Highlights
- The Legend of Zelda series features iconic items like the Master Sword, but also includes unique tools that are only found in specific games.
- Over the years, the series has introduced new mechanics and cut outdated elements, resulting in several wholly unique items that serve specific purposes in their associated games.
- The most recent entries in the series have experimented with in-universe technology, such as the Master Cycle Zero and Zonai Devices, indicating a shift away from more ordinary items like the original Stepladder.
The Legend of Zelda series is full of iconic items like the Master Sword, Hylian Shield, and Link's Tunic that have become some of the most recognizable symbols in gaming. In addition to these popular items, the series is also packed with recurring tools like bombs, arrows, masks, hookshots, and boomerangs that aid Link in solving puzzles and defeating enemies along his journey. However, sometimes The Legend of Zelda series deviates from the norm and introduces wholly unique items that can only be found in one specific entry, making them oddities among the titles in the franchise.
As The Legend of Zelda series has evolved over the years, new and interesting mechanics have be introduced to iterate upon the series' established formula and help prevent it from going stale. At the same time, some outdated elements of the series end up being cut between entries, resulting in the loss of certain items and mechanics. The combination of these changes means there ends up being several instances of completely unique items that served specific purposes in their associated games, but never warranted an appearance in future titles.
The Legend of Zelda Series' Unique Items
- Stepladder - The Legend of Zelda
- Cross - Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link
- Harp of Ages - The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages
- Rod of Seasons - The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
- Hero's Charm - The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
- Tingle Tuner - The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
- Picto Box - The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
- Spinner - The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
- Ball and Chain - The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
- Dominion Rod - The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
- Whirlwind - The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
- Beetle - The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
- Gust Bellows - The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
- Master Cycle Zero - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Zonai Devices - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Some of the earliest entries in the Zelda franchise featured seemingly ordinary items like the Stepladder in the original Legend of Zelda which allowed Link to cross one-tile wide gaps, but never returned after this title. Similarly, the Cross was an item in Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link that allowed players to see enemies that would normally be invisible, but was likely cut from future entries as the series moved away from including religious iconography. The Game Boy Color duology Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons each featured unique items in the Harp of Ages and the Rod of Seasons which allowed Link to change the time or season respectively.
The GameCube and Wii eras of the series introduced a wide variety of unique items as they looked to incorporate mechanics that could take advantage of the new consoles' hardware. An item like the Tingle Tuner in Wind Waker existed to take advantage of the Game Boy Advance's Link Cable and Skyward Sword's Beetle utilized the Wii's motion controls for maneuvering. Some of the franchise's most iconic unique items come from Twilight Princess where tools like the Spinner, Ball and Chain, and Dominion Rod involve interesting mechanics but are only really useful in their associated dungeons.
The most recent entries in the Zelda series have done a lot of experimentation with in-universe technology for their items, a far cry from something like the Stepladder of the original NES title. Both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom give Link access to some unique machines like the Master Cycle Zero and Zonai Devices respectively. The future of The Legend of Zelda series is still unclear, but it's likely that many of these items will remain unique outliers of their respective titles.
