Light Arrow
| |
| A Light Arrow as seen in Majora's Mask | |
| Light Arrow | |
| Type | Arrow |
| Debut | The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time |
The Light Arrow is a special type of purifying arrow that has appeared in several The Legend of Zelda games and has come to play a key role in the defeat of Ganon as well as other demonic entities. It is one of three elemental arrows to appear in the games, along with the Fire and Ice Arrows.
Information[edit]
The Light Arrows are normal arrows which are infused with a type of holy light. It is described as "the light of justice" and as a sacred item that can pierce through evil. The Light Arrows are potent enough to destroy most enemies with ease and are the weakness of creatures associated with darkness. They are also used to solve puzzles involving sun symbols which also could be solved using reflecting light from the Mirror Shield. The Light Arrows usually have storyline importance and have played a role in Ganon's downfall since their introduction. They are usually used to stun Ganon so that Link could attack him with the Master Sword. The Light Arrows have also been associated with Princess Zelda, who has actually fired the Light Arrows in more recent games.
The Light Arrows consume magic power in games which employ a magic meter. Link can switch the arrow's charge between Fire, Ice or Light (or switch back to normal arrows) on the inventory screen. In The Minish Cap and Spirit Tracks, the Light Arrows are instead treated as an upgrade for the normal arrow, and arrows must be charged to gain the light effect.
Appearances[edit]
In Ocarina of Time, the Light Arrows were given to Link by Princess Zelda once she revealed herself at the Temple of Time after the six sages were all awakened. In Majora's Mask, it was the treasure that was found at the Stone Tower Temple. In The Wind Waker, the Light Arrows were found in Ganon's Tower and were used by Zelda during the final battle. The Light Arrows also appeared in The Minish Cap as an optional bonus item. Link had to save Gregal from the ghost attacking him by using a Gust Jar, and that area of the Cloud Tops could only be reached by fusing Kinstones with Stranger. The upgrade became unavailable after Link accessed the Cloud Tops through Veil Falls, as Gregal would have passed away by then.
In Twilight Princess, the light spirits empowered Princess Zelda with light arrows and a special bow to fire them with for the final battle against Ganondorf, and she once more used them to stun him. In Spirit Tracks, the Light Arrows were fired naturally by the Bow of Light, which was found at the Sand Temple. These Light Arrows were necessary for the final battle with Malladus, in which Link had to fire a Light Arrow at Zelda's body to exorcise Malladus from it, and Princess Zelda would then fire the Light Arrows at Malladus during the next portion of the battle. In A Link Between Worlds, Link was granted a Bow of Light by Zelda during the final battle with Yuga Ganon, even while Zelda was trapped in a painting at the time. This version could only fire when Link was merged with a wall, and by hitting Yuga Ganon with these Light Arrows, he would force him out of the wall and stun him so that he could be properly attacked.
They again appeared for the final battle in Breath of the Wild, when Zelda summoned the Bow of Light for Link to use in the final showdown with Calamity Ganon in his Dark Beast Ganon form. The Light Arrows were among the very few weapons that could hurt his final form.
Other Appearances[edit]
Video Games[edit]
- In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the Light Arrow is used as the Final Smash for Princess Zelda and her alternate Sheik form. The arrow can cut through multiple enemies, and the primary difference between the two versions is the angle that the arrow is fired from. There are corresponding Light Arrow trophies for both characters.
- In Hyrule Warriors, Light Arrows are the upgraded form of normal arrows and are bestowed by Zelda (or by Ruto if playing as Zelda in replays) during Legend Mode for the final battle with Ganon. Light Arrows are also used in some of Zelda, Tetra and Ravio's attacks.
Trivia[edit]
- The Light Arrow is notable as appearing more than the other elemental arrows and being heavily associated with Zelda, to the point where it is the one item Zelda uses which Link cannot in Twilight Princess.
- Light Arrows primarily replace the Silver Arrows from the first few Zelda games. The primary difference in their effect is that Light Arrows are used to stun Ganon, while Silver Arrows have been used to slay him.