Highlights
- Small Keys are crucial for progressing through dungeons, and their ability to stack makes them even more valuable.
- Empty Bottles are versatile vessels that can store healing items and fairies, making them essential for maintaining Link’s health.
- The Bow and Arrow is a staple weapon in the series, with the ability to upgrade and use different arrow types for various purposes.
Among the many important elements of The Legend Of Zelda, one that is crucial to player progression is items. Over the past 35-plus years of its existence, Zelda has put together an almost unlimited catalog of items that have become staples in the series.
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Whether they’re acquired in a dungeon or on the field map, items are a prominent part of this storied franchise. Some of them are intended to help players defeat a specific boss, while others may be designed to help them reach somewhere they couldn’t previously
7 Small Keys
Multiple Keys Can Be Acquired At Once To Reach New Areas
First appearing all the way back in the original game, Small Keys are one of the most important items in the entire franchise. Spread throughout dungeons and hidden inside small chests, the Small Key is often one of the first methods of progression through a new dungeon.
The items also stack, meaning you can sometimes be sitting on two or three keys at one time. As each door opens to a new area and new Small Keys are obtained, they become ways to obtain bigger items such as the Boss Key. The Small Key was one of the first items in the series and still remains one of its most useful.
6 Empty Bottle
A Crucial Vessel For Holding Important Items
The first time Link was able to collect an empty bottle was in A Link To The Past, where it became one of the series’ most important items moving forward. They can either be found in the world, via dungeons and even fishing, or can also be found in dungeons.
What makes Empty Bottles so useful is that they can be used to store fairies, healing items, and even insects. If a fairy is inside, it will automatically be used and heal Link if his health is depleted. While they were absent from Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, they remain one of the most important items of previous entries.
5 Bow And Arrow
Ranged Attack With Multiple Upgrades And Arrow Types
An absolute staple of the series, the bow has appeared in every mainline Zelda game and is one of Link’s most valuable items in his quest to defeat evil. This ranged weapon is generally found fairly early in the games, becoming one of the go-to items throughout any playthrough.
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As the bow has evolved over the course of the series, it added different types of arrows to be used. Over time, the franchise started to add elemental properties like fire and ice to specialty arrows. Meanwhile, Light Arrows became an important aspect in defeating Ganon, and Link’s Awakening introduced Bomb Arrows as a way to find new areas.
4 Bombs
Explosive Item Perfect For Finding Secrets
Appearing in every mainline Zelda title and multiple spin-offs, bombs have become notable in the series due to their versatility. Bombs are initially found in early parts of the very first game, used to destroy suspicious-looking walls that hide secrets such as heart containers and rupees.
As time went on and the franchise started to become more complex, the applications of items and bombs were no different. the most unique of which was Link’s Awakening, which introduced the Bomb Arrow, which attached the explosive device to an arrow.
3 Hookshot
Grappling Hook Used For Exploration And Boss Fights
Though its number of appearances in mainline games is somewhat limited, the Hookshot is still one of Link’s most nifty items. First appearing in A Link to the Past, the Hookshot started as a way for Link to be able to cross deep chasms or damage enemies.
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Later games, such as Ocarina of Time and A Link Between Worlds, allowed for upgrades to the Hookshot. Iterating on this, Nintendo would create a souped-up version of it known as the Clawshot in Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword. This two-handed version expanded the abilities of the item by allowing Link to shoot another hook while still being attached to a surface.
2 Sailcloth
Important Traversal Item That Has Evolved Over The Years
Making its first appearance in Skyward Sword, the sailcloth is also tangentially related to both the Deku Leaf from The Wind Waker and the Paraglider from Breath of the Wild. The sailcloth also appeared in early versions of Breath of the Wild, shown in gameplay footage, before being replaced with the Paraglider.
Given to him by Princess Zelda herself, Link can use this Hylian-stamped cloth to traverse the multiple land formations throughout the game. It also acts as a safety net, as Link can equip it before landing in order to prevent damage. Whether it goes by the name Sailcloth, Deku Leaf, or Paraglider, this item has become one of Link’s most trusty tools.
1 The Wind Waker
Iconic Musical Instrument Used To Traverse The Great Sea
The Great Sea of The Wind Waker was Nintendo’s answer to how they wouldf do something different with Hyrule, which by that point had become rather familiar. They replaced the lush fields of green grass and caverns with an enormous body of water, giving players both a charming talking boat and one of the franchise’s most useful items – the Wind Waker itself.
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This magical baton is used to play multiple songs which are crucial for progression and secret-hunting. Whether it’s the “Wind’s Requiem,” a tune that can change the direction of the wind, or songs like the “Command Melody” that can control statues in order to clear the Tower of the Gods, the Wind Waker itself is both fun to use and one of Link’s most useful items.
The Legend of Zelda
- Video Game(s)
- The Legend of Zelda , Zelda II: The Adventure of Link , The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past , The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening , The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time , The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask , The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages , The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons , The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures , The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker , The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap , The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess , The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass , The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks , The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword , The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds , The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes , The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild , The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Creation Year
- 1986
