The Ocarina of Time remake on Switch 2 has three elemental arrows, and only Adult Link can get them: Fire Arrows from a sunrise puzzle at Lake Hylia, Ice Arrows from the optional Gerudo Proving Grounds mini-dungeon, and Light Arrows at the Temple of Time after the Spirit Temple. Only the Light Arrows are needed to finish the game. This guide covers where each one is, what you need first, and what they are for. Checked November 11, 17:13 UTC, a week after the Switch 2 launch.
Table of Contents
Quick answer
- Fire Arrows: Lake Hylia. Stand on the island above the Water Temple entrance and shoot the rising sun. VGC says the best time is right after you clear the Water Temple.
- Ice Arrows: the big chest at the centre of the Gerudo Proving Grounds, called the Gerudo Training Ground in the 1998 game. Optional, and it needs items from almost every adult dungeon.
- Light Arrows: given to you in the Temple of Time after the Spirit Temple. The only elemental arrow the story requires.
- First, get the Fairy Bow from the Forest Temple. No bow, no arrows.
- Magic: every elemental arrow runs on the magic meter, so pick up the meter from the Great Fairy before you rely on them.
| Arrow | Where | When you can get it | Required to finish? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fire | Lake Hylia, sunrise puzzle | After the Water Temple (VGC); earlier with a shortcut in the original game | No |
| Ice | Gerudo Proving Grounds | Late: after most adult dungeons | No |
| Light | Temple of Time | After the Spirit Temple | Yes |
The Ice Arrows sit at the centre of the Proving Grounds' maze of locked doors. AI-generated illustration
What you need before any arrow
Adult Link gets the Fairy Bow in the Forest Temple, and VGC’s guide is clear that Child Link cannot collect any of the elemental arrows. VGC recommends collecting them in the order below, and says that although you could get them somewhat out of order, it does not suggest it.
You also want a magic meter. In the 1998 game, Zelda Wiki says the Great Fairy of Power near the Death Mountain Crater entrance gives it, with a base of 24 magic points, and the Great Fairy of Wisdom inside the crater doubles it to 48. Fire, Ice and Light Arrows all drain it. We have not confirmed that the remake changes any of this. Magic jars from grass, jars and defeated enemies refill the meter.
How to get the Fire Arrows in the Ocarina of Time remake
The Fire Arrows are at Lake Hylia. VGC says there is an inscription on the island with the tree above the Water Temple, and it hints at what to do.
- Clear the Water Temple. When you leave it, you are placed on that island.
- Wait a few moments. A sunrise appears with a bright halo around it.
- Take out the Fairy Bow and shoot an arrow into the middle of the halo.
- A Fire Arrow descends onto another island in the lake. Go and collect it.
The earlier game was a little more flexible. Zelda Wiki says that in the original, you do not have to finish the Water Temple first: you can reach the island with the Scarecrow’s Song and the Longshot, or by riding a Magic Bean plant. VGC says you could get the arrows somewhat out of order in the remake but does not recommend it, so the safest route is the one above. Our Ocarina of Time songs list has the Scarecrow’s Song inputs if you want to try the shortcut.
What Fire Arrows are for
Per the wiki, they light torches that are too far away for Din’s Fire, and they hurt some enemies that regular arrows cannot, such as Freezards. The game never forces you to use them: Din’s Fire plus an arrow shot through a lit torch clears the same puzzles in the original.
How to get the Ice Arrows: Gerudo Proving Grounds
The Ice Arrows are the hard one. You earn them by finishing the Gerudo Proving Grounds, an optional mini-dungeon at the Gerudo Fortress. VGC’s walkthrough says you pay 30 rupees every time you enter. Your progress is kept, but the fee is not. The 1998 game charged 10, according to Zelda Wiki.
Items to bring
| Item | Where it comes from |
|---|---|
| Song of Time | Ocarina song you already have for the story |
| Scarecrow’s Song (optional, recommended) | Optional ocarina song; see our songs list |
| Fairy Bow | Forest Temple |
| Lens of Truth | Bottom of the Well |
| Megaton Hammer | Fire Temple |
| Iron Boots | Ice Cavern |
| Longshot | Water Temple |
That is the list VGC’s route uses. The Silver Gauntlets from the Spirit Temple are not on it: the route skips the one block that needs them. Since you will be revisiting the other dungeons anyway, our Heart Pieces guide and Gold Skulltula list are worth keeping open.
How the dungeon works
From the lobby you see three paths. The left and right paths are rooms full of puzzles, and each room’s reward is a small key. The centre path is a maze of locked doors that you open with those keys. There are nine small keys in total, but VGC says you only need seven to reach the Ice Arrow chest in the middle of the maze.
The route VGC recommends goes as follows:
- Take the left path first, or the rooms will come out of order. Collect keys as you go, and expect silver-diamond puzzles, enemy rooms and a lava room.
- In the lava room, shoot the eye switch above the door, then the eyes on the central stone, to drain the lava and earn a key. Calling the scarecrow with the Scarecrow’s Song beforehand gives you a shortcut back up.
- Hit the statues with the Megaton Hammer in the room with the fire-ringed chest to reveal the switches that open the way on.
- Use the Zora Tunic and Iron Boots for the underwater room, and the blocks the Song of Time creates to get around several rooms.
- Take the Beamos out with the hammer first in the Dinolfos room, then collect the key. This room exits to the lobby’s right-hand door, so you have now looped the entire dungeon.
- Walk into the centre maze. Use the Lens of Truth to find a hidden hole above one grate for the eighth key, then keep opening doors on the left until seven keys are spent. The chest at the centre holds the Ice Arrows.
The Light Arrows are the only elemental arrow the story requires. AI-generated illustration
What Ice Arrows are for
They freeze enemies. Zelda Wiki says frozen enemies thaw after a few seconds or when hit by another attack, and that enemies that can be frozen take double damage from an Ice Arrow. The game never needs them, which is why this one is purely for completionists and for players who want an easier time against a few bosses. If you want other optional rewards, our Hall of Fallen Foes guide covers timed boss rematches and enemy statues.
How to get the Light Arrows
The Light Arrows are the last elemental arrow and the only one the story requires. VGC, avoiding spoilers, says you receive them after completing the Spirit Temple and returning to the Temple of Time. In the original game, Zelda Wiki has Zelda give them to Link there after all of the Sages are awakened.
They matter for two things. First, they are needed to beat Ganondorf, and they stun him in his beast form. Second, they dispel the magical barrier that blocks the upper levels of Ganon’s Castle. An enemy killed with one almost always drops 50 rupees, per the wiki. Plan for some magic jars, because the Light Arrow uses more of the meter than the other two.
Ocarina of Time arrows: FAQ
Do I need the Fire and Ice Arrows to beat the game?
No. Zelda Wiki lists both as optional in the 1998 game, and VGC calls the Light Arrows the only one that is necessary to complete the remake.
Can I get the Fire Arrows before the Water Temple?
VGC’s best time is just after the Water Temple. The original game allowed earlier access with the Scarecrow’s Song and the Longshot or a Magic Bean plant, but we have not seen the remake confirm the same shortcuts.
How much does the Gerudo Proving Grounds cost?
30 rupees per entry in the remake, according to VGC. Your progress carries over between visits.
If you are stuck elsewhere, the rest of our Ocarina of Time remake coverage is a good next stop.
Sources: VGC, all arrows guide; VGC, Gerudo Proving Grounds walkthrough; Zelda Wiki pages for Fire Arrow, Ice Arrow, Light Arrow, Magic Meter and Gerudo Training Ground (original 1998 game).
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Featured image: AI-generated illustration
