Look, Prince Richard is a bit of a pill. You meet him in that drafty villa surrounded by frogs, and he basically tells you that he won't give up the Slime Key unless you do his dirty work. Specifically, he wants five Golden Leaves. They're scattered all over Kanalet Castle, and if you don't know exactly where to poke around, you'll end up circling the ramparts for an hour while those annoying crows peck at your head. It’s one of those classic The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening bottlenecks that can feel like a chore if you're just trying to get to the Key Cavern, but honestly, it’s a pretty clever way to force you to learn the game's combat mechanics.
Kanalet Castle isn't just a dungeon-lite; it's a test of whether you've actually mastered the basic items you've found so far. You can’t just stroll in through the front gate, either. You’ve gotta trade a stick for a honeycomb, then a honeycomb for a pineapple, and eventually get Kiki the Monkey to build you a bridge. It’s a whole thing. But once you’re inside those walls, the hunt for Link's Awakening gold leaves really begins.
The Exterior Scavenger Hunt
Most people make the mistake of running straight inside. Don't. Two of the leaves are actually outside in the courtyard areas, and they require a bit of patience.
To the right side of the castle grounds, you’ll see a Bomber—one of those guys who pops out of holes in the ground and hurls rocks at you. He’s shy. Or just annoying. You have to wait for him to show his face before you can whack him. Once you successfully play whack-a-mole with him a few times, he’ll drop the first leaf. It's simple, but it teaches you that timing is everything in Koholint Island.
Then there’s the crow.
You’ll find a suspicious-looking bird perched in a tree on the left side of the castle. If you just walk past, he does nothing. If you try to jump, nothing. You have to pick up a rock and chuck it at the tree. This agitates him enough to attack, and honestly, his flight pattern is a little erratic if you aren't used to the 2D-to-3D perspective shift in the Nintendo Switch remake. Kill the bird, get your second leaf. That’s two down.
Breaking and Entering for the Rest
Once you head inside the castle, the vibe changes. The music gets a bit more regal, but the enemies get significantly more armored.
The third leaf is tucked away on the first floor. You’ll find a room with a couple of Darknuts—those knight guys with shields. You can't just mash the A button here. You have to wait for them to lower their guard or use your shield to stagger them. Once the room is clear of enemies, the leaf just appears. It’s a standard "clear the room" puzzle, but it’s easy to miss if you’re rushing through the corridors trying to find the boss.
The Crumbly Wall Mystery
This is where people usually get stuck. You'll find a hallway with two suspicious-looking murals on the wall that look like knights. Most players just walk past them.
Don't do that.
You need to place a bomb in front of these specific wall sections. If you're out of bombs, you’re kind of screwed and have to trek back to Mabe Village to buy more from Town Tool Shop. If you do have them, blow up the wall. A hidden Knight will emerge from the wreckage. Defeat him, and you’ve got your fourth leaf. It’s a classic Zelda trope—if the wall looks weird, blow it up—but in the heat of the moment, it’s surprisingly easy to overlook.
The Final Showdown with the Ball and Chain Soldier
The fifth and final of the Link's Awakening gold leaves is held by a mini-boss. You’ll eventually find your way to a room where a golden armored soldier is swinging a massive ball and chain.
This guy is a tank.
If you get hit by that flail, it chunks a significant portion of your heart's health. The trick here isn't to be aggressive; it's to be fast. You want to bait his attack, let the ball hit the floor, and then rush in for a few quick slashes before he pulls the chain back. In the 1993 Game Boy original, this fight felt a bit more clunky due to the limited screen real estate, but in the Switch version, the extra breathing room makes it feel like a proper duel. Once he goes down, the fifth leaf is yours.
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Why Richard Even Wants These
There’s a bit of deep lore—or at least as deep as Link’s Awakening gets—regarding Prince Richard. He claims he was kicked out of the castle, and these leaves are proof of his "royalty" or some such nonsense. If you've played For the Frog For Whom the Bell Tolls, a Japan-exclusive Game Boy game, you’ll recognize Richard immediately. He’s a direct cameo. The gold leaves quest is basically a nod to his origins, and while it feels like a fetch quest, it’s actually a bridge between two of Nintendo’s weirdest handheld eras.
Turning Them In (And What Comes Next)
Take the five leaves back to Richard. He’ll be thrilled, or as thrilled as a guy living in a house full of frogs can be. He moves his statue, revealing a secret path into the Pothole Field.
Now, here is a pro tip: Bring a shovel.
You would be amazed how many people finish the gold leaf quest, get into the field, and realize they can't actually dig up the Slime Key because they never bought the shovel from the shop. You’ll be slashing through bushes like a madman only to realize the key is buried right in front of the owl statue.
The Pothole Field is a nightmare of "one-way" pathing and hidden pits. Take it slow. If you fall in, you just restart at the beginning of the screen, but it’s a waste of time. Follow the path, dig where the owl tells you, and the Slime Key is yours. This opens the way to the third dungeon, and from there, the game really starts to open up.
The whole gold leaf ordeal is basically a rite of passage. It moves you from the "intro" phase of the game into the meat of the experience. It teaches you to look at the environment differently—to check trees, blow up walls, and respect enemies with shields.
Once you have that Slime Key, head south. The swamp is waiting, and honestly, the boss of the next dungeon is way easier than that ball-and-chain guy you just fought.
Quick Checklist for the Road
- Leaf 1: Right side of the castle, kill the guy popping out of the holes.
- Leaf 2: Left side, throw a rock at the bird in the tree.
- Leaf 3: Inside, kill the two Darknuts in the first-floor room.
- Leaf 4: Use a bomb on the knight murals in the hallway.
- Leaf 5: Beat the Ball and Chain Soldier in the upper room.
Before heading to Richard’s villa, make sure you have at least 200 Rupees saved up. You’re going to need them for the Bow later, and if you’re already backtracking to Mabe Village for the shovel, you might as well start grinding for that expensive piece of gear now. The jump in difficulty from Key Cavern to Angler’s Tunnel is real, and having the right tools makes a world of difference.
Go get that Slime Key. Richard has waited long enough, and Koholint isn't going to wake itself up.
Actionable Next Steps
- Check your inventory: Ensure you have at least 3-5 bombs before entering Kanalet Castle to avoid backtracking.
- Visit the Mabe Village Shop: If you don't own the Shovel yet, buy it immediately after finishing the castle; you cannot finish the quest without it.
- Observe the murals: When inside the castle, look for the two knight portraits on the wall that look slightly different from the rest of the architecture—these are your targets for the fourth leaf.