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Zelda is rarely described as frightening, but its side quests sometimes place cursed families, ghosts and uncanny traders in the brightest corners of Hyrule and the Great Sea. The list below follows Polygon’s nine picks, as carried on a syndicated copy dated October 8, 2026, and explains what each one involves. The claim that these are “scarier than any horror game” is a playful editorial judgment, not a measured ranking. Players will react differently, and the choices reflect one writer’s taste.
How to read this list
- The nine entries are a curated selection. They are not an objective or measured ranking of Zelda’s scariest content.
- The game spread is uneven: two entries come from Ocarina of Time, two from Majora’s Mask, and one each from The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword, Link’s Awakening and Tears of the Kingdom.
- The quest descriptions below are the article’s own account. Only the syndicated copy was available for this piece, so for the full wording of each entry, read the original Polygon article.
- Official Nintendo material confirms the existence of some of these side activities but not every detail. Where that is the case, the entry says so.
The nine side quests
1. House of Skulltula (Ocarina of Time)
According to the article, a family has been cursed into spider-like forms, and breaking the curse requires 100 Gold Skulltulas. The most unsettling detail is the image itself: a transformed family waiting in their home, rather than a monster lurking in a dungeon. Its horror comes from domestic stillness, not from a jump scare.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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| 1 |
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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - World Edition | $56.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D | $49.99 | Buy on Amazon |
2. The Craftsman’s Son (Ocarina of Time)
The adult son goes missing in the Lost Woods. A Kokiri girl explains that adults who get lost turn into Stalfos. The article’s point is the contrast: she delivers the explanation cheerfully, while the implied fate is grim. The quest works because it treats a grim outcome as ordinary forest knowledge.
3. “Them” at Romani Ranch (Majora’s Mask)
Romani prepares to defend the ranch against silent figures that come for the cows. If Link fails, Romani is taken and later returned without her memories or her usual personality. Successfully defending the ranch rewards the player with milk, which the article reads as an uncanny contrast to the threat. The unease is in the aftermath: a person comes back changed, and the reward feels almost cheerful.
#1 Best Overall
- Discover Hyrule as never before: by making your own path, choices, and consequences
- Ingenuity is the key to survival: find multiple solutions to tons of dynamic puzzles
- Surprises hide around every corner: scavenge weapons, armor, plants, animals, and more
- Live off the land: find weapons and armor, cook food, and brew elixirs
- Utilize special technology: the in-game Sheikah Slate controls, objects and enemies in fun ways
4. Pamela’s Father (Majora’s Mask)
Pamela hides her father in a closet while he transforms into a Gibdo. The article stresses the sudden closet reveal and the family’s distress. It says the Song of Healing can break the curse and lead to the Gibdo Mask. Gibdos, ReDeads and Wallmasters also appear in the Ikana Well section, which the Zelda Dungeon walkthrough describes as rewarding the Mirror Shield. That walkthrough notes that parts of the Ikana Castle section differ between the Nintendo 64 and 3DS versions, so check which version you are playing against any step-by-step guidance.
5. The Ghost Ship (The Wind Waker)
A ship appears at night at particular locations on the Great Sea. According to the article, boarding it yields a Triforce Shard. Its atmosphere comes mostly from its ghostly appearance and music rather than from any hostile encounter, which is why it stays in memory as an eerie visit.
6. Jovani (Twilight Princess)
The article says Jovani traded his soul to the Poes for wealth and was turned into gold along with his cat. He can be helped by finding 60 Poes. Nintendo’s official Twilight Princess HD page confirms that the game includes hidden-Poe side quests, but it does not confirm the article’s Jovani details.
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The article describes a hand reaching out from the Knight Academy bathroom and asking for paper. A love-letter choice leads to a haunting complication for Cawlin. The official sources reviewed do not independently confirm this quest, so treat this account as the article’s description.
Rank #2
- This is the world edition. It has different packaging but is fully authentic and works on US region 3DS systems.
- The Legend of Zelda veterans can look forward to the Master Quest - a second quest with revamped puzzles and redesigned dungeons.
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is a masterful improvement on one of the landmark releases in video game history.
- “E10+”, w/Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence, Suggestive Themes
8. The Lost Ghost (Link’s Awakening)
A pink ghost follows Link, asks to visit its old house and grave, and leaves a Fairy Bottle as thanks, according to the article. The article frames the pink ghost as a cute visual that hides a melancholy story, which is the entry’s whole method: the friendly surface carries the sadness.
9. The Bargainer Statues (Tears of the Kingdom)
In the Depths, the article describes enormous statues that trade goods for Poes. They are uncanny rather than overtly hostile. The fear comes partly from finding them in darkness and partly from the game’s framing of Poes as spirits.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Comparing the unease
The nine entries fall into different kinds of discomfort, and it helps to separate them. The grouping below is editorial synthesis from the article’s descriptions, not a published classification.
| Quest (game) | Type of unease | What Link can do, per the article |
|---|---|---|
| House of Skulltula (Ocarina of Time) | Transformation | Collect 100 Gold Skulltulas to lift the curse |
| The Craftsman’s Son (Ocarina of Time) | Haunting and a grim forest fate | Learn the fate; the article describes no rescue |
| “Them” at Romani Ranch (Majora’s Mask) | Pursuit | Defend the ranch to protect Romani |
| Pamela’s Father (Majora’s Mask) | Transformation | Play the Song of Healing to break the curse |
| The Ghost Ship (The Wind Waker) | Uncanny setting | Board the ship to obtain a Triforce Shard |
| Jovani (Twilight Princess) | Transformation and a bargain gone wrong | Find 60 Poes to help Jovani |
| Phoeni, the Ghost Hand (Skyward Sword) | Haunting | Make a love-letter choice; the article describes a complication for Cawlin |
| The Lost Ghost (Link’s Awakening) | Haunting | Take the ghost to its old house and grave; reward is a Fairy Bottle |
| The Bargainer Statues (Tears of the Kingdom) | Uncanny setting | Trade Poes with the statues for goods |
Playing these games today
- Twilight Princess HD (Wii U): Nintendo’s official page lists fishing, bug searching and hidden Poes among the side activities. The page identifies the Wii U version, gives a European release date of March 4, 2016, and states that Wii U and 3DS eShop purchases ended on March 27, 2023. That fixes the digital purchase window, but it does not describe physical retail availability.
- Majora’s Mask (Nintendo Switch Online): Nintendo’s October 16, 2024 article lists the game in the Nintendo 64 collection for Nintendo Switch Online members with the Expansion Pack. Nintendo describes it as a game where players use “time-twisting tunes and magical masks to stop the moon from destroying the world in just three days!” Catalog availability varies by country and changes over time, so check your region’s Nintendo Switch Online catalog before you buy a subscription for it.
Other entries on the list may be available only through earlier platforms or physical copies. Check the specific game and platform before you plan a playthrough around one of these side quests.
Quick Recap
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