Eldin Volcano walkthrough – Zelda: Skyward Sword HD guide (2024)

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword’s Eldin Volcano area opens after you’ve completed the Skyview Temple. With an Iron Shield in hand, it’s time to head there.

In this Skyward Sword HD Eldin Volcano walkthrough, we’ll guide you through this area with tips on finding items, rupees, Goddess Cubes, and collectibles and completing every quest and side quest. We’ll walk you through the Eldin Volcano area including Volcano East, Volcano Ascent, and the Temple Entrance. You’ll get a new tool, the Digging Mitts. Once you reach the temple, we’ll help you find all five pieces of the key to open the door. Before we head inside, we’ll go upgrade your Iron Shield to the Reinforced Shield and open some Goddess Chests.

Table of contents

• Volcano Entry
• Volcano East
• Digging Mitts
• Volcano Ascent
• Thrill Digger minigame
• Temple Entrance
• Piece of the key 1
• Piece of the key 2
• Piece of the key 3
• Piece of the key 4
• Piece of the key 5
• Reinforced Shield
• Goddess Chests

Volcano Entry

Graphic: Jeffrey Parkin | Sources: Nintendo via Polygon

Once you land in the Eldin Volcano region, walk forward to the bird statue and save.

Image: Nintendo via Polygon

Follow the path forward, and drop off the ledge on the left (north) to find a Goddess Cube.

Back on the path, hop across the lava heading east. You’ll meet a couple of Mogmas named Ledd and Cobal. Past them, keep following the path until you come to a cave.

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Inside, you’ll meet Kortz and learn about Bomb Flowers. (Before you start blowing stuff up, there’s a Volcanic Ladybug in the house to your right.) Roll and throw the Bomb Flowers to destroy the four walls in this room.

• Roll a bomb into the tunnel behind you and to the right for a blue rupee.
• Bomb the wall on the right to meet a giant Red ChuChu. Roll another bomb into it to destroy it.
• Bomb the wall straight ahead to open the path deeper into the volcano.
• Bomb the high wall on the left for another blue rupee.

Head through the tunnel to the next bird statue.

Volcano East

Graphic: Jeffrey Parkin | Sources: Nintendo via Polygon

Just past the Volcano East bird statue, drop off the path to the left.

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Grab one of the Bomb Flowers and roll it through the tunnel to the west. Crawl through after it. There’s a chest with a red rupee inside. If you’re quick, there are also a couple Eldin Rollers here.

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Back on the main path, follow it left to find a Goddess Cube.

Graphic: Jeffrey Parkin | Sources: Nintendo via Polygon

Turn around, and go back to the right fork to meet Merco. Continue past.

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You’ll spot a Pyrup in a clearing below you. It will duck into a tunnel to hide, and then spit fire, blocking your path.

Roll a Bomb Flower into its tunnel and continue past. Follow the path as it hooks back to your left.

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You’ll see two more Pyrups below you. These are hiding in skulls like hermit crabs. Toss a Bomb Flower into the hole in the skull to take them out.

Graphic: Jeffrey Parkin | Sources: Nintendo via Polygon

Facing the vertebra bridge, turn right (north). Climb up the series of ledges heading east and then south to the top.

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You’ll meet a new kind of Pyrup here — roll the Bomb Flowers into the front of their shells. Just past them, directly south of the spine bridge, you’ll find a Piece of Heart. Make your way back to the bridge.

Graphic: Jeffrey Parkin | Sources: Nintendo via Polygon

Sprint across the bridge, and you’ll meet a Mogma who tells you not to mess with the lava plug. Ignore him and do that.

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Sprint back across the bridge and pick up a Bomb Flower. Roll it along the bridge, and it will destroy the plug.

Cross the bridge again, and take a left. Use the air vents to reach the door above you. Jump in.

Digging Mitts

Graphic: Jeffrey Parkin | Sources: Nintendo via Polygon

On your way down, watch for a chest on your left.

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If you land on its ledge, you’ll get some Eldin Ore. Also watch for a pillar on the right with a Goddess Cube. It’s small and hard to land on, so it might take a couple tries.

If you miss either of them and want to come back, there’s an updraft to the north that will take you back to the surface to try again.

Drop the rest of the way down and hit the bird statue.

Follow the tunnel west, and take the first left. Talk to Nackle.

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Deal with all of the Bokoblins in the next room — make sure you climb up onto the wooden scaffold on the right to take out the one with the horn.

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Once they’re cleared out, go back and talk to Nackle. Ask for a way forward, and you’ll get the Digging Mitts.

Before you continue, head back into the Bokoblin room. There’s a spot to dig in the southeast corner. Dig there to open an air vent that carries you up to a ledge. Dig on the ledge several times to reveal some treasures Eldin Ore and rupees.

Graphic: Jeffrey Parkin | Sources: Nintendo via Polygon

Dig in the spot just past Nackle to enter the next tunnel. Dig at the spot at the intersection for some rupees. Take the left. Use the digging spot and ladder to climb up to a Bokoblin hangout. Take out the guard, and then check the houses and dig spots for rupees.

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Facing east, there are three tunnels. Hop into the middle tunnel, and you’ll slide all the way back to that first Bokoblin room near Nackle. You’ll land next to the chest there. Open it for some Eldin Ore.

Retrace your steps, and take the right fork this time.

Graphic: Jeffrey Parkin | Sources: Nintendo via Polygon

In the room with the stalagmites and Pyrups, take a left and dig in the corner to meet Tyto. He’s not helpful.

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Take two rights, and you’ll find a couple Bomb Flowers in the southeast corner of the room. Use one to bomb the middle left Pyrup. Inside its chamber, dig to find some hearts. Back outside, dig in the southwest corner for some rupees.

Keep bombing the Pyrups until you can exit to the east. In the next room, clear the grass and dig in any spots you find. Most will be rupees, and one will be an air vent leading to the big updraft.

Volcano Ascent

Graphic: Jeffrey Parkin | Sources: Nintendo via Polygon

On the surface, talk to the Mogma named Zanc. Take the right path and bomb the stone wall to open a shortcut back to the spine bridge from earlier.

Take the left path, and cross the bridge. Save at the Volcano Ascent bird statue.

Follow the path to the left of the bird statue.

Dash up the sand to the platform about halfway up. Cut across to the left (west), and use the Bomb Flower there to open the path back to the south. Dig at the two holes for some hearts, rupees, and seeds for your Slingshot.

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Dash back to the platform in the middle, and shoot the boulder wielding Bokoblin at the top of the sandy ramp. Sprint up to the tunnel he was protecting.

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Deal with the Bokoblins, and then bomb the tower to create a bridge. We’ll go there in a second, but first, destroy the bombable wall to the north between the two huts.

Head inside.

Thrill Digger minigame

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Inside, you’ll meet Tubert. The minigame you’ll play here is basically a scratch off lottery ticket or, more accurately, Minesweeper. When you pay to play, you’ll dig in the holes to collect rupees until you find a bomb. You keep whatever you collect before then.

As the difficulty increases, more bombs and more valuable rupees show up.

Before you play, head to the back of the room. There are two digging spots here. One has a bunch of rupees, and the other contains Zanc. Give him 20 rupees, and he’ll give you some hints:

• Green rupees – no bombs
• Blue rupees – one or two bombs
• Red rupees – three or four bombs
• Silver rupees – five or six bombs
• Gold rupee – seven or eight bombs

The hints will give you an edge, but it really comes down to luck. Play as much as you want, and then head back outside.

Temple Entrance

Graphic: Jeffrey Parkin | Sources: Nintendo via Polygon

Cross the bridge you made from the tower, and follow the path as it loops around. You’ll come to another sand ramp.

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Sprint up to the first pair of platforms and handle the Bokoblins. From there, use your Slingshot to deal with the Bokoblin throwing boulders at you. Wait for him to grab one, and then shoot him so the boulder kills him.

Sprint up to the upper platform, and stand all the way to one side. Slingshot the three Bokoblins and climb the rest of the way up.

Listen to the Mogmas’ conversation, and Fi will add piece of the key to your dowsing menu.

Save at the Temple Entrance bird statue.

Piece of the key 1

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Take a left from the Temple Entrance and head west.

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The first piece of the key is buried in a digging spot just past the pavers.

Continue left (west) toward the puddle in the northwest corner of the area. Dig up the air vent there.

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Grab a Bomb Flower from the south and throw it into the air vent to blow up the rock wall above you. Ride the air vent up to find a Goddess Cube.

Piece of the key 2

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From piece of the key 1, face south. Use the Bomb Flowers to knock down the tower on the sand ramp below you.

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Slide down to that tower, and dig under it for piece of the key 2.

Sprint back up the hill to the Tower Entrance.

Piece of the key 3

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Just to the east of where you climbed up originally, look for a pair of Bomb Flowers overlooking the large sand ramp.

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Along the east wall of the ramp, there’s a bombable wall. Toss one of the Bomb Flowers to destroy it, and slide down to the upper platform.

Sprint over to the alcove (you can’t slide to it), and dig to find piece of the key 3.

Dash back up to the Temple Entrance.

Piece of the key 4

Graphic: Jeffrey Parkin | Sources: Nintendo via Polygon

Take a right from the Temple Entrance and clear out the Bokoblins. Use the Bomb Flowers in the southeastern hut to knock down the tower to the north.

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Before you cross the tower-turned-bridge, turn right and follow the path to another Goddess Cube.

Image: Nintendo via Polygon

Go back and cross your bridge. Follow the tunnel up to the next clearing. Take a left at the missing bridge, and use the narrow ledge to shimmy across to the north. Climb the ledges and hop across to the east. Follow that path south.

Jump across to the vine-covered wall. Climb all the way right — you’ll pass below the bridge — and then up to reach the bridge. Go through the door and stand on the pressure plate inside to extend the bridge. Check the dig spots for rupees, and continue along.

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You’ll catch on fire in the next room, so just sprint across to the right. Slide down the tunnel, and you’ll land on another sand ramp. Stick to the right side, and ride the air vent there up to the stone pillar.

Image: Nintendo via Polygon

Slide down the right side of the slope, and aim for the platform along the left. Ride the air vents across to the left (east). You’ll land on another platform where you’ll dig up piece of the key 4.

Slide the rest of the way down.

Piece of the key 5

Graphic: Jeffrey Parkin | Sources: Nintendo via Polygon

After sliding down from piece of the key 4, follow the path right. Hop across to the center pillar, and take another right.

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In the cave there, grab a Bomb Flower and run back outside. Just to the left of the entrance, there’s another lava plug. Toss the bomb to destroy it.

Image: Nintendo via Polygon

Back in the cave, grab another Bomb Flower and roll it straight across the room. It should roll down and destroy the wall in the northwest corner. Dash over and dig to find the final piece of the key.

Back outside, continue west. Check along the left (south) for a couple of spots to dig. Grab one of the Bomb Flowers and head into the cave to the north. Toss it to the wall on your left to open a shortcut.

Graphic: Jeffrey Parkin | Sources: Nintendo via Polygon

Hop into the updraft to the north and ride it up to the bridge you extended while grabbing piece of the key 4.

Make your way back to the Temple Entrance.

Reinforced Shield

Before heading inside, let’s go upgrade your Iron Shield. Head to the Scrap Shop in the Skyloft Bazaar.

Graphic: Jeffrey Parkin | Sources: Nintendo via Polygon

For 2 Eldin Ore (found around Eldin Volcano), 2 Monster Claws (from flying enemies), 2 Ornamental Skulls (from Bokoblins), and 50 rupees, Gondo will turn your Iron Shield into a Reinforced Shield.

Goddess Chests

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If you’ve been following along, you’ve also unlocked a few Goddess Chests at this point. There’s no trick to any of them, so head to the sky and check your map.