Home / walkthrough / southern swamp
Chapter
Southern Swamp and Woodfall
Heal Koume, enter the Deku Palace and learn the Sonata of Awakening from the captive monkey. Raise Woodfall, win the Hero’s Bow and defeat Odolwa before bringing the princess home.
1. Find Koume in the woods
Leave through the south gate and follow the road to the swamp. Enter the Woods of Mystery and follow the monkey’s route to injured Koume; the path changes by day, so use the monkey rather than a memorized sequence.
2. Bring the red potion
Speak to Kotake at the Magic Hags’ Potion Shop to obtain the potion bottle, then return to Koume and give her the Red Potion. Keep the bottle: it becomes an important tool throughout the game.
3. Ride to the Deku Palace
Return to the Tourist Center and speak to healed Koume for the boat tour and Pictograph Box. Ride to the palace, put on the Deku Mask and enter. Visit the throne room to learn why the captive monkey needs help.
4. Reach the captive monkey
Use the palace garden route to meet the bean seller. Obtain Magic Beans and water, plant the bean in the outside access route and use it to reach the raised Deku Flower course. Fly along the palace ledges and enter the monkey’s cage from above.
5. Learn the Sonata before the temple
Show the Ocarina as Deku Link to the captive monkey and learn the Sonata of Awakening. The monkey teaches the song before you rescue the princess; bringing the princess back happens after the dungeon.
6. Raise Woodfall Temple
Take the Deku shortcut toward Woodfall, learn the Song of Soaring from the owl and activate the Woodfall statue. Stand on the central marked platform as Deku Link and play the Sonata of Awakening to raise the temple.
7. Get the Hero’s Bow
Inside Woodfall, progress through the block, torch and flower rooms. Defeat the Dinolfos mini-boss and open its reward chest for the Hero’s Bow. Use arrows on eye switches and the later torch puzzle, then take the Boss Key from the Gekko sequence.
8. Defeat Odolwa and return the princess
Open the boss door and fight Odolwa; the 3DS fight adds its large eye weakness and Deku aerial attacks. Take the Heart Container and remains and learn the Oath to Order. Enter the princess’s room, scoop her into an empty bottle and deliver her to the Deku King. Before resetting, deliver any complete set of fifteen fairies.
| Material | Evidence status |
|---|---|
| Chapter route and ordering | 1 primary route guide (Zelda Central) |
| Key item progression and major version differences | Cross-check: Zelda Dungeon; see Sources |
Questions
What wakes the temple?
The Sonata of Awakening, learned from the captive monkey before entering Woodfall.
Do I need a mask here?
You are already a Deku for the palace. No new mask drops in this chapter.
Where is the pictograph contest?
At the Swamp Tourist Center, after Koume's photo errand. It is optional for the temple.
Sources
- Zelda Central — Version Differences https://zeldacentral.com/games/majoras-mask/version-differences/
- Zelda Central — southern swamp deku palace https://zeldacentral.com/games/majoras-mask/walkthrough/southern-swamp-deku-palace/
- Zelda Central — woodfall temple https://zeldacentral.com/games/majoras-mask/walkthrough/woodfall-temple/
- Zelda Dungeon — southern swamp https://www.zeldadungeon.net/majoras-mask-walkthrough/southern-swamp/
Checked 2026-11-11.