he 10 Most OBSCURE Unlockables in Zelda Games
Tingle Tuner
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2003)
Starting off, we have what is one of the most well-known obscure items, which may seem like an oxymoron. However, while the Tingle Tuner isnt forgotten per se, since its easy to find and Wind Waker is beloved, it definitely fits within the quirky and limited use categories of our criteria. Given to Link by Tingle for freeing him from Windfall Islands prison, it resembles a Game Boy Advance themed after the exceptionally weird character. You could never use it unless you actually had a GBA and a link cable to connect it to your GameCube. It gave you access to a secret shop, as well as a side quest involving Tingles brother, Knuckle. The HD version replaced it with the Tingle Bottle, another obscure item that allowed you to send messages to others via Miiverse. But the Tuner has been rediscovered by many thanks to Wind Waker being accessible through Switch 2s member subscriptionwhere it, of course, cant be used.
Stone of Agony
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)
Another item themed after a separate Nintendo device, that also requires you to have said device in order to function, is the Stone of Agony from Ocarina of Time. This is given to Link by one of the cursed family members after collecting 20 Golden Skulltula tokens. It resembles the N64s Rumble Pak. And when one is plugged into your controller, the Stone of Agony will cause it to rumble whenever Link is near a Secret Grotto that can be opened with a bomb or the Song of Storms. It was definitely useful back in the day to discover secrets, but its still funny that Nintendo chose to theme certain items after their own inventions, and require players to own them.
BowWow
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords (2002)
Chain Chomps from the Mario series have popped up in a few older games, sometimes as enemies or, in the case of Links Awakening, a missing pet that Link must reunite with its owner. That specific Chain Chomp has a name, BowWow, which inspired an actual item in one of the more obscure Zelda adventures, 2002s Four Swords. BowWow can only be found in the final area, Vaatis Palace, and its chances of appearing are rarer than other items. This makes sense, as it can lunge around, eating anything in its path, even munching through other players so you can steal their rupees. Its not surprising that BowWow hasnt been an item since. Can you imagine running around Tears of the Kingdom with a freaking Chain Chomp!? Actually, Id very much like to see that.
Stepladder
The Legend of Zelda (1987)
The stepladder from the original game isnt necessarily an item with limited uses. Its actually quite useful, as it allows Link to cross single-space gaps of water or lava, which can be handy in dungeons or for reaching other areas in the overworld. However, this is one of the most dull, ordinary items you could put in something as magical and whimsical as Zelda. And thats what makes it such a weird inclusion. Naturally, as the ability to swim, and either jump or hookshot across gaps was introduced in the series later, the stepladder only appears here. We have to imagine it would be a pretty underwhelming unlockable to get in a newer game today, regardless of the series.
Cane of Byrna
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1992)
A Link to the Past features a lot of one-off items with limited uses. One thats completely optional, and pretty easy to miss if you dont know about it, is the Cane of Byrna. Youll find it in a hard-to-reach cave on the Dark Worlds version of Death Mountain near Ganons Tower. It sits at the end of a lengthy passageway covered in spikes, meaning you either need to have red potion or fairies to survive walking through, or the Magic Cape, another optional item that turns you invisible and invincible. The Cane of Byrna is like an updated Magic Cape. Both use the magic meter to make Link immune to damage, but the cane also produces a barrier that hurts enemies. Unlockables like armor and spells would grant Link immunity in future games, but the Cane of Byrna has sunk into obscurity.
Gnat Hat
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords (2002)
The new gameplay hook of The Minish Cap was allowing Link to shrink and explore the charming world of the Picori. Its one of the best parts about the game, but it was inspired from a simple item that has only appeared once. The Gnat Hat can be found in Four Swords, similarly letting Link shrink down. Its mostly used to pass through small tunnels to reach new areas and stand on platforms youd normally be too big for. Unlike Minish Cap, there is no exploration factor, zooming in on the world to navigate miniature communities, so the Gnat Hat is used much more sparingly. Since this shrinking down mechanic was expanded on for a full game, and is intrinsically linked to it, the Gnat Hat has been mostly forgotten.
Complimentary ID
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2003)
The Wind Waker saw the debut of Beedle, a goofy but charismatic shopkeeper who would appear in several games afterwards. After purchasing 30 items across his shops, youll earn the Silver Membership reward, the Complimentary ID. With this, Link can give it to Beedle at any point for one free compliment that apparently makes Link feel so good about himself, it restores his health. In a similar vein, youll earn Gold Membership status after 60 purchases, as well as the Fill-Up Coupon, which refills health, magic, bombs, and arrows, but sadly comes with no compliment. These days, Beedle has no such rewards program and these types of incentives have been left behind.
Magical Key
The Legend of Zelda (1987)
In most games prior to the modern, open world entries, Link would have to find small keys to get past locked doors inside dungeons. However, way back in the original, you could find an item that made small keys useless. The Magical Key can unlock any door. However, you wont find it until Level 8 in both quests. And since its obviously an optional item, its naturally obscure. It also appeared in Zelda II, where you could actually get a bit more use out of it. But since Nintendo wanted us to experience every room and puzzle in specific orders in the games going forward, the Magical Key was lost to time, only tied to the NES games.
The Book of Mudora
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1992)
The Book of Mudora isnt the only mystical book youll find in The Legend of Zelda. But unlike most others, like the Book of Magic in the original, its an equippable item you need to pull out at specific moments in A Link to the Past. This makes it more something you use, though those uses are understandably pretty minor. It allows Link to read ancient Hylian text, which lets him enter the Desert Palace dungeon, pull out the Master Sword, and obtain the Ether and Bombos Medallions. Unless Link became a sorcerer in a future game, we cant imagine a book taking up an inventory slot. Obviously, it hasnt been forgotten by A Link to the Past fans, but it is an odd type of item that hasnt been seen in most games.
Green Chu Jelly
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (2006)
Theres nothing more obscure than an unlockable that isnt meant to be there. In Twilight Princess, after Link defeats one of the blob-like Chus, known as ChuChus in most other games, they leave behind jelly that Link can scoop into an empty bottle. Different colors bring different effects. Red and Blue Chu Jelly act the same as their respective potions, and Yellow Chu Jelly can refill Links oil lantern. However, Chus can sometimes merge together and form a different color. If a Yellow and a Blue Chu merge, which can only happen on a specific floor in the Cave of Ordeals, theyll make a Green Chu. Scooping its jelly into a bottle in the Wii version comes with an empty description box. But in the HD version, text was added to state that it doesnt look all that tasty. Drinking it does nothing, but the item was likely leftover from when Twilight Princess included a magic meter, which was removed at some point in development.
What are some of your favorite kooky or forgotten items in the Zelda series? Share your thoughts in the comments!
