Summary
One of the most important items found inThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomcan also feel like something of a scam when it is finally obtained.TOTKfeatures a range of cool weapons, armor, and various other items for Link to find, all of which can be obtained at varying levels of difficulty throughout the game. However, in the end, one of the most prominent items found in any playthrough hardly seems worth the effort that has been put into it.
Considering thesize ofTOTK’s map, it comes as little surprise that the story it tells is equally expansive. Although Link can skip portions of the game, arguably the best way to experienceTOTKis to explore it in its entirety and see all that the title has to offer. Naturally, the main story and its associated quests do offer some of the largest challenges in the game, but completing these also typically offers the biggest rewards, such as the various Sage Summons. However, what should arguably be the greatest achievement and reward of all seems distinctly underwhelming in practice.
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TOTK’s Master Sword Should Be A Far Stronger Weapon
30 Base Damage
When Link finds theMaster Swordonce more inTOTK, it is a bittersweet moment. While the hero’s iconic weapon has been restored, this has only been achieved at great personal cost for Zelda. The missing princess has sacrificed her sense of self to become the Light Dragon, a process that seems irreversible no less, in order to ensure that Link is ready for the final battle against Ganondorf. But despitePrincess Zelda’s tragic fate, and even the Blade of Evil’s Bane’s own divine origins,TOTK’s Master Sword is actually far less impressive than one might expect.
The road to regaining the Master Sword is fairly extensive. It begins with saving the Great Deku Tree from Phantom Ganon, and ends with astamina-draining struggle to draw the Master Swordfrom the Light Dragon’s head. But as an actual weapon in combat, the Master Sword can seem underwhelming after so much effort with a base attack power of 30. While this does make it one ofTOTK’s strongest weapons, the simple truth is thatthe Master Sword is not the strongest weapon in the game, with a notable number of other options dealing more damage at a minimum.
Just like any other weapon inTears of the Kingdom, Fuse can be used to attach other items to the Master Sword, boosting its damage until its durability is drained, after which it must recharge and a new item can be attached.
Most of the weapons stronger than the Master Sword are two-handed, such as theRoyal Claymore✨(34 attack) andBoulder Breaker(38 attack). There are some exceptions to this in the Gloom Weapons dropped by Phantom Ganons, specifically theGloom SpearandGloom Club, although the strongest weapon of all inTOTKis again two-handed: theGloom Club, with an immense 50 attack power. Although they do have their drawbacks, both infecting Link with Gloom and being relatively fragile,it does still seem unfair for Gloom Weapons and other weapons to outclass the Master Sword.
The Master Sword’s Potential Is Limited In A Way That Ignores Its Lore
The Blade Was Forged By The Goddess Hylia
From a lore perspective, even having shattered in the opening ofTears of the Kingdom,the Master Sword should be incredibly powerful by the time Link regains itfrom the Light Dragon. As the Goddess Sword, it was originally created by Hylia herself before being given to Link. Moreover, it has spent thousands of years absorbing the magic of the Light Dragon in order to be repaired; logically, it would make sense for the sword to be empowered by this process, but instead it has the same base damage it did inBreath of the Wild.
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On the other hand, it should be noted thatthe Master Sword does have a conditional boost to its power when in the presence of certain enemies. Although it deals 30 damage against normal monsters, facing those infused with Gloom multiplies its damage by 1.5 (for a base attack power of 45) and even extends its durability. Battling Ganondorf himself further empowers the sword to deal a massive 60 damage and it has unlimited durability. In these specific circumstances, the Master Sword is rightfully the strongest weapon inTOTK, but it is nevertheless frustrating that it isn’t consistently so.
CompletingBreath of the Wild’s Trial of the Sword effectively solved this same issue by empowering the Master Sword to its maximum at all times, makingTOTK’s own lack of similar DLC all the more frustrating for many.
Between the Master Sword’s journey inTOTKand its history in theZeldafranchise as a whole, it should be the most powerful weapon in the game bar none. In reality, however, this is only true in very specific circumstances, namely when facing Ganondorf in battle. Otherwise,Tears of the Kingdomalways has at least one other weapon that is even stronger than it. Although this does encourage the player to experiment with and use different weapons even after obtaining the Master Sword, it is still disappointing for its potential to be locked away for so much of the game.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the anticipated follow-up to Breath of the Wild, released in 2017. A rare occurrence in Zelda titles, Tears of the Kingdom is a direct sequel instead of loosely connected. In Tears of the Kingdom, Link will take to the skies and learn about a mysterious kingdom in the clouds.
