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[[File:ALBW Bomb.png|20x20px]] [[|]] Bombs are recurring items in Template:LZS, debuting in The Legend of Zelda and appearing in every game since, excluding The Adventure of Link. People like Cannon and Barnes consider Bomb-making an art and sell the explosives at their Bomb Shops. Bombs are usually obtained early in each game, and they are commonly carried in Bomb Bags. Since their first appearance, they have kept a consistent design until Twilight Princess, in which they were given a more realistic appearance.

Location

Bomb sprite from Majora's Mask 3D

Bombs are often available in the quest if Link happens upon them. Like most items in the series that come in quantities, they can often be found in pots, bushes, Bomb Shops, and on defeated enemies. In Link's Awakening, Link can only buy Bombs from the Town Tool Shop in Mabe Village after having bought the Shovel. To receive Bombs in Oracle of Ages, Link must first give Queen Ambi Mystery Seeds, for which she will award him with Bombs.[1] In most 3D Zelda games and The Minish Cap, Link is required to own a Bomb Bag before he can even use Bombs. In Breath of the Wild, he instead needs the Bomb Rune for the Sheikah Slate before he can use Bombs.

Uses

Main Functions

Bomb sprite from A Link Between Worlds
Link about to roll a Bomb in Skyward Sword

Bombs are used to create explosions. Only seconds after they are set, they will flash red and then explode in a puff of smoke and fire. Bombs can be used in a variety of ways, such as for blowing up rocks or walls, defeating Dodongos and other enemies, and solving puzzles. In some games, Link can find out which walls can be bombed by hitting or tapping them with his sword. Since A Link to the Past, Link can pick up, carry, and throw Bombs. In Skyward Sword, Link can also throw bombs like bowling balls via an underarm swing of the Wii Remote, with even being capable of giving the bomb a spin. The Template:It can also pick up and fly with a Bomb to a new location, adding depth to the Bomb's usage. The number of Bombs Link can set varies from title to title. Though very useful, they have a double-edged sword quality, as they can harm Link if he is caught in the explosion,[2] except in The Legend of Zelda and Link's Awakening. Given these functions, the Bomb is one of the most essential items in the series.

When Link wears certain Magic Rings in the Template:OoX, they affect the function of Bombs.

  • Blast Ring – Bombs cause 25% more damage
  • Bomber's Ring – Allows Link to set two Bombs consecutively
  • Bombproof Ring – Link becomes invulnerable to his Bombs' blasts
  • Peace Ring – Bombs will not explode as Link holds them

Quantity

The quantity of Link's Bombs is limited, except in Four Swords, Four Swords Adventures, A Link Between Worlds and Breath of the Wild. Link can increase these limits depending on his actions. In The Legend of Zelda, an Old Man in the Lizard and Demon Labyrinths (in the Snake and Lion Labyrinths in the Second Quest), will increase the number of Bombs Link can carry at the cost of 100 Rupees.[3] If Link tosses 100 Rupees into the Pond of Happiness in A Link to the Past, Venus will increase the carrying capacity of his Bombs if he so chooses. He may continue giving Rupees to reach a maximum of 50 Bombs. Mad Batter in Link's Awakening will give Link more Bombs if he sprinkles Magic Powder on an underground alter and awakens the creature. There are always ways to increase a Bomb Bag's capacity by finding larger Bomb Bags through mini-games or Great Fairies.

Variations

Super Bomb

The Super Bomb is a red, larger version of the Bomb. Its only appearance is in A Link to the Past. It can only be obtained from the Dark World's Bomb Shop, but it doesn't become available until after clearing both the Ice Palace and Misery Mire. It is priced at 100 Rupees.[4] The Super Bomb cannot be placed in Link's inventory, he has to drag it behind him until he needs to use it. It cannot be taken over cliff edges, and Link cannot run with it, but its explosion cannot harm Link. After Link sets the Bomb, a three-second countdown will appear, after which the Bomb will create a large explosion. The Super Bomb is required to break through the cracked wall on the second level of the Pyramid of Power, where the Fat Fairy resides.

Bomb Flower

Main article: Bomb Flower

Bomb Flowers, which debuted in Ocarina of Time, are a special plant that are set to explode when plucked, and will regrow soon after detonating. They are necessary when Link does not have his own Bombs.[5] A Bomb Flower can be lighted without being plucked if hit with an Arrow, touched with a burning Deku Stick, or if hit by a nearby explosion. In Ocarina of Time, they are too heavy for Young Link to lift without aid of the Goron Bracelets.[6]

Bombchu

Main article: Bombchu

Bombchu are special Bombs that resemble Real Bombchu. Link requires a Bomb Bag to carry them, but in Phantom Hourglass, he must have a separate Bombchu Bag. In their appearances in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, these Bombs, when set, will go forward on their own, even crawling up walls and ceilings if they encounter one. The Bombchu will continue to run until it collides with an object that cannot be climbed or an enemy or until its fuse runs out and it explodes on its own.[7] In the Oracle Series, Bombchu home in on nearby enemies and blow up. In Phantom Hourglass, a Bombchu can be controlled manually by creating a set path for them.[8]

Blast Mask

Blastmask
Main article: Blast Mask

The Blast Mask allows Link to instantly cause an explosion when he wears it, although he cannot use his Sword while wearing it. He must wait a few seconds after a blast to use it again. Its explosion can harm Link unless the uses his Shield at the same time the explosion occurs.[9]

Powder Keg

Main article: Powder Keg
MM PowderKeg2

Powder Kegs, appearing only in Majora's Mask, have a bigger and more powerful blast than regular Bombs.[10] They can only be used by Goron Link. Link can only buy Powder Kegs when he is certified to use them.[11] Powder Kegs main uses are to clear the path to the Goron Racetrack and Romani Ranch, and to destroy the cracked ceiling of the Ancient Castle of Ikana.[12] Powder Kegs can be purchased in two places in Termina, namely in the Goron Powder Keg Shop in Goron Village and in the Bomb Shop in Clock Town. After Link deploys a Powder Keg, its fuse will slowly burn down until it explodes. However, the process can be speeded up by shooting an Arrow at it, making the keg explode immediately.

Cannon

Main article: Cannon

As soon Link receives Bombs in The Wind Waker, he can use the Cannon on the King of Red Lions by simply using the Bomb item while on the boat.[13] The Cannon in Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks have an unlimited supply of shots, although they have to be obtained.

In the Snowpeak Ruins in Twilight Princess, there are many cannons that require the insertion of a cannonball and then a Bomb for them to activate. These cannons can blast through thick ice and any enemy in their way.

In Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland, the Stalfos Pirates' cannon is used to destroy the boulder on Mount Desma.

Tingle Bomb

A Tingle Bomb is an item provided by the Tingle Tuner at a cost of ten Rupees per use. It can be set wherever the Tingle icon goes onscreen. It is almost like a normal Bomb, but it is invisible, cannot be thrown, and can reveal certain hidden pots and Treasure Chests containing Tingle Statues.[14][15][16] Tingle Bombs can be detonated immediately if the cursor is not on Link, or rooted into place with a three second countdown, which will cause Tingle to warn Link to run. Tingle Bombs are only half as strong as normal Bombs are. A successful hit on an enemy will drop a yellow Rupee, covering the cost of using the Bomb. More successful hits on enemies within the same room will increase the value of the dropped Rupees, from a red Rupee to a purple Rupee. Tingle Bombs can also blow away piles of leaves.

Level 2 Bomb

The Level 2 Bomb, which is exclusive to Four Swords Adventures, is an item upgrade Link can obtain by tossing the Bomb item into a Great Fairy Fountain. These Bombs are larger and have a larger blast radius.[17]

Big Bomb

The Big Bomb makes its first appearance in Four Swords Adventures, where it is often referred to as a Giant Bomb. It is not a helpful item, except in Shadow Battle, as its blast can KO a Link instantly if he is in range. Big Bombs are usually dropped by Shadow Link, but they will also appear in chests.[18] It has a 10-second fuse and its explosion affects the entire area. Link can avoid its blast by escaping into a hole,[19] walking into a cave, diving underwater,[20] or leaving the area altogether.[21]

TFH Nice Bomb Icon

The Big Bomb reappears in Tri Force Heroes. When wearing the Big Bomb Outfit, all Bombs and Bomb Flowers Link uses turn into Big Bombs, which have an increased blast radius and do double damage. Big Bombs also break rocks down two levels, as opposed to a Bomb's one.

Remote Bomb

First appearing in The Minish Cap, Link can get Remote Bombs from Belari in exchange for his regular Bombs. This can be done after getting the regular Bombs and fusing Kinstones with Gentari, the Minish elder. After being set, these Bombs will explode only when the button to which they are assigned is pressed again. Because of this, it is impossible to set two Remote Bombs at a time. Belari can trade the Remote Bombs back for regular Bombs whenever Link talks to him again.[22] When Link has the Remote Bombs, he will obtain these items the same way as the normal Bombs. Even though Remote Bombs are the first to be referred as such, Bombs in Four Swords can be activated in a similar manner.[23] Bombs are remote by default in Breath of the Wild, and can be detonated at will.

Bomb Arrows

Main article: Bomb Arrow

Bomb Arrows are a combination of both Bombs and Arrows. First appearing in Link's Awakening, Link can shoot them by dropping a Bomb and then shooting it with an Arrow. In Twilight Princess, they can simply be attached to Arrows. They can be fired to create distant blasts in high and low places.[24]

Water Bomb

Main article: Water Bomb

Water Bombs are special Bombs found only in Twilight Princess that are able to explode underwater, while other Bombs are unable to. They appear to be Bombfish, but the Water Bombs Barnes sells are handmade.[25] Water Bombs are necessary to gain access to and explore the Lakebed Temple. Link must wear the Iron Boots to be able to use them underwater. They can also be used on land, but are much more costly this way compared to regular Bombs.

Bombling

Main article: Bombling

Bomblings are explosive creatures found in Twilight Princess. While they are just useful enemies at first, they can be added to Link's Bomb inventory later on. As items, they are similar to the Bombchu, except they will not crawl up walls but rather will explode whenever they crash into something.[26] Wild Bomblings, necessary to complete the Forest Temple, spawn from small holes in the ground and will attack Link after taking a brief stance, but will not explode until Link attacks them back. They can be carried around and thrown afar by using the Gale Boomerang.

Nice Bombs

ALBW Nice Bomb Icon

Nice Bombs are an upgrade of the regular Bombs in A Link Between Worlds. The upgrade can be obtained after collecting at least 10 lost Maiamais and then returning them to Mother Maiamai. The Bombs must be bought from Ravio first in order to upgrade them. Nice Bombs have a larger blast radius and cause more damage than regular Bombs.

Bombs and Enemies

File:Garo Master Abridged Suicide Ritual.png

The Garo Master holding a Bomb in order to commit ritualistic suicide as part of its honor code

Enemies Weak Against Bombs Enemies that Use/Act as Bombs

Other Appearances

Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland

In Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland, two types of Bombs appear. The first type, Tingle Bombs, can be concocted by using two Bomb Fruits, two Gelatine, and two Explosive Claws. They are stored in empty jars. Cauldrons of the concoction exist in Desma's Labyrinth. The second type, Nitro Bombs, are also stored in empty jars, and are a more powerful version of Tingle Bombs. The recipe for Nitro Bombs (Bomb Fruits, three Gelatine, three Explosive Claws, and three Multi-Bomb Fruits) is obtained from the Stalfos Pirates' Engineer when their pirate ship is being attacked by insects. They can shatter large boulders.

Philips CD-i Games

In The Faces of Evil and The Wand of Gamelon, Bombs are used to damage stronger enemies and to destroy breakable rocks and small walls. They are purchased from Morshu's shop in The Faces of Evil, and The Merchant's shop in The Wand of Gamelon. In both games, Bombs are purchased in packs of three for 20 Rubies. Link and Zelda can carry up to 99 of them.

Hyrule Warriors

HW Water Bomb Sprite

In Hyrule Warriors, Bombs are items kept in the inventory. They are first obtained in "The Armies of Ruin" Scenario, after Link finds them in the field's Mine Entrance. Bombs are thrown in small spurts. They are primarily used to destroy cracked walls and boulders, but can also be used to damage enemies. Some giant bosses, such as King Dodongo, are particularly weak to them and can be used to make their Weak Point Gauge expose. The Bombs can be temporarily upgraded to a giant Bomb by collecting Bomb power ups, which will throw one giant Bomb that clears a large area. Goron's Bracelet Badges in the Bazaar can be crafted to increase the duration of the upgrade.

In Adventure Mode, normal and Water Bombs appear as Item Cards. Normal Bombs are used to open cave entrances in mountain walls and to destroy boulders on land, whereas Water Bombs are used to destroy boulders on bodies of water.

Trivia

  • Unusually among Zelda games, it is possible to complete the main quest in Spirit Tracks without ever acquiring Bombs. This is due to all bombable obstacles that are necessary to traverse to finish the game can be destroyed with Bomb Flowers or Wrecker Phantoms in the surrounding area. Bombs are still necessary to access many optional treasures and hidden areas, though, and they provide easier solutions to many puzzles in the main quest.

Etymology

TMC Forest Minish Artwork Names in Other Regions TMC Jabber Nut Sprite
Language Name Meaning
Japan Japanese バクダン (Bakudan) Bomb
French-speaking countries French Bombe Bomb
Canada FrenchCA Bombes louéesTriforce piece
Bombes de luxeTriforce piece
Rented Bombs
Luxury Bombs
French Republic FrenchEU Great bombeTriforce piece Great Bomb
Federal Republic of Germany German Bombe Bomb
Italian Republic Italian Bomba Bomb
ERROR: You must enter a country code. Korean 폭탄 (Poktan) Bomb
Spanish-speaking countries Spanish Bomba Bomb
Community of Latin American and Caribbean States SpanishLA Bombas alquiladasTriforce piece
Bombas mejoradasTriforce piece
Rented Bombs
Improved Bombs

Gallery

See Also

References

  1. "Mystery Seeds! Nayru desires Mystery Seeds more than anything else! She will be most pleased! By what name do you go, boy? ...Link? I offer a reward, Link. Bring it here... Link, this is your reward. Take it with great thanks." — Queen Ambi (Oracle of Ages)
  2. "A bomb blast will damage enemies and knock holes in some walls, but it will also damage your character if he is too close to the blast. The bomb's fuse will burn for about two seconds, and up to two bombs can be set at a time. You can also pick up a bomb you have placed and throw it before it explodes (be careful!)." (A Link to the Past manual, pg. 37)
  3. "I BET YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE MORE BOMBS" — Old Man (The Legend of Zelda)
  4. "I also have a new Super Bomb in stock for only 100 Rupees!" — Bomb Shop Owner (A Link to the Past)
  5. "Those plants growing over there are Bomb Flowers. They are mining plants that grow only on this mountain. The flower's fruit is the raw material for bombs." — Goron (Ocarina of Time)
  6. "You got the Goron's Bracelet! Now you can pull up Bomb Flowers. Stand next to one and use A to pull it up!" — N/A (Ocarina of Time)
  7. "Pick up a Bombchu and set it at you feet. It will start running by itself. If it hits an object, or runs for a while without hitting anything, it will explode. Once it starts running, you have no control over it." (Ocarina of Time manual, pg. 23)
  8. "You got a Bombchu! You can carry up to 10 Bombchus in your bag! They will follow the path that you draw on your map!" — N/A (Phantom Hourglass)
  9. "You got the Blast Mask! Wear it with C. You can have a blast with B, but you'll lose life energy in the process." — N/A (Majora's Mask)
  10. "These special bombs used only by Gorons are much more powerful than standard bombs. After you set them, they will explode when the fuse burns up." (Majora's Mask manual, pg. 30)
  11. "Powder Kegs are extremely powerful and dangerous, so those who haven't been approved by the instructor can't carry them." — Goron at Clock Town's Bomb Shop (Majora's Mask)
  12. "If you can destroy the boulder that blocks the entrance to the Goron Racetrack near here using the Powder Keg I'm about to give you, then I'll approve you to carry them." — Medigoron (Majora's Mask)
  13. "Using bombs while on your boat gives you a mighty cannon you can use to fight off seagoing enemies." — N/A (The Wind Waker)
  14. "Huh? Hmmm? There seems to be something hidden here! Use a Tingle Bomb to search for it!" — Tingle (The Wind Waker)
  15. "Here it is!!!!!! Medli was hiding the vase. Who knew she was so sneaky?" — Tingle (The Wind Waker)
  16. "Let's solve a puzzle! Yesss! A Tingle Statue is hidden in this dungeon... It seems you can uncover it with a Tingle Bomb..." — Tingle (The Wind Waker)
  17. "You got level 2 bombs! They're...huge! I can't wait to see 'em blow up!" — N/A (Four Swords Adventures)
  18. "You got a Big Bomb! This will blow everything to smithereens! Uh-oh...RUN!!" — N/A (Four Swords Adventures)
  19. "A giant bomb! Escape to your Game Boy Advance!" — N/A (Four Swords Adventures)
  20. "A giant bomb! Quickly! Dive underwater!" — N/A (Four Swords Adventures)
  21. "A giant bomb! Run away!" — N/A (Four Swords Adventures)
  22. "At last, it's complete! The Remote Bomb! It blows up whenever you want! If you ever need normal bombs again, just trade me back for them." — Belari (The Minish Cap)
  23. "You can press the A Button again after bombs land to set them off quickly." (Four Swords manual, pg. 42)
  24. "Oh...And you can combine bombs and arrows to make bomb arrows for when you need ranged explosives!" — Barnes (Twilight Princess)
  25. "I finished my water bombs! These little fellas are so advanced, you can even use 'em in the water! Oh, they'll come in handy, guaranteed." — Barnes (Twilight Princess)
  26. "You got bomblings (10)! Release them and they'll travel forward and explode if they hit something or after some time." — N/A (Twilight Princess)

Template:Items

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