The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker takes place in the Great Sea, a vast 7x7 grid of islands that Link must sail between during his adventure. The vast majority of the world is ocean, though, and it can be annoying to get around quickly without a way to sail faster in Wind Waker – plus, the Swift Sail is only available in the HD version of the game.
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Thankfully, there is a way to fast travel in Wind Waker, but it will take a bit of time to unlock the associated Wind Waker song. This guide explains how to unlock fast travel in Wind Waker by detailing how to learn the Ballad of Gales, and lists every Ballad of Gales location you can fast travel to.
How To Fast Travel In The Wind Waker
Find The Wind Waker & Get The Bow
To fast travel in Zelda: The Wind Waker, you must first obtain two specific items: the eponymous Wind Waker itself and acquire a Bow.
- After you meet the King of Red Lions at Windfall Island and get a sail, you will be sent to Dragon Roost Island to the west. Upon arrival, the King of Red Lions will give you the Wind Waker and provide a brief tutorial.
- The Bow can be found a fair bit later in the game. You must complete the Dragon Roost Island and The Forbidden Woods dungeons, then access the Tower of the Gods. You will find the Bow as you progress through this dungeon.
After you acquire these two items, you will be able to find and learn the song that allows Link to Fast Travel in Zelda: The Wind Waker.
Look For Tornadoes To Find, And Defeat, Cyclos
As you sail around the Great Ocean, keep an eye out for tornadoes. As you travel toward the Forsaken Fortress, with bow in hand, look for an especially large tornado that forms a whirlpool beneath. Allow yourself to get sucked into the whirlpool, and equip your bow.
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Aim at the top of the tornado to hit Cyclos, a god like Zephos with control over the wind. If you hit Cyclos three times, he will acquiesce, dissipate the tornado, and float down to Link.
After a brief dialogue, Cyclos will teach you the Ballad of Gales.
Learn The Ballad of Gales To Fast Travel In The Wind Waker
The Ballad of Gales is a four-note song for the Wind Waker. First, tilt the left analog stick to the left to access 4/4 time. Then, use the right stick to perform these notes with the beat: ▼ ► ◄ ▲
As long as Link is on the King of Red Lions and sailing in a body of water, you can perform the Ballad of Gales to instantly whisk away to several different Fast Travel locations around the world.
All Zelda: The Wind Waker Fast Travel Locations
When performed, you will get a choice of nine different locations that Link can instantly warp to. You cannot Fast Travel to any location, but the Ballad of Gales still helps cut down on time spent traveling across the vast Great Ocean.
The nine Fast Travel locations in The Wind Waker are:
- Dragon Roost Island
- Forest Haven
- Greatfish Isle
- Mother and Child Isles
- Outset Island
- Southern Fairy Island
- Tingle Island
- Tower of the Gods
- Windfall Island
When performed, a short animation of Link and the King of Red Lions being sucked into a tornado will play. After a brief cut to black, you will re-appear on the ocean near each of the islands on these tiles. If you must, use the Ballad of Winds to adjust the wind direction so you can sail to shore.
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
- Released
- March 24, 2003
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E For Everyone
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EAD
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Engine
- Havok
- Franchise
- The Legend of Zelda
- Platform(s)
- GameCube
