Phantom Hourglass (Item)

The Phantom Hourglass is the namesake item for Phantom Hourglass. It is obtained after the first temple, during the second visit to the Temple of the Ocean King. It is used to journey into the temple without losing life, but with a time limit which recharges when Link leaves the temple, or by a few seconds if he breaks a yellow pot or kills a Wizzrobe (if he is hit by one, he loses time instead. The hourglass starts off with a certain amount of time, which can be added to by killing bosses or salvaging it from the sea.

It is later revealed that the hourglass was made so that Oshus could journey into the temple in search of Bellum. The sand in the hourglass, the Sands of Hours, is the physical form of Life Force. This is absorbed by the temple rather than Link's own Life Force. Since bosses are made of stolen Life Force, killing them gets extra time for the hourglass.

The hourglass is later made into the hilt of the Phantom Sword.

At the end of the game, when Tetra's Pirates insist that Link and Tetra's adventure was just a dream, Link pulls out the hourglass, now empty, which serves as proof of the events.