If there is one thing that The Legend of Zelda games are known for (apart for their incredible dungeons), it’s their item design. Zelda games primarily employ a “toolbox” design, meaning that the player slowly amasses a wide assortment of items over the course of the game. Then, whenever the player encounters an obstacle, they can consult their “toolbox” and choose the right item to help them overcome it. For example, if they need to hit something far away, they might choose to use the Slingshot or the Boomerang. Or if they need to break something, they might use Bombs or the Hammer.
It’s a good approach to item design and one that makes the player feel smart when they find clever ways to use their tools. But if you’ve ever played a Zelda game before, you know that not every item feels like a meaningful addition to your toolkit. Rather, some items just spend most of the game collecting dust in your inventory. For every amazing item like the Hookshot, there’s another disappointing item like the Deku Nuts. What sets these items apart? What makes an item useless, and what makes an item worth using? The answer boils down to three key questions:
What is the item’s function?
Items in Zelda games (and action/adventure games more broadly) can serve one of three distinct functions: Combat, Utility, and Mobility.
Fighting Guardians in Breath of the Wild (Source)
Combat is the most straightforward of the three functions: you can use the item to help fight enemies in the game. Obvious examples include shooting baddies with the Bow, blowing up monsters with Bombs, or slashing foes with the Master Sword. However, this also includes less direct methods, such as using the Paraglider to ride updrafts to dodge Guardian attacks in Breath of the Wild.
Utility is a bit of a catch-all term that refers to anything that allows you to interact with your environment. This includes retrieving faraway items with the Boomerang, creating blocks with the Cane of Samaria, or seeing invisible objects with the Lens of Truth. Often, these items are key for solving puzzles or progressing through dungeons.
The final function, Mobility, refers to anything that can modify how you navigate through the world. Think of items like the Roc’s Feather, the Pegasus Boots, or the Zora Armor. This can also include items that allow you to teleport, such as the Ocarina of Time, the Harp of Ages, or the Wind Waker.
Obtaining the Hookshot in Ocarina of Time (Source)
You may have noticed by now that some items, such as the Hookshot, fall into multiple categories. When fighting enemies, it can be used to stun or damage foes at a distance. Outside of combat, it can be used to activate switches or grab items. And in terms of mobility, the Hookshot is perfect for zipping across deadly chasms.
This brings us to the first quality of a good Zelda item: they serve multiple core functions. Items that only serve one core function tend to be among the least useful or memorable items in the series. The Deku Nuts in Ocarina of Time, for example, have no real utility or mobility functions. They only have a combat function (and they aren’t even very good at that). While I don’t think it is essential for a good Zelda item to embody all three functions, hitting two of them seems pretty essential. For example, the Mirror Shield doesn’t have a mobility function, but it does have both a combat function (blocking attacks) and a utility function (reflecting light).
When can I use it?
Now you might be thinking to yourself, “But Mitchell, what about items like the Spinner in Twilight Princess? That item has multiple core functions and it still sucks!” And you’re right, the Spinner does have all three core functions. It can be used to attack enemies (Combat), spin gears to open doors (Utility), and ride tracks along the walls (Mobility). However, many people still claim that the Spinner is one of the worst items in the entire series. Why is that?
The “best” item in Twilight Princess (Source)
On paper, the Spinner should be a great item. But it brings us to the second quality of a good Zelda item: they can be used in multiple situations. Aside from the Arbiter’s Grounds, the Spinner doesn’t see much use for the rest of the game. You do need it a little bit in the City in the Sky and Hyrule Castle, but that’s about it. Compare that to something like the Sheikah Slate in Breath of the Wild, which is used heavily throughout the entire game. Good Zelda items need to be versatile, and their use shouldn’t be confined to a single dungeon. If the Spinner could have been used in more places in the game, I think it could have been one of the best items in the series.
Does another item do the job better?
The final quality of a good Zelda item is the most game-specific of the three: there isn’t a better alternative. The Slingshot is the perfect example of this concept. In Ocarina of Time and Skyward Sword, the Slingshot is quickly outclassed after you obtain the Bow. While both items can hit things at a distance, the Bow does more damage and has access to multiple ammunition types (e.g. Ice Arrows, Fire Arrows, etc.). As a result, you almost never use the Slingshot after obtaining the Bow.
Bouncing seeds in Oracle of Ages (Source)
But in Oracle of Ages, the Seed Shooter is an excellent Zelda item. Unlike the typical Slingshot, this variation can bounce its shots off walls and fire different types of seeds (such as the Scent Seed to deal damage or the Ember Seeds to light torches). This isn’t to say you can’t have both a Bow and a Slingshot in the same game, just that there needs to be a distinction for why you would choose to use one over the other. Otherwise, the weaker item will never get used and quickly be forgotten.
To sum up, there are three qualities that every good Zelda item must have:
It must serve multiple core functions;
It must be usable in multiple situations; and
There can’t be a better item to use instead.
While there are other reasons why an item may be fun to use (such as game feel, power level, visual design, etc.), as a general guideline these three qualities are essential to good item design. But what do you think? What do you think makes a good Zelda item, and what are some of your favourite items in the series? Let us know in the comments below!