Let’s be real for a second. Most of the stuff you find in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild feels earned. You climb a mountain, you solve a puzzle, you get a chest. But when the Master Trials and The Champions' Ballad dropped, everything changed. Suddenly, the world was littered with purple chests containing Zelda BoTW DLC armor that basically felt like legal cheats. Or did they?
The community has spent years debating whether these items break the game's difficulty curve or actually fix it. Honestly, it depends on when you find them. If you’re a veteran player who’s already spent 200 hours in Hyrule, the Majora’s Mask is a fun toy. If you’re a newcomer who stumbles upon it ten minutes after leaving the Great Plateau? Well, the game’s entire "survival" aspect pretty much evaporates.
The Stealth Powerhouse: Phantom Ganon and the Stealth Meta
You’ve probably seen the Phantom Ganon set. It looks terrifying. It’s bulky, dark, and looks like it belongs in a different game entirely. But the weirdest part about this specific Zelda BoTW DLC armor is that it isn't for tanking hits. It’s actually a stealth set.
Wait. Why would a massive suit of black armor make you quieter?
It’s one of those weird Nintendo logic things. It gives you a "Stealth Up" bonus similar to the Sheikah set you buy in Kakariko Village. But there’s a catch that most people miss. It also gives you a "Bone Attack Up" set bonus and makes Stal-enemies (those annoying skeletons that pop up at night) ignore you. It's niche. It's oddly specific. And it's one of the best ways to traverse the map at night without constantly stopping to swat away bone-arms.
The placement of these pieces is actually a clever bit of world-building. You have to find them in the Faron region—specifically around the Sarjon Bridge and Floria Falls. It forces you into the jungle, a place many players skip in the early game.
Majora’s Mask is Genuinely Broken (In a Good Way)
If we’re talking about the most controversial piece of Zelda BoTW DLC armor, it’s Majora’s Mask. No contest.
Basically, this mask makes most common enemies—Bokoblins, Moblins, Lizalfos—think you’re one of them. You can walk right into a camp, sit by their fire, and steal their roasted bass while they watch. It’s absurd. For a game built on the tension of being underpowered and outnumbered, this mask is a "get out of jail free" card.
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- It doesn't work on Guardians.
- Lynels will eventually see through it if you linger too long.
- It doesn't help you with the weather or environmental hazards.
It’s a tool for the lazy explorer. Or, more accurately, it’s for the player who has already done the combat dance a thousand times and just wants to get to that one specific Korok seed without fighting a gold Moblin. You find it at the Kolomo Garrison Ruins. It’s right there. Practically a stone’s throw from the start of the game. If you’re struggling with the combat, go get it. If you want the "true" experience? Leave it in the ground.
Is the Tingle Set Actually Useful or Just a Meme?
Look, Tingle is a divisive figure in Zelda history. Some people love the weird map-obsessed man-child; others find him deeply unsettling. His armor set in Breath of the Wild reflects that weirdness.
The primary benefit of Tingle’s Outfit is "Night Speed Up." You run faster when the moon is out. That sounds great on paper, but you can get the same effect from the Sheikah set or the Dark Link set. So why bother hunting these chests down in the Hyrule Field area?
Because it’s hilarious.
NPCs will actually react to you differently when you’re dressed as Tingle. They get startled. They look uncomfortable. It’s a level of detail that Nintendo didn't have to include, but they did. It adds zero tactical advantage, but 100 points of personality. Sometimes, that’s why we play these games.
The Phantom Armor and the Early Game Power Trip
For players who find the early game too punishing, the Phantom Armor is the real MVP. Unlike most Zelda BoTW DLC armor, you cannot upgrade this set at a Great Fairy fountain. That sounds like a downside, right?
Wrong.
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Because you can't upgrade it, Nintendo gave it a massive base defense stat. Each piece provides 8 defense right out of the box. For a player who only has 3 hearts and a shirt made of old rags, jumping to 24 defense is a massive leap. It also gives you an "Attack Up" buff.
I’ve seen speedrunners and challenge-run enthusiasts grab this set immediately. It’s tucked away in the ruins around Hyrule Field—specifically the Sacred Ground Ruins and the Coliseum. It makes the first 20 hours of the game significantly more manageable. But, by the time you reach the endgame, your upgraded Ancient Armor or Soldier’s Set will far outclass it. It’s a temporary boost that feels like a godsend when you're being chased by a Guardian Stalker for the first time.
Misconceptions About Upgradability
A lot of people get frustrated because they spend hours farming Dragon Horns and Star Fragments, only to find out that the Zelda BoTW DLC armor can’t be upgraded. It’s a valid complaint. Why give us the cool Royal Guard uniform or Rex’s Xenoblade gear if it’s going to be useless in a fight against a Silver Lynel?
The reality is that these pieces are "cosplay" items and utility tools. They aren't meant to replace your end-game gear. They are meant to bridge the gap or provide a specific aesthetic. The Korok Mask is the perfect example. It shakes and sparkles when a Korok is nearby. You don’t wear it for the defense; you wear it because you’re tired of looking under every single rock in the Lost Woods.
The Midna’s Helmet and Ravio’s Hood Niche
Midna’s Helmet provides "Guardian Resist." This is huge. Usually, you have to spend a fortune at the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab to get gear that protects you from those laser beams. Finding Midna’s Helmet in the Sage Temple Ruins gives you that protection for free.
Then there’s Ravio’s Hood. It increases your sideways climbing speed.
That sounds incredibly boring.
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Until you’re halfway up a cliff in the rain, running out of stamina, and you realize you need to shimmy over to a ledge. Then, suddenly, Ravio’s Hood is the most important thing you own. It’s these tiny, granular improvements to the gameplay loop that make the DLC armor worth the inventory space.
Why Nintendo Handled This Differently in Tears of the Kingdom
It’s worth noting—and this is a bit of a meta-commentary—that Nintendo learned a lot from the Zelda BoTW DLC armor rollout. In the sequel, Tears of the Kingdom, many of these items were integrated into the base game world, often hidden in the Depths.
In Breath of the Wild, they feel like "extra" content because they are. They are rewards for the fans who bought the Expansion Pass. They weren't balanced for the original game’s progression, which is why they feel so overpowered early on. If you want to maintain the challenge, I’d suggest ignoring the DLC chests until you’ve at least cleared two Divine Beasts.
Actionable Strategy for Your Next Playthrough
If you’re starting a new save file or hopping back in after a long break, here is the most efficient way to use these items without ruining the fun:
- Prioritize the Korok Mask first. It’s in a chest in the Lost Woods. It makes the grind for inventory slots much less of a headache. Use a torch to follow the wind direction if you get lost.
- Grab the Phantom Armor if you’re struggling with combat. It’s located in the Hyrule Field ruins. Don't worry about upgrading it—just use it as a crutch until you can afford the Knight's Armor or the Ancient Set.
- Keep Majora’s Mask in your pocket for the "Annoyance Factor." Don't wear it all the time, or you'll forget how to actually fight. Save it for those moments when you just want to cross a bridge without being pelted by Lizalfos arrows.
- Use the Travel Medallion. Okay, it's not "armor," but it’s in a chest in the Lomei Labyrinth Island and it’s the best DLC item in the game. It lets you set a custom warp point anywhere. Put it on top of a mountain or outside a specific shop.
The beauty of Hyrule is that it’s your playground. The DLC armor isn't a requirement; it's a set of modifiers. Whether you want to be a stealthy ninja, a tanky phantom, or a weirdo in a green jumpsuit, the game lets you do it. Just remember that the best armor in the game isn't something you find in a purple chest—it’s the knowledge of the map you gain along the way.
Focus on finding the chests in the ruins of the Great Plateau and Hyrule Field first. Most of the early-game utility is concentrated there. Once you have the Phantom set and Majora's Mask, the rest of the world opens up significantly, allowing you to focus on the story rather than the constant struggle for basic survival.