Death Mountain

Death Mountain as seen in Twilight Princess.

Death Mountain is a recurring location in The Legend of Zelda series. It is a large, volcanic mountain located in northern Hyrule's Eldin Province.

Characteristics

Death Mountain is a large volcanic mountain, located in northern Hyrule Kingdom and part of the Eldin Mountains. It is associated with the Goddess of Power; Din, who at the start of time, used her flaming arms to create the "red earth" upon which the world of Hyrule sits. Death Mountain is so large that its peak is easily visible from the other side of the country. Death Mountain's frequent eruptions cause falling rocks and lava to be a constant danger for anyone attempting to climb the mountain. Because of this, travel up the mountain is generally forbidden except to those who have written permission from the royal family. The mountain is also riddled with caves and lava tubes. In most of its appearances, Spectacle Rock, a rock formation resembling a pair of eyes, can be found somewhere on it.

No large trees and few plants grow here and creatures that do live here such as Tektites and Dodongos are either sure footed, covered in protective scales or fire proof. A race of rock-eating giants known as Gorons live here and mine the mountain in search of nutritional minerals that can only be obtained from the volcanic bedrock. Gorons are immune to the heat and magma of the volcano and can also curl into a protective ball to defend themselves when needed. In addition to being expert miners, Gorons are also skilled craftsmen making weapons, armor and various other goods out of stone and metal which they trade with the other races of Hyrule. Bomb Flowers are a plant that commonly grows in shaded places on Death Mountain. These plants produce fruit that contains explosive properties and the powder made from these fruits is used in making bombs and other explosives.

Appearances

The Legend of Zelda

In The Legend of Zelda, Death Mountain was a large area that took up most of the northern part of the map. The final dungeon Ganon's lair is found inside a rock formation known as Spectacle Rock.

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Death Mountain as seen in Zelda II: The Adventure of LInk.

In Zelda II, Death Mountain is in the southwest portion of the map, and its area consists of a maze of caves. The proper exit of the maze leads the player to an area which is revealed to be the Overworld from the first Legend of Zelda.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

In A Link to the Past, Death Mountain occupies much of the northern area of the map. It is location of the Tower of Hera in the Light World, and Ganon's Tower and Turtle Rock in the Dark World. When first visiting the mountain, Link encounters a lost old man in the cave-system leading to the area. After guiding him through the paths, the old man will give him the Magic Mirror and heal Link whenever he visits. The Japanese game refers only to the Dark World mountain as Death Mountain, calling the one in the Light World "Hebra Mountain", instead. This has never happened in any later Zelda games, so it is assumed the change during translation was deliberate and intended by the creators.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Child Half

In Ocarina of Time, Death Mountain is a volcano located in the far northeast reaches of the country. Link travels there seeking the Spiritual Stone guarded by the "people of the mountains", needed to awaken the Master Sword. The mountain's summit can only be reached by going through Kakariko Village, a quiet farming village that sits at its base. Due to the danger posed by falling rocks and lava flows as well as monsters, travel up the mountain is forbidden to those who don't possess written permission from a member of the Royal Family. With Zelda's Letter, Link can access Death Mountain Trail, where he soon meets the Gorons a race of rock-eating miners, with skin as hard as stone.

The Goron's chieftain Darunia is the guardian of the Goron's Ruby that Link seeks and an old friend of the King of Hyrule. His people live inside a cave network with four levels called Goron City. Prior to Link arriving, the Goron's got most of their food from their mine in Dodongo's Cavern and had apparently become unable to stomach regular, less nutritious rocks from the mountain's surface. However, one day, they delved too deep, into a nest of Dodongos, a race of fire breathing dinosaur previously thought extinct, and the mine became overrun. The massive King Dodongo and his children driving out the Gorons and disrupting mining operations. Furthermore, when Darunia, attempted to contact the King of Hyrule to request assistance, Ganondorf arrived instead and blocked the cavern's entrance with a boulder so that the Dodongos couldn't get out, but the Gorons couldn't get in. Leaving Darunia believing that the king betrayed him.

Link befriends Darunia and volunteers to save the Goron's food in exchange for the Goron's Ruby. By using a Bomb Flower, he clears the boulder blocking Dodongo's Cavern and slays King Dodongo, once again opening up the mines to the Grorons. In gratitude, Darunia dubs Link an honorary brother of the Groron tribe.

Aside from story events the player has the option to climb the mountain further once they have access to bombs, in order to find a Great Fairy's Fountain hidden at the summit; the Great Fairy there grants Link the power of magic allowing him to increase the range of his spin attack and eventually cast magic spells. From here the player can enter Death Mountain Crater, however the intense heat will prevent Link from going very far, if they can make it to a second Great Fairy's Fountain inside, Link's magic meter can be doubled.

Adult Half

When Link becomes an adult, an ominous ring of fire appears above Death Mountain. Fearing the worst, he arrives back at Goron City to find it abandoned with the exception of a lone Goron, Darunia's son whom he has named in honor of Link. He tells Link that Ganondorf used the Triforce of Power to revive the evil dragon Volvagia, with plans to feed the Gorons to it as punishment for refusing to accept him as King. The growing instability of the volcano being caused by the great dragon's rumblings threatens to destroy nearby Kakariko Village as well.

Darunia as a descendant of the Goron hero who originally slayed Volvagia, enters Death Mountain Crater through a secret entrance behind his throne room in a bid to save his people. As Link is unable to handle the extreme heat of the crater, Darunia's son gives him the Goron Tunic, a magical armor created to prevent heat stroke in non-Gorons. Now able to follow Darunia inside of the volcano, Link once again meets the mysterious Sheik and discovers the entrance to the Fire Temple. Inside, he is aided by Darunia, as they free the imprisoned Gorons and Link obtains the legendary Megaton Hammer, the weapon that Darunia's ancestor slayed Volvagia with.

With Volvagia's destruction, Death Mountain finally quiets, and Darunia awakens as the Sage of Fire, giving him the Fire Medallion and adding his power to Link and the Master Sword.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

In Twilight Princess, Death Mountain is a volcano once again, located close to Kakariko Village. Spectacle Rock is now the home of the Goron race, and also houses their Goron Mines. Lava flows inside the mines, and there is a hot spring located behind Spectacle Rock itself. Subsequently, Link is not able to enter the mine at first, but as the story progresses, Gor Coron, a Goron elder temporarily ruling in the patriarch's stead, will allow Link to enter after defeating him at sumo wrestling, to search for their possessed leader Darbus.

Similar Mountains

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

In Majora's Mask, set in Termina, a mountain very similar to Death Mountain can be seen in the background, complete with a ring of smoke.

The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker

In The Wind Waker, an island volcano known as Dragon Roost Island is very similar to, and speculated by fans to be the tip of Death Mountain (as the gods had flooded Hyrule, only leaving mountaintops sticking out of the Great Sea). It has the same ring of smoke as in Ocarina of Time, Bomb Flowers grow there, and the Rito race in caves similar to those of the Gorons.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap

In The Minish Cap, a mountain known as Mount Crenel has lava, abandoned mines, falling rocks, and a gap similar to one seen on Death Mountain in A Link to the Past.

Locations in The Legend of Zelda
Hyrule	Eagle Labyrinth • Moon Labyrinth • Manji Labyrinth • Snake Labyrinth • Lizard Labyrinth • Dragon Labyrinth • Demon Labyrinth • Lion Labyrinth • Death Mountain Labyrinth

Locations in The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords
Hyrule	Chambers of Insight • Sea of Trees • Talus Cave • Death Mountain • Vaati's Palace

Locations in The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures
Hyrule	Whereabouts of the Wind (Lake Hylia • Cave of No Return) Eastern Hyrule (The Coast • Village of the Blue Maiden) Death Mountain (Death Mountain Foothills • The Mountain Path) Near the Fields (The Field • The Swamp) The Dark World (The Lost Woods • Kakariko Village) Desert of Doubt (Desert of Doubt • Desert Temple) Frozen Hyrule (Frozen Hyrule • The Ice Temple) Realm of the Heavens (Realm of the Heavens • The Dark Cloud
Dungeons	Hyrule Castle • Eastern Temple • Tower of Flames • Infiltration of Hyrule Castle • Temple of Darkness • Pyramid • Tower of Winds • Palace of Winds