Permanently Missable Items - A Guide

The following is an exhaustive, thorough guide for those 100% completionists like me who want to obtain and to accomplish all that there is to do in the Zelda series. Unfortunately, not often but at a few points in the series, certain items, treasure chests, and other things will become permanently unavailable after the player has reached a certain point of no return. This guide details all such points and explains how to obtain those permanently missable items before they're gone for good. I will be going game by game and have included a master list at the end in case someone's just wanting a quick reference.


The Legend of Zelda
* 4 Heart Containers in each quest are missable if you choose the Potion instead of the Heart Container. Never choose the Potion! You can buy Potion at any time in the game, but once you pass up that Heart Container, it's gone forever!

First Quest:
1.) The first Heart Container is found at H-5 (one screen south of Level 1 by burning up one of the trees with the Candle.
2.) The second Heart Container is found at L-8 (where the sea begins in the far south of Hyrule) by bombing a rock wall to gain entry.
3.) The third Heart Container is found at M-3 (in the desert, one screen north of Level 2) by bombing an opening in the rock in the center of the screen.
4.) The fourth Heart Container is found at P-3 (use the Raft on the dock in the northeastern part of the sea).

Second Quest:
1.) The first Heart Container is found at A-3 (the northwesternmost part of the cemetery) by pushing a gravestone with the Power Bracelet.
2.) The second Heart Container is found at G-1 (one screen east of Spectacle Rock in the Death Mountain area) by playing the Recorder.
3.) The third Heart Container is found at K-4 (the southwesternmost part of the desert) by playing the Recorder.
4.) The fourth Heart Container is found at P-3 (where you again use the Raft on the northeastern dock, just as in the first quest).

* 3 Heart Containers are actually losable in the second quest as well! At three points (all in dungeons), you'll come to a room where the old man will make you either pay 50 Rupees or 1 Heart Container. Always pay the Rupees, never the Heart Container! Once you pay the Heart Container, it's gone forever. You can earn the Rupees back at any time, but not the Heart Container. If you find that you don't have enough cash, leave the room and hunt more Rupees, then return when you have enough.

1.) This particular old man first appears in Level 4 ("D") in the far northern central room.
2 & 3.) He returns to bug you not once but twice in Level 7 ("Spiral")! You'll see him one room to the south of the boss (Manhandla) as well as one room to the west of Manhandla.

* This game keeps tabs of how many times you die and get a "game over," registering the number next to your file name--something to keep in mind if you want a perfect zero there. (This number carries over from the first quest into the second quest as well.)


Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Nothing is missable in this game, although it should be noted that whenever you complete a palace, it turns to stone in the overworld and you'll never be able to enter it again. However, it only becomes stone when you A) obtain the main dungeon item, and B) place the crystal in the statue after the boss battle. So if you do #2 but not #1, don't fret--you can still return to claim the item. However, if you do both, the palace will be closed, and you won't be able to return to boost experience points, pick up Treasure Bags, or anything like that.

Also of note are the 1-up Dolls. It's not possible to miss these permanently, but when you do get one, it's gone for the rest of the save file, even after you quit and return to the game. Therefore, it's best to plan wisely and strategically when hunting them all down! For instance, it would probably be better to wait until all the palaces have been completed except the Great Palace, and then go retrieve them all. (Also note that once you've maxed out your stats at level 8 in all three areas, you get a 1-up for each 9000 experience points you gain.) Here are the 1-up Dolls in this game:

1.) The first Doll is found in the swampy area south of the cave route to Ruto Town, west of Bagu's house.
2.) The second Doll is found in the southwestern part of the graveyard, west of the actual gravestones and on the shore.
3.) The third Doll is found southwest of the bridge that takes you to Maze Island, on the shore bordering the forest and the stone wall.
4.) The fourth (and final overworld) Doll is found in the northwest corner of the swamp that's north of Old Kasuto Town and the graveyard leading into the Valley of Death.
5.) The fifth Doll is found in Three-Eye Rock Palace. On the floor above the boss room, there's a pit with a breakable platform in the middle of it. Instead of dropping down the pit to go to the boss, use the breakable platform to jump to the other side--at the end of the corridor is the Doll.
6.) The sixth and final Doll is found in the Great Palace. There's a place among the lower floors where you take an elevator down, and then there are three paths to take: left, right, or continuing down. To the right is a Fairy, but to the left, after the lava pits, is the Doll.

Finally, if I give a list of the 1-up Dolls, I should do the same for the Treasure Bags containing experience points, as those are also one-shot deals as soon as you obtain them. Collect them strategically since once you've retrieved a bag, you cannot get it back. Just make sure you don't get a "game over" after obtaining any of these set Treasure Bags without leveling up, since a "game over" or restarting your game puts your experience points back down to zero again! That said, there are many more Treasure Bags in this game than Dolls. Here are the ones in the overworld:

1.) The first Treasure Bag (50) is found northeast of the North Palace where you start the game. Simply follow the path until it splits and take the left fork to the lone forest tile you see there.
2.) The second Treasure Bag (200) is found due east of Midoro Palace, in the cave north of the easternmost swamp.
3.) The third Treasure Bag (100) is found east of Saria Town, in the lone forest tile down from the river.
4.) The fourth Treasure Bag (200) is found in a lone forest tile just as soon as you cross over into eastern Hyrule on your Raft, west of Nabooru Town.
5.) The fifth Treasure Bag (500) is found nearby in a cave south of Nabooru Town.
6.) The sixth Treasure Bag (500) is found on the coast southwest of the Palace on the Sea, the part bordering the rocky wall to the south.
7.) The seventh Treasure Bag (500) is found in the cave north of Old Kasuto Town, northeast of the graveyard leading into the Valley of Death.
8.) The eighth Treasure Bag (50) is found in the southeastern part of the forest to the northeast of Three-Eye Rock Palace; go directly southeast from the lake you see there.
9.) The ninth and final Treasure Bag (200) is found in the Valley of Death, in a dead end to the west about a third of the way up to the caves to the north--this is by far the riskiest Treasure Bag to find.

Even more important than the Treasure Bags in the overworld are the ones in palaces, since those are gone for good after you either A) pick one up or B) complete the palace. So if you want to get them all, make sure not to put the Crystal in the palace's statue until you've found all the Treasure Bags! There is 1 in Parapa Palace, 2 in Midoro Palace, 3 in Island Palace, 3 in Maze Palace, 5 in Palace on the Sea, 7 in Three-Eye Rock Palace, and none in the Great Palace.

1.) In Parapa Palace, there's a Treasure Bag (50) on the disintegrating bridge over the lava pit on the lowest floor of the palace.
2.) In Midoro Palace, there's a Treasure Bag (50) in the room with the falling blocks, as you're on the way to getting the Handy Glove.
3.) Also in Midoro Palace, there's a Treasure Bag (100) on a disintegrating platform above lava on the lowest floor, as you're on the way to the boss room.
4.) In Island Palace, there's a Treasure Bag (100) in the second room of three layers of breakable floor blocks at the bottom (in the same room as the key that's similarly buried).
5.) Also in Island Palace, there's a Treasure Bag (100) just as you enter the bottom floor, on top of a pillar-supported block platform.
6.) Also in Island Palace, there's a Treasure Bag (100) later on the bottom floor, in the room before the boss room, taking the low route.
7.) In Maze Palace, as you first enter, take the elevator down and go all the way left--there's a Treasure Bag (200) in the last room under some breakable blocks.
8.) Also in Maze Palace, as you first enter, take the elevator down and go right--there's a Treasure Bag (100) in one of the cubbyholes guarded by a Stalfos Knight.
9.) Also in Maze Palace, there's a Treasure Bag (100) on top of a pillar-supported block platform as you're on the way to the boss room.
10.) In Palace on the Sea, there's a Treasure Bag (200) on a breakable bridge over a lava pit soon after you descend the first elevator.
11.) Also in Palace on the Sea, there's a Treasure Bag (200) on top of an elevator on the third floor down from the surface.
12.) Also in Palace on the Sea, there's a Treasure Bag (200) one floor down from Treasure Bag #11, one room to the left, on some breakable blocks.
13.) Also in Palace on the Sea, there's a Treasure Bag (200) at the far left end of the floor where you found Treasure Bag #11, on top of some breakable blocks.
14.) Also in Palace on the Sea, there's a Treasure Bag (50) one floor down from Treasure Bag #13 and to the left, on top of some breakable blocks.
15.) In Three-Eye Rock Palace, there's a Treasure Bag (100) near the beginning--go down the first elevator and right into the next room.
16.) Also in Three-Eye Rock Palace, there's a Treasure Bag (200) in the far left room from Treasure Bag #15, under some breakable blocks.
17.) Also in Three-Eye Rock Palace, take the next elevator down from the previous two Treasure Bags--there's a Treasure Bag (100) more than halfway to the Cross, far to the right.
18.) Also in Three-Eye Rock Palace, from Treasure Bag #17, go back left and where there are two pits, fall down the leftmost pit--there's a Treasure Bag (200) on the left side below.
19.) Also in Three-Eye Rock Palace, from the last Treasure Bag, fall down the pit for two more floors (keeping to the left side)--there's a Treasure Bag (200) off to the left again.
20.) Also in Three-Eye Rock Palace, from the last Treasure Bag, fall down the pit one more time to loop back to the upper floor and go back right, bypassing the place where you got Treasure Bag #17. Keep going until you fall through an invisible floor--there's a Treasure Bag (200) to the right, past the wall of breakable blocks.
21.) Also in Three-Eye Rock Palace, there's a Treasure Bag (200) in the far left room on the bottom floor, under some breakable blocks.

For all these locations, you may be better served by guides at GameFAQs.com and maps at VGMaps.com for more details.

This game keeps tabs of not only how many times you get a "game over," but also how many times you save. So that's something to be aware of if you want a perfect zero next to your file name.


The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
There are no missable items or treasure chests in this game. The closest we get are that one item may be available in more than one chest. In which case, once you've claimed it from one chest, the others give you something like Rupees. The most common example of this are the three treasure chests that could potentially house the Lantern. Just like the first two titles in the series, this game keeps tabs both on your death count and how many times you save. (Contrary to much fan belief, dying and then being revived by a bottled Fairy does not count.) You don't see it next to your file name on the selection menu, but you do see it during the credits after you've beaten the game.


The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
* 1 treasure chest is permanently missable in this game. After you've cleared Level 6 (Face Shrine), learned the Frog's Song of Soul, and awakened the Flying Rooster, you can bring that rooster along with you until you clear Level 7 (Eagle's Tower). Before you go back north to the mountains, though, instead go to Kanalet Castle and spot a cave hole southwest of the castle that's inaccessible because of all the pits. Your Pegasus Boots/Roc's Feather combination will not suffice to get you across a gap that big! The Flying Rooster is the only way in. Fly over and enter the cave to earn your treasure: It's a Secret Seashell if you don't have the L-2 Sword or Rupees if you've already powered up your sword. At any rate, you still have the Flying Rooster even if you open up Level 7, enter, and leave. He only goes away after you beat the level. Therefore, do not defeat Evil Eagle and clear Level 7 until you have opened this treasure chest!

* 4 pictures (DX version only) out of the 12 are missable in this game. First, to trigger the photography side quest, you must visit the photo shop (from the Wind Fish's Egg go 3 screens south, then 1 screen east) and speak to the mouse who runs the place. After that, he'll show up at various times during your adventure to take pictures. It's possible to miss 4 of these such moments forever after a certain point, though! The last 3, in fact, are all taken when Marin is following you. So here they all are:

1.) The first is the picture of Link with Richard in front of the gate to Kanalet Castle. You must walk to the castle entrance while it is still closed. Then Richard will appear and the photographer show up to take your picture. Do not step on the switch inside Kanalet Castle until you have obtained this photograph!
2.) The second is the picture of Link with Marin on the seashore, at the southwesternmost tip of Koholint Island. Simply go straight there once she starts following you, and the photographer will do the rest.
3.) The third is the picture of Marin falling on top of Link at the bottom of a well! One screen north of the Village Library is a hole. Cut the bushes up above it and jump in (while Marin is with you, of course). Once you land in the cave below, don't move but let Marin land on you. You won't see the photographer, but that picture is now taken!
4.) The fourth is in the Mabe Village town square, in front of the rooster statue, as Link poses with both Marin and Tarin. Simply go there when Marin is following you, and Tarin and the photographer will meet you there. For photos #2-4, do not prompt Marin to awaken the walrus near Animal Village until you have obtained all three of these photographs! If you're uncertain, check the photo shop near Tal Tal Heights before you part with Marin.

On a more minor note regarding the pictures, the very first picture you take is not missable, but it's variable--and whatever choice you make will be what you see as long as your file lives. During your first dialogue with the photographer, if you agree to take a picture, then your first picture will be of Link posing with a peace sign. If you continually reject the photographer, though, he'll take a picture of a beat-up Link. Which one you want is up to you, but you'll be stuck with whatever choice you make.

* Another minor note is the loss of the green tunic (DX version only) at the conclusion to the Color Dungeon. After you beat the boss of that bonus dungeon, you gain access to a Great Fairy who will offer the choice to wear either a red tunic (boosting your attack power) or a blue tunic (boosting your defensive strength). When you choose one, you're perfectly able to return and swamp between red and blue, but you can never go back to green. (Note that there is a glitch you can perform to get the green tunic back if you're that determined about it.)

* Likewise, if you successfully steal from the shop in Mabe Village, you lose the original name that you created for yourself for the rest of the file, as everyone in the entire game now will address you as "THIEF." (Also note that the first time you return to the shop as THIEF, the shopkeeper will drain your hearts and kill you for an automatic "game over" as soon as you come in the door.) It's up to you whether you want to give up your name like this, but if you're playing the DX version, you actually have to become THIEF in order to complete the photography side quest--just don't go back into the shop!

* 3 Secret Seashells are missable, out of 26. Once you have exactly 5 Seashells (no more, no less), go to Seashell Mansion (southeast of Kanalet Castle) to gain a 6th. Likewise, once you have exactly 10 Seashells (no more, no less), return there to gain an 11th. The third missable Seashell is the one near Kanalet Castle's entrance that must be accessed with the Flying Rooster (see above). None of this is actually all that big a deal, however, since you only need 20 of the 26 Secret Seashells to forge the L-2 Sword. After you've powered your sword up, all remaining Secret Seashells in the game turn into Rupees, and (more importantly for the purpose of this guide) the slot for Secret Seashells on your inventory menu disappears. So if you want the transitory satisfaction of having all 26 Secret Seashells on your inventory, you're more than welcome to search them all out and hold off on returning to the Seashell Mansion until you've found them all. But the number and seashell icon will vanish once you get the L-2 Sword.

* This game does keep tabs on your death count on the file selection menu, but it doesn't count saves. In fact, there's a neat trick you can perform to save yourself from the "game over" screen if ever you do find yourself drained of hearts. If you die, then during Link's death animation, very quickly press A, B, start, and select all at the same time. You'll be taken to a menu where you can save and quit. Do so, and as you return to the file menu, you'll see that death didn't count against you! (This is possible in every death scenario except if you enter the Mabe Village shop after stealing from there, as the shopkeeper will kill you automatically, and there's no such escape--it's a guaranteed "game over." Do not go back inside the Mabe Village shop after you have stolen from there!) Unlike most other Zelda games, there's actually a pay-off to this. In both versions of the game, if you clear the game with zero deaths, then you'll see Marin reincarnated as a seagull at the very end, after the credits.


The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
* 1 Deku Nut upgrade is permanently missable, and this case is so curious that it may well be a glitch (except this "glitch" is present in every version of the game to date, including the Master Quest and Virtual Console versions). As you enter the Lost Woods from Kokiri Forest, go right, left, right, left, and left again to see a somewhat more open area with a tree and thick grass in the back. Keep wandering around the tall grass in the back until you fall down a hidden hole. Inside in the Forest Stage, where if you wear the right mask, the Deku Scrubs will reward you. Wear the Skull Mask to get the Deku Stick upgrade (to my knowledge, this can be obtained at any time), and wear the Mask of Truth to get the Deku Nut upgrade.

However! This will only work if you have not pulled the Master Sword yet and become an adult for the first time. If you've already become an adult and then travel back through time, wearing the Mask of Truth in front of the Deku Scrubs will get a variety of reactions, but it won't get you the upgrade. It will be gone forever. As such, do not pull out the Master Sword in the Temple of Time until you have obtained this upgrade! Also, contrary to some fan notions, the running man on Hyrule Field can be found before pulling the Master Sword. Look for him after you've obtained Zora's Sapphire. Another thing on this is I've been told that if you haven't yet gotten the first Deku Nut upgrade yet (buy from the Business Scrub in the hole under a bombable rock near the Sacred Forest Meadow), then you actually can still get the upgrade from the Forest Stage even after you've become an adult and reverted back. Still, I wouldn't chance it.

* A minor note is the Giant's Knife that you can buy from Medigoron in Goron City for a whopping 200 Rupees. It's a blade more powerful than the Master Sword but breaks after a few uses. At any rate, after you succeed in the adult trading sequence and gain the Biggoron's Sword, the Giant's Knife is obviously no longer available to you (Medigoron won't sell it). But really, who needs it once you have the real deal?

* Like the other Zelda games before it, this one counts how many times the "game over" screen has come up, giving you a death count on the file menu--it doesn't count saves thankfully, though. Also, if you beat with zero deaths, then after the ending has played all the way through, on "The End" screen, you'll hear the Scarecrow's Song you came up with played in various different ways.


The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
* 1 treasure chest is missable--at the very beginning of the game! When you're inside the cave at the very beginning (before you ever reach Clock Town) in pursuit of the Skull Kid and trapped in your Deku Scrub form, you can find a treasure chest. When you reach the room where you must use the Deku flowers to launch from one island to the next (over a bottomless pit), launch from the first to the second island, and from there launch yourself to the island ahead and a little to your left. There you'll find a treasure chest housing your first stash of Deku Nuts. Note that after you leave this room and arrive at Clock Town, this brief section of the game is cut off from you forever. So get those Deku Nuts while you can. I repeat, do not leave this room until you have opened the treasure chest! Even if you miss this particular chest, you'll still have plenty of chances to find Deku Nuts from other places. Other than that, the beauty of this game is the ability to travel back in time and reclaim anything you've missed, and even open all the treasure chests again that you opened previously.


The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons & Ages
There are no missable items per se in these two games, but some choices must be made throughout the course of your (linked) adventures. Decisions you make in the first game will carry over into the second, linked game as well, it should be noted. The first is your choice of animal companion and their accompanying flute. You can choose between three companions--Ricky, Dimitri, or Moosh--and once you've chosen, you get that one's particular flute, which means you can't get a flute for the other two. The following shows briefly how to choose the particular animal for you in each game.

Oracle of Seasons
- Ricky: Since Ricky the kangaroo is Link's default partner in this game, simply carry on in your quest as normal, and once you reach the area 1 screen north and west of the tree stump where you originally met Din (this would be North Horon), picking up the rock and going north through the gate, then Ricky will be yours.
- Dimitri: To recruit Dimitri the dinosaur, keep winning the Subrosian Dance (after you've won the Boomerang) until the prize given out to you is Dimitri's Flute. Do not enter the area of North Horon where you must lift the stone and pass through the northern gate until you've won Dimitri's Flute if this is the animal you want.
- Moosh: If you'd like to join up with Moosh the bear, simply buy his flute from the Horon Village shop for 150 Rupees. Again, do not enter the area of North Horon where you must lift the stone and pass through the northern gate until you've bought Moosh's Flute if this is the animal you want.

Oracle of Ages
- Moosh: Since Moosh is Link's default partner in this game, simply carry on in your quest as normal, and once you leave Lynna City (in the present) to the west, go north once up the steps and use an Ember Seed to burn the bush across the river, activating the switch that builds a bridge. Go across and north, then Moosh will be yours.
- Dimitri: To recruit Dimitri instead, simply buy his flute from the shop in Lynna City (present) for 150 Rupees. Do not burn the bush and activate the bridge switch north of Lynna City until you've bought Dimitri's Flute if this is the animal you want.
- Ricky: To recruit Ricky instead, keeping winning the Shooting Gallery mini-game in Lynna Village (past) until the prize given out to you is Ricky's Flute. Do not burn the bush and activate the bride switch north of Lynna City until you've won Ricky's Flute if this is the animal you want.

The second area of decision in these two games is the side quest involving the growth and development of Bipin and Blossom's son, whom you even get the honor of naming. Certain decisions you make for him at one stage of his life will permanently affect the course that later stages of his life will take. This actually gets quite complicated, so instead of fixating on that in this guide, I simply refer you to Puritan's comprehensive guide on this subject at GameFAQs:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/portable/gbc...e/472313/19523

Both games count your "game overs" and place the number next to your file name on the individual game's selection menu.


The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past / Four Swords
The same thing applies here as I said above about the original Super NES version of A Link to the Past. As such, there are no missable items or treasure chests in this game. One difference (an improvement, in my opinion) is that while this GBA version of A Link to the Past still counts your death and gives you the stage by stage tally at the end of the game, it no longer counts your saves (and Fairy revives still don’t count either). So you're free to save as often as you want without endangering any streaks of perfection. Likewise, there is nothing missable in the multiplayer bonus game, Four Swords, either. In fact, not only are all the stage layouts and treasure chests randomized, but you can't even keep more than one item at a time! The only items that are forever saved on your file are the special keys you collect from the Great Fairies at the end of a stage. Note also that once you clear the Palace of the Four Sword, you're treated to an alternate ending, and this one gives you stats on everything you've done in the game so far (even how many times you've used each item), in case that's of any interest.


The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
* 15 figurines in the Nintendo Gallery side quest are missable in this game--well, sort of missable, that is. The Wind Waker does allow the player to continue in a second quest after beating it, where the player starts out with nothing in their inventory except a Deluxe Picto Box (needed to take color pictographs for the figurines, as the regular Picto Box will not work for this side quest), and all figurines from the previous quest carry over as well. Nevertheless, it is possible (despite popular belief) to collect all 134 figurines on the first go-around if you're vigilant! The object is to take a color pictograph of a character and show it to Carlov at the Nintendo Gallery by Forest Haven. If he approves it, he'll make a figurine of that character to put in a room inside the gallery. The following are what is possible to miss on your first attempt, though.

1.) The Monstrous Helmaroc King: Take a picture of this boss while you're battling him atop the Forsaken Fortress. Your best bet is to snap a shot, save and quit, then show to Carlov to make sure they're good. If not, return and take a better shot. If so, go ahead and defeat him. Naturally, once Helmaroc King is dead, so is any chance of getting his picture. Do not defeat Helmaroc King until you have taken his pictograph and had Carlov make a figurine of him!
2-8.) Tetra, Gonzo, Senza, Nudge, Zuko, Niko, Mako: You get these all in one fell swoop. Midway through the game, when Link and Tetra are at Hyrule Castle and Tetra is following you around, take a picture of her then. This is your last chance because once she transforms into Princess Zelda, that's it. Do not enter Hyrule Castle's basement until you have taken her pictograph and had Carlov make a figurine of her! Also note that you have another chance early in the next file as you can take Tetra's picture on the beach of Outset Island when she's waiting on you.
9.) Zephos & Cyclos: Take a picture of Cyclos as he's sucking you into his whirlwind. Note that he is gone forever after you tame him by firing Arrows at him. Do not shoot Cyclos until you have taken his pictograph and had Carlov make a figurine of him!
10.) Big Octo: There are a total of 6 Big Octos on the Great Sea. (Obtain the Octo Chart or simply use a guide to discover their locations.) Destroy one, and it's gone forever. Destroy all six, and they're extinct. So it goes without saying, do not destroy all six Big Octos until you have taken a pictograph of one and had Carlov make a figurine of it!
11.) Kogoli: This is a very strange case. Kogoli is just a typical Rito character on Dragon Roost Island who has no particular importance to the plot or any gameplay mechanic. But strangely, after you awaken Medli as a sage, he just flies off and is never seen again. Find him on the part of the mountain with the wooden platforms. Get to the one to left of him and take your picture. Do not play the Earth God's Lyric for Medli until you have taken Kogoli's pictograph and had Carlov make a figurine of him!
12.) Wizzrobe: There are two types of Wizzrobe figurines, the ordinary Wizzrobes and this one, the mini-boss in the Wind Temple. He is the only one of his kind, so take his picture before you kill him! If you destroy him, you'll have to wait until the second quest to try again. Do not destroy this Wizzrobe mini-boss in the Wind Temple until you have taken his pictograph and had Carlov make a figurine of him!
13.) Phantom Ganon: You meet him twice in this game, once on your second visit to the Forsaken Fortress, and again repeatedly in Ganon's Tower. No matter how many times you defeat him, he keeps coming back for more. But once you sink a single Light Arrow into him, he's utterly destroyed. So therefore, do not shoot Phantom Ganon with a Light Arrow until you have taken his pictograph and had Carlov make a figurine of him!
14.) Puppet Ganon: This boss before the final boss is another one-shot chance. You fight this battle in three phases, but any phase is fine for a photo shoot (the first phase is the easiest to snap shots, though). Once you've destroyed his third and final phase, he's gone forever--until the second quest, that is. Assuming you don't want to wait that long, do not destroy Puppet Ganon until you have taken his pictograph and had Carlov make a figurine of him! Again, the save-and-quit method of photography is the safest bet here.
15.) Knuckle: It is possible to get every figurine in the game except one and have the game consider it "complete" for you. Once you've gotten Carlov to make the last figurine that you need, his final piece will be Link and the King of Red Lions, then he'll leave the Nintendo Gallery for good. Knuckle is the only figurine that's not a prerequisite to getting Link and the King of Red Lions because he only appears after completing the Tingle Tuner side quest that requires the Game Boy Advance. The significance of this is that, unlike all the other figurines, you cannot get this figurine even in the second quest. Miss this one, and it is truly gone forever. So if you want Knuckle's figurine, do not complete the rest of the Nintendo Gallery until you have finished the Tingle Tuner side quest and had Carlov make a figurine of Knuckle too! You can tell how close you are to completion by seeing how many empty stands remain in the individual rooms (the one to be occupied by Knuckle is in the Great Sea room). Or you can simply use a guide.

* A minor note on your Delivery Bag. In it, you carry letters throughout your adventure. These letters are of course in your inventory only temporarily before you give them to the appropriate person and progress in whichever side quest. These cannot help but be lost if you want a complete file. (You also carry flowers, flags, and idols from Zunari, but these can be replenished at any time.) A slightly bigger deal is the Complimentary ID you get from Beedle for buying 30 items from his shop and later the Fill-Up Coupon when you buy 60 items from him. These go in your Delivery Bag, and once you spend them, they’re gone forever. So if you want them beautifully adorning your Delivery Bag, never show them to Beedle. (Personally, I put these two in the same categories as letters and spend them anyway for the sake of completion.) Last is the Cabana Deed, the one document in your Delivery Bag that is permanent--it will never go away. Nor can you move it around either. So if you want it in that first slot for some sort of “perfect” file, you’ll have to obtain the Cabana Deed first, while your Delivery Bag is empty.


The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures
There is nothing at all missable in this game. “Hyrulean Adventure” is a fairly linear quest, and all stages can be revisited at any time. You don't keep your items in the traditional inventory, and treasure chests don't even stay open and empty; all stages and everything in them reset once you enter them again.


The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
* Light Arrows are missable. As soon as you get a chance, go to the yellow roofed house in the northwest part of Hyrule Town (across the street from the post office, by the exit to Trilby Highlands). Inside you'll find a man (called "Stranger")--fuse Kinstones with him. Doing so opens a warp portal just north of Link's house in South Hyrule Field. Go there to warp yourself to the Tower of Winds, home of the Wind Tribe! Go up one floor to find an old man named Gregal who's deathly sick and plagued by a ghost. Use your Gust Jar to fight off the ghost and free Gregal. When you come to this place later in your quest, Gregal will be healed and reward you with Light Arrows. If you reach Cloud Tops (via the whirlwind atop Veil Falls) having not rid him of the ghost, however, Gregal will be dead and the Light Arrows permanently out of reach. So do not ride the whirlwind to Cloud Tops until you have warped to the Tower of Winds and healed Gregal of his ghost!

* 1 Kinstone fusion becomes impossible after a certain point in the game, resulting in the loss of 1 Empty Bottle, an appearance by Biggoron, and the Mirror Shield! This curiosity is only present in the PAL version of the game (Europe, Australia, and other places). So far as I know, this is not missable in the Japanese and North American versions of the game. The source of this problem is Eenie, a farmer at Lon Lon Ranch. If you begin to fuse with him but then quit and leave the area, he will never give the option to fuse again (and his fusion is one of the ones needed for unlocking a Goron's needed appearance inside a nearby cave). The problem here is that once he asks to fuse, you may find that you don't have the correct Kinstone piece! If that's the case, you're screwed. You need one of the two blue Kinstone pieces to fuse with him (specifically the one with a squared off edge, as opposed to the one with a rounded edge). If you want to be extra safe, though, have both types of blue Kinstones with you before you fuse--and maybe even safe just before you reach the ranch so that if you guessed wrong, you can simply reset the game with no damage done. So I reiterate, if you're playing the PAL version of this game, do not attempt to fuse Kinstones with Eenie until you have both types of blue Kinstones on you! You miss out on a lot of treasure if you mess this up! In all likelihood, this was a glitch in the game rather than something intended by the developers.

* 1 treasure chest is missable underneath the Royal Hyrule Library in Hyrule Town. Once you obtain the Flame Lantern from the Temple of Droplets, go to the library's roof, shrink, and return to the place underground where you got the Flippers earlier. On the western side of this cave/sewer is a frozen treasure chest that you can thaw with the Flame Lantern and claim either the Mysterious Shells or Rupees that are inside. (Another thing that's missable is a free 50 Rupees by talking to the Minish on the bottom shelf after you've completed the library book side quest before the Temple of Droplets.) The significance of this is that later in the game, once you return to the Elemental Sanctuary with all four Elements and fuse the Four Sword, the library (along with the treasure chest in question) will be closed off to you for the rest of the game. As such, do not enter the Elemental Sanctuary with all four Elements until you have thawed and opened this treasure chest! Make sure to do all your business in the library before fusing the Four Sword because once that sword is in your possession, the library is lost to you forever.

* On a minor note, after you obtain the Fire Element by clearing the Cave of Flames, go to the Happy Hearth Inn at Hyrule Town to find Din, Nayru, and Farore (recognizable from Oracle of Seasons/Ages). Fuse Kinstones with one of them, and Gorman will arrive in town. Talk to him to get him to ask about tenants. Now you must return to the inn and choose which sister will be the one to occupy the house. Later, fuse with Bremor (next to the post office), and a second house will be available, so you can speak to a second sister to get her relocated. However, only two houses will be built, so you can only house two of the three sisters. The importance of this is that, once housed, a sister can fill an Empty Bottle with her own particular charm: either Din’s Charm (attack power boost), Nayru’s Charm (defensive strength boost), or Farore’s Charm (both boosts but less potent). The one stuck at the inn won’t be able to make any such charms. So you’re going to have to go without one of the charms in your file no matter what you do. Select your two ladies wisely.


The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
* 2 letters from the Postman, out of 16. So if you're at the end of the game and only have 14 or 15 letters, you've missed something along the way. I'll detail how to get both below--it's slightly confusing, but I'll explicate it as clearly as I can. Both of the permanently missable letters are from Ooccoo, and both are entitled "Dear Adventurer."

1.) The first letter from Ooccoo says she was happy to meet you and will appear again at a different location (i.e. another dungeon). She adds a P.S. about a son she has. Anyway, you get this letter after completing the Forest Temple, as long as you don't use her to warp out of that dungeon--of course, you must still break the jar inside of which she’s hiding in the Forest Temple to meet her in the first place. So this one's easy enough. Bust her out and just beat the Forest Temple without ever warping out. I repeat, find Ooccoo but do not use her in the Forest Temple! If you do use her in the Forest Temple, you'll get letter #2 below instead of this one, as letter #1 will be gone forever.
2.) The second letter from Ooccoo says she was happy to meet up with you and happy to see her son again, concluding by saying she'll be going to another location (i.e. dungeon). You can get this letter after most any dungeon in the game by using Ooccoo there. But the last dungeon where Ooccoo will appear is City in the Sky (there are two others after that, Palace of Twilight and Hyrule Castle, but Ooccoo will not be at either one), so therefore you must find and use Ooccoo before finishing the dungeon prior to City in the Sky--which would be the Temple of Time. (Note: You get a letter from Ooccoo's son Jr. after completing City in the Sky, and to my knowledge this letter is not missable, as you get it no matter how you clear City in the Sky.) So do not defeat Armogohma and clear the Temple of Time until you have used Ooccoo to warp out of a dungeon and back in at least once! The easiest way to insure you get these two letters is to find but avoid using Ooccoo in the Forest Temple to obtain #1, then use her at Goron Mines to obtain #2. Both letters come to you after the particular dungeon is completed.

* Ordon Shield is losable if it gets burned by fire (whether from a Fire Keese, Dodongo breath, Bulblin Archer's fiery arrow, etc.). This is just a minor note as you can easily purchase a Wooden Shield from numerous shops in Hyrule. The Wooden Shield works just the same as the Ordon Shield, but it has a different design and different name. Since the Ordon Shield itself will be gone forever, equip the Hylian Shield whenever combating fire-based foes.

* 2 game-ending glitches are in early copies of this game. Not exactly items per se, these are still very important as they'll spell disaster for your entire game file and prevent from moving forward at all! I've heard that both glitches have been fixed in later versions, but personally I wouldn't chance it.

1.) The first game-ending glitch occurs at the Bridge of Eldin after you've completed Goron Mines but before you enter Lanayru Province's twilit area. Cross the bridge going north and use a Bomb Arrow to blow up some boulders blocking the way northward. At that point, a trio of Twilit Messengers (or shadow beasts) will come in, take part of the bridge away (closing off your passage back to the south) and fight you. You can either defeat them or avoid them and proceed north to the next area. Regardless, if you save and quit after the bridge is broken but before moving north to the next area, then when you reload, you'll be stuck on the south side of the bridge--with no way to move forward at all. Therefore do not save and quit until you move to the next northern area after the shadow beasts take part of the Bridge of Eldin away! If you do make the fatal mistake, you'll have no choice but to restart your entire game file from scratch.
2.) The second game-ending glitch occurs in the sky cannon room in the cellar of the Kakariko Sanctuary. After you've restored power to the Dominion Rod and obtained all 6 Sky Characters, return to this cellar, talk to Shad, and use the Dominion Rod to move the owl statue out of the way, and then enter the cannon chamber. After the cut scene, speak to Shad so he leaves, then speak to Midna and have her teleport the cannon to Lake Hylia, where she will take you, though. If at any point inside this chamber (before warping the cannon to Lake Hylia) you save and quit, then you'll restart the game inside the cannon room. But a glitch will have it such that Midna won't warp the cannon because she thinks Shad is still in the room, even though he's not there to be spoken to! Moreover, you won't be able to physically exit the room either since a nonexistent Shad will stop you every time. You're permanently stuck, forever. Therefore do not save and quit in the Sanctuary's sky cannon chamber until you have warped both yourself and the cannon to Lake Hylia! If you do make the fatal mistake, you'll have no choice but to restart your entire game file from scratch.


The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
* 1 Heart Container in a treasure chest is missable, but you have to be really trying to miss this one. After you defeat the Diabolical Cubus Sisters on the Ghost Ship, your prize will be the usual Heart Container in the large treasure chest. However, since the Ghost Ship is the one dungeon that can never be reentered, it is possible to bypass this chest and go on without it. (Again, you have to be trying, since the chest is dead in front of you.) Mercifully, even if you do pass it up, the next day (on your DS's internal calendar), the Postman will come and attempt to deliver it to you. When he brings it to you, he'll make it painfully obvious that it's the Heart Container from the Ghost Ship and then ask if you want it. If you choose "Yes," it's yours. If you choose "No," however, then it's gone forever. While this option is for those players trying to give themselves a greater challenge, I'll still go ahead and repeat my mantra here just in case: Do not pick the "No" option when the Postman offers you the Heart Container from the Ghost Ship unless you want to go without it for the rest of your game file!

* One last minor note: Similar to the Delivery Bag in The Wind Waker, it is possible to use certain items and in so doing lose them forever. From Beedle, you earn the Freebie Card, Complimentary Card, and Compliment Card by gaining a certain number of points in his shop. Use any one of them, however, and it’s gone. The only other document of this type is Jolene’s Letter--but you have to deliver this letter to Jolene’s sister Joanne (the one pretending to be a mermaid) in order to complete your Wisdom Gem collection! (The only other document in this category is the Prize Postcard from the Man of Smiles, which you put in the mail--but you can just as easily get another one from him on a different day after sending one out.) At any rate, I worry even less about this than I do the ones in The Wind Waker because before you get the items, the item slots on your inventory are blank. Once they’ve been there and been used, however, you’ll see an imprint of Beedle’s face for his three coupons and a letter with wings where Jolene’s Letter and the Prize Postcard had once been. That to me is more a sign of completion than keeping the actual items. If you want to keep them, though, simply don’t use any of the three coupons with Beedle, and keep the other two documents if you want to keep them (note that you won’t be able to get a Wisdom Gem as long as you hang on to Jolene’s Letter).

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
None that I'm aware of!

Rumors of missable items
I've come across a couple rumors of items in the series that are permanently missable, but not only have I been unable to verify these claims myself, but I've also seen numerous other players denounce these claims as well. Still, it might just be worthwhile to make a brief note of them:

1.) Stray Fairies (Majora's Mask)
A while back, I saw a post on a message board where someone claimed that if you start collecting Stray Fairies in a dungeon in this game, but for whatever reason time catches up on you and you have to play the Song of Time to return to the first day, then when you reenter the dungeon without having finished the Stray Fairy quest, all chests that would've otherwise contained Stray Fairies contain only Rupees instead, rendering you permanently unable to retrieve the Stray Fairies and obtain the corresponding item. Pretty much everyone I've talked to, however, has debunked this claim.

2.) Hawkeye (Twilight Princess)
This claim is not quite as easily dismissible as the first one since I've seen more than one poster complain about it, albeit in different forms. One said that if you win Talo's target shooting challenge without even missing, you'll win the contest and no Hawkeye will be sold at Malo Mart. This is simply not true as I myself, on my most recent Twilight Princess run, managed to hit that pole on my first try, and immediately afterward there was the Hawkeye for me to purchase in Malo Mart nevertheless (many other posters have confirmed this for themselves too). Another version of the story, though, goes that if you wait too long in the quest either to take Talo up on his challenge, or if you do the challenge and the Hawkeye goes on sale but you wait too long to buy it, then it'll be gone from Malo Mart after a certain point. I haven't verified this myself (I've always bought the Hawkeye as early as I can whenever I play), but I've seen other posters claim to still be able to buy the Hawkeye even at the very end of the game when you're able to enter the final dungeon, Hyrule Castle.

3.) Various (The Wind Waker)
These three scenarios were brought to my attention in this thread:

"Helmaroc King's Heart Container. After you have talked to Ganondorf at the top of Forsaken Fortress, Valoo burns the wooden apartment, blocking your way to the upper tower. This way you can miss it."

"In the Earth Temple, from the room with the giant sun statue (the first of them), if you go right you'll come to a room with a chest containing a Small Key. From that room there is a door to another room, but that doesn't open if there isn't one standing on the switch. If you have finished the Earth Temple, you cannot enter this room and open the chest."

"In the Earth Temple, before the mini-boss room, there is a room with Moblins and Poes. In there you can mirror from the light beam to the other side of the room. Now here's the thing: If you use Medli, you can use Link to reflect the light to the side where Medli is (opening a secret passage). If you have gone through the Earth Temple, you cannot do this (and also miss out on a place where there are lots of Rupees). This isn't necessary to complete the temple, but required for 100% completion."

Can anyone confirm any of these?


I'll list more rumors here as I see or hear of them. If ever a rumor is confirmed to be true, of course, then I'll move it to the appropriate section above.


Master list of missable items
TL;DNR version. If you just want a quick check list of everything that's missable, along with a brief note on how to obtain a permanently missable item, here's your index.

The Legend of Zelda
- 4 Heart Containers offered by the old man: Do not choose the Potion (first quest: H-5, L-8, M-3, P-3).
- 4 Heart Containers offered by the old man: Do not choose the Potion (second quest: A-3, G-1, K-4, P-3).
- 3 Heart Containers: give up 50 Rupees to the old man instead (second quest: Level 4, Level 7 twice).
- Deaths are counted on file menu.

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
- Minor notes: palaces closing, 6 1-up Dolls, 30 Treasure Bags.
- Deaths and saves are counted on file menu.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past - N/A
(But deaths and saves are counted in the ending.)

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
- 1 treasure chest: Use Flying Rooster to cross gaps and reach cave hole southwest of Kanalet Castle.
- 4 pictures (DX only):
* Pose with Richard in front of Kanalet Castle while the gate is still closed.
* Go with Marin to the southwestern corner of Koholint Island.
* Jump into hole north of the Village Library with Marin and have her land on top of you.
* Pose with Marin and Tarin in front of the rooster statue in Mabe Village's town square.
* Minor note: Choose which first picture you want when you first meet the photographer.
- Minor notes: trade in green tunic for red or blue (DX only), lose original name for "THIEF" by stealing from Mabe Village Shop (necessary to complete photography side quest in DX version), extra Secret Seashells.
- Deaths are counted on file menu (need 000 deaths to see Marin after the ending).

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- Deku Nut upgrade: Do not pull out Master Sword and become adult for first time until you wear Mask of Truth at Forest Stage hidden in the Lost Woods.
- Minor note: Giant's Knife no longer available after obtaining Biggoron's Sword.
- Deaths are counted on file menu (need 000 deaths to hear Scarecrow's Song after the ending).

The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
- 1 treasure chest: Open chest for Deku Nuts in cave at the beginning of the game before reaching Clock Town.
- Unconfirmed rumor: incomplete Stray Fairy collections.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons & Ages
- Minor notes: Strange Flutes corresponding to 1 of 3 animal companions in both Seasons and Ages; Bipin and Blossom's son's life trajectories.
- Deaths are counted on file menu.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past / Four Swords - N/A
(But deaths are counted in the ending to A Link to the Past, and all game statistics are compiled after beating Palace of the Four Sword.)

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
- 15 Nintendo Gallery figurines
* Helmaroc King: Take his picture before defeating him.
* Tetra (and pirates): Take her picture before going into Hyrule Castle basement.
* Cyclos: Take his picture before taming him with Arrows.
* Big Octo: Take its picture before defeating all 6 of them.
* Kogoli: Take his picture at Dragon Roost Island before playing Earth God's Lyric for Medli.
* Wizzrobe (mini-boss): Take his picture before defeating him in the mini-boss battle in the Wind Temple.
* Phantom Ganon: Take his picture before shooting him with a Light Arrow.
* Puppet Ganon: Take his picture before defeating all three of his forms.
* Knuckle: Complete Tingle Tuner side quest on GBA before obtaining all other figurines and Carlov closes up the Nintendo Gallery.
- Minor note: Delivery Bag (letters losable, both Beedle documents losable, Cabana Deed permanent).

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures - N/A

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
- Light Arrows: Remove ghost from Gregal with Gust Jar (fuse with Stranger in Hyrule Town, then use warp point near Link's house) before using whirlwind at Veil Falls to reach Cloud Tops.
- 1 Kinstone Fusion (plus 1 Empty Bottle and Mirror Shield), PAL version only: Don't attempt to fuse with Eenie until you have the correct blue Kinstone piece.
- 1 treasure chest: Thaw and open chest under Hyrule Town library before entering Elemental Sanctuary with all 4 Elements.
- Minor note: Din’s Charm, Nayru’s Charm, Farore’s Charm (can only have 2 out of 3 per save file).

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
- 2 letters from Ooccoo:
* Don't use Ooccoo in Forest Temple.
* Use Ooccoo in any dungeon from Goron Mines to Temple of Time, but before beating Temple of Time.
- Minor note: Ordon Shield replaced by Wooden Shield if burned.
- 2 game-ending glitches:
* Bridge of Eldin: Don't save and quit when shadow beasts remove part of bridge--at least advance north to next area first.
* Sky Cannon room (Sanctuary cellar): Don't save and quit in this room--wait until Midna warps you and the cannon to Lake Hylia.
- Unconfirmed rumor: Hawkeye snafus.

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
- 1 Heart Container: If you don't want it, ignore the chest at the end of the Ghost Ship, then choose "No" later when the Postman offers it to you.
- Minor note: 3 Beedle coupons and Jolene’s letter are lost upon use, but leave their mark on your inventory menu (as does Prize Postcard).

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks - N/A


(Special thanks to Dr. von Fish--and later Florina--for the sticky! )

Originally Posted by Rew

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: OCARINA OF TIME
- Deku Nut upgrade, by grabbing Master Sword for the first time without wearing Mask of Truth at Forest Stage.

What upgrade are you talking about??

- Green tunic (DX only), by choosing either red or blue at the end of Color Dungeon.

I'm not sure you can call that a missable item as it is an upgrade. You can lose your green tunic permanently in ALttP and LoZ as well, right?

Also, is the Medigoron Knife obtainable after you have the Biggoron Sword?

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: OCARINA OF TIME
- Deku Nut upgrade, by grabbing Master Sword for the first time without wearing Mask of Truth at Forest Stage.

The only way to get the mask of truth is to compleate the mask quest. The running man you give the bunny hood to doesn't appear till after you have traveled back in time, so you have to grab the master sword for this to be possible.

The second Deku Stick upgrade in OoT can also be missed.

Basically anytihng involing the Forest Stage can be missed.

Also no SheikahSage. I was able to give him the Bunny Hood BEFORE getting the Master Sword. Besides if he could only be given the mask by then, it would make the Deku Nut and Stick upgrades completely impossible, all thanks to that glitch.

Originally Posted by SheikahSage

The only way to get the mask of truth is to compleate the mask quest. The running man you give the bunny hood to doesn't appear till after you have traveled back in time, so you have to grab the master sword for this to be possible.

This is false.

How about the Ice Arrows in OoT? You're ****ed if you mess up with how many doors you open in the maze...

Originally Posted by Solink

How about the Ice Arrows in OoT? You're ****ed if you mess up with how many doors you open in the maze...

Explains why I could never find that last key. And it was just one last door left.... one last door. D:

Okay so the ice arrows may not have much of a use, but I am a collector.

I don't think that you're able to access the first piece of heart in Twilight Princess after the purple fog shows up in the Faron Woods.

The only way to get the mask of truth is to compleate the mask quest. The running man you give the bunny hood to doesn't appear till after you have traveled back in time, so you have to grab the master sword for this to be possible.

If I recall correctly, the running man appears once you've found the three stones, so you don't necessarily have to travel back in time - you can find him just before you play the Song of Time in the Temple of Time.

I'm sure it's still possible to get the Deku Nut upgrade though...

There are two Deku Stick upgrades and two Deku Nut upgrades.

The first upgrades of the Stick and Nuts can be recieved anytime.

The second upgrades of these items both involve the Forest Stage. For some reason the Forest Stage suffers a glitch where literally nothing happens in it at all, which only happens once you've time traveled into the future for the first time.

Originally Posted by The Goron Moron

There are two Deku Stick upgrades and two Deku Nut upgrades.

The first upgrades of the Stick and Nuts can be recieved anytime.

The second upgrades of these items both involve the Forest Stage. For some reason the Forest Stage suffers a glitch where literally nothing happens in it at all, which only happens once you've time traveled into the future for the first time.

Hmmm...I think I'm suffering a memory blank. Could you please remind me where you get the second upgrades of the Deku Sticks and Deku Nuts? I think I remember being able to purchase the Deku Stick upgrade in that part of the Woods with the bridge, and winning the second upgrade in the mask competition in that secret grove, but I'm not at all sure about the Deku Nuts upgrades now...

First Deku Stick Upgrade: In the Lost Woods, go left from the main entrance until you get to a end end with a Businuss Scrub at the end. He sells you the first Stick upgrade.

First Deku Nut Upgrade: While navigating the Lost Woods, you'll come across several bombable boulders. One of the boulders hides a hole that leads to a secret grove. A scrub there sells the first Deku Nut upgrade.

How to get to the Forest Stage: There is another place somewhere in the Lost Woods with a tree and two more Scrubs. There is a spot in the tall grass where butterflies are always flying, which is where a hidden hole is. Down this hole is the Forest Stage, where Scrubs will either award you or attack you depending on the mask you wear.

Second Stick Upgrade: Go to the Forest Stage and wear the Skull Mask.

Second Nut Upgrade: Go to the Forest Stage and wear the Mask of Truth.

Originally Posted by The Goron Moron

First Deku Stick Upgrade: In the Lost Woods, go left from the main entrance until you get to a end end with a Businuss Scrub at the end. He sells you the first Stick upgrade.

First Deku Nut Upgrade: While navigating the Lost Woods, you'll come across several bombable boulders. One of the boulders hides a hole that leads to a secret grove. A scrub here sells the first Deku Nut upgrade.

How to get to the Forest Stage: There is another place somewhere in the Lost Woods with a tree and two more Scrubs. There is a spot in the tall grass where butterflies are always flying, which is where a hidden hole is. Down this hole is the Forest Stage, where Scrubs will either award you or attack you depending on the mask you wear.

Second Stick Upgrade: Go to the Forest Stage and wear the Skull Mask.

Second Nut Upgrade: Go to the Forest Stage and wear the Mask of Truth.

Ah so that's what you mean by the Forest Stage! So nothing happens at all once you've travelled to the future? That's really interesting...I can't remember that ever happening to me - but then again, maybe I simply didn't return once I'd been Adult Link. I'll have to check that out again.

I wonder if it depends on what cartridge you have? Mine's gold, but without the original Fire Temple music and Ganon's red blood.

Originally Posted by Asta

If I recall correctly, the running man appears once you've found the three stones, so you don't necessarily have to travel back in time - you can find him just before you play the Song of Time in the Temple of Time.

I'm sure it's still possible to get the Deku Nut upgrade though...

Oh, I never bothered to look around after the three stones and before the temple (aside from the dying guard). My bad.

Originally Posted by The Goron Moron

First Deku Stick Upgrade: In the Lost Woods, go left from the main entrance until you get to a end end with a Businuss Scrub at the end. He sells you the first Stick upgrade.

First Deku Nut Upgrade: While navigating the Lost Woods, you'll come across several bombable boulders. One of the boulders hides a hole that leads to a secret grove. A scrub here sells the first Deku Nut upgrade.

How to get to the Forest Stage: There is another place somewhere in the Lost Woods with a tree and two more Scrubs. There is a spot in the tall grass where butterflies are always flying, which is where a hidden hole is. Down this hole is the Forest Stage, where Scrubs will either award you or attack you depending on the mask you wear.

Second Stick Upgrade: Go to the Forest Stage and wear the Skull Mask.

Second Nut Upgrade: Go to the Forest Stage and wear the Mask of Truth.

Ah so that's what you mean by the Forest Stage! So nothing happens at all once you've travelled to the future? That's really interesting...I can't remember that ever happening to me - but then again, maybe I simply didn't return once I'd been Adult Link. I'll have to check that out again.

I wonder if it depends on what cartridge you have? Mine's gold, but without the original Fire Temple music and Ganon's red blood.

Originally Posted by Asta

Ah so that's what you mean by the Forest Stage! So nothing happens at all once you've travelled to the future? That's really interesting...I can't remember that ever happening to me - but then again, maybe I simply didn't return once I'd been Adult Link. I'll have to check that out again.

I wonder if it depends on what cartridge you have? Mine's gold, but without the original Fire Temple music and Ganon's red blood.

The Forest Stage glitch was never fixed. It happens in all versions.

And believe me. I've had it happen to me and had to totally restart my 100% run all over again because of it.

Originally Posted by The Goron Moron

The Forest Stage glitch was never fixed. It happens in all versions.

And believe me. I've had it happen to me and had to totally restart my 100% run all over again because of it.

I just tried showing the Mask of Truth to the Deku Scrubs in the Forest Stage then (having been an adult once, and not having received the Deku Nut upgrade), and they basically just danced around for a bit (with the Happy Mask Shop music in the background), before disappearing and leaving rupees in their wake. No Deku Nut upgrade - how very strange.

Originally Posted by Asta

I just tried showing the Mask of Truth to the Deku Scrubs in the Forest Stage then (having been an adult once, and not having received the Deku Nut upgrade), and they basically just danced around for a bit (with the Happy Mask Shop music in the background), before disappearing and leaving rupees in their wake. No Deku Nut upgrade - how very strange.

I'm pretty sure they do that to the Keaton Mask, last time I checked out of curiousity.

Are you sure you're doing it BEFORE getting the Master Sword for the first time? Have you gotten the first Deku Nut upgrade yet?

Originally Posted by The Goron Moron

I'm pretty sure they do that to the Keaton Mask, last time I checked out of curiousity.

Are you sure you're doing it BEFORE getting the Master Sword for the first time? Have you gotten the first Deku Nut upgrade yet?

I'm testing out whether it's possible to get the upgrade after getting the Master Sword, so I have already got the sword. I hadn't got the first upgrade though...I actually forgot about that, thanks for reminding me!

Okay, I got the first upgrade, and went back to the Forest Stage. This time when I showed the Mask of Truth, they didn't dance around, but instead the background music from when you're avoiding the guards on the way to meeting Zelda played, and I received more rupees (fewer than before). Still no indication of any Deku Nut upgrade though. Is this the glitch?