The 3 most useful items in The Legend of Zelda

A mainstay of the Legend of Zelda series has always been the items Link finds along the way. Up until Breath of the Wild, which gave Link access to nearly all the items at the beginning of the game to give the world a more open feel, the items in the Legend of Zelda series have always served to allow our hero to explore further into the dungeon he finds them in and exploit the weakness of the boss.

There have been some constants in the series through the years, such as the bombs, boomerangs, and bow and arrow — but most have a unique twist to them depending on the entry they come from. So let’s take a look at some of our favourite items in the Legend of Zelda series through the years.

Double Clawshot (Twilight Princess)

The most useful items in The Legend of Zelda

The hookshot (or clawshot in later games) has appeared in several entries in the series over the years, starting with Link to the Past and all the way through to A Link Between Worlds. It is basically a grappling hook that allows Link to traverse gaps or grab distant items. So when Twilight Princess introduced the Clawshot early in the game, it felt like a standard item from The Legend of Zelda. However, that changed in the seventh dungeon of the game.

Because what is cooler than one grappling hook? That’s right: two grappling hooks. The Double Clawshot allowed Link to explore more of the City in The Sky and gave the area a more open feel. Despite being the fourth entry in the series in the 3D era, it was the one of the first items in the Legend of Zelda series to make it feel truly 3D. The item appears again in Skyward Sword, this time immediately as a Double Clawshot because why waste time getting there?

Guardian Shield (Breath of the Wild)

The Guardians in Breath of the Wild are terrifying. When the music change hits, it still causes me a mild panic. Especially in the early game, they are capable of killing Link in a single hit and feel relentless, like a Terminator with laser eyes and spider legs. Killing them yields valuable components and bragging rights but requires a lot of skill and luck.

This is what makes the Guardian Shields a game-changer. Unlike other shields, which merely absorb the blast from the Guardian’s death beam, the Guardian Shield actually reflects it back at them. This deals high damage to them with minimal effort on Link’s part, effectively opening up sections of the game for exploration and making some of the Tests of Strength feel much more manageable. Guardian Shields remain useful all the way until the final encounter with Calamity Ganon, making them one of the most useful items in Legend of Zelda history.

Empty Bottles (Multiple Entries)

Empty Bottle items in the legend of zelda

Who would have thought that something we all find in our recycling could help someone save the world? That is the case for empty bottles in the Legend of Zelda series. They first appeared as an item in Link to the Past, allowing Link to carry potions, bees, or the all-important fairy friend with him in case of emergencies. Since then, these seemingly simple items have become vital equipment for anyone attempting to save the world from Ganon.

It is in Majora’s Mask that the empty bottle earns its place as one of the most useful items in the Legend of Zelda series, though. In addition to carrying all the usual fare in previous entries, Link can use the bottles to carry Zora eggs, gold dust for the Gorons, and a very grumpy and unhelpful Deku princess. Just don’t ask how we got her to fit in there, yeah?


We all know that the Skyward Sword remake is hitting shelves in less than two months, but it is just the tip of the iceberg of what we’d like to see to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Legend of Zelda series!

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