The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has given players endless creative freedom through new gameplay mechanics, including the fuse ability. As weapons throughout Hyrule have decayed due to Gloom spewing out from Chasms after the Upheaval, Hylians have had to adapt by attaching materials to weapons to strengthen them. Link can do this with relative ease courtesy of the abilities given to him by Rauru, the first King of Hyrule.
While there are certain materials that players will want to fuse with weapons frequently in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, they may be overlooking some more underrated items that can improve their combat experience.
Updated August 17, 2023, by Sophie McEvoy: So many new materials have been introduced in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and there are still quite a few that may be overlooked. This includes even the more obvious ones, like Puffshrooms and Zonai Emitters. All these materials can be used in various ways, and sometimes it can be best to not stick to their obvious use. Some materials may seem as though they only have one use. Still, they can be a vital addition to many situations, particularly in combat. Players are constantly finding new materials to fuse to their weapons, shields, and arrows, including others they may not have thought of before.
10 Splash Fruit
Some may think Splash Fruit is only useful when completing the main quest in Zora's Domain, as it's instrumental in clearing away the sludge that has plagued the region following the Upheaval. But Splash Fruit can be extremely useful outside of this. Certain weapons have additional effects, and those made by the Zora carry the passive Water Warrior effect. This doubles the weapon's damage when wet.
When fusing Splash Fruit to a weapon like a sword, the material will be used up in the first hit, but will drench Link and the weapon to double the weapon's damage. While this doesn't last long, it can be a helpful boost.
9 Aerocuda & Keese Eyes
Keese eyes have a new use in Tears of the Kingdom. They can be fused to arrows to hone in on targets – the same goes for Aerocuda eyes. These materials become a vital part of Link's arsenal, especially for getting rid of those pesky Aerocuda while they're airborne.
Fusing both types of eyeballs onto arrows provides the opportunity for quick one-shots against all sorts of enemies. But they are especially useful when facing Gleeoks, as these arrows can zero in on each head to make defeating it that little bit easier.
8 Puffshroom
Puffshrooms are an invaluable resource that players need to stock up on when they have the chance. While the quickest and easiest way to use these mushrooms is to throw them, Puffshrooms can also be fused to weapons, shields, and arrows for the desired effect.
Link can produce a smoke cloud from range when a Puffshroom is shot with an arrow. But when fused to a weapon, the first strike will allow Link to get a sneak strike in or even run away from the situation in case things get a little too dicey. The same goes for fusing to a shield and parried.
7 Zonai Emitters
Fire and Beam Emitters are among most popular Zonai devices in Tears of the Kingdom and for good reason. They are an invaluable tool to fuse to all sorts of things, including weapons, shields, vehicles, Homing Carts, and Construct Heads.
But two more often get overlooked: Frost and Shock emitters. Frost Emitters work well if players are in a tricky situation and need to freeze an enemy to plan better tactics. Meanwhile, Shock emitters can quickly disarm enemies holding metal weaponry or standing in water.
6 Dazzlefruit
When Dazzlefruit is fused with an arrow or thrown, a flash of light stuns enemies surrounding Link. They’ll subsequently drop their weapons, shields, and bows to the floor, providing Link an opportunity to dish out significant damage while they're vulnerable. Pairing the use of a Dazzlefruit with a Puffshroom can enable players to take complete control of an ambush, providing a new path to combat.
But something players may not have noticed is that throwing or shooting Dazzlefruit at Stal enemies will kill them instantly. This is perfect for players trying to explore without being interfered by Stalkoblins, Staloblins, and Stalizalfos. However, throwing a Dazzlefruit at a Stalnox won’t have the same effect.
5 Muddle Bud
Muddle Buds can confuse enemies, making them attack each other rather than Link. The material works well when fighting a Boss Bokoblin and their Bokoblin minions. Fusing a Muddle Bud to an arrow will cause the Boss Bokoblin to attack its followers, meaning Link will have fewer enemies to deal with.
Sometimes the Muddle Bud can affect more than one enemy when shot, depending on where it lands and who it hits. In that case, Link can hide nearby, watch as the chaos unfolds, and wait for the opportune moment to intervene. Using Muddle Buds also works well in Coliseum fights within the Depths, particularly against the stronger waves of enemies.
4 Bokoblin Armor Shard
There are many new tactics displayed by Bokoblins in Tears of the Kingdom, one of them being the addition of stone armor. Unless players remove this armor, they won’t so much as dent a Bokoblin’s health. But this is easily done using a Hammer or Sledge weapon or throwing a Bomb Flower.
Once destroyed, an Armor Shard will fall to the floor that Link can fuse to his shield or weapon. This plating works best when combined with a shield, as it adds an extra layer of durability and can extend the life of some of the weaker shields found early in the game.
3 Stalnox Horn
Stalnox can be pretty tricky to find, but once players have explored Hyrule for a bit, they’ll start to come across areas where they know they’ll pop up. For example, there’s one hiding within the Royal Hidden Passage under Lookout Landing leading to Hyrule Castle, and players can regularly find Stalnox in the Depths.
In Breath of the Wild, these formidable enemies were useful in that they’d drop valuable materials. They still do in Tears of the Kingdom, except this time, they have a horn with Bokoblin skulls attached to their head. This material is a must when fusing weapons, as it has a base power attack of 29. When merged with a powerful weapon with an extra buff for Flurry Rush, the Stalnox Horn can help Link deal some major damage.
2 Stal Arms
Enemy bones can be fused to weapons in Tears of the Kingdom, with the Gibdo Bone adding a whopping base attack power of 40. Unfortunately, due to their brittle nature, they break instantly when attached to a weapon, arrow, or shield. Thankfully, players can collect a lot of them to use over time. But if they run out, Stal Arms are a valuable item to fuse.
Stal Arms may not have the same fuse attack power as Gibdo Bones, but when used while wearing the Evil Spirit or Radiant Armor Set, Link’s damage proficiency with bone weapons increases the attack. And as players will encounter Stal enemies a lot during their playthrough, they can become an even deadlier weapon than in Breath of the Wild.
1 Talus Heart
New players may wonder how to beat a Talus, but returning players will know that the secret is shooting the ore deposit on the top of its body. Tears of the Kingdom also adds new mechanics to this fight, as Link can now use Recall to send its rock arms flying back and Ascend through it to get to the deposit quickly.
Once defeated, the Talus now leaves a Talus Heart behind. Link can’t collect the item to put in his inventory, but it can be fused to a weapon or shield. Different types of these items are left depending on the Talus, and the fuse attack power increases up to 33 with the Rare Stone Talus Heart. The Heart will create a Hammer when fused to a one-handed or two-handed weapon or a Sledge with a spear.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available now on Nintendo Switch.