relic, the leader of the thieves, Ganondorf, slew his followers and claimed it as his own. Before long, dark power began to flow forth from the Sacred Realm. People were drawn into this darkness, and never heard from again. As a result, the King of Hyrule ordered the seven sages to seal the entrance to the Sacred Realm. A great battle ensued—monsters poured into the Light World from the sacred land and attacked the castle. The Knights of Hyrule defended the sages during the great battle against evil, and, though most of them perished in the struggle, the sages were able to cast their seal, stopping the flow of darkness and trapping the evil king Ganon within. This battle became known as the Imprisoning War.

The Wizard

Once the conflicts against Ganon had ceased, Hyrule entered a time of peace which lasted for centuries, until one day, when unexplained catastrophes began to occur. Pestilence and drought ravaged the land. Thinking the recent disasters plaguing Hyrule were somehow linked to the sages' seal, the king investigated it, but found it to be intact. Desperate for answers, he offered rewards for anyone who could find the source of Hyrule's troubles.

In response, a stranger named Agahnim appeared as if from nowhere and stayed the catastrophes with mighty magic. As a reward, the king gave him a new position as chief adviser to the throne, and the common folk proclaimed him their hero. Once more, peace appeared to have returned to Hyrule. Yet all was not well. Agahnim began to govern Hyrule in place of the king and abuse his political power as he saw fit. Rumors spread saying that Agahnim planned to kill the king and take the crown for himself, and that strange magical experiments were taking place in the castle tower at night. He cast spells on the soldiers and kidnapped the young maidens descended from the seven Wise Men, using their powers in an attempt to break the seal placed on the Sacred Realm.

Link's Quest

The game starts with Link being awakened in the middle of a stormy night by a telepathic plea from Princess Zelda, who tells him that she is being held prisoner in the dungeon of the castle and needs help. Now wide awake, Link finds his uncle with a sword and shield in hand. He tells Link not to leave the house, then sets off for the castle. Link ignores his uncle's warning and follows him, only to arrive at the castle to find him gravely wounded. He gives Link his sword and shield and entrusts him with the fate of Princess Zelda. Link proceeds to rescue Zelda, and the two escape the castle through its sewer system to the sanctuary just north of the castle.

There, the priest tells Link that the only weapon powerful enough to defeat Agahnim was the sacred Master Sword. He then sends him to find the elder, Sahasrahla, who explains that not just anyone could wield the legendary blade, and that a hero must appear from the descendants of the Knights of Hyrule. To prove himself worthy of wielding the Blade of Evil's Bane, Link would need to acquire the three Pendants of Virtue.

After successfully obtaining the pendants and withdrawing the magical sword from its pedestal in the Lost Woods, Zelda calls out to Link yet again, this time warning that soldiers have invaded the sanctuary. Link hurries off to the sanctuary only to find that he was a moment too late, and that the soldiers had already taken Zelda off to Hyrule Castle. Once again, Link hurries to her rescue, and once again arrives too late, as Agahnim was already in the process of sending Princess Zelda to the Dark World to finish his ordeal. Upon completing this ritual, little time was needed before the sages' seal was completely broken. Link goes on to defeat Agahnim, who then also draws him into the Dark World, saying he is not truly defeated, yet.

There, Link is contacted telepathically by Sahasrahla, who tells him that the world he is standing in is actually what was once the Sacred Realm, but it was transformed by Ganon's evil wish to conquer the world to become the Dark World. He then commissions Link with the task of rescuing the 7 imprisoned maidens from the dungeons scattered across the Dark World. Upon freeing them all, Link travels to Ganon's Tower, where the seven maidens use their combined power to dispel the barrier sealing off the entrance. Link proceeds to traverse the tower and then defeat Agahnim a second time, this time killing him for good. Upon his defeat, the spirit of Ganon rises from the body, turns into a bat, and flies off into the Pyramid of Power, where Link and Ganon face off for the final battle. With the power of the Silver Arrows and the Master Sword, Link finally vanquishes Ganon, recovers the Triforce, and by making a wish, reverts the effects of Ganon's evil reign over Hyrule and ultimately restores the land to its former glory.

Characters

Hero of Legend

Princess Zelda

Agahnim

Ganon

Bosses

Image	Enemy	Description	Dungeon
	Armos Knights	A group of six Armos Knights are the first Dungeon Master Link faces, the boss of the Eastern Palace in A Link to the Past. They guard the Pendant of Courage within this first dungeon. While they can be defeated with Link's Fighter's Sword, this takes a very large number of hits per knight. The best way to defeat them is to use the Bow found in the dungeon, as they will fall from three Arrows each. They fight by jumping around in a circular formation, before lining up at the top of the screen and charging at Link all at once, attempting to crush him. Once their numbers are diminished, the last one will turn red and attempt to crush Link with hard stomps around the room. As with the others, three Arrows will finish him off, although as he will attack close up it may be easier to use the sword. After emerging victorious, Link is rewarded with the Pendant of Courage and a Heart Container.	Eastern Palace
	Lanmolas	A group of three Lanmolas are the bosses of the Desert Palace in A Link to the Past. In this game, they hide underground and occasionally surface to attack, then return to the underground. When they burrow out of the ground, they send bits of rock flying in several directions. The sword is the most common method of dealing with them; however, arrows and the Ice Rod are both effective as well. After two are defeated, the last one will begin to move faster, and creates more bits of rock upon surfacing. Once the final one has been taken care of, Link gets the Pendant of Power and a Heart Container.	Desert Palace
	Moldorm	Moldorms made their first appearance as a boss in A Link to the Past. It first appears at the very top of the Tower of Hera and is an infamous boss battle, due to the fact that Link may have to face it many times before he can finally defeat it. The battlefield is unique in the game in that it has no boundaries, meaning that the boss can send Link to lower floors if he is unluckily pushed from the edge by the foe. The Moldorm will actively charge at Link, and has a springy, bouncy body similar to a Hardhat Beetle or a Bumper. Striking it with his sword or getting hit will send Link flying. If Link falls to the lower floor, the entire boss battle will restart; as the boss recover to full health when Link returns.	Tower of Hera
	Agahnim	When Hyrule became besieged by an onslaught of terrible misfortunes, the King of Hyrule offered a reward to anyone who could put an end to these disasters. A mysterious stranger named Agahnim came and put an end to these troubles with a previously unknown magic. He was declared a hero and given the prestigious positions of chief advisor to the King and heir to the Seven Sages. Agahnim used this position and his mysterious magic to brainwash all of Hyrule's Soldiers, depose the King of Hyrule, and make six of the Maidens, descendant of the Seven Sages, disappear to the Dark World.	Hyrule Castle
	Helmasaur King	Before the Helmasaur King can be damaged, his mask must be destroyed with the Magic Hammer or Bombs. The Magic Hammer takes considerably more hits and requires getting up close but it can be done faster overall, while it only requires five Bomb hits and you can keep your distance to avoid damage if you use them carefully. The monster fights by spitting fireballs that will split into three, and then each into four as they disperse. To avoid those, Link must attempt to stay at right angles to the fireballs, as they always split diagonally. It will also attack by swinging its long tail like a whip, which can be avoided by staying up close to the monster's head, or keeping a large distance where possible.	Dark Palace
	Arrghus	In A Link to the Past, Arrghus is the Boss of the Swamp Palace, where it is the guardian of the second Crystal. Arrghus appears densely surrounded by multiple Arrgi. These Arrgi and the creature's ability to float make it invulnerable to normal attacks. Its method of attack is to send the Arrgi swirling outwards. The Arrgi must be pulled away using the Hookshot and then defeated with the Fighter's Sword. When all of the Arrgi are gone, Arrghus launches itself into the air and attempts to crash straight down upon Link, then speeds across the shallow water of the room. It will also shoot needle-thin lasers at the ground, which will create huge explosions, throwing columns of water into the air. In this state, it is unprotected and can be attacked with Link's Fighter's Sword or other weapons. After each hit, it attempts to crush Link from above again, or shoots more lasers at him. After its destruction, it leaves behind a Heart Container and Link is presented with the second Crystal in which one of the Seven Maidens is imprisoned.	Swamp Palace
	Mothula	Mothula resides in a room with a moving mechanical floor, which is surrounded by Blade Traps. Once the fight begins, the floor starts moving. The Blade Traps also begin to slide across the floor, causing damage if they come in contact with Link. Mothula attacks by flying around and spewing a series of three energy beams at Link at regular intervals.	Skull Woods
	Blind the Thief	Blind was the photosensitive leader of a gang of Thieves from the Light World, situated in his hideout in Kakariko Village. Blind, and his thieves worked at night, leading a massive crime wave across Hyrule. At some point, Blind was lured into the Dark World by his desire for the Triforce. As a result of his greed, Blind was transformed into a demonic being by the Dark World's power. Blind became what appeared to be a flame-red demon with arms of pure flame, wearing a tattered white robe. Making his new hideout in Thieves' Town, Blind rarely left the darkness of his hideout due to the light outside, leaving the dirty work to his thief gang. Becoming a loyal minion of Ganon, Blind was entrusted with guarding the fourth Maiden.	Thieves' Town
	Kholdstare	Link must use caution while battling the creature, due to the low friction of the floor. The young hero can use either the Fire Rod or the Bombos Medallion to break its ice shield. The latter is faster, as it destroys the ice shield in only one hit. Once the shield melts, Kholdstare splits into three identical parts that can be hit with the Fire Rod or the Sword. Occasionally, ice chunks will fall down from the ceiling, breaking up into multiple pieces and dropping magic power when the Magic Bar is empty. They can damage Link if they hit him. Upon defeating Kholdstare, Link receives another Heart Container and the Crystal containing the fifth imprisoned Maiden.	Ice Palace
	Vitreous	The main eyeball spends most of the battle immersed in the slime. If Link attempts to enter the slime, he will be hurt. Occasionally Vitreous will shoot lightning at Link from its huge iris, similar to one of Agahnim's attacks, while the smaller eyeballs will continually attempt to swarm him, attacking one by one. To avoid this, an easy method is to stand in one of the corners of the room and use the Whirling Blade Attack or repeated sword strikes to hurt the eyes as they close in. The faster method is to simply enter the slime, take the damage, and use the Whirling Blade Attack to destroy several eyeballs at once. As each eyeball is eventually destroyed, the intervals between Vitreous' blasts of electricity will shorten. Once the smaller eyeballs have been taken out, the main eyeball will attempt to charge at Link. This giant, massive eyeball can be defeated with sword strikes, but can be kept at a distance using the Bow, which also causes more damage. Defeating Vitreous earns Link a Heart Container and the sixth imprisoned Maiden.	Misery Mire
	Trinexx	In order to defeat Trinexx, Link must use the Fire Rod on the blue head and the Ice Rod on the red head to stun them. When using items like Rods that consume high amounts of magic, Link can use blue or green Potions to regain his magic as needed. After stunning the heads, Link can attack them with the sword to destroy them. After the blue head is destroyed, Link will no longer have to walk on the ice it emits. While attacking, Link must dodge its main head to avoid taking damage, which lashes out at him. After both extra heads are gone, Trinexx then withdraws into itself and its shell will explode, before emerging in a giant snake-like form with a glowing orb in the center of its body. In this form, Trinexx attacks Link directly with its body. To finish the Boss, Link must strike the orb three times. Once Trinexx is defeated, Link receives another Heart Container and the crystal containing Princess Zelda.	Turtle Rock
	Ganon	After rescuing all of the Maidens from their imprisonment in the Dark World, Link faces Agahnim again in the Dark World, where the young hero successfully destroys him. After the battle with Agahnim, the shadow of Ganon rises from his body, turns into a bat, and flies to the Pyramid of Power. There, Link faces the King of Thieves and even though Ganon wields the might of the full Triforce and the Trident, Link manages to destroy him with the Master Sword and the Silver Arrows.	Pyramid of Power

Title Screen

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Media

OST

A Link to the Past Original Soundtrack

Boxarts

Japanese

USA

Trivia

• With a total of thirteen Dungeons, A Link to the Past has more Dungeons than any other official Zelda game (not including Second Quests.) However, Hyrule Castle is technically two Dungeons.
• The portraits on the walls inside many houses in Kakariko Village, which occasionally dispense Rupees when pulled by Link, appears to be Mario. The theme that plays when soldiers chase Link in the village is actually a remix of the Super Mario Bros. 2 boss theme.
• In The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past & Four Swords, getting the Master Sword will completely restore Link's Life Gauge and Magic Meter.
• The seventh Dark World Dungeon, Turtle Rock, contains Chain Chomps, an enemy from the Super Mario series.
• This game was almost remade for the 3DS but that was scrapped and reworked into a sequel, A Link Between Worlds.
• A Link to the Past was the first game in the series to use the now-standardized The Legend of Zelda logo in western releases. Japan would later use this standardized logo by the release of Ocarina of Time.
• The notion of Link freeing Maidens from crystal prisons was reused with Princess Zelda in Ocarina of Time and Skyward Sword, and with Din in Oracle of Seasons.
• Many recurring musical themes, such as the Fairy Fountain/file select theme, "Zelda's Lullaby", the Hyrule Castle theme, and Ganon's theme, were first introduced in this game.
• This is the first Zelda game where Link swings his sword horizontally and introduced the Spin Attack.
• This is the first game where the seemingly main antagonist is actually just a minion of Ganon

Continuity

• A Link to the Past is the first game that introduced a different Link, as opposed to The Legend of Zelda and The Adventure of Link prior which featured the same Link.
• A Link to the Past is also the first game in the series to include multiple, parallel overworlds.
• The iconic Master Sword debuted in this game, which would become an important and often essential item in Link's quest in almost all later games. Games like Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess feature it with a similar function and purpose as in the SNES game.
  • The game says in the end credits that the Master Sword will sleep again "forever" but this is retconned by the time of A Link Between Worlds where is is used by the New Hero of Hyrule.
• A Link to the Past introduces the Sages, who would play similar roles in Ocarina of Time and A Link Between Worlds.
  • These Sages are the descendants of the seven from Ocarina, those being Saria, Darunia, Ruto, Impa, Nabooru, Rauru, and Zelda.
• The game introduces Cuccos, as well as the infamous Cucco revenge squad, where a flock of Cuccos will attack Link if he attacks one continuously.
• Kakariko Village and Lake Hylia debut in this title.
  • It is implied through the geography of Hyrule that the swamp to the south of the castle was once the Lake Hylia from Ocarina of Time and has since dried up, and then later filled up again to make two basins in The Legend of Zelda's map.
  • The swamp also has what seems to be a dried up riverbed linking to the desert, as there was once a river leading to the Gerudo Desert.
  • Additionally, we know from Skyward Sword that the Faron Woods region in the southeast is connect to Lake Floria, a large body of water, and has been flooded before, so it seems that as of this game the forest area (or what it once was) flooded again and was renamed Lake Hylia.
• This is the first Zelda game where a member of Link's family is shown. The only other games that do this are The Wind Waker and The Minish Cap.
• This is the first game to give Moblins their pig-like appearance, which would become a series staple after Ocarina of Time.
• It is written in Encyclopedia that this iteration of Hyrule's lower Death Mountain area is the same as the map from Zelda 1, ending to the west where the graveyard is- due to how little sense this makes, it is being disregarded for this wiki.
• It is written in Hyrule Historia that the Master Sword pedestal in this game sits in the decayed remains of the Temple of Time, but that seems to be unlikely, as the rest of the map matches up, but doesn't explain how the Pedestal of Time got moved to the top left corner of the map. It is more likely that the sword got moved between Ocarina and this game.
  • It is also required for the Pendants of Virtue to be used to use the sword in this game, similar to the Spiritual Stones of the previous game in the timeline, meaning it is possible they are the same or similar objects.
• Since the Gerudo have either been wiped out or relocated, the Gerudo Desert is abandoned and has been renamed to the Desert of Mystery.
• The backstory to this game tells the story of the first Imprisoning War, of two, set right after Ocarina of Time, not to be confused with the second Imprisoning War that takes place after Hyrule is refounded following the great merge.