The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Hidden Skills FAQ By: ZFS [ZFS@comcast.net] Version 1.2 -- 12/13/06 -------------------------------{Table of Contents}----------------------------- I. Introduction II. Version History III. Howling Stone Locations a.) Howling Stone #1 -- N/A b.) Howling Stone #2 -- Death Mountain c.) Howling Stone #3 -- Upper Zora River d.) Howling Stone #4 -- Lake Hylia d.) Howling Stone #5 -- Sacred Grove f.) Howling Stone #6 -- Snowpeak Ruins g.) Howling Stone #7 -- Hidden Village IV. Hidden Skills a.) Hidden Skill #1 -- Ending Blow [HS1] b.) Hidden Skill #2 -- Shield Attack [HS2] c.) Hidden Skill #3 -- Back Slice [HS3] d.) Hidden Skill #4 -- Helm Splitter[HS4] e.) Hidden Skill #5 -- Mortal Draw [HS5] f.) Hidden Skill #6 -- Jump Strike [HS6] g.) Hidden Skill #7 -- Great Spin [HS7] V. Copyright -------------------------------{Introduction}---------------------------------- This FAQ is for the locations of the Howling Stones found throughout Hyrule in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, which contain seven hidden skills to add to Link's combat repertoire. The point of this guide is to provide you with all of the necessary information needed to acquire these optional skills so that you can be better suited for combat against the evil denizens of Hyrule. When you come upon a Howling Stone in Twilight Princess, you'll have to play a small tune similar to that in Ocarina of Time or Majora's Mask. Afterward, a Golden Wolf, who is representative of the Hero's Spirit, will appear and give you a location on your map of where you can find him to learn the skill. Go there to learn a new combat ability for Link. A lot of people seem to have trouble locating these stones, so hopefully you can come away from having checked this guide by getting all of the necessary information to help you progress. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me and I'll gladly answer them. -----------------------------{Version History}--------------------------------- Version 1.0 -- All locations of the Howling Stones labeled and how to perform the skills learned. No significant grammatical errors, but lacking all of the songs that go with the Howling Stones. Version 1.1 -- Added in some of the songs at the Howling Stones and made the descriptions for some of the stone locations clearer. Also fixed the contact information at the top of the FAQ. Version 1.2 -- Added in some of the songs at the Howling Stones and made the descriptions for some of the stone locations clearer. ----------------------------{Howling Stone Locations}-------------------------- NOTE: These do not have to be gotten in any specific order. You can skip a stone, go to another, and then come back to the stone you skipped and still have everything work properly. The skills are all learned in the same order regardless of how you find the stones. The order here is simply how they appear in the game. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |Howling Stone #1 | |Location: N/A | |Golden Wolf Location: Forest Temple Entrance | |Song: N/A | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There is no Howling Stone for the first skill -- Ending Blow. It is automatic and essential to the game. You'll talk to the Hero's Spirit right before the first temple. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |Howling Stone #2 | |Location: Death Mountain | |Golden Wolf Location: Ordon Spring | |Song: Song of Healing -- Majora's Mask | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The location of the second Howling Stone is on the trail up Death Mountain. While traverising the path, you'll come across it on a bunch of rocky platforms with geysers all around it. It's the first large area in the narrow path. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |Howling Stone #3 | |Location: Upper Zora River | |Golden Wolf Location: Eastern Entrance to Hyrule Castle Town | |Song: Oath to Order -- Majora's Mask | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The third Howling Stone is located in the upper portion of Lake Hylia, closest to Zora's Domain. It is near Iza's cabin on a small cliff overlooking the river and obtainable when the water is returned to the lake. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |Howling Stone #4 | |Location: Lake Hylia | |Golden Wolf Location: Gerudo Desert | |Song: Nocturne of Shadow -- Ocarina of Time ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The location of this stone is found near the tower where you first meet Auru. It is in the southernmost part of Lake Hylia nearest to the Gerudo Desert. You'll need to be able to transform in your wolf form at will, though, because it requires both forms to access it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |Howling Stone #5 | |Location: Sacred Grove | |Golden Wolf Location: Southern Entrance to Hyrule Castle Town | |Song: Prelude to Light -- Ocarina of Time | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The location of the fifth howling stone is right outside of the entrance to the Sacred Grove, shortly after you jump across the gaps with the wooden logs swinging back and forth. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |Howling Stone #6 | |Location: Snowpeak Trail | |Golden Wolf Location: Kakariko Village Graveyard | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This is found along the climb up Snowpeak mountain. It is near the top of the mountain right outside of the cave you enter. It's on a ledge that hangs over the mountain and is pretty hard to miss. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |Howling Stone #7 | |Location: Hidden Village | |Golden Wolf Location: Entrance to Hyrule Castle | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The last Howling Stone is located behind the building to the right in the Hidden Village -- the place with Impaz and where you shoot the bandits near the Bridge of Eldin. Once you have found this stone, you'll have located them all! -------------------------------{Hidden Skills}--------------------------------- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |Hidden Skill #1 -- Ending Blow | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The first hidden skill that Link learns is the Ending Blow. To perform this technique, you press the A button after you have knocked an enemy onto the ground. Link will jump into the air and bring his blade down into the enemy's stomach, netting him an instant kill. This is very effective for beating a stronger enemy once you've knocked him back. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |Hidden Skill #2 -- Shield Attack | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The second hidden skill that Link learns is the Shield Attack. This essentially allows Link to knock an enemy senseless with his shield, which breaks their guard and creates an opening for Link to strike. To perform this technique, you simply flick the nunchuk part of the controller forward. It's not 100%, but it will oftentimes break the guard of enemies. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |Hidden Skill #3 -- Back Slice | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The third hidden skill that Link learns is the Back Slice. Perhaps the most effective -- and most used -- technique of them all. To perform the Back Slice, you jump to the side, while Z-Targeting, twice. Link will jump like he's dodging the first time and then roll behind his opponent the second. When he rolls behind the enemy, shake the Wii Remote like a typical sword slash to connect a devastating back slice. It's effective in removing attached armor or getting in front of an enemy that has his bases covered in the front. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |Hidden Skill #4 -- Helm Splitter | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The fourth hidden skill that Link learns is the Helm Splitter. This technique will allow Link to jump into the air and split the helmet -- or head -- of his enemy. This is a two part technique in that it uses the Shield Attack to setup for this. First, you break the guard and the senses of the enemy with the Shield Attack and, while their dazed, follow through with a Helm Splitter by pressing the A button. Very effective for removing helmets or taking enemies out from the top down. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |Hidden Skill #5 -- Mortal Draw | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The fifth hidden skill that Link learns is the Mortal Draw. To perform this techique you do NOT Z-Target the enemy, but get within their range. Link will then put his hand on the hilt of his *sheathed* sword, which will bring up a command on the bottom of the screen prompting you to press A. When you do, Link will quickly unsheathe his sword and deliver a take that instantly kills the enemy. It's dangerous because it puts you at risk of getting hit first, but the results are well worth the risk. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |Hidden Skill #6 -- Jump Strike | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The sixth hidden skill that Link learns is the Jump Strike. This attack requires that Link charge up his blade, a chime similar to that when you're able to perform a second Spin Attack will signify the charge is complete. When the attack is fully charged, Link will jump into the air, swing his sword horizontally, then vertically, and finally slam into the ground creating a huge shockwave. This attack is primarily useful for taking out multiple enemies around you, both on air and on ground. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |Hidden Skill #7 -- Great Spin | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The final hidden skill that Link learns is the Great Spin. The most powerful and most useful technique, it is an upgrade to the standard Spin Attack. You're only capable of performing this when you have full hearts -- a throwback to the 2D Zelda games when you had to have full health to perform a blast from your sword. When you perfrom the technique, Link will let loose a much more powerful, much larger form of the Spin Attack. It will often take out enemies in one hit. ---{Copyright}--- Copyright 2006 Dustin Sutton All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders.