You’re standing in front of Ganon’s Castle. The sky is a sickly shade of red. You’ve got the Master Sword, the legendary blade of evil’s bane, strapped to your back. It’s the iconic weapon of the series, but let’s be real for a second: it’s kinda weak. If you’re trying to speed up that final boss fight or just want to feel like an absolute powerhouse while wandering through Hyrule Field, you need something better. You need the Biggoron Sword in Ocarina of Time.
It’s huge. It’s heavy. It requires two hands, which means you’re giving up your shield, but the trade-off is massive damage. We’re talking double the power of the Master Sword. But getting it? That’s where things get tricky. It’s not just sitting in a chest at the end of a dungeon. Instead, Nintendo decided to make us run a marathon across a dying kingdom, trading everything from weird blue frogs to moldy mushrooms.
Honestly, the trading sequence is one of the most memorable parts of the game because of how much it demands from you. You aren't just fighting monsters; you're fighting a clock.
The Giant's Knife Trap
Before we talk about the real deal, we have to mention the Giant’s Knife. Some players get impatient. They see Medigoron sitting in that cave on Death Mountain and think, "Hey, 200 rupees for a giant sword? Deal!"
Don't do it.
It’s a total scam. The Giant’s Knife looks exactly like the Biggoron Sword, but it has the durability of a toothpick. Hit a wall a few times or smack a Tektite, and snap. You’re left with a broken stump that does barely any damage. It’s a classic bait-and-switch. The "real" sword—the one that actually stays in one piece—can only be earned through the longest trading sequence in the game. You can't buy greatness in Hyrule; you have to sweat for it.
Starting the Longest Walk
The quest for the Biggoron Sword in Ocarina of Time starts with something small: a Pocket Egg. You get it from Anju, the lady who is always losing her Cuccos in Kakariko Village. Once it hatches into a Pocket Cucco, you use it to wake up Talon, who is snoozing in one of the houses.
That’s just the warmup.
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After you return the Cucco, she gives you Cojiro, a blue Cucco that looks way cooler than the standard ones. You take this blue bird to the Lost Woods to find a guy sitting against a tree—the Master Craftsman’s son. He looks pretty rough. He gives you an Odd Mushroom. This is where the pressure starts because the mushroom is fresh. It will spoil. You have exactly three minutes to get out of the woods, ride your horse across Hyrule, and reach the Potion Shop in Kakariko.
If you haven't rescued Epona yet, stop what you're doing. Seriously. Doing this quest on foot is a nightmare.
The Stress of the Timer
The mushroom leads to the Odd Potion, which you take back to the Lost Woods. But the guy is gone. In his place is a Fado (the Kokiri girl), who demands the potion in exchange for the Poacher’s Saw. This saw then goes to the Master Craftsman at Gerudo Valley.
Why does a carpenter in the desert have a broken Goron sword? Who knows. But he trades you the Broken Goron’s Sword for the saw. Now you’re finally getting somewhere. You take that hunk of junk to the top of Death Mountain—not the crater, but the actual peak near the Great Fairy Fountain. Biggoron is sitting there, huge and shivering. He’s got an eye infection because of the volcanic ash.
Now, you’d think a giant would have a better healthcare plan, but no. You have to solve his medical crisis.
This leads to the most infamous part of the whole ordeal: the Eyedrops. You get a prescription, take it to King Zora (who takes forever to scoot out of the way), and he gives you a Great Fairy’s Eyedrop.
You have two minutes.
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Two minutes to get from Zora’s Domain to the peak of Death Mountain. If you use the warp songs (like the Bolero of Fire), the timer instantly drops to zero. You have to do it the old-fashioned way. You’re sprinting through the water, whistling for Epona, dodging falling rocks, and praying that you don't mess up the climb. It’s pure adrenaline.
Why the Reward is Actually Worth It
When you finally hand over those drops, Biggoron is so relieved he gives you the Claim Check. Wait three days (just play the Sun’s Song a few times), and he hands it over.
The Biggoron Sword in Ocarina of Time is a game-changer for several reasons:
- Reach: You can hit enemies from much further away than with the Master Sword.
- Damage: It kills most standard enemies in a single hit. Stalfos? Two hits and they're dust.
- Bosses: It makes the fight against Twinrova and Ganon significantly faster.
The lack of a shield is a big deal, though. You have to learn how to dodge. In the original N64 version, you could technically "block" by using the sword's length, but it wasn't as effective as the Hylian Shield. It forces you to play more aggressively. You stop being a kid hiding behind a piece of metal and start being a warrior who ends fights before the enemy can even swing.
Misconceptions and Niche Details
A lot of people think you need to be an adult to start the quest. While the meat of the trading happens in the future, you can actually mess around with some of the early items earlier, but the Biggoron Sword itself is strictly an Adult Link reward.
Another weird thing? The durability. Unlike the Master Sword, which is a magical constant, the Biggoron Sword is just really well-made steel. In the lore of the game, Biggoron is considered the master smith, far superior to his brother Medigoron. This is why his blade doesn't break. It’s a subtle bit of world-building. The game is telling you that craftsmanship matters more than just "magic."
Also, if you're playing the 3DS version (Ocarina of Time 3D), the quest is exactly the same, but the visuals make it a lot easier to see the path up the mountain during the timed run. On the original N64 hardware, the fog and lower resolution made that sprint a bit more of a "path of memory" than a "path of sight."
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Actionable Strategy for Your Run
If you're going for the sword right now, here is the most efficient way to handle the final sprint.
First, make sure you have the Longshot or at least the Hookshot. It saves precious seconds in certain areas. Second, clear the path. If you know you're about to do the Eyedrop run, kill the enemies on the trail first. They won't all stay dead, but it helps.
Most importantly: Epona. If you try to do the Eyedrop run without Epona, you are going to have a bad time. You need to ride her from the Zora’s River entrance all the way to the base of Death Mountain. Don't bother trying to take the "short way" through the Lost Woods; the game knows and the timer will punish you.
Once you get the sword, practice your "jump slash." The jump slash with the Biggoron Sword deals astronomical damage—it's essentially a 4x multiplier compared to a standard Master Sword swing. It can break the game's difficulty wide open, which, honestly, feels great after all that running around.
The quest is a test of your knowledge of Hyrule’s geography. By the time you hold that golden hilt, you’ve earned it. You know every shortcut, every fence to jump, and every annoying Goron on that mountain. It’s the ultimate "expert" weapon for a reason.
Go talk to Anju in Kakariko. Get that egg. Stop settling for a shorter blade. The mountain is waiting.