Environmental Objects

The Great Sea is vast and varied, with environmental objects and obstacles that can help or hinder Link in his quest.

Overworld Objects

While sometimes found in dungeons, the following objects are more commonly encountered in the overworld.

Bomb Flowers

These brightly colored flowers have bombs in their centers. Pluck the bomb from the flower with and then throw it with or set it down somewhere with . Bombs from Bomb Flowers are identical to the quest item bombs, except you can’t store them or carry them with you. Bomb Flowers are volatile and explode if an object hits them, such as your sword or a thrown rock.

Cyclones

Until you defeat Cyclos, his cyclones roam the Great Sea’s surface and suck up any boat that gets too close. If you have the Hero’s Bow, steer into a cyclone and shoot Cyclos with an arrow to get rid of the cyclones. Cyclos will then teach you the Ballad of Gales, which lets you use his cyclones to rapidly travel the Great Sea.

Ghost Ship

The Ghost Ship appears near seven islands during the seven different phases of the moon. Once you find the Ghost Ship Chart during the main adventure, you’ll be able to sail into the Ghost Ship and explore it. Until then, the Ghost Ship vanishes when you approach.

Ghost Ship Locations

Holes

Occasionally Link comes across holes in the ground. Sometimes they’re under rocks, sometimes thick grass covers them, and sometimes they’re in the open. Drop into them to reach a hidden cavern below the island’s surface.

Long Grass and Bushes

Link can cut down grass, bushes, flowers, and small trees with his sword. You often find common items, such as Rupees or Hearts, under the foliage.

Narrow Ledges

Link can sidle across or hang from narrow ledges, but if an enemy attacks him or he is otherwise injured, he falls off the ledge.

Postboxes

Many of the Great Sea’s islands have red postboxes. Check them to see if you have mail or use them to mail letters from your Delivery Bag. A postbox wiggles and shakes when it has a letter for you to read.

Rings of Light

The rings of light that float on the Great Sea’s surface indicate a sunken treasure chest. As you sail to them, the rings fade, but a tinkling chime grows louder as you approach the chest. Bright rings of light with beams shining up from their center indicate the sector’s special sunken treasure, but these only appear after you find and open their matching Treasure Chart.

Rocks

Link can pick up and throw small rocks from the game’s beginning, but he can’t lift large rocks carved with faces until he has the Power Bracelets. Light gray rocks with cracks in them can be bombed into pieces.

Sea Platforms

Not to be confused with generic platforms, which describe any flat surface suspended in midair, Sea Platforms are enemy outposts scattered around the Great Sea’s surface. Defeat the Sea Platform’s guards to get treasures, such as Rupees, Treasure Charts, or Pieces of Heart! Sometimes you must destroy a Sea Platform’s cannons to reveal its treasure.

Stakes and Pegs

When you approach a large wooden stake or peg and a yellow targeting arrow appears over it, -target the spike or peg and swing the Skull Hammer to pound it down. Some stakes are spiked, mind you, so don’t get too close!

Submarines

Several submarines piloted by Ganon’s minions lurk beneath the Great Sea’s waves. When you find one, hop out of the boat and enter the submarine to fight the enemies inside and claim a valuable treasure, like a Treasure Chart, Piece of Heart, or an Empty Bottle.

Trees

Link can knock items out of trees by using a rolling attack on a tree trunk. Link’s Hookshot also can target trees and pull him up to them. Makar can plant Deku Seeds in soft earth and grow a tree.

Updrafts

Updrafts are small cyclones. If Link glides into one with his Deku Leaf, it propels him upward. Use updrafts to glide to areas that are higher than the ledge from which you started your glide.

Water

Link can swim on the surface of deep water, but only for as long as the air in his air gauge lasts. He can wade through shallow water without having to worry about the air gauge. Some streams and rivers have strong currents that pull Link along if he falls into them.

Whirlpools

Link has to make his way through more than one whirlpool over the course of the game. When you are caught in a whirlpool, you have to complete some objective, such as defeating an enemy, to avoid being pulled in. If you are sucked into a whirlpool, you reappear in a different sector of the Great Sea and lose Hearts from your Life Gauge.

Wind

Wind is important in The Wind Waker. It determines your boat’s momentum, and it can work for or against you when you’re gliding with your Deku Leaf. Know which way the wind is blowing!

Dungeon Objects

While sometimes found in the overworld, the following objects are more commonly encountered in dungeons.

Baba Buds

Jump into these purple buds, and they give your Magic Meter a boost and propel you into the air! While in the Baba Bud, use and to turn and position yourself in the desired direction. When you shoot out, press to soar in the direction you’re facing.

Light Beams

Link and Medli can reflect light beams with their Mirror Shield and harp, respectively. Reflected light beams disintegrate some objects, reveal translucent chests, and injure certain enemies.

Big Key Locked Doors

The door to each boss chamber is sealed, and you need a Big Key to open it. To open the door and fight the boss, you need to find the dungeon’s Big Key.

Blocks and Crates

Link can push or pull blocks and crates and can lift crates over his head. He can also climb onto blocks and crates by facing them and pushing . Crates float; blocks don’t—valuable information when aiming to complete certain puzzles!

Bridges

Be careful when fighting on rope bridges. They sway dangerously, and Link’s sword can cut through the bridge’s support ropes, sending the whole bridge crashing down! Fire will burn away a bridge’s ropes too.

Cable Platforms

Found in the Forbidden Woods, these platforms run along a cable above them. Call one to you by blowing a Deku Leaf wind gust at a nearby pinwheel. Once aboard a cable platform, turn around and use the Deku Leaf again to blow a gust of wind that propels the platform back along its cable.

Chests

Chests contain treasures, and none are locked. Open any chest by standing in front of it and pressing . All unopened chests in a dungeon are marked on the Dungeon Map after you find the dungeon’s Compass. Some chests in the Earth Temple are translucent, and you must reveal them by reflecting a beam of light at them before they can be opened.

Cracked Floor Tiles

Link can smash through cracked floor tiles by standing on them and then equipping the Iron Boots or by placing a bomb near the cracked tile.

Eye Plaques

These decorations, seen in the Tower of the Gods, trigger an action when you shoot them with an arrow.

Ice

Icy surfaces are slick, and it’s hard to control Link when he moves across them. Move slowly, and don’t make sudden movements!

Lava

Lava is hot. If you fall in it, you lose a quarter of a Heart and reappear at the room’s entrance. Burn!

Locked Doors

Locked doors open with Small Keys. Each dungeon has as many Small Keys as it has locked doors. You cannot use Small Keys from one dungeon to open locked doors in another dungeon.

Paralyzing Fog

Seen in the Earth Temple, this bluish fog makes Link temporarily unable to use his sword or , , and items. Link recovers a few seconds after escaping the fog.

Piles of Leaves

Link comes across several piles of leaves in the Forbidden Woods. Blow them away with a Deku Leaf wind gust, or set them on fire with a burning Deku Stick, to find hidden goodies.

Pinwheels

You can activate pinwheels by a wind gust from Link’s Deku Leaf. Once spinning, they activate a nearby object, such as a cable platform.

Poles

These horizontal poles come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but you can use them all as targets for Link’s Grappling Hook. Hold to stop swinging and then press to climb the Grappling Hook’s rope and stand on top of the poles.

Pots

Every dungeon is littered with fragile pots, many of which contain common items. Some dungeons also have pinecones or skulls that function the same way as pots. Smash them with Link’s sword and see what you find.

Ropes

Link can jump onto ropes and swing or climb them. Press to make Link let go of the rope at the height of a swing, and he’ll soar through the air to reach distant spots.

Sealed Doors

Some dungeon doors are sealed. To open them, you must usually accomplish an objective in the room, such as defeating all of the room’s enemies or activating a switch. Small Keys do not unlock sealed doors.

Spikes

Sharp, pointy spikes are best avoided. Contact with them knocks Link’s Life Gauge down a Heart or two.

Springboards

Climb onto a springboard and use the Iron Boots to compress it. Remove the Iron Boots, and the springboard catapults Link into the air much like a Baba Bud.

Switches

Switches are pressure-sensitive objects that trigger an effect when stepped on. Switches come in all shapes and colors, but there are three basic types:

• Pressure switches remain activated after you step off them.
• Constant pressure switches require some sort of weight to hold down the switch.
• Simultaneous pressure switches have to be activated by keeping weight on multiple switches.

Torches

Torches are stationary objects that illuminate darkened rooms. Link can use torches to light Deku Sticks he’s holding. Unlike a lit Deku Stick, torches never burn out.

Warp Pots

Most dungeons have three Warp Pots, but boards or rocks seal most of them. Use fire or a jump attack to get rid of a Warp Pot’s boards, and use bombs to blast away a Warp Pot’s rocks. Once unsealed, a Warp Pot becomes active. Drop Link into an activated Warp Pot, and he’ll pop out of another Warp Pot elsewhere in the dungeon. If Link hasn’t activated any other Warp Pots, he simply reemerges from the same Warp Pot.

Water Pots

You can lift and throw water pots at enemies who are vulnerable to water, and you can throw them onto hot lava to create temporary platforms on which Link can stand. Create a platform on a lava plume and jump on; ride the platform upward when the lava plume flares into the air.

Wind Crests

When you see one of these circular blue tiles, stand on it and conduct the Wind’s Requiem with the Wind Waker. You always get a nice surprise!