The Best Weapon From Every Zelda Game
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VOICE OVER: Johnny Reynolds
WRITTEN BY: Johnny Reynolds
We used these awesome "Zelda" weapons as much as we possibly could! For this list, we're looking at the best weapon from each entry judged on a combination of how powerful it is, how much use you get out of it, and how interesting it is in concept. Our list includes the Hammer from “The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass” (2007), the Boomerang from “The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening” (1993), the Nice Fire Rod from “The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds” (2013), the Seed Shooter from “The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages” (2001), and more!
Script written by Johnny Reynolds
Welcome to MojoPlays and today we’re digging through Link’s expansive armory to showcase the Best Weapon from Every Zelda Game. Just because something is the strongest weapon in its game doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best. For this list, we’ll be judging each weapon on a combination of how powerful it is, how much use you get out of it, and how interesting it is in concept. Also, an item must be able to deal damage to be considered. Which Zelda weapon is your all-time favorite? Let us know in the comments!
The original “Legend of Zelda,” and several sequels, grants Link the ability to shoot beams out of his sword, but only if he has full health. What makes the magical rod so convenient is that it lets you do so regardless of how hurt you are. Found in Level 6 in the First Quest, it makes dealing with rooms full of enemies much more manageable, especially since this game predates the Magic Meter. While it isn’t the strongest weapon in the game (that honor goes to the Magical Sword), it does deal a lot more damage than the sword you start with. And you can always enhance its power with the Book of Magic.
Yes, technically, the Thunder Spell isn’t a weapon. But considering most items in this Link’s inventory are non-combative, as is almost every other spell he can learn, pickings are slim. However, that’s not to say the Thunder Spell doesn’t deserve recognition as it is ridiculously powerful and useful. It’s the final spell Link learns, obtained after he’s collected the four Magical Containers. Using the spell costs more magic than any other, but it kills all non-boss enemies on your screen in one hit. We’d say that’s worth it. Additionally, it’s required for the penultimate boss, the Thunder Bird, as it’s the only thing that will cause it to take damage from Link’s sword.
Fire magic is a tried and tested method for disposing of enemies throughout a variety of fantasy worlds. “A Link to the Past” introduced us to the Fire Rod; with just a little bit of magic, Link could burn his enemies to ash as well as light torches from far away. Using it against certain enemies became a must, like the mummified Gibdos, which would normally take a multitude of sword slices to die, but go down in one hit from the Fire Rod. You also get it inside the Skull Woods dungeon about midway through your adventure, so you’ve got this awesome weapon for a big chunk of gameplay.
The boomerang has appeared in more “Zelda” entries than most other weapons. It’s always highly useful, though the version in “Link’s Awakening” is undeniably one of its best iterations. You have to complete the game’s trading sequence to earn it, though several steps are built into the game’s story. When you do get it, it’s honestly hard to justify using anything else. Like many other versions, this Boomerang can pick up fallen resources. However, while in many other games it’s primarily used to stun, it packs a surprisingly hefty wallop here. It can actually kill most enemies in a single hit, including the final form of the final boss. Now you’re playing with power!
For anyone who’s acquired this mighty two-handed blade, this should come as no surprise. The Biggoron’s Sword is your reward for completing Adult Link’s trading quest. It’s a fun quest on its own and, depending on how you tackle certain events, can be completed fairly early in the Adult era. The Biggoron’s Sword deals twice as much damage as the Master Sword and has a significantly longer range. It unfortunately comes at the cost of your shield, but being able to run most enemies through with this massive weapon certainly makes up for it. As long as you strike first, defense won’t be much of an issue.
While the Great Fairy Sword and Fierce Deity’s Mask are undoubtedly more powerful, you don’t get either until close to the end of the game. That means you won’t get much use out of them; the Fierce Deity’s Mask can’t even be used outside of boss fights. The Gilded Sword, on the other hand, is obtained around the halfway point, making it far more useful. Plus, it already deals three times the damage as your starting weapon, which is good enough for most enemies anyway. You’ll have to dedicate a full cycle to earning it, first winning the Goron races and getting the mountain smithies to reforge your sword…twice! But its range, power, and style make it worth the effort.
With a name like ‘Seed Shooter,’ this weapon may sound incredibly lame. But it’s actually quite handy. Found in the third dungeon, it acts similar to most other projectile-based weapons like the bow. However, there are a couple of extra benefits to it. It can fire in 8 directions, which may not sound that significant, but it was in the Game Boy Color days. Additionally, its seeds, which come in a variety of types, can be ricocheted off walls. This adds another fun layer to fighting enemies and solving puzzles. Unfortunately, “Oracle of Ages” is the only game it’s appeared in, though we can’t imagine it would be as useful in the 3D games.
Since the Seed Shooter isn’t in “Oracle of Seasons,” we’re taking the powerful route over the practical one. “Ocarina of Time”’s Biggoron’s Sword appeared again in these handheld entries. Similar to its first appearance, it’s significantly stronger than the Wooden Sword and Noble Sword, and has much better range. But again, it’s a two-handed blade, so it takes up both item slots. How good it is depends on how you’re playing the “Oracle” games. The weapon can only be acquired if you link both entries, with an NPC in one game giving you a password to unlock it in the other. Kind of a pain with the original versions, but much easier if you’re playing digitally.
In “Link’s Awakening,” Link would gain a temporary companion in BowWow, said to be a dog but which is really a Chain Chomp from “Super Mario.” Nintendo clearly realized how awesome it was, and so included it as an item in “Four Swords.” However, items work differently in this entry; you only hold one and you swap it periodically, so it isn’t as if you can pull a Chain Chomp out whenever you want. Still, when you do get them, they’ll lunge at and destroy any enemy that crosses your path. Unfortunately, it can also attack the other Links, but it can easily be stored like any other item.
Like we said in our ‘Most Useful Items’ video, the bow is always something we’ll be happy to unlock in any “Zelda” game. Though it obviously doesn’t deal as much damage as any sword, piercing foes from a distance definitely makes up for it. In “Wind Waker,” most of your ranged items don’t deal damage. But “Wind Waker” also introduced a small, but very much appreciated, change. It was the first installment to let you swap arrow types through gameplay rather than pausing to equip it in the menu. And if you really want to know what the strongest weapon in “Wind Waker” is, look no further than the Light Arrows, earned late but which can kill most enemies in one shot.
First introduced in “A Link to the Past, the Magic Hammer lets Link get through certain obstacles and pound enemies into the dirt. It returned for this multiplayer adventure, where it brought the same satisfaction of smushing your foes, but with a few notable improvements. One was that you could now charge an attack, which would send out a shockwave that stunned enemies. Another was that you could upgrade it, increasing its power and the size of those shockwaves. Normally, hammers are super close range, but the shockwaves give a little extra distance. Plus, being able to stun and deal damage with a single item is much appreciated.
Everyone fell in love with the Sheikah Slate’s runes in “Breath of the Wild.” Among its incredibly useful properties was an endless supply of remotely detonated bombs. However, it wasn’t the first entry to include them. They first appeared in “The Minish Cap,” where Link had to fuse Kinstones with the Minish Elder Gentari before upgrading his regular bombs with Belari. Though not an endless supply, Remote Bombs are still great for laying traps for enemies or withholding an explosion for a perfectly timed puzzle solution. Plus, and it’s not like we need to tell you this, but bombs? Pretty damn powerful.
While we did say a weapon being the strongest in its game didn’t necessarily mean it was the best, that is the case in “Twilight Princess.” Found in the Snowpeak Ruins, this weapon is a massive metal ball that Link can fling at an enemy and pull back to him with its attached chain. It packs a masterful punch, and has the capability to hit an enemy a second time when Link yanks it back. The drawback is that it’s extremely heavy, causing Link to move slowly when he has it out. But it’s always good for a quick kill, and swapping your weapon to regain your speed is as easy as pressing a button. Literally.
Hammers are always great for dealing a mighty blow to enemies, but the one seen in “Phantom Hourglass” may be the very best. Like the Magic Hammer in “Four Swords Adventures,” it can be charged to deal a more powerful attack. While it doesn’t produce shockwaves, it’s got something even better. In use with the DS’ touch screen, Link’s fairy companion Ciela holds it instead of him. This gives it an absurd amount of range, making it so you can crush minions and obstacles alike without any worry. Sadly, Link gets it in Mutoh’s Temple, closer to the end of the game. But we’re willing to forgive that for how awesome it is.
In “Spirit Tracks,” Link gets the regular bow in the Fire Temple…and it is almost immediately replaced by the Bow of Light in the following dungeon. The Bow of Light obviously comes with all of the things we love about the bow: shoot enemies and switches from afar. However, this weapon also acts as this entry’s Light Arrows; charging a shot will unleash a Light Arrow, dealing twice the damage a regular arrow would. It was nice of Nintendo to include these magical projectiles as a feature of the bow, if only for giving us that level of power a bit sooner than we’d normally get it.
At last, the Blade of Evil’s Bane makes an appearance. In every inclusion, the Master Sword is vital to the story, being infused with god-like magic and used to smite the villain, usually Ganon. So why are we including it for “Skyward Sword” specifically? Unlike many other games, Link doesn’t gain a more powerful blade, but increases the power of his starting weapon throughout. By the time it’s fully upgraded, we don’t envy any adversary that goes up against it. Additionally, it allows Link to perform a Skyward Strike; pointing upwards and letting it charge for a second lets you shoot a beam, doing away with the whole ‘full health only’ beams of the past.
As “A Link Between Worlds” is a pseudo-sequel to “A Link to the Past,” we were extremely grateful to find Nintendo had brought back that game’s best weapon, the Fire Rod. Not only that, but they improved it. Instead of shooting fireballs, this Fire Rod shoots pillars of flame that can knock enemies back, hitting them several times, as well as hit flying enemies. That would be enough for us to sing its praises, but due to Ravio’s rental system, you can get the item very early. Moreover, you can then upgrade it to the Nice Fire Rod with Mother Maiamai, increasing the size, power, and distance of your attacks.
Look, we just really like unleashing fire attacks on enemies. And can you blame us with weapons as cool as these? The Fire Gloves act similar to the original Fire Rod, letting Link shoot a fireball from his hands. But holding the button produces a flame shield to defend against oncoming attacks. Being able to use a weapon both offensively and defensively is obviously highly useful, though like the Seed Shooter, your fireballs here will also ricochet. The Fire Gloves will first appear in the game’s fourth area, the Ice Cavern, and periodically show up throughout, so you can get plenty of use out of them. When used with the Fire Blazer outfit, Link will shoot three fireballs instead of one.
Let’s be honest; while weapon durability didn’t bother us in “Breath of the Wild,” it does eliminate the element of usefulness for deciding on the best. Of course, one of the only weapons that can’t break, instead needing to be recharged, is the Master Sword. That already secures its spot, but it’s also extremely powerful. It begins with a base level of 30, which is already stronger than most common weapons. But its strength is doubled when Link is in a dungeon, near Guardians, or near Malice. However, if you complete the game’s “Trial of the Sword” DLC, you can make that increase permanent. A base damage of 60 means no enemy, no matter how strong, will stand a chance.
Welcome to MojoPlays and today we’re digging through Link’s expansive armory to showcase the Best Weapon from Every Zelda Game. Just because something is the strongest weapon in its game doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best. For this list, we’ll be judging each weapon on a combination of how powerful it is, how much use you get out of it, and how interesting it is in concept. Also, an item must be able to deal damage to be considered. Which Zelda weapon is your all-time favorite? Let us know in the comments!
Magical Rod
“The Legend of Zelda” (1987)The original “Legend of Zelda,” and several sequels, grants Link the ability to shoot beams out of his sword, but only if he has full health. What makes the magical rod so convenient is that it lets you do so regardless of how hurt you are. Found in Level 6 in the First Quest, it makes dealing with rooms full of enemies much more manageable, especially since this game predates the Magic Meter. While it isn’t the strongest weapon in the game (that honor goes to the Magical Sword), it does deal a lot more damage than the sword you start with. And you can always enhance its power with the Book of Magic.
Thunder Spell
“Zelda II: The Adventure of Link” (1988)Yes, technically, the Thunder Spell isn’t a weapon. But considering most items in this Link’s inventory are non-combative, as is almost every other spell he can learn, pickings are slim. However, that’s not to say the Thunder Spell doesn’t deserve recognition as it is ridiculously powerful and useful. It’s the final spell Link learns, obtained after he’s collected the four Magical Containers. Using the spell costs more magic than any other, but it kills all non-boss enemies on your screen in one hit. We’d say that’s worth it. Additionally, it’s required for the penultimate boss, the Thunder Bird, as it’s the only thing that will cause it to take damage from Link’s sword.
Fire Rod
“The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past” (1992)Fire magic is a tried and tested method for disposing of enemies throughout a variety of fantasy worlds. “A Link to the Past” introduced us to the Fire Rod; with just a little bit of magic, Link could burn his enemies to ash as well as light torches from far away. Using it against certain enemies became a must, like the mummified Gibdos, which would normally take a multitude of sword slices to die, but go down in one hit from the Fire Rod. You also get it inside the Skull Woods dungeon about midway through your adventure, so you’ve got this awesome weapon for a big chunk of gameplay.
Boomerang
“The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening” (1993)The boomerang has appeared in more “Zelda” entries than most other weapons. It’s always highly useful, though the version in “Link’s Awakening” is undeniably one of its best iterations. You have to complete the game’s trading sequence to earn it, though several steps are built into the game’s story. When you do get it, it’s honestly hard to justify using anything else. Like many other versions, this Boomerang can pick up fallen resources. However, while in many other games it’s primarily used to stun, it packs a surprisingly hefty wallop here. It can actually kill most enemies in a single hit, including the final form of the final boss. Now you’re playing with power!
Biggoron’s Sword
“The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” (1998)For anyone who’s acquired this mighty two-handed blade, this should come as no surprise. The Biggoron’s Sword is your reward for completing Adult Link’s trading quest. It’s a fun quest on its own and, depending on how you tackle certain events, can be completed fairly early in the Adult era. The Biggoron’s Sword deals twice as much damage as the Master Sword and has a significantly longer range. It unfortunately comes at the cost of your shield, but being able to run most enemies through with this massive weapon certainly makes up for it. As long as you strike first, defense won’t be much of an issue.
Gilded Sword
“The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask” (2000)While the Great Fairy Sword and Fierce Deity’s Mask are undoubtedly more powerful, you don’t get either until close to the end of the game. That means you won’t get much use out of them; the Fierce Deity’s Mask can’t even be used outside of boss fights. The Gilded Sword, on the other hand, is obtained around the halfway point, making it far more useful. Plus, it already deals three times the damage as your starting weapon, which is good enough for most enemies anyway. You’ll have to dedicate a full cycle to earning it, first winning the Goron races and getting the mountain smithies to reforge your sword…twice! But its range, power, and style make it worth the effort.
Seed Shooter
“The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages” (2001)With a name like ‘Seed Shooter,’ this weapon may sound incredibly lame. But it’s actually quite handy. Found in the third dungeon, it acts similar to most other projectile-based weapons like the bow. However, there are a couple of extra benefits to it. It can fire in 8 directions, which may not sound that significant, but it was in the Game Boy Color days. Additionally, its seeds, which come in a variety of types, can be ricocheted off walls. This adds another fun layer to fighting enemies and solving puzzles. Unfortunately, “Oracle of Ages” is the only game it’s appeared in, though we can’t imagine it would be as useful in the 3D games.
Biggoron’s Sword
“The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons” (2001)Since the Seed Shooter isn’t in “Oracle of Seasons,” we’re taking the powerful route over the practical one. “Ocarina of Time”’s Biggoron’s Sword appeared again in these handheld entries. Similar to its first appearance, it’s significantly stronger than the Wooden Sword and Noble Sword, and has much better range. But again, it’s a two-handed blade, so it takes up both item slots. How good it is depends on how you’re playing the “Oracle” games. The weapon can only be acquired if you link both entries, with an NPC in one game giving you a password to unlock it in the other. Kind of a pain with the original versions, but much easier if you’re playing digitally.
Chain Chomp
“The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords” (2002)In “Link’s Awakening,” Link would gain a temporary companion in BowWow, said to be a dog but which is really a Chain Chomp from “Super Mario.” Nintendo clearly realized how awesome it was, and so included it as an item in “Four Swords.” However, items work differently in this entry; you only hold one and you swap it periodically, so it isn’t as if you can pull a Chain Chomp out whenever you want. Still, when you do get them, they’ll lunge at and destroy any enemy that crosses your path. Unfortunately, it can also attack the other Links, but it can easily be stored like any other item.
Hero’s Bow
“The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker” (2003)Like we said in our ‘Most Useful Items’ video, the bow is always something we’ll be happy to unlock in any “Zelda” game. Though it obviously doesn’t deal as much damage as any sword, piercing foes from a distance definitely makes up for it. In “Wind Waker,” most of your ranged items don’t deal damage. But “Wind Waker” also introduced a small, but very much appreciated, change. It was the first installment to let you swap arrow types through gameplay rather than pausing to equip it in the menu. And if you really want to know what the strongest weapon in “Wind Waker” is, look no further than the Light Arrows, earned late but which can kill most enemies in one shot.
Magic Hammer
“The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures” (2004)First introduced in “A Link to the Past, the Magic Hammer lets Link get through certain obstacles and pound enemies into the dirt. It returned for this multiplayer adventure, where it brought the same satisfaction of smushing your foes, but with a few notable improvements. One was that you could now charge an attack, which would send out a shockwave that stunned enemies. Another was that you could upgrade it, increasing its power and the size of those shockwaves. Normally, hammers are super close range, but the shockwaves give a little extra distance. Plus, being able to stun and deal damage with a single item is much appreciated.
Remote Bombs
“The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap” (2005)Everyone fell in love with the Sheikah Slate’s runes in “Breath of the Wild.” Among its incredibly useful properties was an endless supply of remotely detonated bombs. However, it wasn’t the first entry to include them. They first appeared in “The Minish Cap,” where Link had to fuse Kinstones with the Minish Elder Gentari before upgrading his regular bombs with Belari. Though not an endless supply, Remote Bombs are still great for laying traps for enemies or withholding an explosion for a perfectly timed puzzle solution. Plus, and it’s not like we need to tell you this, but bombs? Pretty damn powerful.
Ball & Chain
“The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess” (2006)While we did say a weapon being the strongest in its game didn’t necessarily mean it was the best, that is the case in “Twilight Princess.” Found in the Snowpeak Ruins, this weapon is a massive metal ball that Link can fling at an enemy and pull back to him with its attached chain. It packs a masterful punch, and has the capability to hit an enemy a second time when Link yanks it back. The drawback is that it’s extremely heavy, causing Link to move slowly when he has it out. But it’s always good for a quick kill, and swapping your weapon to regain your speed is as easy as pressing a button. Literally.
Hammer
“The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass” (2007)Hammers are always great for dealing a mighty blow to enemies, but the one seen in “Phantom Hourglass” may be the very best. Like the Magic Hammer in “Four Swords Adventures,” it can be charged to deal a more powerful attack. While it doesn’t produce shockwaves, it’s got something even better. In use with the DS’ touch screen, Link’s fairy companion Ciela holds it instead of him. This gives it an absurd amount of range, making it so you can crush minions and obstacles alike without any worry. Sadly, Link gets it in Mutoh’s Temple, closer to the end of the game. But we’re willing to forgive that for how awesome it is.
Bow of Light
“The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks” (2009)In “Spirit Tracks,” Link gets the regular bow in the Fire Temple…and it is almost immediately replaced by the Bow of Light in the following dungeon. The Bow of Light obviously comes with all of the things we love about the bow: shoot enemies and switches from afar. However, this weapon also acts as this entry’s Light Arrows; charging a shot will unleash a Light Arrow, dealing twice the damage a regular arrow would. It was nice of Nintendo to include these magical projectiles as a feature of the bow, if only for giving us that level of power a bit sooner than we’d normally get it.
Master Sword
“The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword” (2011)At last, the Blade of Evil’s Bane makes an appearance. In every inclusion, the Master Sword is vital to the story, being infused with god-like magic and used to smite the villain, usually Ganon. So why are we including it for “Skyward Sword” specifically? Unlike many other games, Link doesn’t gain a more powerful blade, but increases the power of his starting weapon throughout. By the time it’s fully upgraded, we don’t envy any adversary that goes up against it. Additionally, it allows Link to perform a Skyward Strike; pointing upwards and letting it charge for a second lets you shoot a beam, doing away with the whole ‘full health only’ beams of the past.
Nice Fire Rod
“The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds” (2013)As “A Link Between Worlds” is a pseudo-sequel to “A Link to the Past,” we were extremely grateful to find Nintendo had brought back that game’s best weapon, the Fire Rod. Not only that, but they improved it. Instead of shooting fireballs, this Fire Rod shoots pillars of flame that can knock enemies back, hitting them several times, as well as hit flying enemies. That would be enough for us to sing its praises, but due to Ravio’s rental system, you can get the item very early. Moreover, you can then upgrade it to the Nice Fire Rod with Mother Maiamai, increasing the size, power, and distance of your attacks.
Fire Gloves
“The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes” (2015)Look, we just really like unleashing fire attacks on enemies. And can you blame us with weapons as cool as these? The Fire Gloves act similar to the original Fire Rod, letting Link shoot a fireball from his hands. But holding the button produces a flame shield to defend against oncoming attacks. Being able to use a weapon both offensively and defensively is obviously highly useful, though like the Seed Shooter, your fireballs here will also ricochet. The Fire Gloves will first appear in the game’s fourth area, the Ice Cavern, and periodically show up throughout, so you can get plenty of use out of them. When used with the Fire Blazer outfit, Link will shoot three fireballs instead of one.
Master Sword
“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” (2017)Let’s be honest; while weapon durability didn’t bother us in “Breath of the Wild,” it does eliminate the element of usefulness for deciding on the best. Of course, one of the only weapons that can’t break, instead needing to be recharged, is the Master Sword. That already secures its spot, but it’s also extremely powerful. It begins with a base level of 30, which is already stronger than most common weapons. But its strength is doubled when Link is in a dungeon, near Guardians, or near Malice. However, if you complete the game’s “Trial of the Sword” DLC, you can make that increase permanent. A base damage of 60 means no enemy, no matter how strong, will stand a chance.
