Weapon Strength

All weapons in The Legend of Zelda series have a predefined amount of damage they cause to enemies. Each weapon's strength appears to be a simple multiple in strength of each game's weakest, basic weapon, which is usually the starting sword.

Attack Modifiers

There are various items and actions Link can take that can modify the damage he deals with weapons. Multiple modifiers can potentially stack with each other for a combined effect. For example, a spin attack may, depending on the game, receive a boost from an item as well as maintaining its own boost.

Spin Attack

File:Spin Attack Ocarina of Time.png

Link using the Spin Attack in Ocarina of Time

Main article: Spin Attack

The spin attack doubles Link's attack strength with whichever sword he is using. Since Twilight Princess was released it only deals 1,5 times more damage than a regular attack of Link's sword.

Jump Attack

File:Link Jump Attack.png

Link performing a Jump Attack in Ocarina of Time

Main article: Jump Attack

The jump attack has twice the damage with a sword as a normal attack. Since Twilight Princess was released it only deals 1,5 times more damage than a regular attack of Link's sword.

Piece of Power

File:LA - Piece of Power.gif

Main article: Piece of Power

A Piece of Power is an item that momentarily doubles Link's attack power. They are dropped by enemies every time Link defeats between 40 and 45 of them.

Red Clothes

File:RedLink(LA).gif

Main article: Red Clothes

The Red Clothes are a permanent clothing item for Link in Link's Awakening that doubles the power of all of his attacks. It is a permanent version of the Piece of Power, which its effects stack with with Red Clothes.

Magic Rings

File:Unappraised Ring.png

Main article: Magic Ring

Various Magic Rings in the Oracle series change the amount of damage Link's attacks have. Some rings lower it, some raise it. Usually in exchange for something else, such as lowering Link's defenses or damaging him with each attack. Certain rings increase the power of specific items such as bombs or the Boomerang.

Razor Seed

File:Razor Seed.png

Main article: Razor Seed

Razor Seeds are items that double Link's power until the end of the stage in Four Swords. Razor Seeds can be found by cutting grass, breaking pots, and slashing bushes.

Elixir Soup

File:Elixirsoupfull.png

Main article: Elixir Soup

The Elixir Soup is a drinkable bottle item in The Wind Waker with two helpings that doubles Link's overall attack power for as long as the effect is active. It is canceled once he takes damage.

Great Fairy Tears

File:Bottlefairytears.png

Main article: Great Fairy's Tears

The Great Fairy's Tears, Twilight Princess are identical in function in the Elixir Soup. They double Link's attack power until he is damaged.

Attack Modifiers Summary

Modifier	Effect	Game
		LOZ	AOL	ALTTP	LA	OOT	MM	OOX	FS	TWW	FSA	TMC	TP	PH	ST	SS
Spin Attack	Doubles attack strength of current sword
Jump Attack	Doubles attack strength of current sword
Piece of Power	Doubles attack power temporarily
Red Clothes	Doubles attack power permanently				*
Magic Rings	Increase or decrease attack power
Razor Seed	Doubles attack power until end of stage
Elixir Soup	Doubles attack power until Link receives damage
Great Fairy Tears	Doubles attack power until Link receives damage

Weapon Strength By Game

The Legend of Zelda

Weapon	Strength
Wooden SwordWooden Sword	1
White SwordWhite Sword	2
Magical SwordMagical Sword	4
ArrowArrow	2
Silver ArrowSilver Arrow	4
CandleCandle	1
BoomerangBoomerang	1
BombBomb	4
Magic RodMagic Rod	2
Book of Magic FireBook of Magic Fire	2

A Link to the Past

Determining the damage-dealing capacity of weapons in Template:ALTTP is somewhat more complex than in many other Zelda games, as the game has a relatively large number of exceptions and special cases where weapons deal differing amounts of damage or have special effects depending on the target. For the sake of legibility, only the most common amount of damage dealt by a weapon (when it deals damage) is listed in the table below. This table should therefore be taken as a general guideline rather than as true in every respect for every possible target. Especially notable exceptions, such as those concerning bosses, will be mentioned.

Despite the complexity of the damage system, a "high-HP enemy" strategy similar to that used with Majora's Mask can be used to determine weapon strengths, although most enemies in the game have at least one weapon that affects them in a less common way, so there is no enemy quite as convenient as the Dodongo in Majora's Mask. The Hinox interacts normally with nearly all weapons, the exception being that it is instantly killed by Link's bombs and unaffected by bombs thrown by enemies. This can be remedied by comparing bomb damage with damage from other weapons on another sturdy target, such as a Gibdo.

Some general notes:

• As far as the programming is concerned, "instant kill" technically means that a weapon simply always deals an amount of damage greater than the target's total health. Thus, in the game's code it can be seen that "instant kill" translates to different amounts of damage depending on the weapon and the target, even though the practical effect is the same.
• Certain enemies will take no damage from the Fighter's Sword or from Sword Beams, despite being vulnerable to more powerful swords. They can be damaged with a Spin Attack from the Fighter's Sword, however.
• Effects of a weapon other than damage itself (e.g. stun or freeze) will invariably occur without dealing damage. Weapons that can have non-damage effects will either have the effect or deal damage, depending on the target. They never do both on the same target.

Weapon	Strength
Fighter's SwordFighter's Sword	1
Master SwordMaster Sword	2
Tempered SwordTempered Sword	4
Golden SwordGolden Sword*	8
Sword Beam (any sword)Sword Beam (any sword)	1
Boomerang, Magical BoomerangBoomerang, Magical Boomerang	0.5
HookshotHookshot**
BombBomb	2
Magic HammerMagic Hammer	4
ArrowArrow	2
Silver ArrowSilver Arrow***
Fire RodFire Rod	4
Ice RodIce Rod	4
Bombos MedallionBombos Medallion***
Ether MedallionEther Medallion***
Quake MedallionQuake Medallion***
Cane of Somaria (block or projectile)Cane of Somaria (block or projectile)	1
Cane of Byrna force fieldCane of Byrna force field	1
BeeBee	1
LanternLantern****	1
Thrown bushThrown bush	1
Thrown rock/jar/skull/etc.Thrown rock/jar/skull/etc.	4

*Against most targets, a Spin Attack with the Golden Sword does no more damage than a regular attack with the Golden Sword.
**The Hookshot instantly kills any enemy that it doesn't stun and isn't immune to it altogether.
***These weapons instantly kill regular enemies, or sometimes freeze them in the case of the Ether Medallion or convert them to Slimes in the case of the Quake Medallion, and have no effect whatsoever on bosses. The only exceptions are found in Silver Arrows, which can instantly kill certain bosses (albeit ones that Link is likely to have already fought by the time the Silver Arrows become available) and can damage Ganon, and the Bombos Medallion being able to instantly thaw Kholdstare's initial "ice block" phase. Bosses are also unaffected by stun, freeze, or other non-damage effects, and with the exception of Mothula the Bee will not attack them.
****The Lantern only deals damage in the Game Boy Advance version of the game.

Link's Awakening

As with A Link to the Past, damage determination in Link's Awakening is complicated somewhat because not all enemies take the same amount of damage from a given weapon. (For example, Gibdos take significantly less damage from Arrows than many enemies do.) Thus, the listed values represent the most common damage output of the various weapons, relative to the starting sword. Good enemies to use to test weapons' strength are the Ghinis in the graveyard and any respawning minibosses, such as those in Turtle Rock.

Weapon	Strength
SwordSword	1
Level 2 SwordLevel 2 Sword*	2
ArrowArrow	4
BombBomb	4
HookshotHookshot	2
Magic RodMagic Rod**	4
BoomerangBoomerang***

*Sword Beams from this sword deal the same amount of damage as a direct hit.
**Certain enemies are killed in one hit from the Magic Rod even if they take multiple hits with other weapons.
***The Boomerang has highly irregular damage output, instantly killing most enemies (including the final phase of the final boss) while inflicting only 2 points of damage on others.

Ocarina of Time

Unlike in Majora's Mask, there is no enemy in Template:OOT that is universally affected by most weapons, has a low threat level, and that takes a lot of hits to defeat. Instead to determine the strength of various weapons, the amount of hits they each take to beat various enemies must be compared. The strengths of various swords and weapons found in Ocarina of Time, with the Kokiri Sword set at one, is as follows:

Weapon	Strength
Kokiri SwordKokiri Sword	1
Master SwordMaster Sword	2
Giant's KnifeGiant's Knife	4
Giant's Knife (Broken)Giant's Knife (Broken)	1
Biggoron's SwordBiggoron's Sword	4
ArrowArrow	2
Fire ArrowFire Arrow*	4
Ice ArrowIce Arrow*	4
Light ArrowLight Arrow	2
SlingshotSlingshot	1
BombBomb	2
BombchuBombchu	2
Din's FireDin's Fire	4
Megaton HammerMegaton Hammer	2
HookshotHookshot	2
BoomerangBoomerang	1
Deku StickDeku Stick	2

*Assuming the target freezes or burns. Enemies that are invulnerable to freezing or burning will only take as much damage as they would from a regular Arrow.

Majora's Mask

The strength of the swords of Majora's Mask may best be measured by the amount of normal strikes it takes to kill a full-sized Dodongo. This method can be used to find the strength of almost anything that can be used as a weapon in Majora's Mask. Here is a table of the weapons, the number of hits required, and the weapons' strengths with the Kokiri Sword's being set at one:

Weapon	Strength	Hits Required
Kokiri SwordKokiri Sword	1	12
Razor SwordRazor Sword	2	6
Gilded SwordGilded Sword	3	4
Great Fairy's SwordGreat Fairy's Sword	4	3
Fierce Deity SwordFierce Deity Sword	4	3
Energy DiskEnergy Disk	4	3
Fierce Deity Sword + Energy DiskFierce Deity Sword + Energy Disk	8	1.5*
Goron SpikeGoron Spikes**	1	12
Goron PoundGoron Pound	2	6
Goron PunchGoron Punch	3	4
Zora FinsZora Fins	1	12
Bubble BlastBubble Blast	2	6
BombBomb	2	6
BombchuBombchu	2	6
Powder KegPowder Keg	4	3***
Normal/Fire/Ice ArrowNormal/Fire/Ice Arrow****	2	6
Light ArrowLight Arrow	4	3
Deku StickDeku Stick	2	6

* Determining this value takes logic. If both the sword and the disk cause the same amount of damage, then both of them together will cause twice the damage, and contrary to what many people assume, it is possible to do this, although it is easier with bosses than it is with a Dodongo. This is because the sword was never intended to be used against normal enemies, so its ability to break through defenses was not fully programmed into all enemies.
** These are the spikes that Goron Link has when he is using magic while rolling.
*** Determining this value takes logic. First drop a Powder Keg on a Dodongo. It will then take eight hits with the Zora Fins to kill it. This means that the Powder Keg took off four hits worth, meaning that three Powder Kegs would have killed it.
****Unlike in Ocarina of Time, enemies frozen with the Ice Arrows in Majora's Mask take no damage, not even the damage they would take from a regular arrow. Enemies that cannot be frozen take a regular Arrow's worth of damage, as before.

Oracle Series

Unlike their counterparts in most Zelda games, the weapons in the Oracle Series have strengths that are integer multiples not of the strength of the starting sword but of the strength of the basic punch, an attack that Link can only use if he is wearing the Fist Ring. (A stronger version is available if Link wears the Expert's Ring.) Listed below are the strengths of the weapons of the Oracle Series relative to the strength of this punch. Ghini are a good choice of enemy to test the relative strengths of weapons on, as they have a large amount of health, are normally vulnerable to nearly all weapons, and can only deal damage through direct contact.

All weapons or weapon-like items not found in this table generally do not do damage (although they may stun enemies or have other effects), and in situations where they do harm enemies always kill them immediately. (E.g. the Switch Hook splits a Bari into two Biri, and can also kill the Biri, and nearly every weapon-like item can kill a Keese.) There is one exception in Mystery Seeds, to which a handful of foes are specifically weak, but in cases where these deal damage instead of, say, stunning them or making them vulnerable these are the only way to truly damage the target and hence they cannot be compared to other weapons.

Weapon	Strength
Wooden SwordWooden Sword	2
Noble SwordNoble Sword	3
Master SwordMaster Sword	5
Biggoron's SwordBiggoron's Sword	5
Sword Beam (any sword)Sword Beam (any sword)	2
Magic BoomerangMagic Boomerang*	2
BombBomb/Bombchu	4
SlingshotSlingshot/Hyper Slingshot/Seed Shooter**	2
Ember SeedEmber Seed***	2
Thrown rock/jar/mushroom/etc.Thrown rock/jar/mushroom/etc.	2
Punch (Fist Ring)Punch (with the Fist Ring)	1
Punch (Expert Ring)Punch (with the Expert's Ring)	4
Ricky's punchRicky's punch/wind attack	4
Moosh's ground poundMoosh's ground pound	4

*In cases where it damages enemies. Most enemies do not take damage from this weapon but are merely stunned, and in some cases not even that. However, unlike the Boomerang of most Zelda titles, this instance of the Magic Boomerang is capable of dealing damage and stunning at the same time; many enemies it damages are also stunned by it.
**Assuming the seed fired is a Scent Seed. Ember Seeds have the same effect when fired at an enemy that they do when used directly on an enemy, and the other seeds have non-damaging effects.
***Most commonly. A large number of enemies are immune to Ember Seeds' fire, and a number of others take greater amounts of damage from it or are instantly killed by it.

The Wind Waker

There are a large variety of items that may be used as weapons in The Wind Waker. It has more items that Link can pick up and use as weapons. Pigs and Moblins are good ways to test the strength of various weapons as they both take many hits, are not particularly dangerous, and are affected by nearly every weapon. Unlike the other games, The Wind Waker includes a feature to see an enemy's remaining life energy, through the use of the Hero's Charm. This can be used to aid in the judgement of the relative strengths. The Wind Waker's' weapons also have the unique property of damaging anyone it hits, no matter who that is or who is wielding it, whether that is Link or an enemy. The strengths of the various weapons, relative to the Hero's Sword, are as follows:

Weapon	Strength
Hero's SwordHero's Sword	1
Master SwordMaster Sword	2
Boko StickBoko Stick	1
MacheteMachete	2
Moblin SpearMoblin Spear	4
Darknut SwordDarknut Sword	4
Phantom Ganon's SwordPhantom Ganon's Sword	4
Stalfos ClubStalfos Club	4
Tingle BombTingle Bomb	2
BombBomb	4
ArrowArrow	2
Fire ArrowFire Arrow	4
Ice ArrowIce Arrow	4
Light ArrowLight Arrow *	5
Grappling HookGrappling Hook	1
Skull HammerSkull Hammer	4
HookshotHookshot	1
Boko NutBoko Nut	2
StoolStool	2
JarJar	2
JarBarrel	2
RockRock	2

* The Light Arrow has no fixed amount of damage. It simply destroys normal foes, is the only way to damage Puppet Ganon, and merely stuns Ganondorf in his Gerudo form.

Phantom Hourglass

Weapon	Strength
Oshus's SwordOshus's Sword	1
Phantom SwordPhantom Sword	1
BombBomb	3
BombchuBombchu	3
ArrowArrow	2
HammerHammer*	4
Grapplng HookGrappling Hook	1
JarJar	1
RockRock	1

*Powering up a strike with the Hammer doubles the damage dealt.

Spirit Tracks

Weapon	Strength
Recruit's SwordRecruit's Sword	1
Lokomo SwordLokomo Sword	2
BombBomb	4
ArrowArrow	2
Light ArrowLight Arrow	4
WhipWhip	0.5
Enemy ItemsEnemy Items	1
JarJar	1
RockRock	1

Skyward Sword

In Skyward Sword, as in Majora's Mask, one can determine the relative strengths of the various weapons in the game by testing them on an enemy that is affected normally by them and takes a large amount of damage to kill. In this case, the ideal enemy is a Moblin, whether of the wooden shield or metal shield variety. (The latter can take approximately twice as much damage before dying, but is significantly rarer, is found in less easily accessible areas, and cannot be encountered until after Link has the Goddess Longsword. Nor is it really necessary, as even the strongest weapons require several hits to kill a wooden shield Moblin.) The "hits required" column in this table is based on the wooden shield variety. Unfortunately, this cannot be done with the Practice Sword, as Link only has this sword in the introductory phase of the game before he first descends to The Surface, and the only enemies shared between there and Skyloft are regular Keese, which take two hits with the Practice Sword and one with all other weapons, and Green Chuchus, which do not have hit points in the conventional sense but must be split down to a minimum size after which any sword kills them. However, since Keese take two hits with the Practice Sword, the simplest assumption is that the Goddess Sword, the second weakest sword in the game, is twice as powerful.

All weapons or weapon-like items not found in this table generally do not do damage (although they may stun enemies, blow them around, or have other effects), and in situations where they do harm enemies, they always kill them immediately. (E.g. the Beetle instantly kills both Deku Babas and Quadro Babas if it strikes their stems, and nearly every weapon-like item can kill a Keese in one hit.)

Weapon	Strength	Hits Required
Practice SwordPractice Sword*	0.5	~50
Goddess SwordGoddess Sword**	1	25
Goddess LongswordGoddess Longsword**	2	13
Goddess White SwordGoddess White Sword**	2	13
Master SwordMaster Sword**	4	7
True Master SwordTrue Master Sword**	4	7
BombBomb	8	4
BowBow***	4	7
Iron BowIron Bow***	6	5
Sacred BowSacred Bow***	8	4
JarJar****	0.5	~50
BarrelBarrel****	1	25

*Inferred, since as noted above, although Link cannot have the Practice Sword when he first encounters Moblins, the Goddess Sword kills Keese in one hit while the Practice Sword takes two, so the Practice Sword is most likely half as powerful.
**In normal play, for each sword capable of performing it, a Skyward Strike has the same power as that sword. In Hero Mode, the Skyward Strike starts out with its final, True Master Sword level of power.
***Power of an uncharged shot. Fully charging a shot with any version of the Bow multiplies its power by 1.5. For example, a non-charged shot with the Sacred Bow does sixteen times as much damage as the Practice Sword or twice as much damage as the Master Sword, while a charged shot does 24 times as much damage as the Practice Sword or three times as much damage as the Master Sword.
****In practice there is no location with enough of these objects around to kill a Moblin with them, but their damage-dealing capacity can be inferred by using them against weaker enemies.

A Link Between Worlds

As A Link Between Worlds is heavily inspired by Template:ALTTP, it has a similar set of damage-dealing items and a similar set of enemies on which they can be tested to determine their relative power. Although many of these weapons have the same relative power that they do in A Link to the Past, some do not. For instance, the two upgrades to the Master Sword increase its strength arithmetically rather than geometrically.

Weapon	Strength
Forgotten SwordForgotten Sword	1
Master SwordMaster Sword*	2
Master Sword Lv2Master Sword Lv2*	3
Master Sword Lv3Master Sword Lv3*	4
Boomerang, Nice BoomerangBoomerang	1
Nice HookshotHookshot	1
BombBomb	3
Nice Bomb Nice Bomb	6
Giant Bomb FlowerGiant Bomb Flower	8
HammerHammer	3
Nice Hammer Nice Hammer	6
ArrowArrow, Nice Arrow	2
Fire RodFire Rod**	1
Nice Fire Rod Nice Fire Rod**	2
Ice Rod, Nice Ice RodIce Rod, Nice Ice Rod	1
Nice Tornado Rod Nice Tornado Rod	1
Lamp Lamp	0.5
Super Lamp Super Lamp	4
Net Net	0.5
Super Net Super Net	4
Thrown bushThrown bush	1
Thrown rock/jar/skull/etc.Thrown rock/jar/skull/etc.	4
Thrown large boulderThrown large boulder***	3
BeeBee	0.25
Golden BeeGolden Bee	0.75
Purple PotionPurple Potion	16

*For each sword that can create Sword Beams, the power of the beam is half that of a direct hit from the sword. For example, the beam from the Master Sword Lv2 is 1.5 times as powerful as a strike from the Forgotten Sword.
**The Fire Rod deals a "hit" of damage to an enemy at regular, short intervals during the period of contact with the flame. This table shows the strength of that hit. Thus, for instance, if an enemy is caught in the Nice Fire Rod's flame long enough to be hit three times, it will take six Forgotten Sword strikes worth of damage.
***Counterintuitive though it may appear, the large boulders do indeed deal less damage than smaller rocks when thrown.

References

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