The HARDEST Item To Get In Every Zelda Game

The Hardest Item to Get in Every Zelda Game

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re taking a look at the hardest items, weapons, armor, and other trinkets to unlock across each “Legend of Zelda” game! First, some ground rules. We aren’t including either “Four Swords” game, since they give you items as you need them rather than have you unlock them. We also aren’t including any Pieces of Heart or Heart Containers, as those aren’t really items. And to be considered, it has to be something you can actually use so I don’t have to talk about Hestu’s Gift for the thousandth time.

Magical Sword

“The Legend of Zelda” (1987)

In the original “Legend of Zelda,” the majority of items Link can earn are found in the game’s dungeons or purchased in shops. One you don’t get this way, however, is the Magical Sword. In the game’s first quest, Link can find an Old Man beneath a gravestone in the graveyard. Not that you’ll be likely to find it early anyway, but he’ll only give it to you if you have 12 or more Hearts. The Magical Sword is the strongest sword in the game, dealing four times the damage of Link’s base weapon. While getting it doesn’t necessarily test your skill, and many have the method memorized by now, it was pretty obscure back in the day.

The Hammer

“Zelda II: The Adventure of Link” (1988)

In one of, if not the hardest games in the series, Death Mountain is one of its most frustrating sections. And it isn’t even found that late in the game. This version of the locale seen in “Zelda II” is one gigantic maze with multiple entrances that lead to powerful enemies. It’s a massive difficulty spike that helped earn the game its reputation, and something many players were unprepared for. Of course, if you make it through, not only do you get to see the rest of the game, but you also earn the Hammer, which can be used to break boulders blocking Link’s path and, strangely, cut down trees in the overworld.

The Final Bottle

“The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past” (1992)

There are a few items in “A Link to the Past” whose method of getting them, most players would never think of. The game’s first three bottles are pretty easy to find, but its last one is a nuisance. You’ll first have to get your sword tempered by rescuing the Dwarven Swordsmith’s brother from the Dark World. Afterwards, back in the Dark World where their shop would be, you’ll find a locked chest that will follow you. You then have to make your way to the Southwest corner of the map, through whatever enemies stand in your way and making sure the chest can follow the path. At a certain point, Link must go back into the Light World to speak to a lone man by a sign, who unlocks the chest to give you the bottle.

Koholint Sword

“The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening” (1993)

A lot of “Zelda” games have collectibles that, when you earn enough, you get a special reward. In “Link’s Awakening,” there are Secret Seashells. If Link collects 20, he earns the Koholint Sword, much stronger than the one he starts the game with. While 20 shells doesn’t sound like a lot, it is considering there are only 26 of them hidden across the island, many of which require certain items to reach. The 2019 remake increased the number of shells, having Link earn the sword after finding 40 of the possible 50. But you also got a sensor to make finding them easier. In the original version, you just had to search for them.

Biggoron’s Sword

“The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” (1998)

Adult Link’s trading quest from “Ocarina of Time” is another thing a lot of us have memorized now, given the popularity of the game. But trying to figure this out on a first playthrough, without help? Good luck. It begins when the Cucco Lady in Kakariko Village gives Link an egg set to hatch. When it does, he uses it to wake Talon, which then gets him a Blue Cucco that belonged to her brother, which you must return. Of course, knowing where to go from there is the tricky part. There are a couple of items like this in the sequence, as well as some that come with time limits, making things more difficult. At the end, you get the Biggoron’s Sword, a two-handed blade and one of the strongest weapons Link has ever wielded.

Fierce Deity’s Mask

“The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask” (2000)

This one may seem like a copout, but considering everything it takes to get Fierce Deity’s Mask, it really is the only option. In “Majora’s Mask,” there are a great many sidequests Link can complete to help the citizens of Termina. And for a lot of them, his reward will be a mask. Some of these are easily earned, like listening to Guru-Guru’s story in the Clock Town Laundry Pool on the first or second night. Others are not so easily gained, though, like the Couple’s Mask at the end of the exceptionally long, easy-to-screw up Anju and Kafei quest. You can only earn the Fierce Deity’s Mask at the end of the game by trading in 20 of the 24 masks. Needless to say, it’s a lot of work, but undeniably worth it.

The Master Sword

“The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons” (2001)

Surprisingly, the most famous sword in “Zelda” history is actually pretty tough to get in “Oracle of Seasons.” You can only get the Master Sword in a linked save, meaning you have to have already beaten its twin game, “Oracle of Ages.” But that's not all. You also have to complete a twelve-item long trading sequence within “Seasons.” Back in “Ages,” Link can learn a secret from a specific Zora, which he must tell to King Zora in “Seasons.” You can either do the trading sequence or tell the secret to King Zora first, getting the Noble Sword. But you have to do both to get Link’s iconic weapon.

The Bomber’s Ring

“The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages” (2001)

Technically, the Master Sword could count for both “Oracle of Seasons” and “Ages,” as it’s basically earned the same way in both games. But I’d rather go through that convoluted process than try to get this stupid ring. The Bomber’s Ring gives Link the ability to place down two bombs for the price of one, which is nice. The problem is that it can only be earned in the Goron Dance Hall rhythm mini-game, one of the most notoriously frustrating mini-games in the series. Link must play the game in the past and on its hardest difficulty, Platinum. He has to get every movement right across multiple drawn out sequences to get a Perfect Score. Even still, there’s only a small chance the magic ring he earns will be this one, so you might be putting yourself through pain for nothing.

Hero’s Charm

“The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker” (2003)

In the original version of “Wind Waker,” the Hero’s Charm, which shows enemy health bars when worn, is earned simply by giving Mrs. Marie 40 Joy Pendants. It’ll take some time, but since those are pretty common, it won’t be that hard. However, in the HD version, this item’s location was changed to appear at the end of the Savage Labyrinth, a fifty-floor combat dungeon. You’ll have to complete 30 floors for the story’s Triforce Quest, but the next 20 understandably ramp up in difficulty. Enemies don’t drop items, though you can use the Grappling Hook to steal things and every 10th floor lets you heal. Although there are a lot of enemies to get through, it’s still manageable, unless you go in with your bottles and pockets empty.

Mirror Shield

“The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap” (2005)

In “The Minish Cap,” we were introduced to Kinstones, objects that could be fused with those who held their other half, which opened up secret areas and earned Link rewards. The Mirror Shield is earned in such a way, but it isn’t so simple to find. If Link has the proper piece, he can fuse with a farmer in Eastern Hills. This causes a Goron to open up a cave and start digging, but he’ll need help to make it further. You then have to find five walls in other caves across the game, which can be fused with, to get more Gorons to join him. The last empty bottle lies at the end of the cave, but fusing with the final Goron causes Biggoron to appear in Veil Falls. Giving him your regular shield, he’ll turn it into the prize after twenty minutes, though only if you’ve already beaten the game.

Giant Wallet

“The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess” (2006)

“Zelda” really likes to make you scour its worlds. In “Twilight Princess,” Agitha in Hyrule Castle Town will give you monetary rewards for each Golden Bug you bring her. But if you want the Giant Wallet, which can hold up to 1,000 rupees, you have to find all 24 of them. While they do give off a slight, shimmering sound when you’re near one, they’re still pretty small bugs in a pretty big game. The HD version made getting this a little harder depending on how you look at it. The Wolf Link Amiibo unlocked the Cave of Shadows combat dungeon. Doing one of these activities earned you the Giant Wallet while doing the other unlocked the even larger Colossal Wallet.

Big Catch Lure

“The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass” (2007)

Fishing in “Phantom Hourglass” can be a bit tricky, so long as you’re trying to catch every type of fish. In order to unlock the activity, Link must first complete a side quest on Bannan Island, introducing the Old Wayfarer to the fake mermaid, Joanne. But to get the Big Catch Lure from him, you must first catch a Loovar. The only problem is that it's much more rare than the other fish you can catch. Of course, once you get the lure, this fish becomes much more common, and you have to catch even rarer fish to complete this side quest and get a Heart Container. But we said we weren't including those, so…moving on.

Swordsman Scrolls

“The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks” (2009)

There are two Swordsman Scrolls to collect in “Spirit Tracks,” but they’re both kind of a pain to get. The first is given to Link by Niko for finding all 20 Stamp Stations across the world and lets him perform the Great Spin Attack. Some of these are easy to find, but others are hidden within temples or in hard-to-reach places. The second scroll arguably isn’t worth the trouble, though. You get it by catching all 50 rabbits around the overworld and taking them to the Rabbitland Rescue. There are some rabbits you only gain access to by unlocking new sections of tracks by completing other side quests. This scroll lets you shoot beams from your sword, but tracking these rabbits down is a big task.

Tycoon Wallet

“The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword” (2011)

In “Skyward Sword,” Link eventually meets Batreaux, a demon living in Skyloft who dreams of one day becoming human. In order for this to happen, Link has to collect 80 Gratitude Crystals, which are symbols of appreciation. That means making a whole lot of people happy. While some individual crystals are found in specific spots, most are earned in groups of 5 through side quests. Of course, some quests don’t become accessible until certain points in the story, so this takes a huge amount of dedication. Some quests are fun, some are simple, and others are tedious and annoying. At the end, Batreaux gets to transform, which is a nice scene, and Link is rewarded the Tycoon Wallet, which can carry up to 9,900 rupees.

Super Net

“The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds” (2013)

In “A Link Between Worlds,” Link can upgrade his items with every set of 10 missing children of Mother Maiamai. But if you want to upgrade your net, an item that arguably doesn’t even need an upgrade, you’ll have to work for it. Inside the Treacherous Tower, found on Lorule’s Death Mountain, you can challenge yourself through three combat trials that increase in difficulty. Beginner holds five floors, Intermediate has fifteen, and Advanced has fifty. Doing all of them gets you the Super Lamp, but you’ll have to conquer the Advanced section a second time to get the Super Net, which lets the item deal damage instead of just catch things. Not only is that a ton of enemies, but Advanced costs 300 rupees to even try. It also isn’t as forgiving as the Savage Labyrinth; while there are still recovery rooms, their healing resources decrease the higher you climb.

Fierce Deity Armor

“The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes (2015)

Unlike its “Four Swords” pre-cursors, this multiplayer entry does feature some unlockable items. Outfits can be equipped in Hytopia to bring about changes in gameplay. For the vast majority of them, Link buys them from Madame Couture by handing over enough rupees and the proper materials. However, the Fierce Deity Armor is a bit trickier. It’s given to Link after he conquers the Den of Trials, a free DLC dungeon that, as its name suggests, is another combat challenge. This one is forty levels, so not quite as hard as the others. But it ends with a fight against three Dark Links, who can be pretty tough. The armor is a cool reference to “Majora’s Mask,” and allows Link to shoot sword beams at full health or with a spin attack.

Powered-Up Master Sword

“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” (2017)

Getting the Master Sword in “Breath of the Wild” isn’t too bad. It just takes navigating the Korok Forest and having enough hearts to pull it from the pedestal. But getting the fully-powered up version? Hoo boy, strap in. Nintendo released the ‘Trial of the Sword’ as part of the game’s DLC, and it is the toughest combat challenge of any “Zelda” game by a wide margin. Broken up into three difficulty levels, the Trials take away all resources except for your Sheikah Slate. No armor, no weapons, no food, not even your Champion Abilities. You must collect resources as you go while defeating groups of monsters. At the end of each difficulty level, the Master Sword is powered up a bit more. But even with resting floors that allow you to cook some meals, this will take all your expertise to complete.

Koltin’s Fabric

“The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” (2023)

“Tears of the Kingdom” came with the option to swap out paraglider fabrics to suit your style. And while a cosmetic barely counts as an item with a use, ‘barely’ still passes. The hardest of these to obtain belongs to Koltin, brother of the first game’s Kilton, who dreams of becoming a Satori. The only way he can do this is if Link tracks down every Bubbulfrog in each cave, kills it, and collects its gem. Of course, there are 147 caves across the map, so this takes an extremely long time. To make it easier, you can light up caves by visiting a cherry blossom tree, and set your Purah Pad sensor to Bubbulfrogs. But the trees still light up caves you’ve already been to, which is unfortunate even though they’re checked off on your map, and the sensor can go off far from the cave’s actual entrance. That’s not to mention that some caves are labyrinthine in design and are really good at hiding their Bubbulfrogs. All this work, just for some cloth.

The Green Tunic

“The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom” (2024)

There are a few outfits Zelda can earn on her own adventure. Many are easily unlocked, but the Green Tunic certainly isn’t. In Kakariko Village, players can test themselves at the Slumber Dojo, which offers combat challenges with time limits. New trials become available through every part of the main story, so completing them all naturally takes a lot of time. Most wouldn’t be too bad under normal circumstances, but the time limit can be stressful and bring about mistakes. Regardless, some of these are sure to make you rage; that ‘Blank Slate Battle: Ice’ one with the Freezards is particularly painful. But if you want to dress like the Legendary Hero, you’ll have to beat all fifteen of them.

What’s an item from the series that tested your skills and patience? Let us know down in the comments!