You know that scratching sound. That skittering, rhythmic noise that haunts your dreams after a six-hour session in the Bottom of the Well. If you’ve played The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, you’ve spent way too much time staring at walls, hoping to find a shimmering spider that looks like it was dipped in 24-karat gold. Finding Ocarina of Time Golden Skulltula locations isn't just a completionist’s errand; it’s a grueling rite of passage that separates the casual players from the people who actually know every pixel of Hyrule.
Let’s be real for a second. Collecting all 100 of these things is kind of a nightmare if you don't have a plan. The rewards are... okay. You get a bigger wallet, some heart pieces, and eventually an infinite supply of money that you probably don't need by the time you've finished the quest. But it’s about the 100% mark. It's about silencing that annoying scratching sound in every house in Kakariko Village.
The Early Game Scramble: Kokiri Forest and Hyrule Field
Most people miss the first few because they're just trying to get through the Deku Tree. Don't do that. You can snag a few immediately.
Behind the Know-It-All Brothers' house in Kokiri Forest, there's one hanging out at night. It’s easy. It’s right there. But then things get tricky. Have you checked the soft soil patches? This is where a lot of players drop the ball. You need bugs. Put them in a bottle, drop them on the square patch of dirt, and watch a Golden Skulltula pop out like it’s being evicted. This works in the Lost Woods and right next to the Shop in the forest too.
Hyrule Field is actually surprisingly sparse for these spiders, which is weird considering how big it is. There's a tree near the entrance to Kakariko. If you roll into it, one drops down. That’s a classic Nintendo move—hiding things in plain sight that require a physical interaction you haven’t used in three hours. There’s also a secret grotto near the entrance to Gerudo Valley. You’ll need a circle of stones and a bomb. Blow up the center, drop down, and use your Boomerang.
Kakariko Village: The Spider Hub
Kakariko is basically the capital of Ocarina of Time Golden Skulltula locations. Since this is where the Cursed Rich Family lives (the House of Skulltula), it makes sense.
The construction site has one. The side of the House of Skulltula itself has one. The tree in the center? Roll into it. But the one that everyone misses is on the ladder of the tall lookout tower. You have to use your Slingshot or Boomerang to get it, and honestly, the aiming in the N64 version is jankier than we all remember. If you're playing the 3D version on the 3DS, it's a lot smoother, but that doesn't make the spider any less annoying to reach.
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Graveyard life is just as busy. Check the soft soil. Check the wall on the high ledge using the Longshot later in the game. It's a vertical playground for these things.
The Dungeon Grind: From Deku Tree to Ganon’s Castle
Dungeons are where the real hunt happens. Inside the Great Deku Tree, you’ve got four. They aren't hard, but if you don't grab the one in the basement behind the crates, you're coming back later, and nobody wants to backtrack through the tutorial dungeon.
Dodongo’s Cavern is a bit more involved. There’s one behind a fake wall you have to bomb near the entrance. Another is perched high on a ledge in the room with the giant stairs. It’s easy to see, but if you don’t have the Boomerang yet, you’re just staring at it longingly.
The Water Temple Nightmare
We have to talk about the Water Temple. Everyone hates this place because of the boots, but the Skulltulas here are actually some of the most technical in the game. One is hidden inside the central pillar. You have to raise the water to the mid-level, go inside, and use the Longshot. Another is behind a gate in the underground river section. You have to hit a switch and then race the timer. It’s stressful. It’s damp. It’s classic Zelda.
The Shadow Temple is arguably worse because of the "invisible" factor. You’re constantly toggling the Lens of Truth, draining your magic meter, just to see if a spider is hanging on a wall behind a fake painting. Hint: they usually are. There’s one in the room with the giant spinning scythes. If you don't time your movement, you’re getting knocked into the abyss.
Death Mountain and the Lon Lon Ranch Connection
Death Mountain Trail has a few that only appear at night. There's one behind a destructible wall right at the start. Then you have the Crater. People forget the Crater because it’s hot and you’re usually on a timer if you don’t have the Goron Tunic. Check the crates. Roll into them.
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Lon Lon Ranch is a gold mine. Four of them are scattered around. One is on the back of the house. One is on the silo. One is on the outer fence. And one is tucked away behind the barn. You have to be Child Link for most of these, so make sure you visit Malon before you pull the Master Sword and ruin the world for seven years.
Advanced Tactics: The Boomerang vs. The Hookshot
The evolution of your tools changes how you hunt. As a kid, the Boomerang is your best friend. It can grab the tokens from a distance. If you kill a Skulltula and the token is stuck on a high wall, the Boomerang will fetch it for you.
When you become an adult, the Hookshot (and eventually the Longshot) takes over. Some Ocarina of Time Golden Skulltula locations are literally impossible to reach without the Longshot. For example, the one high up on the Spirit Temple’s exterior. You’ll be standing on the desert sand, looking up at a gold glimmer that’s 50 feet in the air. Without that extended chain, you’re out of luck.
Nighttime is the Right Time
This is the golden rule. No pun intended. Most Skulltulas in the overworld only appear at night. If you’re running through Zora’s Domain during the day, you won't see a thing. Use the Sun’s Song. It’s the single most important tool for a Skulltula hunter. It forces the world into darkness, spawning the spiders instantly. If you aren't playing the Sun's Song every time you enter a new screen, you are doing it wrong.
Why Bother? The Rewards Breakdown
Is it worth it? Sort of.
- 10 Tokens: Adult’s Wallet (holds 200 rupees).
- 20 Tokens: Stone of Agony (vibrates when secrets are near—only works on N64/GC).
- 30 Tokens: Giant’s Wallet (holds 500 rupees).
- 40 Tokens: Bombchus. (Kind of a letdown).
- 50 Tokens: Piece of Heart. (The real prize).
- 100 Tokens: Huge Gold Rupee. Every time you leave and re-enter the house, you can get another 200 rupees.
Basically, after 50 tokens, the rewards take a massive nose dive. The jump from 50 to 100 is purely for the "I did it" factor. By the time you have 100 tokens, you’ve probably cleared every shop and have nothing left to buy. It’s one of those weird game design choices from the 90s where the ultimate prize is something you no longer need.
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The Ones Everyone Misses
Zora’s Fountain. Behind the Giant Jabu-Jabu, there’s a tree. Roll into it. But wait, there’s another one on the far wall that requires the Boomerang. And another one as an adult where you have to use the Silver Gauntlets to lift a heavy rock.
The Spirit Temple has some of the sneakiest placements in the game. There's a room with moving sun blocks and a transparent wall. You have to play the Song of Time to shift things around just to get a clear shot at the spider. It’s brilliant and infuriating.
Also, check the back of the lab at Lake Hylia. As a kid, there’s one on the wall you can grab with the Boomerang. As an adult, you actually have to dive into the pool inside the lab and use the Iron Boots to reach the bottom, then use the Hookshot on a crate. It’s deep. Literally.
Actionable Strategy for Your Playthrough
If you're starting a new save file, don't try to get them all at once. It’ll burn you out. Use a systematic approach based on your current items.
- Child Phase 1: Get the Boomerang from Jabu-Jabu’s belly immediately. This unlocks about 30% of the total spiders.
- The Bug Bottle: Always keep one bottle filled with bugs. Whenever you see a square of soft soil, drop the bugs. There are 10 of these locations, and they are the easiest tokens in the game.
- Night Rotation: Every time you enter a village or a major landmark (Gerudo Valley, Lake Hylia), play the Sun's Song. Walk the perimeter. Listen for the scratching.
- Adult Longshot: Don't go "hardcore" hunting as an adult until you have the Longshot from the Water Temple. The standard Hookshot is too short for about five or six key spiders, and backtracking twice is a waste of time.
- Check the Map: The game actually tells you if you’ve found all the Skulltulas in an area. Open your map screen. If there’s a little gold spider icon next to the area name, you’re done there. If there isn't, start searching.
Collecting every one of the Ocarina of Time Golden Skulltula locations is a test of patience. It’s about learning the geometry of Hyrule and realizing that Nintendo's developers in 1998 were slightly sadistic. But when you finally see that 100/100 on your quest sub-screen, the silence in Kakariko Village is worth it.
The best way to finish is to focus on the dungeons first, then the overworld. Dungeons are contained environments. Once the map icon appears, you never have to think about that place again. The overworld is much more fluid and depends on the time of day, so save those for a final "World Tour" once you have the Longshot and the Silver Gauntlets.
Stop wandering aimlessly. Get your bugs, wait for nightfall, and start hitting those walls. That 500-rupee wallet isn't going to earn itself.