As players make their way through Skyview Temple, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword's first dungeon, they will come across a number of Skulltulas. Nintendo wastes no time throwing hazardous foes in the hero Link's path, putting gamers on the edge of their seats from the outset of this epic journey.
Indeed, these spiders look to impede Link's progress several times, and fans will need to dispatch them in order to proceed. That said, the way to kill a spider in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword may not be immediately obvious to all players, and this guide is here to provide assistance.
To start simply, all of the Skulltulas in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword's Skyview Temple are eliminated by landing blows against their weak spots. Those spots are located on the underbelly of the spiders, and their purple glow makes identifying them quite easy. However, accessing this part of a Skulltula's body and striking it can prove to be a bit difficult at times, as fans will need to turn to a couple of different sword techniques.
Updated on December 31, 2021, by Stephen LaGioia: Fans continue to be captivated by Nintendo's Zelda epic on Switch, Breath of the Wild while anticipating the upcoming sequel, which looks to be darker and even richer in terms of narrative development.
In the meantime though, the Big N has satiated the Zelda faithful with spin-offs, remakes, and remasters, including the reemergence of the Wii gem, Skyward Sword, which shines brighter than ever on Switch.
Thanks to the use of refined motion controls, thrilling flight mechanics, and colorful monsters—gamers have had a reason to take a break from Breath of the Wild and take an airborne trip down memory lane with Skyward Sword. Despite the age of the game it resides in, the creeping Skulltula still stands out for its unique (and frustrating) traits.
Skulltula Details
Dating back to Ocarina of Time, these large spiders have seen a few variations, though the ones in this game are similar to their Twilight Princess renditions. They reside in both the Skyview Temple and Ancient Cistern.
These creepy eight-legged critters hang and drop from ceilings, dashing their bodies towards Link as their primary move. Some produce large spider webs which are spun to impede and block Link's path. Their actual movement is limited, though they make for pesky obstacles which can be tough to take down unless directly hitting their weak spot.
They have 8 HP, so they can go down fairly quickly if struck in the right spot, but the trick is getting them vulnerable and actually being able to hit their weak point.
Tips And Techniques To Slay Hanging Skulltulas
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With the spiders that hang from the ceiling, the best technique generally speaking is to perform a horizontal slash to get the Skulltula spinning and a thrust to stab its weak spot (the large glowing purple jewel).
- For full clarity, a thrust attack is performed by pressing the right analog stick forward when using button controls and by stabbing the right Joy-Con forward when using motion controls.
- Notably, some fans that are playing Skyward Sword with motion controls report that they are unable to perform thrust attacks with this action, but fortunately, there are some other options.
However, there are other more effective ways to take out these large, pesky spiders:
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Specifically, motion control players can use a Skyward Strike against a spider's weak point if they are not able to execute a thrust.
- This move is performed by holding the right Joy-Con vertically to raise Link's sword above his head and then flicking it forward to release a projectile once the Skyward Strike has charged.
- Alternatively, Legend of Zelda fans can temporarily change to button controls so that they can use thrust attacks more quickly and effectively in these sections. However, that is certainly not an ideal workaround.
- Players can also get creative and cut down their string with the Beetle, which will cause them to fall and make them vulnerable to Link's attacks.
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Skulltulas perched on webs can be disrupted by hacking at the web using the sword or Beetle. This will coax the spider into creeping from its web and approaching Link.
- Be sure not to turn Link's back when this occurs, as the spider can wrap its legs around him and deal some damage until breaking free.
The following video clip also demonstrates how to effectively take out a large hanging Skulltula:
What About Skulltula On The Ground?
A key thing to note is that players may encounter spiders that are crawling on the ground during their time in Skyview Temple, and these are addressed in a different way.
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Perform an upward slash to flip one of these Skulltula onto its back and then perform a Fatal Blow to finish it off, leaping onto its exposed stomach.
- For the uninitiated, this deadly technique is administered by locking onto an enemy that is on its back (Z or ZL), moving toward it until "Fatal Blow" appears at the bottom of the screen, and then pressing up, down, up on the right analog stick or shaking both Joy-Cons down.
Other Enemies In Skyview Temple
While Skulltulas are among the most prominent here, there are a handful of other baddies for Link to deal with in Skyview Temple:
- Bokoblin - common foes that sprint towards Link and hack at him with their blunt weapons. Some have horns which are used to call for reinforcements later in the game.
- Deku And Quadro Baba - Piranha-like foes that emerge from underground and attempt to bite Link if he draws too close. Some also hang from walls or ceilings.
- Keese - Bat-like creatures that swoop down to attack Link.
- Staldra - New to Skyward Sword, these three-headed creatures attempt to headbutt Link, and he must attack all three heads simultaneously to defeat them. If he misses one or two, the decapitated heads will grow back.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is available now for Switch.