I should preface this article with a statement. 

I love The Legend of Zelda. I’ve played ten of the mainline titles, beaten seven of them, and absorbed an astonishing proportion of the shrine names in both Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild. I have a lot of Zelda things that I plan on talking about here, but I’m going to start on a personal and positive note! I’m going to talk about my favourite items across the series—no, not the ‘best’ items. There’s dozens of lists you could go to for that. This list doesn’t have any sort of criteria except for what speaks to me as the most creative or exciting things in a Zelda game. I guess you could call them the ‘coolest,’ if you like. These are not in any particular order: it would be incredibly difficult to rank them due to the large discrepancy of usefulness between the entries and the fact that I have a tendency to be incredibly indecisive. Instead, I’ve decided to list them in chronological order of game release: their ranking has nothing to do with whether or not I prefer one over another.

Without further ado, let’s embark on our list-y adventure!

~The Bombos Medallion

(A Link to the Past)

Imagine, if you will, a scenario: you find yourself in a small room surrounded by deadly enemies on every side. They’re closing in fast, and you fear for your life.

You think you’re going to have to go to the Game Over screen? Think again! Pull out your handy Bombos Medallion, and the whole room will go up in flames in an instant! For a minor magic fee, your scary (non-boss) opponents have immolated into a pile of ash. Lucky you!

Astonishingly, of the three magic medallions featured in A Link to the Past, Bombos is the only one you don’t need to complete the game. But don’t make the mistake of ignoring it: it will save your ass at least a dozen times in the second half of the game. I promise you that.

Fun fact: the insignia on Bombos resembles the Korok pinwheels in Breath of the Wild. My first encounter with the latter had me very confused as to why there was a flaming spell on the side of a hill. I quickly discovered the difference.

~Hover Boots.

(Ocarina of Time)

I love the sound these things make. Sure, they don’t handle well, but their deeply satisfying sound makes up for that. I wore these for about 70% of the housekeeping I did before confronting Ganondorf, and aside from a couple of sliding incidents I don’t regret anything. Even the little cushion of golden air under Link’s feet is so cute and mystical, accompanied with the golden wings flapping at his ankles like he’s some sort of child of Hermes. For all people talk about Ocarina of Time, they almost never talk about these amazing boots. Ocarina is their only appearance, and I want to see them again in a game with a Tears like scope. Imagine hovering over a Lynel’s head. They’re not even used a whole lot in their own dungeon. What a shame.

Did I mention that the sound they make is awesome?

Above image: Link wearing the golden Hover Boots as he stares up at the entrance of the ominous Fire Temple. The resolution is bad, but I took this one straight off of my n64. Cut me some slack.

~The Lens of Truth.

(Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask)

This single item will have you looking at the game in a whole new light. Or, if you briefly forget its existence, it’ll have you standing in the center of a room wondering why you’re taking damage from the air.

True story. 

That aside, this device is genius. The notion of a dungeon being plagued with not only the visible obstacles but also invisible traps to contend with is part of what makes the Shadow Temple arguably (unarguably) Ocarina’s best dungeon. Majora’s Mask doesn’t manage to use the Lens quite so effectively, and it doesn’t have a roster of uses outside of its respective area in either game (rather disappointing, that) but it’s made up for by the sheer creativity of when it does get used. This item’s very existence brings the idea that all is not as it seems to each game, colouring your adventure with a bit of paranoia every time you take this guy out of your back pocket. What could be lurking in the shadows? You better hope it’s not an invisible Wallmaster.

Above image: my illustration of the Lens. Image quality is crisper than the original. Trust me.

~The Goron Mask.

(Majora’s Mask)

There are three transformation masks in Majora’s Mask (not including the Fierce Deity), and while they all have their perks, I can’t deny the utter superiority of the Goron mask for three reasons:

While the Deku mask is fun, Deku scrubs aren’t really in many games. Sure, you can bounce around a bit, and launch yourself up. It’s fun. But what attachment do I have with deku scrubs?

Zora Link’s controls are notorious for a reason. Every complaint you hear about them is absolutely, 100% true. You get the Zora Mask last of the three, which means you get the least amount of time to use it. In addition, Mikau’s guitar has (in my opinion) the worst design of the instruments.

Now…the Goron Mask. Have you ever stared at how effortlessly Yunobo and co roll across the ground? For such big people, they can cover as much ground as Link in a stylish fashion. 

Have you ever wanted to roll and smash faces with the fury of a Goron?

Well now you can, with our new Goron mask. Simply put it on, and enjoy all the strength of the Goron tribe!

You get my point. Not only does this mask have the best dungeon of the three (I will stand proud with my Snowhead love), a boss that makes amazing use of its unique rolling capabilities, and a massive punching power: it also gives us the opportunity to see Link’s classic green cap on a bulky Goron. Link moves fast, it gives us plenty of reason to keep our magic meter topped up (something most other games can’t provide) and honestly it’s just ridiculously fun to smash things with Link’s big Goron fists.

Who would have thought a Goron would play a bongo drum?

Above image: a transformed Goron Link stands in the center chamber of the Snowhead Temple, fully flummoxed as to where he’s supposed to go next. This state has nothing to do with my state of mind when this picture was taken. Or maybe it does.

~The Sea-Breeze Boomerang.

(The Wind Waker, although the title comes from its appearances in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. In Wind Waker it’s just called the Boomerang.)

The single most-used item in my entire Wind Waker playthrough. It almost never budged from the shoulder button I’d attached it to, allowing for a quick dispatch of most enemies and an invaluable tool when you’re sailing the Great Sea and can’t use your sword. On top of its sheer function (it’s arguably the most useful thing on this list), its design is also very aesthetically appealing with bright yellow ornamented with red and silver. It can lock onto five targets at once, a feature only available to one other boomerang; however unlike the later Gale Boomerang this guy’s not just full of hot air. It can oneshot a lot of low-level annoyances before they start bothering you.

That being said, its counterpart in Tears of the Kingdom is nice, but doesn’t manage to replicate the brilliance of the original. Five targets!

Above image: Link proudly holds aloft a weapon from a distant age for a stylish Compendium snapshot, dressed accordingly in the Wind outfit. This image was taken on Wellspring Island with the help of one Prince Sidon.

~The Cane of Pacci.

(The Minish Cap)

Who doesn’t want a funky stick that flips things upside down? Pot smashing just got a whole lot more fun, which is saying something because it was already ridiculously satisfying in the first place. Its use with the mine carts in the Cave of Flames was just the cherry on top. Toon Link’s expression of pure and undiluted terror was kind of cute.

I’d love to say more about this fun and creative item, but unfortunately I’m only a third of the way through Minish Cap so I can’t attest to its late-game versatility nor do I have as much experience using it as the others on this list.

~The Dominion Rod.

(Twilight Princess)

Sure, maybe this item was barely used outside of its home dungeon, but that doesn’t really matter. You can use it to animate statues with little balls of green light, and they’ll trundle along behind you. It’s beyond amazing. I’m not entirely sure why, but from the moment I first lifted this rod out of its dusty old chest I’ve been obsessed with it. Its underutilization is near criminal, but the one dungeon where it does shine is incredible. You wind the entire eight floors wondering what the purpose of a lot of the things you pass are, only to find that you need to escort a statue to the empty plinth you saw with this nifty rod down all eight floors. It’s used for an incredibly challenging and cohesive puzzle, and I love it. 

Plus, the statue making the heavy thunking is really fun. 

Above image: my sketch rendition of the beloved Dominion Rod

~The Spinner.

(Twilight Princess)

This thing is so useless outside of the Arbiter’s Grounds dungeon it’s laughable.

As tragic as that is, however, it doesn’t change the fact that the few times you do get to use this glorious contraption, it’s absolutely thrilling. Link looks ridiculously cool when he uses this bad boy. Riding along the tracks has a thrill that’s difficult to match, a stark contrast to how it will otherwise fizzle out if you take it out on bare ground. The underutilization of this wonderfully designed item is an absolute crime, but that won’t stop me from giving it praise. 

We should have gotten a Spinner Zonai device.

~The Beetle.

(Skyward Sword)

The Legend of Zelda: Link Gets a Drone.

I know, I know. ‘Drone?’ It sounds impractical. Why does Link even need a drone, anyway?

Except it’s Link, so it’s actually ridiculously cool, and also astonishingly useful. This thing can scout ahead for you, snap ropes, collect rupees, and even pick up bombs to create an explosion while Link stays a safe, shrapnel-free distance away. No collateral damage required. 

Part of what makes this item brilliant, even among other unique Zelda items, is the fact that it’s actually needed frequently outside of its home dungeon. It’s the second item you get in Skyward Sword, usurping classics like the bow and the boomerang in favour of giving you a special, one-of-a-kind Zelda item whose use isn’t limited to one part of the game. As a matter of fact, it gets a second wind in the first Lanayru Desert segment when a friendly construct upgrades it to the Claw Beetle, giving you the ability to smash pots and drop bombs from a distance. This item is both unique and invaluable, making it arguably one of the best items on this list. Combine that with the fact that it’s one of the first things you get in the game, and it’s an absolute winner.

It’s even better when you play the HD version, because there’s less risk of accidentally destroying nearby fragiles with your Wii Remote while trying to navigate it.

Above image: a pencil sketch I drew of the original, not upgraded Beetle.

~Ember Headdress.

(Tears of the Kingdom)

A good third of all of Link’s Hyrule Compendium selfies (and bear in mind that their number is many) feature him sporting this beaded headdress, dyed in several different shades (for the time being his hair is a lovely powder blue, deliberately reminiscent of Grimmjow Jaegerjaques from Bleach). Its two curved horns represent those of the guardian dragon Dinraal, and they light up with a fiery glow in the heat of Eldin or Gerudo. When he attacks in these hot climates, Link will be surrounded by a halo of flames as he smites whatever pesky Lizalfos or (if he’s lucky) Molduga was trying to get the jump on him.

These horns are just…unbelievably cool. I don’t care that their maximum armour class is only 16 rather than the 20 of most sets, or that they require five Gleeok horns and ten large Zonai charges to upgrade even that far. I am in love with the little dangly Zonai beads that hang off of Link’s ears when he wears them.  I will find every excuse possible to pop these little beauties onto Link’s head, then parade around Hyrule taking selfies in front of mushrooms. Even better, pair it with the Charged Shirt (crop top) and either the Charged Trousers for a rugged barefoot look, or the Trousers (read: shorts) of the Wild for more of a jaunty cute look.

Yes, I recognize that Link is not a fashion doll. Yes, I will keep dressing him up like one.

Above image: Link posing like the glamourous Hylian he is with the dyed Ember Headdress on while Riju, the Gerudo chief, looks on in exasperation. This image was taken on the Thunderhead Isles, which is why the accompanying Charged Shirt is lit up.

*****

While I can’t possibly cover every amazing item on this list, I think it’s managed to cover the biggest highlights for me across the series. However, like any list, there’s never enough room for everything I’d like to put on it, so here’s a few extra honourable mentions!

Urbosa’s Fury (Breath of the Wild)—Equal parts destructive and aesthetic when you blow that bokoblin sky-high.

Ball and Chain (Twilight Princess)—Devastating. Heavy. So heavy, in fact, that Link is forced to trudge while holding it. 

Magic Rod (Link’s Awakening)—So overpowered it doesn’t even have a magic meter.

Gust Jar (Minish Cap)/Gust Bellows (Skyward Sword)—Let’s blow things around some, shall we?

Paraglider (Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom)—The item so useful you get annoyed every time you play a game that doesn’t feature it.

Grappling Hook (Wind Waker)—Toon Link looks beyond cute swinging this claw on a rope in the air. He doesn’t look menacing. He looks cute. (Bonus points for the swinging capabilities).

Hateno Cheese (Tears of the Kingdom)—This little gooey wedge gives me unreasonable amounts of happiness, especially when Link makes cheesecake.

Do you love these items as much as I do, or are there other items in the Zelda series that have caught your eye instead? Let me know in the comments what they are!