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Water Temple & Mucktorok boss - Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Get the water flowing in the Water Temple and clean up Mucktorok with the help of Sidon in Tears of the Kingdom.

Sam Chandler

June 14, 2023 11:20 PM

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The Water Temple is another one of the challenging dungeons in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. This temple tasks Link with restoring the flow of water and defeating a grimy little boss called Mucktorok. The good news is you won’t be doing this alone, as Sidon will be along to lend a helping hand.

Water Temple

Navigating the Water Temple is comparatively easier than some of the other temples. The main goal of the dungeon is to activate four water wheels to fill up the four huge water vessels. Link can then pour the water on the sludge to face the boss.

B1 water wheel

To get started, jump off the west side to find a room blocked by fire. Use Sidon’s ability to shield Link, letting him walk through fire. The floating blocks can be connected together to make a bridge across the spikes to get the ball. To keep the ball in its socket, attach it to a floating block.

Once the gate open, use Sidon’s ability to send a wave of water at the wheel. Return to the upper level to get started on the next wheel.

1F water wheel (west)

Head up to the western side of the area to find a large ball in water and a bubble dispenser covered in sludge. Clean the dispenser and put the ball in a bubble so it reaches the top. Follow it up in your own bubble.

When you reach the next level, use a floating block to hold the spillway open, draining the water. While the water drains, position the big ball so it goes into the socket. Run to the building that was below the waterline and activate the wheel.

1F water wheel (east)

The next two water wheels are in the east. Reach this area by attaching a bubble to a spear and throwing it at the snake statue that’s covered in sludge. This will free up the waterfall.

This next wheel is trapped behind a door that needs power. Attach boards to the wheel to create a water generator. To make the power cross the gap, use Ultrahand to grab the nearby bubble and place it so that both nodes are inside the water – this will power the door. Activate the water wheel and then move on.

1F water wheel (southeast)

The last water wheel is to the southeast. Ascend up the platform where the Like Like is and then head to the back corner. There is a spinning block that has sludge on it. Attach a bubble to a board and hold it up to clear the sludge.

Now for the tricky part. You’ll need to shoot an arrow at the torch inside the spinning block. To do this, get some height and glide down. Pull out your bow in mid-air to slow down time letting you land the shot. With the water drained, find the water wheel in the middle of the area and activate it.

Head back down to the main platform, activate the vessels, and prepare for the boss fight against Mucktorok.

Mucktorok

The fight against Mucktorok in the Water Temple is all about using Sidon’s ability to shield Link from the boss’ attack and using it to remove the boss’ sludge. Remember that if the water shield blocks an attack it will be used up.

To help with survivability, try to keep your distance from the boss. This will give you more time to request Sidon’s ability to shield you from attacks.

Mucktorok will typically do two attacks: one where muck pulses out in a wave and the other a laser beam. After he does these, he will charge Link. When this happens, prepare Sidon’s ability and fire a wave of water at the boss to knock the little gremlin out.

As the boss is flopping around, hit it with an arrow to stun it. Now, use whatever weapon you have to smash its health down. Powered attacks that hit quickly, like a spear, can blitz its health down fast.

When Mucktorok hits half health, it will cover the arena in sludge. This will make it tough to move around. Try to use Sidon’s ability to clear the sludge while also avoiding the boss’ attacks. If you’re quick, you might be able to fire off a shot while it’s spewing out sludge.

During this second phase, take your time and try not to get hit. Use Sidon’s ability as much as you can to clear up the path so you’re not getting stuck in the mud. Clearing the sludge will ensure the boss isn’t able to recover quickly.

The good news is that it’s possible to knock Mucktorok out extremely quickly. His health isn’t tied to any weakpoints, just raw damage, so use your best weapons to get it done.

Defeating Mucktorok might not be an easy feat, but once it’s done, you’ll complete Sidon of the Zora, unlock a new summon, and be on your way to completing Regional Phenomena. For more temple, shrine, and quest guides, check out our Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Strategy Guide.

Sam Chandler

Head of Guides

Hailing from the land down under, Sam Chandler brings a bit of the southern hemisphere flair to his work. After bouncing round a few universities, securing a bachelor degree, and entering the video game industry, he's found his new family here at Shacknews as Head of Guides. There's nothing he loves more than crafting a guide that will help someone. If you need help with a guide, or notice something not quite right, you can message him on X: @SamuelChandler