You’re standing in front of the blacksmith in Hyrule. He’s looking at your Master Sword like it’s a piece of dull cutlery. It’s embarrassing, honestly. You want that golden glow. You want the power to slice through a Lynel without breaking a sweat. To get there, you need Master Ore. It’s the rarest material in The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, and finding all four pieces is basically a test of how well you actually know the map of Lorule.
Most players stumble upon one or two pieces by accident. Then they hit a wall.
They wander around the Dark Palace or poke at the walls in the Cemetery, hoping for a miracle. But Master Ore isn't handed out for just showing up. You have to earn it. The game doesn't track these on your map like Heart Pieces, which makes it even more of a headache if you forget which ones you’ve already grabbed. If you’re looking to turn that Level 1 blade into a Level 3 powerhouse, you’ve got some work to do.
Why Master Ore in A Link Between Worlds is a Total Game Changer
Let’s be real: the standard Master Sword is fine. It gets the job done. But once you cross over into Lorule, the difficulty spikes. Hard. Suddenly, those Moblins take way more hits than they used to.
Getting your hands on the first two pieces of Master Ore allows the Hyrulean Blacksmith to forge the Master Sword Level 2 (the one with the red blade). It doubles your damage. That’s huge. But the real prize is the Level 3 sword—the golden one. For that, you need the other two pieces and the Blacksmith in Lorule. This version triples your base damage and lets you fire off sword beams even when your health isn't perfectly full. It basically turns Link into a walking lawnmower.
The Dark Palace Dilemma
The first piece most people go for is in the Dark Palace. It’s a nightmare of a dungeon if you hate light-based puzzles. To get the ore here, you have to head to the second floor. There’s a specific room where you need to blow out the torches to see invisible platforms.
You’ll find two switches. Hit them both. A chest appears on a high platform that seems unreachable. It’s not. You have to use the bombs on the southern windows to let light in or out, manipulate the floor levels, and eventually merge into the wall to reach that chest. It’s tucked away in the back of the room, and if you aren't paying attention to the floor height, you’ll walk right past it.
The Secret Beneath the Thieves' Hideout
This one is arguably the easiest to miss because the Thieves' Hideout is already chaotic enough with the escort mission. You’re busy trying to get Stalblind’s girl out of the dungeon, so looking for treasure feels like a secondary concern.
Once you’ve cleared the boss and have the freedom to roam, go back to the basement. There’s a room with a large pool of water and some moving walkways. You need to use the switches to drain the water or move the grates—it’s been a while since I did it perfectly on the first try, but the trick is merging. You have to merge into the wall behind the giant yellow chest on the platform. If you don't use the merge ability to flank the chest's location from the side, you’re just going to stare at it from across a gap.
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Digging in the Graveyard
The third piece is hidden in Lorule’s version of the Sanctuary/Graveyard area. You know the spot. In Hyrule, it’s where you first went into the secret passage to find the Captain's Sword. In Lorule, it’s a lot creepier.
There’s a large rock blocking a ladder in the back of the graveyard. You need the Titan’s Mitt to lift it. If you haven't finished the Desert Palace yet, you’re out of luck. Go do that first. Once you have the mitts, toss that rock, head inside, and prepare for a pitch-black mini-dungeon. You’ll need the Lamp. Or better yet, the Super Lamp from the Treacherous Tower. You’ll navigate a few narrow walkways, pull some levers, and eventually find the chest. It’s guarded by a few of those annoying wall-masters, so don't stand still for too long.
The Skull Woods Long Game
Skull Woods is the worst. I said it. The layout is a confusing mess of holes in the ground and overlapping floors.
The Master Ore here is located in a chest that requires you to be on the "upper" outdoor level of the woods. You have to find a specific hole to drop down into that lands you right on the high ledge inside the dungeon. Specifically, it’s in the northern section of the woods. If you find yourself in the room with the giant eye-switches and you’re on the floor level, you’ve gone the wrong way. You need to be looking down at that room from the rafters.
Common Myths About Master Sword Upgrades
I’ve seen people online claiming you can find a fifth piece of ore or that you can upgrade the sword a fourth time.
Nope.
There are exactly four pieces of Master Ore. Two for the Red Sword, two for the Gold Sword. If you find a "fifth" one in a random chest, you’re likely playing a randomized ROM or you’ve mistaken a Silver Rupee for ore. Also, you cannot get the Level 3 upgrade until you have the Level 2 upgrade. The Lorule blacksmith won't touch your sword if his Hyrulean counterpart hasn't done the initial work. It’s a matter of professional courtesy, I guess. Or just game logic.
Actionable Steps for Your Upgrade Path
If you want to be efficient, follow this order to minimize backtracking.
- Get the Titan’s Mitts first. You can’t get the Graveyard ore without them. This means completing the Desert Palace early in your Lorule journey.
- Hit the Thieves' Hideout. It’s a relatively straightforward dungeon compared to the others, and getting that second piece of ore early makes the rest of the game significantly easier.
- Go to the Hyrule Blacksmith. Do not wait. As soon as you have two pieces, get that Red Master Sword. The damage boost is essential for the later dungeons like the Ice Ruins or the Dark Palace.
- Clear Skull Woods and Dark Palace. These are more mechanically demanding. Save the Dark Palace for when you have a bit more health, as the enemies there hit like trucks.
- Visit the Lorule Blacksmith. He’s located in the same spot as the Hyrule one, just in the dark world. Give him the final two pieces.
Make sure you actually have the Master Sword equipped when you talk to them. It sounds stupid, but if you’re messing around with items and don't have the blade ready, the dialogue might not trigger correctly.
Once you have the Golden Sword, the final climb up Lorule Castle becomes a victory lap. The damage output is so high that most standard enemies become one-hit kills. It’s the ultimate reward for poking around in the dark corners of a crumbling kingdom.
Go get your ore. The bosses aren't going to kill themselves.