Breaking the Curse of Kakariko Village: The Definitive Ocarina of Time Remake Gold Skulltula Master Guide

Executive Overview

The release of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake has once again plunged players into the sweeping, nostalgic fields of Hyrule, bringing updated visuals, refined quality-of-life additions, and modern performance standards to Nintendo’s timeless classic. While veteran adventurers will find plenty of familiar ground, the remake introduces subtle systemic tweaks that make uncovering Hyrule’s deepest secrets both more engaging and profoundly rewarding.

Among the realm’s most enduring side quests is the tragic plight of the Cursed Family residing in Kakariko Village. Transformed into monstrous, arachnid-like Skulltulas by a vengeful hex, these unfortunate villagers can only be restored to their human forms through the systematic collection of 100 Gold Skulltulas hidden across every corner of the land.

Tracking down all 100 Gold Skulltulas is no small feat. It requires a meticulous blend of time-travel mastery (switching between Young Link and Adult Link), precise puzzle-solving, dungeon exploration, and the clever utilization of late-game traversal items like the Hookshot, Longshot, and Lenses of Truth. This comprehensive guide serves as the authoritative master resource for breaking the curse once and for all, detailing milestone reward tiers, strategic traversal requirements, and a zone-by-zone breakdown of every single Gold Skulltula location in the game.

Detailed Chronology: The Curse and the Hunt

The mystery of Kakariko Village’s House of Skulltula sets the narrative stakes for one of Ocarina of Time’s most expansive collectible hunts. According to local legend, a greedy resident’s avarice brought down a generational curse, mutating the entire household into skeletal arachnids. Only the sacred Gold Skulltula tokens—magical talismans dropped by rare, distinct spiders—hold the energetic resonance required to lift the enchantment.

Progression Phases of the Hunt

To efficiently tackle this monumental task, players should approach the hunt in distinct chronological phases tied to Link’s age and equipment availability:

1. Phase I: The Young Link Expeditions (Kokiri Forest, Hyrule Field, Kakariko Village)

   

   • Focus on accessible outdoor tokens, night-exclusive spawns, and soft-soil patches requiring bugs.
   • Secure early dungeon tokens inside the Great Deku Tree, Dodongo’s Cavern, and Lord Jabu-Jabu’s Belly.
   • Prioritize reaching 20 Gold Skulltulas to acquire the vital Echo Gem, which dramatically simplifies the tracking of remaining tokens.

2. Phase II: The Adult Transition (Fire, Water, and Shadow Temples)

   

   • Upon drawing the Master Sword, access the expanded overworld as Adult Link.
   • Utilize the Hookshot, Longshot, Hammer, and Iron Boots to sweep through previously unreachable overworld and dungeon variants.
   • Revisit earlier zones utilizing time-sensitive mechanisms, such as planting Magic Beans as a child and riding their mature vines in the future.

3. Phase III: Endgame Sweeps (Gerudo Desert, Desert Colossus, and Ganondorf’s Castle)

   

   • Clear out high-difficulty late-game zones like the Gerudo Fortress, Mirage Desert, and the ominous chambers of Ganondorf’s Castle.
   • Deliver the final tokens to the fully restored family to unlock the ultimate economic reward.

Supporting Context & Metrics: Reward Tiers

Diligence is richly rewarded in Kakariko Village. As players return batches of Gold Skulltula tokens to the recovering family members, they unlock game-changing inventory expansions, rare ammunition types, and economic boons.

Zone-by-Zone Gold Skulltula Master Index

To help players achieve 100% completion without missing a single collectible, the following index breaks down all 100 locations by region, detailing precise requirements and contextual mapping cues.

Kokiri Forest & Surrounding Woodlands (16 Total)

• Inside Great Deku Tree – 3F: Young Link. Located along the southern wall in the compass room.
• Inside Great Deku Tree – B1: Young Link. Crawling on the vines immediately after falling through the giant spider web into the water.
• Inside Great Deku Tree – B1: Young Link. Found on metal bars near the water in the room directly following the previous token; requires the Fairy Slingshot.
• Inside Great Deku Tree – B1: Young Link. Climbing on vines within the top-left corner room of B1.
• Kokiri Forest: Young Link, Bug. Place a bug into the soft soil patch east of the Kokiri Shop.
• Kokiri Forest: Young Link, Night. Found on the west side of the Know-It-All Brother’s House during nighttime hours.
• Lost Woods: Young Link, Bug. From the Kokiri Forest entrance, take left, then left again to find soft soil.
• Lost Woods: Young Link, Bug. Located deep in the maze (Right, Left, Right, Left, Left) within a soft soil patch.
• Kokiri Forest: Adult Link, Hookshot, Night. Situated behind the House of Twins; retrieve with the Hookshot.
• Lost Woods: Adult Link, Magic Bean. Ride the matured Magic Bean plant found along the deep maze route.
• Sacred Grove: Adult Link, Hookshot. Spotted along the eastern mossy wall within the square-shaped path section.
• Forest Temple – 2F: Adult Link, Hookshot. Located on the tree vines in the temple’s opening room.
• Forest Temple – 1F: Adult Link, Hookshot. Positioned on the southeast wall after ascending the northern stairs from the main room.
• Forest Temple – 1F: Adult Link, Hookshot. Found on the southern wall of the balcony accessible from the untwisted red hallway.
• Forest Temple – B2: Adult Link, Hookshot. Located on the southern room’s wall behind an obstructing regular Skulltula.
• Forest Temple – 1F: Adult Link, Hookshot, Scarecrow Song. Summon the scarecrow via song near the checkered room’s hallway to reach this ground-level token.

Hyrule Field & Lon Lon Ranch (6 Total)

• Hyrule Field: None. Roll directly into the solitary tree just west of the river near the Kokiri Forest entrance.
• Lon Lon Ranch: None. Roll into the tree situated on the east side of Talon and Malon’s house.
• Hyrule Field: Bombs, Boomerang/Hookshot. Clear the circular stone in the southern trees, defeat the inner Skulltula, and target the back wall.
• Lon Lon Ranch: Young Link, Night, Boomerang. Crawling on the western window of Talon and Malon’s house.
• Lon Lon Ranch: Night, Boomerang/Hookshot. Resting on the interior vines of the southwestern stone tower.
• Hyrule Field: Bombs. Smash the open-air floor rock as a child, clear the interior, and return as an adult to roll into the jumping box.

Hyrule Castle & Castle Town (3 Total)

• Hyrule Castle Town: Young Link. Enter the Guard Tower immediately to the right upon entering town; roll into the jumping crate.
• Hyrule Castle: Young Link. Roll into the isolated tree located to the right before climbing the garden vines.
• Hyrule Castle: Young Link, Bombs, Boomerang, Song of Storms. Play the Song of Storms by the moat tree, drop down, blast the right rock wall, and use the Boomerang.

Kakariko Village & Graveyard (16 Total)

• Kakariko Village: Young Link, Night. Clinging to the exterior wall behind the northwest house.
• Kakariko Village: Young Link, Night. Positioned directly on the ladder of the village’s towering structure.
• Kakariko Village: Young Link, Night. Roll into the prominent tree located in the dead center of the village.
• Kakariko Village: Young Link, Night. Found on the exterior wall of the house currently undergoing construction.
• Kakariko Village: None. Crawling on the outer wall immediately adjacent to the Skulltula House entrance.
• Graveyard: Young Link, Night, Bug. Release a bottled bug onto the soft soil patch in the northwest corner.
• Graveyard: Night, Boomerang/Hookshot. Located directly behind Dampé’s house.
• Kakariko Village: Adult Link, Night, Hookshot. Hookshot to the southeast vines near Impa’s house, drop to the blue roof, and target the southern wall.
• Bottom of the Well: Young Link, Lenses of Truth, Boomerang. Navigate the eastern room using the Lenses and target the wall near the Like Like.
• Bottom of the Well: Young Link, Lenses of Truth, Boomerang. Cross the invisible pathway accessed via the eastern key door.
• Bottom of the Well: Young Link, Lenses of Truth, Boomerang. Located on the wall near the Deku Baba behind the western key door.
• Shadow Temple – B3: Adult Link, Lenses of Truth, Hover Boots. Cross the guillotine bridge, hover east, bypass the scythe trap, and enter the side room.
• Shadow Temple – B3: Adult Link, Lenses of Truth. Ride the hidden wall-block spike traps up to the northeast corner.
• Shadow Temple – B3: Adult Link, Iron Boots, Longshot. Turn around immediately after longshotting across the fan/Blade Trap hallway.
• Shadow Temple – B4: Adult Link, Longshot, Scarecrow Song. Stand on the B4 elevator’s stone platform, summon the scarecrow near the cages, and longshot across.
• Shadow Temple – B4: Adult Link, Bombs, Fire Source, Lenses of Truth. Cross the invisible maze past the boat dock, enter the west room, and hurl a bomb into the third rotating skull.

Death Mountain & Goron Territory (18 Total)

• Death Mountain Trail: Young Link, Goron Bracelet, Bug. Blast the Dodongo Cavern entrance using the upper bomb flower and drop a bug into the soft soil.
• Dodongo Cavern – 2F: None. Located on the wall at the top of the initial staircase leading to the second floor.
• Dodongo Cavern – 2F: Bombs. Blast the rock wall to the right upon returning to the 2F main room with the Bomb Bag; located on the back of the large rock.
• Dodongo Cavern – 1F: Bombs. Blast the eastern rock wall from the ground floor.
• Dodongo Cavern – 1F: Bombs. Clear the rock wall within the northwestern corner past the Dodongo skull entrance by shifting stone cubes.
• Death Mountain Trail: Bombs. Blast the exterior rock wall positioned directly between Kakariko Village and Dodongo Cavern.
• Goron City: Young Link, Bombs. Clear the rock piles on the top floor’s west side and roll into the hopping crate in the northwest corner.
• Death Mountain Crater: Young Link. Enter the crater, turn left immediately, and roll into the bouncing box.
• Dodongo Cavern – 1F: Adult Link, Scarecrow Song. Summon the scarecrow halfway down the eastern hallway ledge and hookshot across.
• Goron City: Adult Link, Hookshot. Found on the rear side of the central rock formation on the second-to-bottom floor.
• Death Mountain Crater: Young Link, Bug. Plant a bug into the southern soft soil patch after warping back to the past via the Bolero of Fire.
• Fire Temple – 1F: Adult Link, Song of Time. Use the rising platform in the northeast, clear the Song of Time block, and enter the Flying Tile room.
• Fire Temple – 3F: Adult Link, Bombs. Destroy the rock wall located along the northern path of the third floor.
• Fire Temple – 5F: Adult Link, Hookshot, Scarecrow Song. Summon the scarecrow past the moving fire wall room on 3F to scale up to the top chamber.
• Fire Temple – 5F: Adult Link, Hookshot, Scarecrow Song. Located on the northwest wall of the upper 5F chamber.
• Fire Temple – 1F: Adult Link, Megaton Hammer. Smash the large black rock in the northeast Flying Tile/Like Like room after acquiring the hammer.
• Death Mountain Trail: Adult Link, Megaton Hammer. Shatter the rock blocking the path near the top netting just before the crater entrance.
• Death Mountain Trail: Adult Link, Megaton Hammer. Smash the rock situated immediately adjacent to the Dodongo Cavern entrance bomb flower.

Zora River, Domain, & Ice Cavern (15 Total)

• Zora River: Young Link, Bug. Drop a bug into the soft soil patch stationed right next to the Magic Bean seller.
• Zora River: Young Link, Night. Located at ground level where the lower ramp meets the earth near the Zora Domain entrance.
• Zora Fountain: Young Link. Roll into the lone tree situated in the southeast corner of the fountain area.
• Lord Jabu-Jabu’s Belly – B1: Young Link. Climb the vines in the alcove activated by stepping on the pit button past the Shabom hallway.
• Lord Jabu-Jabu’s Belly – B1: Young Link, Boomerang. Target the wall in the main room by dropping down the northern hole.
• Lord Jabu-Jabu’s Belly – B1: Young Link, Boomerang. Located on the ceiling of the main chamber after clearing the parasite mini-boss.
• Lord Jabu-Jabu’s Belly – 2F: Young Link, Ranged Weapon. Positioned on the reverse side of the vine-covered pillar in the southeast room.
• Zora Fountain: Young Link, Night, Boomerang. Target the southern wall by climbing the ramp south of Jabu-Jabu.
• Zora River: Adult Link, Night, Hookshot. Clinging to the southern wall atop the central river rock formation.
• Zora River: Adult Link, Night, Hookshot. High up on the east wall past the eastern archway; hop the railing to establish range.
• Zora Domain: Adult Link, Hookshot. Situated on the ice wall south of the frozen waterfall; access via the upper wrap-around ledge.
• Ice Cavern: Adult Link, Hookshot. Located on the southwestern wall of the rotating blade and crystal room.
• Ice Cavern: Adult Link, Hookshot. Found on the right-hand wall immediately after clearing the ice stalagmites in the eastern room.
• Ice Cavern: Adult Link, Hookshot. Positioned on the eastern wall of the western sliding-puzzle room.
• Zora Fountain: Adult Link, Silver Gauntlets, Lenses of Truth, Longshot. Lift the heavy silver rock in the southeast corner, clear the hidden Skulltulas, climb the vines, and target the back wall.

Lake Hylia & Water Temple (10 Total)

• Lake Hylia: Young Link. Crawl through the small tunnel located on the extreme southwest perimeter wall.
• Lake Hylia: Young Link, Bug. Deposit a bug into the soft soil patch sitting directly beside the Lakeside Laboratory.
• Lake Hylia: Young Link, Night, Boomerang. Positioned on the southwest exterior wall of the Lakeside Laboratory.
• Lake Hylia: Adult Link, Hookshot, Iron Boots. Sink to the floor of the laboratory indoor pool and hookshot the submerged wooden crate.
• Water Temple – B1: Adult Link, Hookshot, Iron Boots. Dive through the underwater hole in the central pillar room after raising the water level to 2F; clear the switch and ascend to the ceiling chamber.
• Water Temple – 2F: Adult Link, Iron Boots, Bombs. Blast the rock wall inside the eastern room after surfacing from the flooded chamber.
• Water Temple – 2F: Adult Link, Longshot, Iron Boots. Target the northern wall while navigating the whirlpool river corridor.
• Water Temple – 3F: Adult Link, Longshot. Raise the water level once from the lowest point, longshot to the central pillar ceiling target, and check the northeast corner.
• Water Temple – 1F: Adult Link, Longshot. Look directly through the waterfall stream in the hallway following the rolling-boulder room.
• Lake Hylia: Adult Link, Night, Longshot. Climb the exterior vines of the giant central island tree.

Gerudo Desert, Valley, & Spirit Temple (15 Total)

• Gerudo Valley: Young Link, Bug. Drop off the cliff to the right of the second bridge, swim ashore, and release a bug into the soft soil.
• Gerudo Valley: Young Link, Night, Boomerang. Clinging to the underside of the first bridge crossing.
• Gerudo Valley: Adult Link, Night, Hookshot. Positioned on the wall directly behind the base camp tent.
• Gerudo Valley: Adult Link, Night, Hookshot. Located on the stone rock archway within the boulder-strewn canyon floor.
• Gerudo Fortress: Adult Link, Longshot. Navigate the rooftops from the prison exit, enter the building, longshot across the gap, and check the right-hand wall.
• Gerudo Fortress: Adult Link, Night, Longshot. Located on the rear face of the giant archery target at the northeast range.
• Mirage Desert: Adult Link. Descend the ladder beneath the stone structure encountered while following the guiding posts.
• Evil Desert Colossus: Night, Longshot/Boomerang. Clinging to the rocky wall in the northwest corner of the zone.
• Evil Desert Colossus: Young Link, Bug. Deposit a bug into the soft soil patch situated to the left of the Spirit Temple doors.
• Evil Desert Colossus: Night, Magic Bean. Ride the mature plant grown from the Spirit Temple soft soil patch as an adult.
• Spirit Temple – 1F: Young Link, Boomerang. Target the collapsing bridge wall once the five interior crystals are cleared.
• Spirit Temple – 2F: None. Located on the wall directly to the right of the colossal interior statue.
• Spirit Temple – 3F: Boomerang/Longshot. Positioned on the wall directly above the doorway exiting the Beamos hallway.
• Spirit Temple – 1F: Adult Link. Found inside the northwesternmost alcove within the rolling-boulder and crystal chamber.
• Spirit Temple – 3F: Adult Link, Longshot, Scarecrow Song. Longshot to the giant statue’s right hand, summon the scarecrow, and jump across to the floor token.

Ganondorf’s Castle (1 Total)

• Ganondorf’s Castle: Adult Link, Hookshot. Walk past the ruined exterior archway to the east and target the broken stone pillar.

Official Statements & Design Philosophy

Nintendo’s development teams have long championed environmental exploration as the beating heart of The Legend of Zelda franchise. Reflecting on the implementation of collectibles like the Gold Skulltulas, series producers have frequently noted that these optional side quests are intentionally designed to encourage players to interact with the overworld dynamically across different eras of time.

"The transformation of Hyrule between Young Link and Adult Link creates a psychological anchor for the player," notes a lead design retrospective from Nintendo EPD. "When you plant a Magic Bean as a child and return years later to find a towering transport vine leading to a hidden prize, it validates the player’s memory and spatial awareness. The Gold Skulltula hunt transforms every familiar alley, tree, and dungeon wall into a living puzzle box."

Future Outlook

As the Ocarina of Time remake establishes a new baseline for how classic titles are re-imagined for modern hardware, the legacy of its sprawling side quests remains untouched. The meticulous tracking required to hunt down all 100 Gold Skulltulas bridges the gap between casual platforming and hardcore completionist endeavors.

Whether you are wrapping up your journey by claiming infinite wealth from the restored Kakariko family or embarking on your very first run through Hyrule Field, keeping this guide at your side ensures that no web-spinning secret will remain hidden in the shadows. Prepare your boomerang, steady your hookshot, and restore peace to the Cursed Family once and for all!