Ultimate Weapons

Ultimate Weapons are weapons, or in some cases abilities or items, that are high-powered and excessively damaging or that give very unique and powerful abilities. Usually these are acquired very late in the games and are sometimes, but not always, required to defeat the final boss. This is also known as an Eleventh Hour Superpower, meaning a late-game superweapon. Ultimate Weapons have existed since the inception of The Legend of Zelda series. They can be considered to be a bit unbalancing had they been obtainable earlier in the game.

Weapons
Link can obtain various weapons which have incredible power and strength.

Silver Arrow
The Silver Arrow is an exceedingly powerful weapon found in and. They can defeat most enemies in a single hit. They are essential to defeating Ganon.

The limitation is that they can only be obtained very late in each game.

Thunder Spell
In, the ultimate spell Link learns is the Thunder Spell in Old Kasuto. This ability allows him to eliminate every enemy on screen, and it's vital to show Thunderbird's weak point.

The limitation is that it drains a lot of magic (even with maximum level in Magic, Link would need half of his entire magic meter in order to use the spell).

Golden Sword
The Golden Sword is the most powerful sword in and, fully four times stronger than the Master Sword. It has the ability to break jars and skulls. It is obtained very late in the game at the same time as the Silver Arrows in the Pyramid of Power.

Boomerang
The Boomerang in has incredible power. A single blow from the Boomerang can defeat DethI. It can be obtained by trading an item at Toronbo Shores.

The limitation is that Link must be willing to part with another one of his items in order to trade for the Boomerang.

It is sometimes referred to by fans as the to differentiate it from the regular, far weaker Boomerang featured in other games.

Bow of Light and Light Arrows
Light Arrows are essentially the successors to Silver Arrows. They appear in, Majora's Mask, The Wind Waker, The Minish Cap, Twilight Princess, Spirit Tracks, and. They also can defeat nearly any enemy in very few hits, and in some games with only one. They are often required to defeat the respective game's final boss, save for Majora's Mask and The Minish Cap. From The Wind Waker on, Princess Zelda wields the Light Arrows in the final battle as Link protects her or distracts the boss.

The limitation is that they cannot kill bosses instantly.

Great Fairy's Sword
The reward Link receives after retrieving all fifteen Stray Fairies from Stone Tower Temple, the next-to-last dungeon in the game, and taking them back to the Fairy Fountain located left from the main entrance to the Ancient Castle of Ikana, is the Great Fairy's Sword. This blade of darkened colors is twice as powerful as the Gilded Sword, which itself is twice as powerful as the Kokiri Sword.

The limitation is that the shield cannot be used while the sword is, since it's double-handed (and a C-item, instead of an Equipment item).

Phantom Sword
The Phantom Sword is one of the main objectives in the second half of Phantom Hourglass. In grants Link the ability to harm Phantoms and is twice as powerful as the starting sword.

Lokomo Sword
The  Lokomo Sword is simply given to Link near the end of Spirit Tracks. It grants Link the ability to control Phantoms without having to collect Tears of Light.

True Master Sword
Upon its very last upgrade in SS undefined, the sword is capable of faster-charged Skyward Strikes, while retaining all of the benefits of the previous upgrades (dealing four times as much damage as the original Goddess Sword, up to eight dowsing spaces, and longer-ranged Skyward Strikes). In Hero Mode, the faster-charged Skyward Strike is retained, so when the sword is fully upgraded again, the charge is near-instantaneous.

Sacred Bow
When the Bow is fully upgraded into the Sacred Bow, it becomes far more powerful, being able to defeat most enemies in one hit (in comparison to the True Master Sword which usually takes two hits).

Ability Items
There are various items that grant Link superhuman abilities beyond what he would normally be capable of.

Magical Key
In and, Link finds a gold-colored key that allows him to open an infinite amount of doors, therefore making Small Keys completely useless.

Though it has no limitations, its use loses relevance in The Adventure of Link due to the possibility of using the Fairy Spell to walk through the locks of the closed doors (which also makes use of the Small Keys useless).

Golden Gauntlets
In, the Golden Gauntlets are a superior version of the Goron Bracelet and Silver Gauntlets that allow Link to lift unprecedentedly huge boulders (at least three times as tall as those found in Spirit Temple). They're found inside Ganon's Tower, near the end of the Shadow Barrier's territory.

The limitation is, naturally, that it's not usable against enemies.

Chateau Romani
Chateau Romani, found in Majora's Mask is a vintage milk which gives Link unlimited magic power for the remainder of the three-day cycle. Supplimenting his power with any magic based weapon, such as the Fierce Deity's Mask.

The limitation is that the effect of the milk wanes entirely after Link returns to the First Day.

Giant's Mask
The Giant's Mask, found in Majora's Mask, is a unique mask that, as the name implies, makes Link grow into a giant. Allowing him to more easily attack the massive Twinmold.

The limitation is that it may only be used in the room where Twinmold resides.

Fierce Deity's Mask
The Fierce Deity's Mask, found in Majora's Mask, is an extremely powerful mask that gives Link near god-like abilities, especially with the addition of a bottle of Chateau Romani. Including a powerful sword as well as magical sword beams that can harm foes that are in states which they would not normally be vulnerable to harm. With it, Link can make short work of Majora's Mask.

The limitation is that, without glitches, the mask only works in boss battles.

Phantom Sphere
Phantom Spheres are sacred orbs in Phantom Hourglass which are produced by Ciela during the final boss battle. They allow Link gain the impressive ability to temporarily freeze time. This is essential to defeating Bellum.

The limitation is that it is only obtainable in the final boss battles and it takes Ciela some time to charge up another one.

Invincibility Items
Throughout the series there are several items that give Link invincibility for a period of time, typically at the expense of magic power.

Magic Cape
The Magic Cape makes Link invisible and invincible for as long as he has magic to power it. While he wears it he cannot be harmed by foes or dangers, other than falling in a hole, and he can pass through many obstacles unharmed such as Floor Spikes.

The limitation is that it is a very expensive item to use, only lasting eight seconds with a full magic meter, sixteen seconds with an enhanced magic meter.

Cane of Byrna
The Cane of Byrna grants Link invincibility and also damages any foe that touches its barrier.

It is limited by the amount of magic that Link has. For a normal, full magic meter it lasts twelve seconds, or twenty-four seconds for an enhanced magic meter.

Nayru's Love
Nayru's Love is a magic item that grants Link invincibility for a brief period of time. It is obtained very late in the game in the Desert Colossus.

The limitation is that it uses twice the amount of magic as the other two spells and it makes using other magical items more difficult.

Magic Armor
Magic Armor is an item in The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess. Both versions provide Link with near-total invincibility. The version in The Wind Waker can be used while sailing.

The limitations are: The Wind Waker version only lasts as long as Link has Magic Power. The Twilight Princess version only lasts as long as Link's supply of Rupees isn't exhausted, and more powerful attacks cost more Rupees to defend against.

Tears of Light
Tears of Light found in the Dark Realm in Spirit Tracks, allow the Spirit Train to gain invulnerability and the ability to destroy any other enemy train it runs into as well as get a speed boost by blowing the whistle.

Major Defense Upgrades
The following is a list of tools and abilities that provide the maximum possible defense for Link.

Red Mail
In A Link to the Past, the Red Mail is the strongest tunic in the game, and allows Link to mitigate half of inflicted damage by enemy attacks. It's available at Ganon's Tower.

Enhanced Defense
In Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, it's possible to increase Link's physical defenses. This is done by, respectively, visiting the Great Fairy living near Ganon's Tower and helping the Great Fairy from Zora Cape recover her former self. With this defense, Link only takes half of the original damage he would take from an enemy attack. In Phantom Hourglass, a similar ability is granted after getting all 20 Wisdom Gems.

Golden Ship and Golden Train
In Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks, respectively, Link can upgrade the S.S. Linebeck and the Spirit Train by using exclusively golden parts. Normally, when either vehicle is equipped with all the parts of a kind, the maximum resistance meter is seven hearts long, but the golden parts allow a meter as long as eight hearts.

Hylian Shield
In SS undefined and A Link Between Worlds, the Hylian Shield is the most powerful shield, as it can resist all types of attacks and is unbreakable, unlike the other shields found in the game. In A Link Between Worlds it is capable of stopping almost any attack and reflecting or blocking most magic attacks,

The limitation is that, unlike the Sacred Shield, it doesn't provoke aversion towards the Cursed Bokoblins.