Weapon durability has always been a contentious subject among players of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. But in its sequel, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, this issue has received somewhat of an upgrade via a new ability that enables Link to fuse items to his weapons for higher attack power. This, in turn, can repair a weapon on the brink of destruction.
As players experiment with what items to fuse with their weapons in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, there’s potential for unique items to be wasted on casual enemies found in the early game. As the enemies get harder, the things they drop add an immense amount of power to weapons and shields that players will want to use sparingly. But at the beginning, there are plenty of objects for Link to fuse to his arsenal that won’t be missed in the long run.
7 Captain I Reaper
Link will come across plenty of Soldier Constructs as he ventures to the Great Sky Island for the first time - especially if players stay there a while and explore everything the tutorial area has to offer. Once he’s made his way to the Temple of Time, Link will enter Hyrule with a hefty collection of Soldier Construct Horns, which can be added to any weapon for an extra dose of attack power and durability.
The first tier of Soldier Construct horns are best in terms of being disposable, as the higher the mark of a Soldier Construct, the more powerful their horns are to fuse to other weapons. Players will want to combine and keep these items for higher-level enemies like Boss Bokoblins and Hinoxes, in addition to the big bosses of the four regions.
6 Spiky Club
Players will be familiar with spikes from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, as they would regularly form part of a barrier that Link could only pass when exposed to fire. In Tears of the Kingdom, Link can fuse pieces of these spikes onto weapons to lead casual enemies to a thorny end. Spikes are prevalent on the Sky Islands and are also found in Shrines, where Link is stripped of his weaponry and armor.
The spike adds a bit of heft to a stick or bat and is unbeatable as a disposable weapon. This is especially true if players don’t have any horns from Soldier Constructs, Bokoblins, or Moblins.
5 Boulder Hammer
Despite their large size, boulders can actually be fused to weapons to create a makeshift hammer. The boulder will shrink to the size of a rock, allowing Link to not only bludgeon common enemies in his wake but also a handy tool to destroy ore deposits found throughout Hyrule and the Sky Islands.
Boulders can be a little harder to come by than rocks, though it’s worth hunting down to fuse together a formidable weapon. Players will particularly need it when hitting harder faces of rock that would usually succumb to the Bomb Rune in Breath of the Wild.
4 Boko Reaper
Having explored the Great Sky Island, Link will eventually return to the Kingdom of Hyrule. Once there, players will notice that the enemies of Breath of the Wild have undergone a substantial makeover and have new (and much sharper) horns on their heads. When killed, these horns can be fused to weapons to create a new tool known as a Reaper.
Red Bokoblins are the most common enemy across Hyrule (and the easiest to kill), so their horns make for great disposable weapons.
3 Flame Emitter
Of all the Zonai Devices Link has at his disposal, Flame Emitters are an invaluable source for both weaponry and traversal. While they’re primarily used to propel balloons, Link can also fuse Flame Emitters to his sword and shield for extra protection. When attached to a weapon, players can fashion makeshift flamethrowers to keep enemies at a safe distance.
While Link can’t produce the same sweeping action that Soldier Constructs can with their fused Flame Emitter weapons, it is helpful for long-range combat when Link is low on hearts. Any Bokoblin charging towards him will be burned to a crisp - provided the Flame Emitter has enough charge left.
2 Blue Boko Reaper
As was the case in Breath of the Wild, Blue Bokoblins are a step up from their red counterparts in that they’re a bit more powerful and have a higher defense. They also have a step up in terms of the horn on their head, which can deal a large amount of damage when fused to a weapon.
Like Red Bokoblins, Blue Bokoblins are pretty standard in the easier and more forgiving parts of Hyrule, and their horns are an excellent item to use against casual enemies. This is especially true when faced with a horde of themselves or Blue Moblins and Horriblins. A Blue Boko Reaper can undoubtedly be more deadly with the fewer hearts Link has.
1 Elemental Sword
In Tears of the Kingdom, elemental stones aren’t just valuable to sell for Rupees. They can also be used as a source of elemental power when fused onto a weapon. Like the wands used by Wizzrobes, Link can fashion his own elemental sword to deal orbs of electricity, fire, and ice damage courtesy of Topaz, Ruby, and Sapphire stones.
It may not seem like a good idea to waste an elemental stone on casual enemies, but they can work really well in a pinch. For example, as Link has so few hearts and defensive armor choices early on in the game, an icy Sapphire Sword can be a lifesaver if he’s cornered by a group of Red and Blue Bokoblins.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available exclusively on the Nintendo Switch.