Lanayru Gorge - The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Guide - IGN (2024)

Welcome to IGN's Walkthrough for the Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. This page contains information on the Lanayru Gorge, including meeting the dragon Lanayru, and obtaining the third part of the Song of the Hero by planting the Tree of Life.

Lanayru Desert

Video Guide: Lanayru Gorge Part 1

Touch down in the West Desert Bird Statue in Lanayru Desert and use your Clawshots to enter Lanayru Caves. Talk to Golo here and he’ll show you a short passage through some crumbled rocks. To clear the passage you’ll need to bowl a Bomb into the small hole.

On the other side of the bombed hole is a Gossip Stone and a door leading out to Lanayru Gorge.

Lanayru Gorge is the last new region of Skyward Sword you can explore. In the center of the area is a conspicuous dragon skeleton. This is the Thunder Dragon Lanayru. to resurrect it, you will need to bring a Timeshift Stone nearby.

To the west is a locked door. To get to the door, you need to use your Beetle to grab a Bomb off a nearby cactus and deposit it on the clump of rocks between you and the door.

Run down the slope in front of the locked door and look to the southeast. Under the platform with the dragon bones is a small spire with a sparkling ‘’’Small Key’’’ on it! Send your Beetle to retrieve the key.

Enter the locked door. Use the Clawshots to cross the gap. The Timeshift Stone on the mine cart follows a long track around to the dead dragon, but you’ll have to fend off quite a few enemies between you and the destination.

Whack the Timeshift Stone and the mine cart will take off. Step on the floor switch to open the door and let it continue. Note that if you hit the Timeshift Stone again you will sink in the sand that fills the area around the track, so beware!

The next room is filled with Deku Babas, but you can just run past them as the cart moves along. Another button is by the door.

The next area has a small bridge and plenty of Technoblins. Remember that your Bow is a great choice for these enemies if you don’t want to wait around for a good Shield Bash counter.

This locked door has a floor switch above it. Climb the vines on the wall to reach it.

In the next area the Timeshift Stone will cause a path to pop into existence over the chasm. Cross the platforms to the vines on the wall and then use them to cross the path. You can shoot the Deku Baba with an arrow and continue past its platform by using the Clawshots to cross the gap.

The wall of vines you come to next has a few vents to avoid. Dash across the vents and head right for the Stamina Fruit to avoid falling to your death.

From the vine wall you can use the Clawshots to hit a target on the opposite wall. The mine cart will stop, allowing you some time to get up to the floor switch above.

The Timeshift Stone will thankfully eliminate the Keese in the next are and make a series of Clawshots targets appear. Use these to cross to semi-solid ground.

When the mine cart stops at the bars, use the Whip to grab the wall switch through the bars. Keep the Whip out to cross the gap via the Whip grip as well.

An Ancient Flower can be found in the corner of the next passage. Continue north and you’ll come to several rows of moving spikes.

The mine cart can block the moving spikes, clearing the path for you to cross. At the dead end, the mine cart will stop and you’ll have to step out of its safety bubble.

Run through the sand picking up Stamina Fruit as you make your way to the wall switch.

The next room has several ancient enemies including Sentrobes and Beamos. You can wait out the Sentrobe but you’ll have to cut down the Beamos or hit them with an arrow to the eye.

A wall switch behind a Beamos will open the door allowing you to continue north with the mine cart.

A pile of rocks stops the mine cart. Luckily, a Bomb Plant is growing on a nearby platform. Send the Beetle for the Bomb and clear the rocks.

The final stretch of platforms is ridden with Deku Babas. Clear them out with Shield Bash attacks and arrows. Once you make it past this final gauntlet the mine cart will arrive back in the central area, resurrecting Lanayru.

Unfortuantely, Lanayru is ill, and needs some sort of fruit to get his vocal chords back in shape -- the Fruit of the Tree of Life.

Video Guide: Lanayru Gorge Part 2

The Tree of Life is nearby. Take the path east from the dragon and, at the withered tree, use your Gust Bellows to clear away the sand piles.

Under one sand pile is a Timeshift Stone. Activate the stone to bring a bubble of time into the area and you will see a small sapling on the ground. Dig it up and the nearby robot will lecture you about reviving his master.

You need to take the Life Tree Seedling to the Sealed Temple in Faron Woods, but first, activate the nearby Goddess Cube. Pick up the Ancient Flower next to it while you are there.

Lanayru Gorge Goddess Cube

Once you’ve activated the nearby Timeshift Stone, this Goddess Cube by the Tree of Life in Lanayru Gorge is easy to get to. Once you've taken care of the Cube, you're ready to leave, but now the bridge is gone and you need to restore it. Use your beetle to hit the timeshift stone in the cart to restore the bridge.

Return to Faron Woods

Head to Faron Woods and touch down at the Behind the Temple Bird Statue so you can help Gorko solve another Goddess Wall mystery. Doing so can land you a rare Treasure.

The spot you need to plant the Life Tree Seedling is actually just inside the Sealed Temple -- but location isn’t nearly as important as what TIME you plant it in.

Go through the time portal and, on the other side, examine the area by Groose. A conspicuous planting spot can be found here.

You can plant the Life Tree Seedling here. It will grow into a tree over time, so return to the portal and head back to Link’s time. The Tree of Life is fully grown now and a fruit dangles from it. Roll into the tree and the fruit will drop. Pick the Life Tree Fruit up and head back to Lanayru.

Upon returning to the desert and talking to Lanayru, you will have 3 of the 4 pieces of the Song of the Hero.

Return to the Thunderhead

For now, head into the Thunderhead to finish the Song of the Hero. Here you’ll find Levias circling the area beneath the rainbow island.

Fly above Levias and get off of your Crimson Loftwing. Control your fall and land right on the giant beast’s back.

This will initiate a cutscene with Levias and all three Dragons where you will complete the Song of the Hero. This song is the key to a new Silent Realm area -- The Silent Realm - Skyloft.