Koholint Island

A map of Koholint Island
Koholint Island
Type	Island
Debut	The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

Koholint Island is a mysterious island is the setting for The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. It is ultimately revealed that the island is just part of the Wind Fish's dream, and by waking the Wind Fish it is wiped from existence by Link.

Information

Koholint Island is the island shaped by the Wind Fish's dreams, but none of its inhabitants seem to be aware of this. They only believed that there was nothing else in the world beyond the sea by Koholint, although they were aware of the Wind Fish and worshipped it. Marin was the only hopeful inhabitant who believed that there was a world out there due to the presence of seagulls and dreamed of exploring it. Eventually, the Nightmares entered the dream and began wreaking havoc by making the Wind Fish's sleep eternal, although they seemed to be primarily confined to the eight dungeons and the Wind Fish's Egg. According to the Wind Fish, the egg was the first part of the dream to appear, slowly followed by the island's other features and the rest of the "world".

Link was somehow pulled into the Wind Fish's dream during a shipwreck, which was simulated at Koholint's shore. After being treated by Marin and Tarin, Link began gathering the eight Instruments of the Sirens that were needed to awaken the Wind Fish. He also learned the truth about the island when he found the Dream Shrine. He still went ahead with the quest and woke the Wind Fish at its egg after destroying the Nightmares. The Wind Fish assured Link that Koholint Island would live as one of his memories. The entire island faded away as the Wind Fish awoke, returning Link to the middle of the ocean in the real world. In an ending where the player did not die, Marin was also shown to have survived the dream apocalypse in the form of a seagull.

Geography

The centerpiece of the island is the Wind Fish's Egg atop Mt. Tamaranch, within which the Wind Fish slumbers (but is guarded by the Nightmares). The island has two chief villages, Mabe Village and Animal Village, the latter of which is inhabited by talking animals. North of the village is the Mysterious Woods, which are remarkably similar to Hyrule's Lost Woods. Other locations include Tal Tal Heights, Goponga Swamp, Tabahl Wasteland, Yarna Desert, Tal Tal Heights, Tal Tal Mountain Range, Ukuku Prairie, Koholint Plains, Martha's Bay, Toronbo Shores, and Kanalet Castle (which was overrun by Richard's former servants). There also several warp holes throughout the island which made getting across the island easier.

Additionally, there are the eight different dungeons where the Instruments were kept.

• Tail Cave - This dungeon is located near Mabe Village but can only be opened with the Tail Key. It holds the Full Moon Cello, and the boss is the Moldorm.
• Bottle Grotto - It is located within Gaponga Swamp and can only be reached with the aide of Bow Wow. It contains the Conch Horn and is protected by the Genie.
• Key Cavern - This is a structure in Ukuku Prairie which can only be opened using the Slime Key. It contains the Sea Lily's Bell and is guarded by Slime Eyes.
• Angler's Tunnel - This dungeon is a cave located at the base of the Tal Tal Mountain Range. The entrance can only be reached by draining the river using the Angler Key. It contains the Surf Harp and is protected by the Angler Fish.
• Catfish's Maw - This dungeon is located within Martha's Bay and can only be reached with the Flippers. It contains the Wind Marimba and is protected by the Slime Eel.
• Face Shrine - There are two Face Shrines. The southern Face Shrine contains the mural which tells Link the truth about the island as well as the Face Key, which unlocks the Northern Face Shrine. This shrine contains the Coral Triangle and is guarded by Facade.
• Eagle's Tower - The Eagle's Tower is a tall tower located in the eastern area of the Tal Tal Mountain Range. This tower is watched over by the Evil Eagle and contains the Organ of Evening Calm.
• Turtle Rock - A counterpart to a dungeon found on Death Mountain, Turtle Rock is located in the western area of the Tal Tal Mountain Range. It is guarded by Hot Head and contains the Thunder Drum.

Other Appearances

Other Media

• In the Link's Awakening manga, Link's time on Koholint was expanded upon, as was the reluctance Link faced in waking the Wind Fish after learning the truth about Koholint. The manga also showed what would happen if Link tried to leave the island by boat, as the current would always wind up bringing him back to Koholint's shore.