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HYRULE ATLASTHE FAN ARCHIVE
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2011 · Nintendo Wii

Skyward Sword

Descend beneath the clouds to temper a sacred blade.

Source & original artwork ↗
Nintendo artwork, archived by Zelda WikiImage source ↗1920 × 1360

Before you set out

Your journey, at your pace.

Wii campaign. Switch HD retains its story and dungeons, adding button-only controls and conveniences.

  • Choose sword directions deliberately.
  • Repair shields at the bazaar.
  • Use bird statues; replenish supplies in Skyloft.
Begin the walkthrough ↓

From the beginning to the final encounter

A path through the story.

Story routes, puzzle solutions, boss tactics and collection planning. Linked references provide additional room maps and individual collectible locations.

0 / 30 steps completed

Saved in this browser, across languages. No account needed.

01

The sky and the sealed woods

0 / 3 steps

Find the route Zelda took.

Route and puzzle solutions

  1. Find the missing Loftwing, practise flight and complete the Wing Ceremony. Follow Fi at night to the Goddess Sword and place the tablet.

  2. Descend to the Sealed Grounds and enter Faron Woods. Search for the missing Kikwis, then use the Slingshot to lower the hanging vine.

  3. Cross the Deep Woods using the rope and vine routes. Strike the crystal above Skyview Temple's entrance to open the door.

Chapter references

Checkpoints

A useful detail

Dowsing narrows searches; it does not reveal a safe walking route.

02

Skyview Temple

0 / 3 steps

Reach the spring.

Route and puzzle solutions

  1. Make the eye sentries follow a circular sword movement until they become dizzy. Adjust your position when several eyes must watch the blade together.

  2. Obtain the Beetle and fly it through small openings to strike switches. Raise the water to reach the upper passages and rotate the carved key to fit the boss door.

  3. Against Ghirahim's hand guard, hold the sword to one side, then slash from another direction. Match your cuts to the orientation of his incoming daggers.

Chapter references

Checkpoints

A useful detail

Save stamina for vine climbs.

03

Eldin and the Earth Temple

0 / 3 steps

Follow the second tablet.

Route and puzzle solutions

  1. Help the Mogmas and obtain Digging Mitts. Search the marked Eldin areas for all entrance-key pieces, using bombs to clear blocked routes.

  2. Inside the temple, collect the Bomb Bag and roll the large stone ball over lava. Use bombs on cracked walls to extend the ball's route.

  3. Run uphill to avoid Scaldera's rolling body. When it inhales, throw a bomb into its mouth and slash the exposed eye after the explosion.

Chapter references

Checkpoints

A useful detail

Bomb flowers refill the Bomb Bag.

04

A desert that remembers

0 / 3 steps

Reach the Temple of Time.

Route and puzzle solutions

  1. Activate Timeshift Stones to restore machinery within their radius. Use the map to follow safe ground beneath the quicksand and power the three opening nodes.

  2. Collect the Gust Bellows in the Mining Facility. Clear sand from platforms and switches, and use air to move the wind-powered mechanisms.

  3. Cut Moldarach's claw eyes from an unguarded angle. Once the claws are gone, thrust into the central eye; use the bellows to uncover the boss when it burrows.

Chapter references

Checkpoints

A useful detail

A Timeshift Stone changes only the area around it.

05

The sacred flames

0 / 3 steps

Begin tempering the sword.

Route and puzzle solutions

  1. Repel the Imprisoned and learn the Ballad of the Goddess. Restore the fallen windmill part with Scrapper and align Skyloft's windmills toward the Light Tower.

  2. Enter Thunderhead and reach the Isle of Songs. In Faron's Silent Realm, collect the tears while managing the guardians' waking timer and avoiding the alerting water.

  3. Use the Water Dragon's Scale to reach Lake Floria. Return to Skyview for sacred water and deliver it to the Water Dragon to open the waterfall.

Chapter references

Checkpoints

A useful detail

Tears pause Silent Realm guardians.

06

Ancient Cistern

0 / 3 steps

Temper the sword with Farore's Flame.

Route and puzzle solutions

  1. Read the statue's directional clue and reproduce the sequence at the locked door. Explore the upper temple and its darker lower level as connected parts of one route.

  2. Obtain the Whip to pull handles and steal keys from enemies. Raise the central statue, then return through the opened passages to the boss.

  3. Pull Koloktos's arms away with the Whip. Take one of its dropped swords, break the leg and chest protection, then attack the heart inside.

Chapter references

Checkpoints

A useful detail

Inspect the statue's hand positions for the directional door clue.

07

The buried sea

0 / 3 steps

Find Nayru's Flame.

Route and puzzle solutions

  1. Complete Nayru's Silent Realm for the Clawshots. Help the skipper through his home, the shipyard and the pirate stronghold, then locate the invisible ship at sea.

  2. Obtain the Bow and shoot the mast's Timeshift Stone through openings to switch the ship between eras. Free the crew and reach the engine-related passages.

  3. Use Skyward Strikes to sever Tentalus's tentacles, then shoot its eye and slash while it is down. In the upper phase, cut the attacking hair and repeat the eye opening.

Chapter references

Checkpoints

A useful detail

Mechanisms depend on the active era.

08

Din's Flame

0 / 3 steps

Complete the sword's transformation.

Route and puzzle solutions

  1. Complete Din's Silent Realm for the Fireshield Earrings. Help Scrapper bring the Water Dragon's basin to the summit to extinguish the entrance flames.

  2. Use water-filled plants to cool lava temporarily. Obtain the Mogma Mitts and tunnel underground to operate switches and chase burrowing enemies.

  3. Against Ghirahim, look for a sword angle his hands are not guarding. Avoid his landing attacks, then punish the recovery instead of striking into a closed guard.

Chapter references

Checkpoints

A useful detail

Avoid lava routes without checking the available stepping stones.

09

The Song of the Hero

0 / 3 steps

Earn the final trial.

Route and puzzle solutions

  1. Open the Gate of Time and receive Zelda's blessing. Help Levias in Thunderhead, then seek the three dragons' portions of the Song of the Hero.

  2. In Faron, collect the Tadtones in their groups while watching your air. In Eldin, recover the confiscated equipment through the stealth route before approaching the dragon.

  3. For Lanayru, carry the Life Tree seedling to the past at the Sealed Temple, then collect the grown fruit in the present. On the original Wii release, complete Faron and Eldin before Lanayru to avoid the documented Song of the Hero progression issue.

Chapter references

Checkpoints

A useful detail

Return to Levias to complete the song.

10

Sky Keep and the last descent

0 / 3 steps

Finish the quest across time.

Route and puzzle solutions

  1. Complete Skyloft's Silent Realm and use the Stone of Trials to open Sky Keep. Rearrange its rooms to connect the three Triforce objectives.

  2. Follow Ghirahim into the past and fight through the army. In the final Ghirahim duel, force him toward the edge, finish the platform phases and break his large sword with matching cuts.

  3. Against Demise, counter the sword attacks without overextending. When lightning begins, raise the blade to charge it, stun him and land the finishing blow while he is down.

Chapter references

Checkpoints

A useful detail

Replenish potions before entering Demise's arena.

Collection field guide

Plan your final discoveries.

Use these routes alongside the edition-specific counters. The references link to individual locations and additional maps.

Hearts, Gratitude Crystals and sky rewards

  1. Complete Skyloft's character errands and search for loose Gratitude Crystals at night. Return to Batreaux at each reward threshold.

  2. A struck Goddess Cube unlocks a chest elsewhere in the sky. Track the cube and the chest as two steps so an activated cube is not mistaken for a collected reward.

  3. Revisit surface regions with swimming, Clawshots and improved digging. Finish bottles, heart pieces and equipment upgrades before optional endurance challenges.

Chapter references

Beyond the ending

Your route to 100%.

Pair each surface visit with a sky sweep to open newly activated Goddess Chests.

This is a collection roadmap with editable counters and links to detailed locations. The bar measures completed checklist goals, not a percentage read from your game save.

Original motion controls.

Choose your adventure

Compare editions & modes.

See what changes before choosing your checklist. Each column uses the edition’s own collection targets.

Nintendo Wii

Original motion controls.

Nintendo Switch HD

Same core collectible totals, with revised controls and quality-of-life features.

The tracked totals are the same. Read the edition notes: locations, controls or modes can still differ.

Collection targets by edition
Goal & referenceNintendo WiiNintendo Switch HD
Finish the main story ↗IncludedIncluded
Pieces of Heart ↗2424
Gratitude Crystals ↗8080
Goddess Cube and Chest pairs ↗2727
Bottles ↗55
Gear and pouch upgrades ↗IncludedIncluded
Hylian Shield ↗IncludedIncluded
Side quests and minigame rewards ↗IncludedIncluded
Check every dungeon ↗IncludedIncluded

These are checklist targets, not an overall completion percentage. “Not included” means the goal is absent from that checklist. Hardware-dependent extras and additional runs are listed below.

Explore & collect

Your collectible atlas.

Keep track of individual locations and return to the ones still waiting for you.

No integrated coordinate map is documented for this edition. Use these detailed location references with the checklist below.

  1. Activate Goddess Cubes as equipment opens the surface.
  2. Complete Skyloft errands by day and night, then finish Batreaux’s rewards.
  3. Upgrade permanent gear and finish the Thunder Dragon challenges before Demise.
0 / 9 collection goals completed

Saved separately for this edition, in this browser.

Finish the main story

Follow the story chapters above, take every boss reward and reach the ending.

Locations & reference ↗

Goddess Cube and Chest pairs

Strike each surface cube and open its corresponding sky chest.

Locations & reference ↗

Gear and pouch upgrades

Upgrade Beetle, Bow, Slingshot and shields; complete wallet and adventure-pouch expansion.

Locations & reference ↗

Side quests and minigame rewards

Finish the Lumpy Pumpkin, Fun Fun Island, Fledge and other permanent reward chains.

Locations & reference ↗

Check every dungeon

Compare each floor with its map; collect permanent equipment, maps, compasses and remaining treasure before leaving.

Locations & reference ↗
Additional challenges and special requirements
  • Hero Mode and personal best times are additional runs.
Take your progress with you

One file for all games, editions, map marks, story checklists and the N64 companion. Download it on the old address, then import it on the new one. Nothing is uploaded.

Keep the source close

Sources & further help.

Independent route notes written for this archive. For a specific room, collectible or alternate version, consult these credited references.

Game artwork and characters © Nintendo.
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