One of the most captivating aspects ofThe Legend of Zeldais Link’s arsenal of weird and wacky tools. No matter the situation, the Hero of Time/Twilight/The Sea/The Sky/The Wild (delete as appropriate) has an item to meet it. Some are purely offensive, like the iconic bow and boomerang, while others are slightly more esoteric.
There are many such gadgets across the series that would have endless uses in a real-world context. Whether they’re helping you get from place to place in stylish fashion, dispatching those who would do wrong, or just showing off to your mates, here are the exports from Hyrule we’d most want to get our hands on.
Since a lot of the items are gated behind specific story requirements (especially in the case of titles like Tears of the Kingdom), there will bea smattering of minor spoilers. Take heed, brave adventurers!
10Rauru’s Arm
It Only Costs An Arm (Not A Leg)
Let’s overlook for a moment the fact that, to acquire this item, you’d need to have an arm severed in much the same manner as Ganondorf lops off Link’s at the start of Tears of the Kingdom. And, indeed, that you’d need to travel back in time to have it gifted to you by the long-deceased Zonai king Rauru.
Assuming you could clear those hurdles, the applications of this Swiss-army limb are endless. Ultrahand would prove useful for getting clutter out of your way, or even eliminating rush-hour traffic (just be sure to pop the cars down somewhere safe.) Likewise, Fuse could turn any budding inventor into a master overnight — and Ascend? Well, let’s just say you never need to wait for an elevator again.
9Boomerang
What Goes Around, Comes Back Around
A staple of Link’s lineup, the Boomerang dates back to the OG NES Zelda, where it was mostly used as a (pretty ineffective) weapon. In later adventures, it saw greater deployment as a puzzle-solver, able to snatch items from out-of-reach perches, and it’s that utility that would make it indispensable in daily life.
Sure, boomerangs actually exist — but not with the cartoonish reliability of the Hyrule variety. It takes years of practice to master chucking an actual boomerang, whereas, if you borrow Link’s, you’ll be nabbing the last doughnuts out of the office fridge with total ease. Left your car keys in an awkward spot? Don’t fancy walking to the counter to collect your carry-out? The Boomerang has you covered.
8Bombchu
Exploding Onto The Scene
Bombchus are a curious creation; a hybrid between a bomb and some sort of rodent that can only be purchased in certain games, and even then from select vendors. Once you release one, it meanders along its path until it makes contact with something (or someone), and when it does? Ka-boom.
Violent, yes, but highly utile. Builders and miners would find their productivity doubled, easily meeting their quotas. Regular folk could use them to get less desirable rodents off their property or out of their yard (cruel, perhaps, but this is war), or to unclog drains. When elbow grease isn’t enough, turn to gunpowder.
7Ocarina Of Time
The Object, Not The Game
Musical instruments are inextricably linked to the Zelda series. More often than not, they’ll be axiomatic to Link’s powers in a given game: the titular Wind Waker, the panflute in Spirit Tracks, and, of course, the Ocarina of Time itself. Gifted to Link by a young Princess Zelda in her hour of need, this diminutive set of pipes can alter the very fabric of reality.
Messed up on a test, or simply want to redo a bungled social interaction, Groundhog Day style (don’t we all)?The Song of Timewill shunt you back just far enough for a second crack at it. There’s also the Sun’s Song, perfect for passing the days waiting for an event you’re especially excited about, and the Song of Storms, for when you want to — literally — rain on someone’s parade.
6Hookshot
Your Commute Has Never Been So Cool
The Hookshot turns Link into a Spider-Man wannabe wherever it appears. From swinging on designated targets, to grappling across chasms and onto vines, it adds a layer of kinetic action to the proceedings, and you would lookunfathomablycool using it IRL.
Missed your train or bus, or don’t feel like faffing with your car on the way to work that day? Swing through town with your hookshot, and be the envy of all who look upon you. Never again will you be defeated by something on a high shelf, or a long queue at Disney World. Who needs an exorbitant Lightning Lane add-on when you can grapple straight onto the ride?
5Pegasus Boots
Gotta Go Fast!
It’s a quintessential human dream to be able to run at superspeed. You see it reflected all the time in famous characters: Sonic the Hedgehog, The Flash, and Quicksilver are just a handful. Ordinarily, such mobility is strictly within the realms of fantasy, but with the Pegasus Boots, you could make it a reality.
The Boots are not complicated. Link slips ‘em on, and with a stab of the L trigger, he’s off, zooming in a given direction until he runs into an obstruction. The real-world applications are obvious: assuming you’ve got nothing in your way, you could positivelysmokeyour fellow athletes in a footrace, or halve the time you spend on a boring errand in town. Nobody will be matching your personal best anytime soon.
4Masks
Not Majora’s, Though
When Link stumbles into the surreal world of Termina, he’s tasked by a creepy mask salesman (who may or may not be of interest to Chris Hansen) with rounding up his lost wares. Oh, and saving the land from a gigantic, cataclysmic moon that threatens to crash directly into it. In the course of his adventure, then, Link dons these masks, which allows him to take the form of various creatures.
First up is the Deku Mask, which would grant you the ability to shoot nuts and glide with a pair of flowers. You could dispatch aggressors and soar over crowds effortlessly, to say nothing of the musical prowess you’d gain. Then there’s the Zora Mask and the Goron Mask – with these, you could become a world-class swimmer and a nigh-invincible road-roller, respectively. Whatever you do, though,don’tbe seduced by Majora’s Mask…
3Glider
How’s Your Upper Body Strength?
This is one that perhaps appeals more to the daredevils. Paragliders are nothing new – go to literally any holiday resort and look up, and odds are you’ll see a few adrenaline junkies hurling themselves into the stratosphere. But what about a glider that you carry on your person, has no safety harness, and is secured only by the strength of your grip? That’s hardcore.
In Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, Link makes use of this miniature glider from heights as dizzying as the sky itself. It’s a durable little thing; from the floating islands, all the way to ground level, it’ll see you touch down gently. Why pay for a flight ever again with this doodad in your backpack? You just need to be brave enough.
2Master Sword
The Bane Of Darkness
Now, obviously, we’re not condoning brandishing an oversized blade in public — that’s the kind of behaviour that’s liable to get you in a pair of cuffs. But purely as a decorative accessory, given the chance, how could we refuse havingthe Master Swordin the real world? It’s an instantly recognizable piece of pop culture.
Everything about this legendary weapon is sublime. The blade, forged in the flames of Power, Wisdom and Courage, can strike down any evil (from a distance, even). Its hilt bears the crest of Hyrule and the feathered shape of a Loftwing, paying homage to the kingdom’s skyward-bound history. As long as all you’re doing is mounting it on the wall, no gamer should be without one.
1Sheikah Slate
Not Your Average Smartphone
Breath of the Wild’s Sheikah Slatetops our list purely due to the variety of powers it affords in such a convenient package. For something that you can fit in your pocket like a cellphone, it puts untapped, world-altering potential right at your fingertips. Complete with a camera and a map app!
Cryonis’ water-freezing capabilities provide an easy way to cross rivers, or even something as mundane as chilling drinks for a get-together. Then there’s the Bomb rune, whose explosive tendencies would provide similar advantages to those of the Bombchu. Magnesis is an excellent dropped-keys retriever; to say nothing of Stasis, which can lock both objects and people in time for a brief moment. We’ll let your imagination go wild with that one.
