In The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Link finds a huge selection of swords, greatswords, lances, clubs, magical staffs, bows and shields that differ not only in their attack power, but also in range, material, special properties and, above all, their durability differ significantly. Unlike previous Zelda games, almost all of the equipment is perishable: after a certain number of hits, shots or blocked attacks, it breaks and must be replaced. This is precisely why a weapon with 60 attack is not automatically better than one with 40 attack – high durability, multiple shots, elemental effects or special bonuses against guardians can be at least as valuable.
On this page you will find a complete overview all weapons, bows and shields in Zelda: Breath of the Wild with attack or parry power, durability, locations and special features. We differentiate between the regular items from the base game, the unique warrior weapons, ancient equipment, the six amiibo-exclusive melee weapons, the amiibo-exclusive Shadow Bow and Hero Shield, and the Destroyer from the Expansion Pass. We will also explain this to you Master Sword, the Hylian Shield, multiple bows, elemental weapons, Guardian gear, weapon bonuses, and the best places to farm high-quality gear. All values in the tables are Base values without random additional bonuses.
How many weapons, bows and shields are there?
Breath of the Wild distinguishes melee weapons, bows and shields as three separate inventory categories. The melee weapons alone include 128 different weapons, with six only available via amiibo and the Destroyer being part of the expansion pass. There are also 26 bows and 33 shields, each of which also contains individual amiibo or story-exclusive items.
| Category | number | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Melee weapons | 128 | Swords, two-handed swords, lances, staffs, clubs, bone weapons |
| sheets | 26 | Travel Bow, Eagle Bow, Chimera Bow, Antique Bow |
| Shields | 33 | Wooden Shield, King’s Shield, Antique Shield, Hylian Shield |
| Total | 187 | Without counting the different types of arrows separately |
What does durability mean?
Every common weapon has an invisible durability value. In simple terms, a value of 20 means that the weapon will survive approximately 20 durability-related uses before breaking, although certain actions can affect the calculation. Just before breaking, a warning appears and the weapon’s icon flashes red in the inventory. The final hit of a shattering melee weapon deals additional critical damage, and throwing a nearly destroyed weapon at an enemy can also be very effective.
The Master Sword is the big exception. It does not disappear permanently. Once its energy is exhausted, it becomes unusable for a few minutes and then fully recharges. Warrior weapons such as the eagle bow, mountain splitter, lightscale lance, treasure saber and treasure shield can break normally, but can then be recreated by the respective peoples.
Why can my weapons have higher stats?
As you progress through the game, many weapons appear with random white and yellow additional bonuses. These include Attack+, Durability+, Throwing Range+ and, for example, multi-shot improvements for bows. A chimera bow or royal sword can therefore have significantly better values in your game than the basic version in our table. For an objective comparison, we only use the normal basic values.
Enemies also scale as the game progresses. As a result, Bokoblins, Moblins, Lizalfos and Lynels later carry stronger weapon variants, while some weaker versions become increasingly rare. If you want to complete the Hyrule Compendium exclusively with your own photos, you should particularly take photos of simple Lynel weapons early on.
One-handed sword, two-handed sword or lance – which type of weapon is better?
| Weapon type | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| one-handed sword | Fast attacks, shield can be used at the same time, very flexible | Usually less single damage than two-handed sword |
| Two-handed sword | Very high damage, strong spin attacks, good against large opponents and ore | Slower; no shield during normal posture |
| Lances | Very fast, long range, opponents can be kept at a distance | Lower displayed attack power, also no shield during attack |
Good one-handed swords are particularly comfortable for normal combat because Link can also keep a shield ready. Two-handed swords, on the other hand, shine against Hinoxe, Stone Talus and other large opponents, while lances due to their high Attack speed can cause a surprising amount of damage even with seemingly low values.
All one-handed weapons – Attack, Durability and Locations
| Weapon | attack | Durability | Typical Location / Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Sword | 30 / 60 | Regenerates | Korok Forest; at least 13 real hearts |
| rod | 2 | 4 | Great Plateau, forests |
| Torch | 2 | 8 | stables, laboratories, villages and camps |
| wooden trowel | 4 | 5 | cooking areas, stables and houses |
| Boomerang | 8 | 18 | West Necluda, Faron |
| joke hammer | 1 | 80 | Kilton for Mon |
| travel sword | 5 | 20 | Hyrule Field, Western Necluda |
| Soldier’s sword | 14 | 25 | Hyrule Field, Faron |
| Knight’s sword | 26 | 27 | Gerudo, Tabantha, Castle Region |
| Royal Sword | 36 | 36 | Hyrule Castle, Tabantha, Akkala |
| Forest sword | 22 | 27 | Hyrule Forest, Korok Trials |
| Zora Sword | 15 | 27 | Village of Zora and springs of Lanayru |
| Kingfisher sword | 15 | 27 | Tabantha and area of Rito |
| Gerudo Scimitar | 16 | 23 | Gerudo Town and Gerudo Desert |
| Moon Saber | 25 | 32 | Gerudo Desert and Gerudo Plateau |
| Treasure Saber | 32 | 60 | Reward to Vah Naboris |
| Zanshin short sword | 15 | 26 | West Necluda and Hylian Region |
| Antique sword | 40 | 54 | Akkala Institute |
| Rusted Sword | 6 | 8 | Ruins throughout Hyrule |
| Guards sword | 48 | 14 | Only in Hyrule Castle |
| Fire sword | 24 | 36 | Arena Ruins, East Necluda, Treasure Chests |
| Ice Sword | 20 | 30 | Arena Ruins, Hebra and Gerudo Plateau |
| electric sword | 22 | 36 | Arena Ruins, Hyrule Mountains |
| Boko Club | 4 | 12 | Bokoblins in early game |
| Spiked Boko Club | 12 | 14 | Stronger Bokoblins |
| Bone Boko Club | 24 | 18 | Stronger Bokoblins |
| Lizard albumerang | 14 | 17 | Lizalfos in Lanayru and Necluda |
| Duo lizard albumerang | 24 | 23 | Stronger Lizalfos |
| Trio lizard albumerang | 36 | 27 | Strong Lizalfos in Hebra and Akkala |
| Guardian Sword | 20 | 17 | Guardian Scout II |
| Guardian Sword + | 30 | 26 | Guardian Scout III |
| Guardian Sword ++ | 40 | 32 | Guardian Scout IV |
| Leun sword | 24 | 26 | Lynels |
| Beast Sword | 36 | 32 | Blue Lynels |
| Chimera Sword | 58 | 41 | White and silver Lynels |
| Fire Rod | 5 | 14 | Fire Pyromagi |
| Meteor Rod | 10 | 32 | Meteor Pyromagi |
| Ice Rod | 5 | 14 | Ice Pyromagi |
| Polar rod | 10 | 32 | Polar Pyromagi |
| Electric Rod | 5 | 14 | Electric Pyromagi |
| lightning rod | 10 | 32 | Thunder Pyromagi |
| head collector | 16 | 14 | Yiga Novices |
| Demon Ring | 40 | 25 | Yiga Hideout and Yiga Officers |
| Bokoblin Bone | 5 | 5 | Stalbokblins at night |
| Lizalfos Bone | 12 | 8 | Stalizalfos at night |
| White sword | 28 | 45 | Link (Skyward Sword) amiibo |
| Sword | 22 | 27 | 8-bit Link amiibo |
| Sea Wind Boomerang | 20 | 20 | Toon Link amiibo |
Master Sword – Location, Attack and Durability
The Master Sword is the only melee weapon in the base game that Link never permanently loses. You can find it in the forest of the Koroks in front of the Great Deku Tree and need at least 13 real ones Heart Container to pull it out of the socket; Additional yellow hearts from maxi dishes do not count.
In normal state, the Master Sword has 30 attack. Near Ganon’s influence, in the Titans, against guardians or important Ganon opponents, the blade begins to glow blue and reaches 60 attack. When its energy is used up, it does not break, but becomes temporarily unusable and then recharges itself.
DLC 1 owners can also complete the Trial of the sword. The three sections gradually increase the permanent attack power to 40, 50, and finally 60; After the final test is completed, the blade remains permanently in its reinforced state.
All two-handed weapons – Attack, Durability and Locations
| Weapon | attack | Durability | Typical Location / Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Korok compartment | 1 | 25 | After cutting down trees, Korok areas |
| Hoe | 16 | 6 | Farms and Villages |
| Rudder | 14 | 8 | Lurelin Village and coasts of Necluda |
| lumberjack ax | 3 | 47 | stables, forests, Great Plateau |
| Master Ax | 18 | 52 | stables and forest areas |
| iron hammer | 12 | 40 | Eldin, shrines, stables |
| Large Boomerang | 25 | 40 | West Necluda, Hebra |
| travel two-handed sword | 10 | 20 | Hyrule Field, Western Necluda |
| Soldier’s two-handed sword | 20 | 25 | Hyrule Field, Faron |
| Knight’s two-handed sword | 38 | 30 | Gerudo, Tabantha |
| King’s two-handed sword | 52 | 40 | Hyrule Castle, Hebra, Gerudo |
| Zora Greatsword | 22 | 30 | Sources from Lanayru |
| rock splitter | 15 | 30 | Goron City and Eldin |
| stone splitter | 42 | 40 | Eldin and strong Goron areas |
| mountain splitter | 60 | 60 | reward to Vah Rudania |
| Gerudo two-handed sword | 28 | 30 | Gerudo Desert |
| Zanshin Longsword | 32 | 25 | West Necluda and Lanayru |
| Mushin Greatsword | 50 | 35 | Necluda and Hyrule Plains |
| Antique great sword | 55 | 50 | Akkala Institute |
| Rusty two-handed sword | 12 | 10 | Ruins in Hyrule |
| Guard two-handed sword | 72 | 15 | Hyrule Castle |
| Fire Greatsword | 34 | 50 | Arena Ruins, Eldin |
| Ice Greatsword | 30 | 40 | Arena Ruins, Hebra |
| Electric Greatsword | 32 | 50 | Arena Ruins, Hyrule Mountains |
| bok club | 6 | 12 | Bokoblins |
| Spiked Bok Club | 18 | 12 | Stronger Bokoblins |
| bone bok leg | 36 | 16 | Stronger Bokoblins |
| Bully Club | 9 | 12 | Moblins |
| Spiked Bully Club | 27 | 18 | Stronger Moblins |
| Bone Bully Club | 45 | 24 | Strong Moblins |
| Guardian Ax | 30 | 15 | Guardian Scout II |
| Guardian Ax + | 45 | 20 | Guardian Scout III |
| Guardian Ax ++ | 60 | 25 | Guardian Scout IV |
| Lynel Greatsword | 36 | 20 | Lynels |
| Beast Greatsword | 54 | 25 | Blue Lynels |
| Chimera Greatsword | 78 | 35 | White and silver Lynels |
| wind blade | 40 | 25 | Yiga Officers |
| Moblin Bone | 15 | 5 | Stalmoblins at night |
| Sword of the Philosophers | 48 | 50 | Ganondorf amiibo |
| Biggoron Sword | 50 | 60 | Link (Ocarina of Time) amiibo |
| Grim Deity Blade | 60 | 35 | Link (Majora’s Mask) amiibo |
| Destroyer | Instant K.O. | 2 charges | DLC 2, trial on the Great Plateau |
Strongest normal melee weapon: Chimera Greatsword
If we only look at the basic attack shown, the Chimera Greatsword with 78 attack is the strongest regularly usable melee weapon. You can get it from high-level white or silver Lynels. With a yellow Attack+ bonus, its actual value can be significantly higher.
The guard two-handed sword already has 72 attack, but only has 15 durability. He is a typical example of why the highest attack does not automatically result in the best weapon. Mountain splitter, Biggoron sword and other robust two-handed swords deliver less damage per hit but last much longer.
All Lances – Attack, Durability and Locations
| Lance | attack | Durability | Typical Location / Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| mop | 5 | 8 | Villages, houses and stables |
| Pitchfork | 7 | 12 | Farms in Necluda |
| fishing harpoon | 8 | 12 | Lurelin Village and coastal |
| Throwing javelin | 6 | 20 | Hyrule Plains, West Necluda |
| travel lance | 3 | 30 | West Necluda and Hyrule Plains |
| Soldier’s lance | 7 | 35 | Hyrule Field, Faron |
| Knight’s halberd | 13 | 40 | Gerudo and Tabantha |
| King’s halberd | 26 | 50 | Lanayru, Gerudo, Castle Region |
| Forest lance | 11 | 35 | Great Hyrule Forest |
| Zora Lance | 9 | 40 | Village of Zora and Lanayru |
| Scale lance | 12 | 40 | Sources from Lanayru, Akkala Plateau |
| Ceremonial lance | 14 | 40 | In the water under a bridge in the village of Zora |
| Lightscale lance | 22 | 70 | Reward to Vah Ruta |
| ore drill | 14 | 50 | Eldin and Hebra |
| Magpie Lance | 10 | 35 | Tabantha and village of Rito |
| Gerudo Lance | 16 | 35 | Gerudo Desert |
| Sanda Lance | 12 | 35 | Necluda and Hyrule Plains |
| Antique lance | 30 | 50 | Akkala Institute |
| Rusted halberd | 5 | 15 | Ruins in Hyrule |
| Guards halberd | 32 | 15 | Hyrule Castle |
| Fire lance | 24 | 50 | Arena Ruins and Treasure Chests |
| Ice lance | 20 | 40 | Hebra and Gerudo Plateau |
| electric lance | 22 | 50 | Hyrule Mountains and Gerudo |
| Boklance | 2 | 12 | Bokoblins |
| spiked punch lance | 6 | 15 | Stronger Bokoblins |
| Bone bowling lance | 12 | 20 | Stronger Bokoblins |
| Moblance | 4 | 15 | Moblins |
| Spiked Molance | 9 | 20 | Stronger Moblins |
| Bone Molance | 15 | 25 | Strong Moblins |
| Lizard lance | 7 | 18 | Lizalfos in Lanayru |
| Strong lizard lance | 12 | 22 | Lizalfos in Tabantha and Gerudo |
| Duo lizard lance | 18 | 28 | Strong echsalfos |
| Guardian Lance | 10 | 20 | Guardian Scout II |
| Guardian Lance + | 15 | 25 | Guardian Scout III |
| Guardian Lance ++ | 20 | 35 | Guardian Scout IV |
| Leunenlance | 14 | 25 | Lynels |
| Beast Lance | 20 | 35 | Blue Lynels |
| Chimera Lance | 30 | 45 | White and silver Lynels |
Why lances are strong despite low attack values
With lances, the displayed attack must not be viewed in isolation. Link can stab with them much faster than with swords or two-handed swords, and he also has significantly more range. A lance with 20 attack can therefore deal more damage in a short period of time than its low menu value suggests. The light scale lance in particular combines very good long-term values with 22 attack and exceptional 70 durability.
Elemental Weapons – Fire, Ice and Electric
Fire, ice and electric weapons not only deal normal damage, but also trigger a powerful elemental effect when charged. A fire sword ignites enemies and can instantly defeat ice enemies, while ice weapons completely freeze many normal enemies. A subsequent physical hit against a frozen opponent deals additional damage. Electric weapons, on the other hand, can shock opponents and knock weapons or shields out of their hands.
| Item | Particularly useful against | Additional benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Fire | Ice opponent | Light fire, melt ice, warm Link |
| Ice | Fire opponent | Freezing enemies cools Link |
| Electric | Many normal enemies | Disarm enemies, electrical puzzles |
Equipped fire and ice weapons also slightly affect Link’s ambient temperature. A fire sword on your back can compensate for a lack of cold protection in moderately cold regions, while an ice weapon provides appropriate cooling in warm environments.
All Bows – Attack, Durability, Range and Locations
Bows differ from each other more than their attack value suggests. In addition to durability, play above all Range and number of arrows fired at the same time an important role. For example, with multiple bows, the table shows “28 × 3”: Each of the three arrows can cause 28 base damage. Despite three or five floors, there is usually only one an arrow from Link’s supply consumed.
| Arch | attack | Durability | Range | Location / Special feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| wooden arch | 4 | 20 | 20 | Hyrule Plains and West Necluda |
| travel sheet | 5 | 22 | 20 | Early Game Areas |
| Soldier bow | 14 | 36 | 20 | Hyrule Plain and Faron |
| Knight’s bow | 26 | 48 | 20 | Gerudo, Tabantha, Shrines |
| Royal Bow | 38 | 60 | 20 | Hebra, Tabantha, Hyrule Castle |
| Forest arch | 15 × 3 | 35 | 20 | Hyrule Forest; shoots three arrows |
| Zora bow | 15 | 40 | 20 | Lanayru and village of Zora |
| Swallow Bow | 9 | 30 | 40 | Village of Rito and Hebra |
| Falcon bow | 20 | 50 | 40 | Hebra, Shae Loya/Bareeda Naag Shrine |
| Eagle Bow | 28 × 3 | 60 | 40 | reward to Vah Medoh |
| Gerudo bow | 14 | 60 | 40 | Gerudo Desert; Zoom function |
| Isshin Bow | 10 | 45 | 40 | Necluda; strong zoom function |
| Antique sheet | 44 | 120 | 50 | Akkala Institute; extremely straight arrow flight |
| guard arch | 50 | 20 | 30 | Hyrule Castle |
| Bok bow | 4 | 16 | 20 | Bokoblins |
| Spiked Bok Bow | 12 | 20 | 20 | Stronger Bokoblins |
| Bone Bok Bow | 24 | 30 | 20 | Strong Bokoblins |
| Lizal Bow | 14 | 25 | 20 | Lizalfos |
| Strong lizard bow | 25 | 35 | 20 | Stronger Lizalfos |
| Steel echal bow | 36 | 50 | 20 | Strong echsalfos |
| Lynel Bow | 10 × 3 | 30 | 20 | Lynels |
| Beast Bow | 20 × 3 | 35 | 20 | Blue Lynels |
| Chimera Bow | 32 × 3 | 45 | 20 | White and silver Lynels |
| double shot bow | 14 × 2 | 18 | 40 | Yiga Novices and Yiga Hideout |
| arc | 100 | Final fight | 500 | Only against Demon Beast Ganon |
| Shadow Bow | 30 | 100 | 8000 | Zelda (Super Smash Bros.) amiibo |
Which bow is the best?
For normal gameplay, the eagle bow is one of the best all-round bows. It deals 28 base damage up to three times per hit, has 60 durability, a range twice as long as normal bows and only uses one arrow despite the triple shot. After Vah Medoh you get it from Kaneli and you can always have it made again later.
For maximum damage, however, high-level chimera bows are superior to the Lynels, especially if a bow happens to receive the 5-fold shot bonus. A Chimera Bow with five projectiles can produce enormous bursts of damage in a single shot and is extremely powerful with Bomb Arrows or Ancient Arrows, for example.
The Ancient Bow is a different kind of top weapon: 44 attack seems less spectacular at first, but with 120 durability, very long range and extremely flat trajectory, it is excellent for distant targets and precise shots.
Recraft Eagle Bow
After freeing Vah Medoh, Link gets Revali’s Eagle Bow. If it breaks, Harth can make a new one in the Rito village. You need:
| Material | quantity |
|---|---|
| Swallow Bow | 1 |
| Diamond | 1 |
| Wooden bundle | 5 |
The eagle bow should therefore not remain in your inventory like an irretrievable collector’s item. As soon as you have enough diamonds, you can use it without hesitation.
All types of arrows and their effects
| Arrow | Special feature |
|---|---|
| wooden arrow | Normal ammunition; can be ignited with fire sources |
| Fire Arrow | Ignites targets, defeats ice opponents particularly effectively |
| Ice Arrow | Freezes many enemies and defeats fire enemies very effectively |
| Electric Arrow | Shocks opponents and can knock weapons or shields out of their hands |
| Bomb Arrow | Explodes on impact; strong area effect |
| Antique arrow | Extremely effective against Guardians; normal enemies can disappear completely |
Bomb arrows do not work normally in high heat – for example on the Death Mountain – because they can explode immediately after cocking. There you should switch to other types of arrows.
All shields – parry power, durability and Locations
For shields, the large numerical value in the menu shows the parry power or shield strength. The durability is independent of this. A shield can block extremely well, but still break quickly. The best-known example is the Guard Shield: 70 parry strength is excellent, but 14 durability is extremely low.
| Shield | parry power | Durability | Typical Location / Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hylian Shield | 90 | 800 | Hyrule Castle Dungeons; Defeat Stalnox |
| pot lid | 1 | 10 | cooking areas, villages and stables |
| wooden sign | 2 | 12 | Hyrule Plain and Necluda |
| animal shield | 3 | 12 | East Necluda and Hebra |
| Rabbit sign | 3 | 10 | Hebra and sump of Lanayru |
| fish shield | 3 | 10 | Lanayru and Necluda |
| travel sign | 4 | 12 | Early game regions |
| Soldier shield | 16 | 16 | Hyrule Field and Tabantha |
| Knight’s Shield | 40 | 23 | Hebra, Eldin and Gerudo |
| King’s Shield | 55 | 29 | Hyrule Castle and Hebra |
| Forest sign | 30 | 18 | Great Hyrule Forest |
| Zora Shield | 18 | 20 | Village of Zora and Lanayru |
| Shield of Winds | 14 | 16 | Hebra and Tabantha |
| Gerudo Shield | 20 | 20 | Gerudo Desert |
| sun shield | 35 | 26 | Gerudo Desert and Gerudo Plateau |
| Treasure Shield | 48 | 60 | Reward to Vah Naboris |
| Goshin Shield | 16 | 16 | Necluda and several shrines |
| Antique shield | 70 | 32 | Akkala Institute |
| Rusted shield | 3 | 16 | Ruins in Hyrule |
| Guard shield | 70 | 14 | Hyrule Castle |
| Bok shield | 3 | 5 | Bokoblins |
| Spiked Bok Shield | 10 | 7 | Stronger Bokoblins |
| Bone Bok Shield | 25 | 8 | Strong Bokoblins |
| Lizal Shield | 15 | 8 | Lizalfos |
| Strong echsal shield | 22 | 12 | Stronger Lizalfos |
| Steel echsal shield | 35 | 15 | Strong echsalfos |
| Guardian Shield | 18 | 10 | Guardian Scout II |
| Guardian Shield + | 30 | 13 | Guardian Scout III |
| Guardian Shield ++ | 42 | 20 | Guardian Scout IV |
| Lynel Shield | 30 | 12 | Lynels |
| Beast Shield | 44 | 15 | Blue Lynels |
| Chimera Shield | 62 | 20 | White and silver Lynels |
| Hero Shield | 65 | 90 | Zelda (The Wind Waker) amiibo |
Find
Hylian Shield – 90 Strength and 800 Durability
The Hylian Shield is by far the most durable shield in Breath of the Wild. It has 90 parry power and an incredible 800 durability; no other normal shield even comes close to this value. You can find him in the dungeon of Hyrule Castle. Enter the western or northwestern Depths of the castle, work your way through the dungeon cells and look for the large room with the bones on the floor.
As soon as Link enters the room, a Stalnox assembles. Defeat the boss by attacking his eye and in the final phase, aim to shoot the eye that falls out. A Treasure Chest then appears with the Hylian Shield.
Despite its extreme durability, it is also… Hylian Shield not indestructible. As soon as you found him at least once and also Tarrey Town constructed If you have one, Granté or Granté sells a replacement for it 3.000 Rupees, if there is currently no link Hylian Shield owns.
Ancient Shield – Automatically reflect sentinel beams
The Ancient Shield from the Akkala Institute has “only” 70 parry power and 32 durability, but it has a unique technical feature: It can automatically reflect the laser beams of large guardians when blocking normally, without you having to time a perfect shield block every time. However, durability is consumed in the process.
The Ancient Shield is therefore extremely comfortable for targeted guard hunting. On the other hand, if you have perfect parries, you can use a pot lid to throw back a sentinel beam without using up an expensive ancient shield.
Wooden, Metal and Guardian Shields Differences
| Material | advantage | disadvantage |
|---|---|---|
| Wood | Does not attract lightning; Deflected normal arrows can get stuck and be collected | Flammable and problematic on Death Mountain |
| metal | Fireproof and suitable for hot areas | Attracts lightning during thunderstorms and conducts electricity |
| Sheikah/Guardian Technique | Fireproof, heat-resistant and electrically unproblematic | Usually only available in shrines or for material costs |
As long as you don’t already own the Thunder Helmet, you should remove all metallic weapons, bows and shields during a thunderstorm as soon as the lightning symbol appears in your inventory.
Warrior Weapons: all stats and make replacements
After freeing the four Titans, Link receives the former equipment of the corresponding Champions. These items are unique but are not permanently lost if broken. The craftsmen of the respective peoples make replacements.
| Riding Equipment | Value | Durability | For replacement requires |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightscale lance | 22 Attack | 70 | Zora Lance + 1 Diamond + 5 Flints |
| mountain splitter | 60 attack | 60 | Stone Smasher + 1 diamond + 5 flints |
| Eagle Bow | 28×3 attack | 60 | Swallow Bow + 1 diamond + 5 wooden bundles |
| Treasure Saber | 32 Attack | 60 | Gerudo Scimitar + 1 diamond + 5 flints |
| Treasure Shield | 48 parry power | 60 | Gerudo Shield + 1 Diamond + 5 Flints |
The warrior weapons therefore do not have to be permanently displayed at Link’s weapon holders in-house. Once you have collected enough diamonds, they can be reproduced at any time.
Ancient weapons in Akkala Institute
After completing the Side Quest around Robbie, you can have particularly strong ancient equipment made at the Akkala Institute. For this you need Rupees and materials from Guardians such as Ancient Springs, Axles, Gears and Reactor Cores.
| Antique Equipment | Underlying | Durability |
|---|---|---|
| Antique sword | 40 Attack | 54 |
| Antique great sword | 55 Attack | 50 |
| Antique lance | 30 Attack | 50 |
| Antique sheet | 44 Attack | 120 |
| Antique shield | 70 parry power | 32 |
Ancient Weapons deal additional damage against Guardians and become even more powerful when Link is simultaneously wearing the upgraded Antique Set with its set bonus. This combination is one of the most effective ways to quickly eliminate Guardian Runners and Guardian Flyers.
Farm Guardian Weapons from Tests of Strength
A cheap alternative to the Institute’s expensive ancient weapons are the blue glowing weapons of the Nano Guardians. You can get them in the shrines with easy, medium and heavy strength tests. After each Blood Moon, the Nano Guardians respawn, making the corresponding shrines a permanent source of weapons.
| opponent | Possible high-quality equipment |
|---|---|
| Guardian Scout II | Guardian Sword, Guardian Ax, Guardian Lance, Guardian Shield |
| Guardian Scout III | Guardian Sword +, Guardian Ax +, Guardian Lance +, Guardian Shield + |
| Guardian Scout IV | Guardian Sword ++, Guardian Ax ++, Guardian Lance ++, Guardian Shield ++ |
The Guardian Ax ++ with 60 attack is particularly excellent for a regularly regenerating shrine weapon.
Farming Lynel Weapons
The highest quality freely farmable combat loot comes from Lynels. As you progress through the game, many Lynels switch from normal to beast to chimera equipment. For example, Silver Lynels can wield Chimera Swords, Chimera Greatswords, Chimera Lances, Chimera Bows, and Chimera Shields.
| Chimera Gear | Underlying | Durability |
|---|---|---|
| Chimera Sword | 58 Attack | 41 |
| Chimera Greatsword | 78 Attack | 35 |
| Chimera Lance | 30 Attack | 45 |
| Chimera Bow | 32×3 attack | 45 |
| Chimera Shield | 62 parry power | 20 |
After a blood moon, defeated Lynels respawn and can be farmed again. Chimera bows with 5-fold shot as well as chimera greatswords with a high attack + bonus are particularly sought after.
Weapons of the Royal Guard in Hyrule Castle
The black guard series can only be found within Hyrule Castle. It offers extremely high attack values, but this strength comes at the price of low durability.
| Guard equipment | Underlying | Durability |
|---|---|---|
| Guards sword | 48 Attack | 14 |
| Guard two-handed sword | 72 Attack | 15 |
| Guards halberd | 32 Attack | 15 |
| guard arch | 50 attack | 20 |
| Guard shield | 70 parry power | 14 |
Some specimens lie face up in the castle and reappear after a blood moon. That’s why Hyrule Castle is one of the best sources of weapons in the endgame, especially if high instant damage is more important to you than long durability.
Royal weapons – the best compromise between strength and durability
The royal weapon series is less spectacular than the black guard series, but is significantly more durable. For normal exploration, we often consider the royal sword, royal two-handed sword and royal bow to be more practical.
| Equipment | Value | Durability |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Sword | 36 Attack | 36 |
| King’s two-handed sword | 52 Attack | 40 |
| King’s halberd | 26 Attack | 50 |
| Royal Bow | 38 Attack | 60 |
| King’s Shield | 55 parry power | 29 |
Improve Rusted Weapons – Rock Octoroks use
Rusted swords, two-handed swords, halberds and shields initially look like worthless scrap, but they have a special use. Rock Octoroks in Eldin suck up items when Link places them on the ground in front of them. Throw or place a rusted weapon in front of a rock octorok and wait until it sucks it in and spits it out again.
This will remove the rust and give you back a normal weapon of the same basic class. Depending on the item, this can result in a travel, soldier, knight or even high-quality variant. However, be careful to avoid the object that is shot back.
Which weapons respawn after a blood moon?
Many Weapons lying openly in the game world as well as the equipment of recurring enemies reappear after a blood moon. That makes it solid Locations from royal swords, elemental weapons, castle weapons and enemies to permanent farm positions. One-off Treasure Chests However, they normally remain open and cannot be looted again.
Nano Guardians in Tests of Strength, Lynels and other normal enemies also return after the Blood Moon. For a permanent supply of weapons, enemy drops and world weapons lying around are better than chests.
The six amiibo-exclusive melee weapons
Six of the 128 melee weapons can only appear in the base game via certain amiibo. They are not required for a full normal save game, nor do they need to be photographed for the Hyrule Compendium.
| amiibo weapon | attack | Durability | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sword | 22 | 27 | 8-bit link |
| White sword | 28 | 45 | Link – Skyward Sword |
| Sea Wind Boomerang | 20 | 20 | Toon Link |
| Sword of the Philosophers | 48 | 50 | Ganondorf |
| Biggoron Sword | 50 | 60 | Link – Ocarina of Time |
| Grim Deity Blade | 60 | 35 | Link – Majora’s Mask |
If an amiibo weapon breaks, there is no blacksmith to replace it. You will need to use the corresponding amiibo again on a later day and hope that the rare weapon appears again in the Treasure Chest.
Shadow bow and hero shield from amiibo
There are also exclusive amiibo items for bows and shields. The Shadow Bow from Twilight Princess has 30 Attack, 100 Durability and an exceptionally long range of 8,000 – far more than any normal bow. He can appear via the Zelda amiibo from the Super Smash Bros. series.
The hero shield, visually based on The Wind Waker, has 65 parry power and 90 durability, making it one of the best shields below the Hylian shield. In Breath of the Wild, he is only available through the Zelda amiibo from The Wind Waker.
Destroyer from “The Champions’ Ballad”
The destroyer belongs to DLC 2 “The Champions’ Ballad” and functions completely differently than normal weapons. During the trial on the Great Plateau, he reduces Link’s health to a tiny remainder, but defeats practically every normal enemy with one hit.
The weapon has two usable charges. Afterwards she briefly loses her strength and has to recharge herself. After completing the first four DLC shrines, the destroyer breaks into four pieces and is no longer available as a normal weapon.
The best weapons in Breath of the Wild by category
| Category | recommendation | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| Strongest regular two-handed sword | Chimera Greatsword | 78 basic attack plus possible bonuses |
| Strong durable two-handed sword | mountain splitter | 60 Attack and 60 Durability |
| Strong one-handed sword | Chimera Sword | 58 Attack and use of shield at the same time possible |
| Best lance for everyday use | Lightscale lance | 70 durability and can be remade at any time |
| All-round bow | Eagle Bow | 3x shot, long range and good durability |
| Maximum bow damage | Chimera bow with 5-fold shot | Extremely high damage per arrow fired |
| precision sheet | Antique sheet | 120 durability and very flat trajectory |
| Best shield | Hylian Shield | 90 parry power and 800 durability |
| Against Guardian | Antique Equipment | Additional damage or special effects against guard |
| Permanently available | Master Sword | Regenerates after energy loss |
Save weapon durability – the most important tricks
Breaking weapons often seems annoying, especially at the beginning, but with a few habits you can use the durability much more efficiently. Use long-range bombs against weak enemies and ore not with high-quality swords, but with hammers, stone splitters or bombs. Save particularly strong weapons for bosses and use more renewable standard equipment compared to normal Bokoblins. You can deliberately break weapons that are already flashing red with a final hit or throw, thereby causing additional damage.
What’s also particularly interesting when fighting on the back of a stunned Lynels is that the hits you make there don’t wear out your melee weapon in the usual way. Therefore, an extremely powerful Chimera Greatsword is ideal for this attack phase.
Unlock more weapon slots with Korok Seeds
At the start, Link can only carry a small number of weapons, bows and shields. After Side Quest “The only true rattles” exchanges Hestu Found Korok seeds for additional inventory slots. To fully expand all three bags you will need a total of 441 Korok Seeds; The remaining 900 seeds are then only used for complete map progress and the final reward.
The weapon bag should be a priority in the early game because melee weapons change and break most often. Some additional bow slots are also very useful, while a huge collection of shields is initially less important.
Store weapons in your own home
If you have completed the Side Quest “Your Own Dream House” in Hateno Village, you can buy several weapon, bow and shield holders. Special items can be displayed there permanently without using up inventory space. The holders are suitable, for example, for warrior weapons, rare amiibo equipment or particularly good weapons with high random bonuses.
The items on display will not be repaired and will not be given additional durability. They just stay there safely until you take them off again.
Weapons and the Hyrule Handbook
A large part of the normal weapons, bows and shields have their own entry in the Hyrule Handbook. Therefore, if possible, photograph any new equipment before collecting it. This is particularly important for weaker monster and Leun weapons, because the scaling system makes some of them difficult to find later.
The six amiibo-exclusive melee weapons, the Shadow Bow, and the Hero’s Shield are not required for regular completion of the Hyrule Compendium. So you can completely complete a normal 100% completionist save without amiibo.
All Weapons, Bows and Shields – Collectibles
| Completed | Target |
|---|---|
| ☐ | Master Sword pull |
| ☐ | Hylian Shield in Hyrule Castle find |
| ☐ | Lightscale Lance obtained |
| ☐ | Mountain splitters receive |
| ☐ | Eagle Bow received |
| ☐ | Get treasure saber and treasure shield |
| ☐ | Craft Antique Sword |
| ☐ | Craft Ancient Greatsword |
| ☐ | Craft Antique Lance |
| ☐ | Making Antique Bow |
| ☐ | Craft Ancient Shield |
| ☐ | Photograph or collect the Guard series in Hyrule Castle |
| ☐ | Register Leun, Beast and Chimera Gear for Hyrule Handbook |
| ☐ | Register all required normal weapon, bow and shield images in the Hyrule Manual |
| ☐ | Collect 441 Korok Seeds for maximum inventory capacity |
| Optional | collect amiibo-exclusive weapons, shadow bow and hero shield |
What equipment should you wear in the endgame?
There is no ideal universal equipment because Breath of the Wild depends heavily on the respective opponent. For normal exploration, a combination of Master Sword, king’s sword or chimera sword, a good two-handed sword, an elemental weapon, eagle or chimera bow and Hylian Shield is extremely flexible. If necessary, there are also hammers or stone splitters for ore and a krog fan for boats and environmental puzzles.
Against guardians, however, you should prefer ancient weapons and the improved ancient set, while against normal strong opponents a chimera bow with multiple shots and an attack level 3 dish enable enormous damage bursts. For our 100% walkthrough for Breath of the Wild it is therefore worth not only paying attention to the highest attack value, but also always having several types of weapons ready for different situations.