Hyrule is a big place. Too big, honestly, if you’re trying to run across Hyrule Field without a horse or the right gear. When The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time hit the N64 in 1998, it wasn't just the 3D graphics that melted brains; it was the sheer density of the inventory screen. Most games give you a sword and call it a day. Link? Link gets a multi-dimensional pocket full of magical relics, explosive fruits, and literal bottled fairies.
You’ve probably spent hours paused on that subscreen, staring at the greyed-out silhouettes of things you haven't found yet. It's an iconic layout. But the Ocarina of Time items aren't just tools for progress; they are the mechanical heartbeat of the game. Some are legendary. Others, like the Giant's Knife, are basically a scam.
The Items Everyone Forgets Until They Need Them
Most players remember the Hookshot. It’s cool. It’s fast. But have you ever really thought about the Lens of Truth? This purple eye-glass thing consumes Magic Meter at an alarming rate, yet it’s the only thing standing between you and a face-first fall into a fake floor in the Shadow Temple. It’s a psychological item. It makes you paranoid. Once you have it, you start looking at every wall like it’s lying to you. Because in this game, it usually is.
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Then there are the bottles.
If you talk to any speedrunner or someone who has played a "Randomizer" mod, they will tell you that bottles are the most powerful Ocarina of Time items in the entire game. Forget the Master Sword for a second. A bottle can hold a fairy that brings you back from the dead. It can hold Blue Fire to melt red ice. It can even hold a Poe’s soul if you’re feeling particularly morbid. You only get four. Finding that fourth one—the one tied to the Big Poe hunting subquest—is a rite of passage that separates the casual fans from the people who actually know how to navigate Lon Lon Ranch at high speeds.
Breaking Down the Heavy Hitters
The Megaton Hammer is a weird one. You find it in the Fire Temple, and it’s ostensibly for smashing rusted switches and killing Volvagia. But it’s also a high-damage weapon that ignores certain enemy shields. It feels heavy. The sound design when it hits the floor—clunk—is perfect.
Then you have the arrows. Fire, Ice, and Light.
Most people get the Fire Arrows by shooting the sun at Lake Hylia. It’s a poetic moment. The Ice Arrows? They’re almost useless. Seriously. By the time you get through the Gerudo Training Ground to claim them, there’s barely anything left in the game that requires freezing. They’re a trophy. The Light Arrows, however, are the "plot" item. They cost a massive 4 MP per shot, but they’re the only thing that can stun Ganondorf.
Why the Hookshot is Perfection
If we’re talking about game design, the Hookshot (and its upgrade, the Longshot) is the gold standard. It changes how you see the world. Suddenly, a wooden beam isn't just part of the ceiling; it's a waypoint. A target on a wall isn't decoration; it's a ladder. It’s one of the few Ocarina of Time items that provides both mobility and combat utility. You can pull yourself to an enemy, or pull a small enemy to you. It’s tactile.
But it’s not all sunshine and Grappling Hooks.
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The Master Sword vs. The Biggoron’s Sword
Let's be real about the Master Sword. It’s the "Blade of Evil’s Bane," but it’s kind of weak compared to the Biggoron’s Sword. This is a point of contention among Zelda purists. The Master Sword is iconic. It lets you travel through time. It looks great on the box art.
But the Biggoron’s Sword does double the damage.
To get it, you have to complete a grueling, timed trade sequence involving a giant eyeball frog and some specialized saw. It’s a long quest. It’s stressful. But once you have that two-handed blade, the game’s difficulty curve basically snaps in half. You lose the ability to use your shield while holding it, which is a fair trade. It forces you to play more aggressively. It turns Link from a defensive fencer into a powerhouse. Just don't confuse it with the Giant's Knife you buy in Goron City. That thing breaks after about three hits. It’s a waste of 200 Rupees.
Magic Items and the Struggle for MP
The three spells—Din’s Fire, Farore’s Wind, and Nayru’s Love—are often neglected by newer players.
- Din’s Fire: Essential for the Shadow Temple and lighting torches. It’s a big dome of "get away from me."
- Farore’s Wind: This is basically a manual save point for dungeons. It’s incredibly helpful in the Water Temple if you get lost, yet almost no one uses it because they forget it exists.
- Nayru’s Love: It’s a blue crystal shield. It makes you invincible to damage for a short time, though you still get knocked back. It’s the "I give up on dodging" button.
These Ocarina of Time items require the Magic Meter, which you get from the Great Fairy on Death Mountain. Without that green bar, Link is just a kid with a slingshot.
The Evolution of the Ocarina Itself
We can't talk about Ocarina of Time items without the namesake. The Fairy Ocarina is fine, but the Ocarina of Time is the key to the universe. It’s not just a musical instrument; it’s a UI element. It’s how you save your game (in the 3DS version), how you change the weather, and how you warp across the map.
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The Song of Storms is arguably the best track in the game. It’s a paradox, too. You learn it from a guy in a windmill who learned it from you. Time travel is messy. But using the Ocarina to summon rain or reveal hidden holes in the ground makes you feel like you’re actually interacting with the world’s physics, not just clicking a button.
Hidden Details You Might Have Missed
Did you know the Boomerang only works as a child? It’s one of the few items that Link "forgets" how to use when he grows up. It’s a bit sad, honestly. The same goes for the Slingshot and the Deku Seeds. As an adult, you trade the Slingshot for the Fairy Bow. The Bow is objectively better—it has more range and can carry magical properties—but there’s a certain snappiness to the Boomerang’s auto-lock that makes Child Link feel surprisingly lethal.
Also, the Iron Boots.
In the original N64 version, you had to pause the game every time you wanted to put them on or take them off. It was tedious. It’s why everyone hates the Water Temple. In the 3DS remake, they turned the boots into an assignable item. It fixed the pacing of the entire game. If you’re playing on an emulator or the original hardware, you just have to embrace the pause screen. It’s part of the "retro" charm, even if it’s technically a nightmare.
The Actionable Path to 100% Completion
If you want to actually master the inventory, you need to be methodical. Most people miss the upgrades.
- Get the Biggest Quiver: Go to the Gerudo Archery Range. It’s tough, but 50 arrows is better than 30.
- Find the Golden Skulltulas: You need 40 of them to get the Giant’s Wallet. You need that wallet to hold 500 Rupees, which you’ll need if you’re buying potions for the final boss.
- Don't ignore the Deku Nut: It’s the most underrated item. It stuns almost every non-boss enemy instantly. It makes the Lizalfos fights a joke.
The Ocarina of Time items are more than just collectibles. They are the language through which you speak to the game world. Whether you're hookshotting to a roof in Kakariko Village or reflecting light with the Mirror Shield, each piece of gear feels earned. It's why, nearly thirty years later, we still remember exactly where we were when we finally pulled the Master Sword out of the pedestal.
To truly optimize your next playthrough, focus on the trade sequence for the Biggoron’s Sword as soon as you become an adult. It fundamentally changes the combat loop and saves you from the frustration of the Master Sword’s lower damage output against late-game Iron Knuckles. Also, make sure to grab the Double Magic upgrade from the Great Fairy near Ganon's Castle; you'll need it if you plan on using the Lens of Truth for more than five seconds.