With over three decades worth of game🍃s and ninete♛en mainline entries, The Legend of Zelda is not hurti♍ng for variety. This is a franchise where “pl𓄧aying it safe” can be considered boring and derivative by fans. The Legend of Zelda has a foundation it follows, but it almost always tries to experiment. In the early days, this mainly meant experimenting with the different items L🌜ink would acquire on his adventures.
While games after Ocarina of Time started featuring repeating item sets, most entries always make sure to include at least one unique item. It heꦉlps givඣe certain games a specific flavor, but every time an item returns is an opportunity for the series to flesh out what Link can accomplish mechanically. Unfortunately, that can’t happen if Nintendo won’t bring items back.
10 Stepladder
Introduced in the first game, the Stepladder could help Link traverse across Hyrule. It had a very spec💞ific purpose that could have easily been filled by the Raft and it naturally did not return for Zelda II (unlike the Raft which did.) Now that Breath of the Wild’s incorporated climbing as an important part of the series, though, the Stepladder would be a nat🧜ural fit.
Especially when taking into consideration how Death Stranding used ladders as a part of its open world. It would be foolish of Nintendo not to follow Kojima’s lead. The Stepladder could be especially useful d🔴uring rainy weather, giving players an alternative to waiting patiently cliffside.
9 Powder Keg
Introduced in Majora’s Mask, the Powder K🐽eg is a Termina exclusive bomb that c🍃an obliterate just about anything and everything in its past. It’s so🅘 powerful, it can turn an entire boulder to dust. It’s🐟 so powerful, it can blast the ceiling of an ancient castle, beaming light down where it doesn’t belong. It’s a bombastic weapon in every way imaginable.
And it hasn’t returned. Now that makes sense, it’s a very situation🎉al item, but that hasn’t stopped the Bombchus from returning. The Powder Keg is a fun weapon and could actually see a lot of fantastic use in a game as mechanicallyꦑ creative as Breath of the Wild.
8 Ether Medallion
Styling itself rather heavily off of A Link to the Past, it’s no surprise Four Swords Adventures brings back mult❀iple items that haven’t reappeared in other games. ꦰOf note, two of A Link to the Past’s three Medallions end up returning in Four Swords Adventures, Bombos, and Quake, with thཧe Ether Medallion noticeably absen🐲t.
The Ether Medallion is mainly used for get♈ting into Misery Mire, but it can also damage and freeze enemies. That said, the Bombos Medalli😼on fills that purpose well enough and A Link to the Past arguably didn’t need🦩 three Medallions In the first place. Either way, it would be nice to see the Ether Medallion reimagined in a 3D space.
7 Spinner
The Spinner is quite possibly the single cooles𓃲t itღem in Twilight Princess, and it’s home to the Double Clawshots. With enough momentum, Link can use the Spinner to maneuver himself around while attacking enemies. It can even be used as a puzzle-solving tool, allowing Link to grind on rails and off🔥 of walls.
Like most items in Twilight Princess, the Spinner doesn’t see a lot of use after the dungeon Link gets it in is over, but it’s one of the more fun items in the game so players will naturally try to use ⛄it even when it’s not exactly useful. To its credit, it works well and is a fun alternative to just fighting with the sword.
6 Magic Mirror
A Link to the Past’s Magic Mirror allows Link to travel between the Dark and the Light world by creating portals on the overworld. Getting around to plot-sensitive areas mainly revolves around using portals built into the overworld, but the Magic Mirror can be used to ge🌠t Pieces of Heart and explore, which is always useful.
Unfortunately, the nature of A Link to the Past ♛means that the Magic Mirror isn’t super useful in the grand scheme of things. Another opportunity to play around with the Magic Mirror could give it more puzzle-solving depth. To its credit, A Link Between Worlds functionally us🧜ed its wall merging as a “Magic Mirror” of sorts, allowing players to explore the overworld in a new way.
5 Ball And Chain
Another Twilight Princess exclusive item, the Ball and Chain is obtained inside the Snowpeak Ruins and allows Link to smash certain barriers after whirling the B⛦all and Chain up. Although slow, it can also be used as a powerful weapon in combat. With a bit more speed, it could easily fit into the game’s natural gameplay loop.
The Ball and Cha𓂃in returning would give the series a chance t💝o not only speed it up, but give it greater combat depth. With Breath of the Wild adding different weapon types into the se🔥ries while giving Link “combos,” so to speak, the Ball and Chain could o🍨nly benefit from returning.
4 Bunny Hood
Although the Bunny Hood 𓄧technically appears in two games𒈔 (Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask,) it only has its unique properties in the latter. In the former, it’s just a mask🎀 whereas it boosts Link’s speed significantly in Majora’s Mask. The Bunny Hood i🅘s such a game-changer, pꦏlaying without it almost seems wrong.
Breath of the Wild plays around🐻 with increasing Link’s speed with certain pieces of equipment, but nothing on the same leve🐷l as the Bunny Hood. Imagine Link quickly, but gently hopping across Hyrule Field in Breath of the Wild. It’s like it was meant to be. It won’t🌟 happen, but here’s hoping BotW 2 brings it back.
3 Great Fairy’s Sword
Another Majora’s Mask exclusive item, the Great Fairy’s Sword is the only sword in the game th🗹at is not a piece of equipment. Rather, Link uses it how he would the Bow & Arrow or Hookshot. Interestingly, ﷽this does also mean Link will technically be equipped with two swords at once if he’s using the Great Fairy’s Sword in Majora’s Mask.
The Great Fairy’s Sword is basi🅰cally just the Biggoron Sword, but it’s been a while since The Legend of Zelda featured a prominent two-hander. Breath of the Wild has some Claymores and DLC swo🦄rds, but it’s just not quite the same.
2 Tingle Tuner
Let’s face it, the world needs more Tingle and he’s been way too quiet for too long at this point. He’s one of the single strangest characters in the franchise and the💧 Tingle Tuner gives players an opportunity to engage with Tingle in The Wind Waker on just about everythi👍ng. Through the Tingle Tuner, he can sell the player item൩s, offer support, and generally just comment on what’s going on.
Tingle actually has a lot of unique details, and depending on where players use the Tuner, Tin🥂gle will actually offer info with lore implications. With the Tuner’s removal in The Wind Waker HD, it’s safe to say anything reveale🐻d through the Ti𝐆ngle Tuner is subsequently non-canon. A pity.
1 Hero’s Charm
As The Legend of Zelda embraces more overt RPG elements in its post-Breath of the Wild world (presumably, at least,) an item like the Hero’s Charm only makes sense. Being able to see an enemy’s health bar can help alleviate some stress from the player. At the𒊎 same time, locking this feature behind an item keeps the UI inherently clean.
Plus, it’s just a neat item. It’s one of the most unique looking pieces of gear in Link’s toolkit, and that it’s actually cosmetic is a nice touch, especially. Interestingly, 🍸between the He🏅ro’s Charm and the Hawkeye in Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword is so far the only 3D Zelda where Link can’t wear a mask.