Chapter 7 covers Dodongo Cavern, the second dungeon. Inside you'll find the Bomb Bag, the Dungeon Map and Compass, and a new Business Scrub Seed item, then fight King Dodongo for the Goron Ruby, the Spiritual Stone of Fire.
The cavern has 5 Gold Skulltulas. But only 4 can be obtained during this visit. One needs adult Link with the Longshot or the Scarecrow's Song.
The Entrance and the Main Hall
Just inside the entrance, pick up a Bomb Flower and throw it at the cracked rock blocking the way.
Go through to the main hall, a huge room with a giant Dodongo skull in the middle, surrounded by lava. Read the stone tablet in front of the skull, it hints that the long-dead Dodongo is a guide to the hidden path.
Jump across the platforms to reach the left side of the room, first go towards the far end cracked wall. Blow it open with a Bomb Flower and open the chest behind it for the Dungeon Map.
You can also use the Bomb Flower again to destroy the other cracked wall on the left side to find a small chest that contains a blue Rupee.
The East Rooms and the Lizalfos
Now jump across to the right side of the Main Hall, use the Bomb Flower to destroy the cracked wall closest to the entrance (the furthest one just has a stone that tells you the time when you hit it).
After going past the destroyed wall you will find yourself in a hallway with many Baby Dodongo enemies, just to the right of the 3rd set of them that ambush you is another cracked wall, defeat the Baby Dodongos nearby to this wall so when they explode they destroy the wall, inside you will find the Gold Skulltula (you can also just return here once you have the bombs a bit later in this dungeon).
To open the next door at the end of the hallway you need to push the statue onto the switch to keep the door open.
Through the next door is the first Lizalfos fight, on round platforms over the lava. Block with your shield, then counterattack when they finish a combo. Once they're defeated the barrier disappears and a chest appears with a Red Rupee (20).
Also in the room where you defeated the Lizalfos there is a small alcove on the east side where you can find a small Fairy that you can catch in an Empty Bottle to use whenever you need healing back to full health.
The Fire-Breathing Dodongos and the Torch Room
Past the Lizalfos room, throw a Bomb Flower at the cracked wall to find a Business Scrub. He sells a bundle of Deku Seeds and Deku Sticks. Grab some sticks if you're low, you'll need one in a moment.
Further on are the Dodongos, larger lizards that breathe fire. Attack their tails from the side or behind, and step away when they're defeated, because they explode, you can also just throw a bomb flower in front of them and they will eat it and explode. Then light the unlit torches with a lit Deku Stick from a burning torch to open the way.
After going through the next door stand on the switch to unlock the door the other side of the Main Hall.
The Compass and the Staircase Room
Back in the main hall, go through the newly opened door on the west side of the room, then use the Bomb Flower to destroy the cracked wall on the left, in here you will find Armos statues. They come to life when you touch them, so keep your distance and bomb them with a Bomb Flower. The chest here holds the Compass.
The next room has a raised staircase with a row of Bomb Flowers along its base. Place a Bomb Flower into the empty space in the row. The blasts set each other off and knock the staircase down into a ramp. Climb it, you will see a ladder directly in front of you, ignore it for now as you will need to return later once you have unlocked the Bomb Bag.
For now continue up the ramp, at the top, a Gold Skulltula is on a chain-link fence. Shoot it with the Slingshot, then climb the fence to grab the token.
The Upper Floors
The upper floor has Fire Keese, flaming bats that set the wooden Deku Shield on fire and burn it up. Shoot them with the Slingshot before they reach you, or equip the Hylian Shield instead.
Continue across the bridge in the upper floor of the Main Hall towards the east side, be careful not to fall through the hole in the bridge.
In the next block room, push the stone block into place so you can climb up to the platforms, then open the chest for some Deku Seeds.
Throw the nearby Bomb Flower across to the cracked wall above the ladder to destroy it. Then jump across to the ladder to continue. Use the Slingshot to shoot the eye symbol above the next door to turn off the flames allowing you to jump across.
After another short hallway with Baby Dodongos, a second Lizalfos fight waits on the lava platforms further along. Beat them to lift the barrier. Then follow the platforms and a narrow path to a chest on a rock pillar. It holds a Business Scrub Seed, which you can use to summon a Business Scrub shop whenever needed.
The Bomb Bag
The passage further on is blocked by fire. Shoot the eye switch above it with the Slingshot to put the fire out, then cross to the first platform, look to the left and shoot another eye switch to remove the 2nd set of flames. At the end, open the chest for the Bomb Bag. You can now carry up to 20 Bombs, and they're used like any other item.
Just past the chest you be back in the upper floor of the Main Hall, first stand on the switch to activate the "lift" platform.
Just to the right of this switch is another Cracked Wall, use bombs to destroy it, defeat the enemies inside and you will find a Gold Skulltula on the back of the rock in the small room.
Opening the Skull's Mouth
Walk along the bridge until you're directly above the giant skull's eyes. Drop a Bomb into each eye socket. When both eyes glow red, the skull's mouth opens.
If you walk all the way across the bridge there will be another cracked wall, behind it is a small chest that contains another blue Rupee.
Before heading inside the mouth towards the Boss, remember that one ladder we mentioned we would need to return later once we had the bombs? well now is that time, use the lift to return back to the lower floor of the Main Hall and go through the middle door on the west side.
Go right and climb up the big steps and this time climb up the ladder at the top of the stairs. Destroy the cracked wall using bombs to reveal a chest that contains another Business Scrub Seed.
You can now head back to then Main Hall lower floor and head into the mouth of the giant statue.
Inside the Skull and the Boss Door
Inside the skull, fight past the Keese. In the room with the stone blocks, push the lower block along until it sits directly below the higher block so that you can stand on the lower one to push the higher one down to the area below.
In the lower area with the blocks, you will see another cracked wall slightly elevated off the ground, to destroy it simply hold a bomb in your hands for a few seconds until it is about to explode then throw it at the cracked wall so it explodes in the air at the height of the wall. Behind here you will find another Gold Skulltula.
Back in the block room, do the same as before, push the block you just knocked down towards the one near the exit, climb on the lower block to push the higher one out of the way.
On this final short path you will find one more block that you can push down into the hole below to open the Boss door.
Through this final door is a room with a clearly cracked spot in the middle of the floor, place a bomb here to reach the Boss room below.
Boss, King Dodongo
King Dodongo, the Infernal Dinosaur, is a giant fire-breathing lizard. The arena is a wide rocky path beside the lava, and Bomb Flowers grow along it if you run low on Bombs.
- When King Dodongo opens his mouth to inhale, throw a Bomb or Bomb Flower into it.
- The bomb explodes inside him and he collapses. Run in and slash him several times.
- He then curls up and rolls along the path. Move out of his way by running away from him until he stops.
Repeat until he's defeated and rolls into the lava. Collect the Heart Container and step into the blue light to leave.
The Goron Ruby
Outside the cavern, Darunia is waiting, he apologizes for taking his anger out on you, and explains that Ganondorf's men offered to deal with the Dodongos if the Gorons handed over their Spiritual Stone. He names you his Sworn Brother and gives you the Goron Ruby, the Spiritual Stone of Fire. That's two of the three stones.
Before you go, he suggests visiting the Great Fairy at the mountain's summit. Now that you have Bombs, that's where we're heading next, in Chapter 8.
Chapter 7 Checklist
- Bomb Bag (20), Dungeon Map and Compass
- Business Scrub Seed x2
- Heart Container from King Dodongo (5 hearts)
- Goron Ruby
- Gold Skulltulas this chapter 4 (running total 22 of 100)
- Heart Pieces this chapter, 0 (running total 7 of 36)
