Hyrule Castle

Temple

Region	Central Hyrule (Floating)
Sage	All Five Sages
Boss	Demon King Ganondorf (3-Phase)
Difficulty	Legendary
Puzzles	None
Rec. Hearts	14+

Hyrule Castle

Central Hyrule (Floating)

Sage: All Five Sages

Difficulty: Legendary

Overview

Hyrule Castle — now torn from the earth and floating above a massive Gloom chasm — is the final dungeon of Tears of the Kingdom and the culmination of the entire story. Unlike the five temples, the castle has no puzzles. Instead, Link battles through Gloom-corrupted corridors filled with Phantom Ganon clones, Gloom Hands, and the Demon King's elite forces. The path descends through the castle into the Depths beneath it, culminating in a three-phase confrontation with Ganondorf that ends with an aerial dragon battle above all of Hyrule.

Walkthrough

ENTRY: Reach the castle from the sky — use a Skyview Tower or the ascent from the chasm. Enter through the main gate or the side passages.

FLOOR 1: Fight through waves of Bokoblin and Moblin with Phantom Ganon markings. These are stronger than regular enemies. Sage abilities work well here — use Riju's lightning for crowd clearing.

THRONE ROOM: Navigate to the central throne room. Two Gloom Hands appear — if they grab you, Phantom Ganon immediately spawns. Kill the Gloom Hands with fire attacks or Tulin's Gust first.

DESCENT: A new path opens descending from the throne room into the Depths. Follow the Gloom trail downward through the subterranean ruins beneath the castle.

FINAL APPROACH: A corridor of Phantom Ganon clones (mini-boss versions) lines the path to the sanctum. Each clone has a specific weakness — call the appropriate sage to assist. Yunobo's charge works on all armored variants.

BOSS PHASE 1 — Ganondorf Duel: A one-on-one sword duel with the Demon King. He uses a Gloom-infused claymore with high damage and heavy reach. Dodge his swings and counter with Master Sword or your strongest weapon. Sage abilities deal bonus damage in Phase 1.

BOSS PHASE 2 — Phantom Army: Ganondorf creates five Phantom Ganon clones that fight alongside him. Call all five sages simultaneously — each sage engages one clone. Focus Ganondorf himself while the sages handle the clones. Do NOT let all five clones surround you.

BOSS PHASE 3 — Demon Dragon: Ganondorf swallows his secret stone and transforms into the Demon Dragon — a massive black dragon of pure Gloom. Link rides the Light Dragon (Zelda) into the sky for an aerial dragon battle. Aim for the Gloom tumor weak points on the Demon Dragon's body. Use bullet time to hit them precisely. The Light Dragon will charge the Demon Dragon — at the collision, the final weak point on the Demon Dragon's head is exposed. Strike it for the killing blow.

Rewards

Game completion

Ending cinematics and credits

Tears of the Kingdom gold star on save file

Post-game: Master Sword fully restored with infinite durability

Post-game: All map regions accessible, remaining content completable

Recommended Gear

Maximum possible heart containers and stamina
Full endgame armor at 3-4 upgrade stars (Fierce Deity, Gloom-resistant Depths armor)
Master Sword (from Light Dragon — 30 base damage, infinite durability, 60 vs. Ganondorf)
Multiple high-tier melee weapons (Royal Claymores, Lynel Sabers)
Elixirs for Gloom resistance (or fully upgraded Depths armor set)
At least 20 Fairies or numerous cooked high-heart meals
Shock Arrows for Phase 1 duel moments

Boss Tips — Demon King Ganondorf (3-Phase)

PHASE 1: Ganondorf pauses briefly after every three-hit combo — this is your counter window. His Gloom weapons deal permanent heart reduction damage — keep Gloom resistance armor active.
PHASE 1: The Master Sword deals 60 damage per hit against Ganondorf (double its base) and never breaks during the entire fight. Use it.
PHASE 2: Call ALL five sages before engaging the clones — if even one clone is unoccupied, it will attack you relentlessly while you fight Ganondorf.
PHASE 2: Ganondorf himself is vulnerable during the clone phase. He fights conservatively — use this to land heavy charged attacks on him while sages handle clones.
PHASE 3: The Light Dragon automatically flies toward the Demon Dragon. You just aim and shoot — focus entirely on the tumor weak points, not on flying.
PHASE 3: Dragon parts fall when you destroy tumors — ignore collecting them during the fight. Focus the weak points.
PHASE 3: When the two dragons are about to collide, you automatically rush to the Demon Dragon's head. This is the final QTE moment — strike hard. Any weapon works.
OVERALL: Bring maximum fairy stocks and heart meals. The three-phase fight has no checkpoints — if you die in Phase 3, you restart from Phase 1.

Lore

Hyrule Castle was raised into the sky when Ganondorf's awakening unleashed a cataclysmic Gloom eruption from beneath it. The Demon King transformed the castle into his fortress, filling it with Phantom Ganon constructs — shadow copies of himself created from ancient dark magic. The secret stone he swallowed allowed him to accumulate power over millennia, ultimately triggering Draconification in the final phase. Zelda's sacrifice — also Draconifying to carry the Master Sword — set the stage for the final confrontation between the two transformed beings above Hyrule.

Atmosphere

Gothic grandeur corrupted by Gloom. The castle's stone walls are streaked with black tendrils. Gloom pools on every floor. Phantom Ganon energy crackles in sealed rooms. The sound of Ganondorf's laughter echoes through hallways. As you descend deeper, the Gloom density increases and the architecture becomes more alien. The final rooms beneath the castle are pure Depths — ancient stone with Gloom flooding every crevice.

Sage Ability — All Five Sage Vows

All five sages fight alongside Link in the final battle. Each uses their individual ability: Tulin's Gust for aerial repositioning, Yunobo's charge for breaking Phantom Ganon armor, Sidon's shield for defense, Riju's lightning for crowd clearing, and Mineru's construct for heavy attacks. In Phase 2, all five sages engage the Phantom Ganon clones simultaneously — call all five in quick succession to overwhelm the clones.

Before You Enter

Complete all five regional temples (Wind, Fire, Water, Lightning, Spirit)
All five sages — Tulin, Yunobo, Sidon, Riju, and Mineru — must be active
Recommended: Retrieve the Master Sword from the Light Dragon before entering
Recommended: Fully upgrade your best armor set to ★★★★
Reach the floating Hyrule Castle — travel through the Hyrule Castle chasm or ascend via the Rising Island Chain to reach the Sky entry point

Hidden Chests

Royal Claymore

Ground floor east armory — in a locked room opened by a key dropped by the floor boss Bokoblin

Royal Shield

Throne room antechamber — on a raised dais behind the Gloom Hand spawn

Diamond

Depths approach corridor — in a side chamber off the main descent path

Exploration Notes

Post-game Hyrule Castle can be re-entered to collect missed chests and to fight Gloom Hands for Phantom Ganon drops (Dark Clumps for armor upgrades). The floating castle remains in the sky after completion. The Demon Dragon fight also locks in a unique screenshot opportunity — the aerial view of all Hyrule from maximum altitude is the best in the game.