Tools & Utility Items

Beyond your weapons and armor, several essential tools and utility items in Breath of the Wild will significantly enhance your exploration, combat, and resource gathering. Mastering their use is key to surviving and thriving in Hyrule.

Sheikah Slate Runes

The Sheikah Slate is your most powerful tool, granting access to invaluable runes. You'll acquire these early in the game on the Great Plateau.

Magnesis: Obtained from the Oman Au Shrine (Magnesis Trial). This rune allows you to manipulate metallic objects, lifting them, moving them, and even using them as weapons or platforms.
- Strategy: Use Magnesis to solve puzzles, create bridges, retrieve sunken treasure chests, and even disarm enemies by snatching their metallic weapons. It's also excellent for finding hidden Korok seeds by moving metal blocks into place.
Remote Bombs (Square & Spherical): Acquired from the Ja Baij Shrine (Bomb Trial). These explosives can be detonated remotely, making them versatile for combat and environmental interaction.
- Strategy: Remote Bombs are perfect for destroying cracked rocks to reveal caves, ore deposits, or hidden pathways. In combat, roll spherical bombs down hills or throw square bombs at enemies for an initial burst of damage. They also serve as a reliable way to fell trees for wood.
Cryonis: Unlocked at the Keh Namut Shrine (Cryonis Trial). This rune creates pillars of ice on water surfaces.
- Strategy: Cryonis is your primary tool for crossing bodies of water, reaching high ledges over water, or blocking enemy attacks. You can create multiple pillars to form a bridge or stack them to reach higher areas. It's also useful for raising sunken treasure chests from watery depths.
Stasis: Gained from the Owa Daim Shrine (Stasis Trial). This rune temporarily freezes objects and enemies in time, allowing you to build up kinetic energy by hitting them, sending them flying when time resumes.
- Strategy: Use Stasis on large boulders to clear paths, or on objects to launch them across gaps. In combat, freeze powerful enemies to get in free hits or to create distance. Upgrading Stasis+ at the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab allows you to freeze enemies, making it even more potent.
Camera: Obtained during the "Locked Mementos" main quest, specifically when Purah activates it at the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab.
- Strategy: The Camera allows you to take pictures of creatures, monsters, materials, and equipment. These photos are added to your Hyrule Compendium, which can then be used to track specific items using the Sheikah Sensor+. This is invaluable for farming rare materials or finding specific enemies.
Sheikah Sensor+: An upgrade for the Sheikah Sensor, acquired from Purah at the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab after completing the "Locked Mementos" quest and taking a picture of a Guardian.
- Strategy: This upgraded sensor allows you to set it to detect anything you've photographed and added to your Hyrule Compendium. Want to find more specific ore deposits? Set the sensor to "Rare Ore." Need more specific monster parts? Set it to the monster you're hunting. It chirps faster as you get closer to your target.

Essential Utility Items

Paraglider: A crucial item received from the Old Man (King Rhoam) on the Great Plateau after completing the first four shrines and speaking with him at the Temple of Time.
- Strategy: The Paraglider allows you to safely descend from high places, traverse large distances quickly, and escape dangerous situations. Always keep an eye on your stamina wheel when gliding, as running out mid-air will result in a fall. Combine with updrafts from fires or Revali's Gale for extended flight.
Torch: A simple yet effective tool for lighting dark areas and igniting fires. Commonly found in early game areas like the Great Plateau or enemy camps.
- Strategy: Use a Torch to navigate dark caves and shrines. It can also be used to light campfires, which are essential for cooking, passing time, and creating updrafts. Holding a Torch in cold environments will provide a small amount of warmth, delaying the effects of cold damage.
Woodcutter's Axe: A durable tool for felling trees and breaking crates. Often found in villages, stables, or dropped by certain enemies.
- Strategy: While Remote Bombs can fell trees, an Axe is more precise and doesn't consume rune energy. Use it to gather wood for campfires, build rafts, or clear paths. It can also be used as a low-damage weapon in a pinch.
Hammer/Sledgehammer: Excellent for breaking ore deposits and large rock formations. Found in mining areas, stables, and sometimes dropped by enemies.
- Strategy: Always carry a Hammer when exploring mountainous regions or caves. It's far more efficient than bombs for breaking ore deposits, yielding more materials. The Sledgehammer, in particular, has high durability for this purpose.
Fishing Rod (Implied): While there isn't a dedicated "fishing rod" item, you can effectively fish using various methods.
- Strategy: Use Remote Bombs near schools of fish to stun them, making them easy to collect. Alternatively, shoot fish with arrows, or simply swim up to them quietly and grab them. Shock Arrows are particularly effective for stunning multiple fish at once.