Best Items in Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom

While the abilities from “Tears of the Kingdom” are overall better, one of the few things I wish had been carried over from “Breath of the Wild” is the bomb rune. An endless supply of remote bombs is just way too useful. In this game, bomb flowers return to the series and can be found throughout the Depths, but also in caves and wells. Their destructive capabilities are obvious; the AOE blast from a fused bomb arrow is great against groups of enemies, especially the intimidating Gloom Hands. But it’s also nice to be well-stocked when it comes to exploring underground. Sure, you can use Yunobo’s ability or weapons to break apart boulders. But that’s not nearly as quick or satisfying as just blowing everything up.

Sometimes, you just want to go about your day exploring and collecting resources. That’s harder to do with every monster in the kingdom constantly on the lookout. Apart from being a cool reference to one of the best “Zelda” games, Majora’s Mask is one of the handiest items you can find. While wearing it, Link won’t be bothered by most regular enemies, including Moblins and Lizalfos; it also works on Lynels, just not for as long. Sadly, it’s also one of the more challenging items to obtain in “Tears of the Kingdom.” You’ll find it in the Depths, directly underneath the Coliseum Ruins of Central Hyrule. But you’ll have to face a gauntlet of 5 increasingly tougher Lynels in order to get it.

There are some plants whose practicality would be mostly wasted when cooked into a meal, and the Puffshroom is one of them. Found growing throughout the Depths, this little mushroom produces a thick cloud of smoke upon contact. When enemies are caught within it, they will have absolutely no idea where Link is. You can swing away madly, or come up from behind to hit them with a deadly sneak attack. It’s just as helpful when used defensively. If you find yourself getting overwhelmed, just throw one at your feet and make an easy escape. The puffshroom lets players live out their ninja fantasies, which we very much appreciate.

Just like its predecessor, “Tears of the Kingdom” features survival mechanics, like gathering resources for meals that regain health and add status benefits. The sequel introduced golden apples, a much more rare alternative to regular ones. While they may not be the most exciting item in the game, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t gather as many as you can. When cooked into a meal, golden apples guarantee a critical cook. That means whatever meal you’ve made will either have several more hearts than normal, a boost in duration to the added status effect, or the potency of said effect. Gathering golden apples is a good way to make sure Link is stocked with the best meals possible.

Out of all the Zonai devices in “Tears of the Kingdom,” the Steering Stick is certainly one of the more ordinary ones. Its purpose is admittedly self-explanatory; whatever Link builds, this will let him control in which direction it goes. In the early hours of the game, before it’s introduced, vehicle building isn’t a major focus. And those you can make are used only briefly. We’ve seen player creativity explode since the game’s launch, with dozens of unique designs for vehicles and, of course, instruments of warfare. But if the steering stick wasn’t in the game, there’s no way anyone would spend as much time building their creations as they do.

We might be cheating with this next entry, but the Ancient Hero’s Aspect is still a single piece of armor. And since we didn’t include it in our ‘Armor Sets’ video, we’ll give it some praise here. Link earns this after completing all 152 Shrines the game has to offer, which is quite a lot of work. It begins with a base defense of 12 but can reach up to 84, putting it on par with the fully upgraded Soldier’s Set and Wild Set, which have the highest defense stats in the game. It also makes Link resemble the Ancient Zonai Hero from the original Calamity, a nice aesthetic touch.

Along with Puffshrooms and Bomb Flowers, you will find Muddle Buds growing all over the Depths. Whenever an enemy is hit with one, it causes them to grow overly aggressive and attack the monsters they once called friends. It may not be as exciting to the ‘go in guns blazing’ type of player, but we find it extremely satisfying to watch them all rip each other apart. Muddle buds also have some extra benefits other than just turning enemies against one another. It can stop Lynels from using their bows, and when fused to an Eightfold Longblade, the weapon’s wind blast hits multiple enemies with the same effect. Yes, fight for me, minions.

The rocket is one of the most fun Zonai devices to use, especially for those of us who lack patience. If you grow tired of your various vehicles taking too long to get moving, just attach one or two of these bad boys. Link will quickly zoom off, starting with fantastic speed before the rocket runs out a few moments later. However, I found myself using it much more often as a replacement for Revali’s Gale, arguably the best Champion ability from “Breath of the Wild.” Link can attach one rocket at a time to his shield, which will then propel him high into the air. It makes reaching a higher area much easier when Ascend isn’t an option.

Fire damage hurts. Ice damage hurts and stuns. But electric damage hurts, stuns, and can cause you to drop your gear. We all know how annoying it is, and so an item that completely removes that is something every player should seek out. Link can earn the Lightning Helm after gaining access to the Yiga Clan’s Hideout. He’ll have to defeat nine foot soldiers within their combat training, an easy feat for something so beneficial. When worn, it makes Link immune to electric damage, whether it be from a lightning strike during a storm or an electric arrow from an archer. Thunder and King Gleeoks are the exception; it simply makes their electric blasts non-elemental damage, because otherwise those fights wouldn’t be fair.

They come from one of the weakest, most commonly recurring enemies in “Zelda,” yet Keese Eyeballs are incredible resources. When fused to an arrow, they give it a homing effect that makes Link always hit his mark, as long as he isn’t too far away. Not only do they home in, but they’ll also be a critical hit the majority of the time. While Aerocuda Eyeballs do the same thing, Keese come in a variety of elemental types, which are added to the arrow along with the homing feature. All of this would be plenty to earn our love, but they become even more destructive with a multi-shot bow. With a single eyeball and arrow, you’re guaranteed multiple hits at once.