Honestly, if you’re still wandering around Hyrule in 2026 without a stack of plastic figures on your desk, you’re playing on hard mode for no reason. People think these things are just shelf candy. They aren't. They are basically physical cheat codes that Nintendo happens to sell for twenty bucks a pop. The zelda breath of the wild amiibo rewards change the entire math of the early game, and even late-game players use them to bypass the tedious grind for rare materials or ancient parts.
It’s kind of wild how much power is packed into a tiny NFC chip.
You tap a Link figure on your controller and suddenly a chest falls from the sky like a gift from Hylia herself. Sometimes it’s just a handful of shock arrows or a piece of raw meat. But other times? You’re pulling out the Twilight Bow or Epona, the legendary horse that has better stats than almost anything you can find in the wild near Dueling Peaks.
The Gear You Actually Want from Zelda Breath of the Wild Amiibo Rewards
Most players just want the armor. I get it. Who doesn’t want to look like the Hero of Time while they’re getting blasted by a Guardian? The "Of the Wild" set you get for completing all 120 shrines is great and all, but it’s a massive slog to get. Meanwhile, if you have the 8-Bit Link amiibo, you can start rocking the classic green tunic almost immediately. It’s nostalgic. It’s cool. It’s also a pain to upgrade because you’ll need a ton of Star Fragments, but that’s the trade-off.
The real heavy hitter is the Twilight Princess Link or the Smash Bros. Link. These two are the only way to get Epona. You can’t find her in the wild. She just appears. She comes with maxed-out stats and a gentle temperament, meaning you don't have to spend ten minutes soothing her while she tries to kick you into a river.
But here is the thing: if you scan her and you aren't near a stable, you might lose her. Seriously. If you’re on a cliffside and she spawns, good luck getting her down. Always scan for Epona at a stable so you can register her immediately.
Then there is the Wolf Link amiibo. This one is weirdly complex. If you played Twilight Princess HD on the Wii U and finished the Cave of Shadows, your Wolf Link will have all those hearts in Breath of the Wild. If not? He starts with three hearts. He’s basically glass. He’ll try to fight a Moblin and get deleted in three seconds. But a 20-heart Wolf Link? That’s a genuine hunting partner that sniffs out shrines and distracts enemies while you line up a headshot.
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Exclusive Weapons vs. Generic Loot
Let’s talk about the weapons because this is where the zelda breath of the wild amiibo rewards get controversial. Some people think it’s "pay to win." Maybe it is.
Take the Biggoron's Sword. It’s huge. It’s iconic. You get it from the Ocarina of Time Link. It has a massive durability stat compared to most of the junk you find in chests during the first ten hours of play. Or the Sea-Breeze Shield from the Toon Link amiibo. It’s a solid shield, but mostly it just looks better than a pot lid.
- Twilight Bow: This is the "Holy Grail." It’s dropped by the Zelda amiibo (Twilight Princess version). It fires light arrows in a perfectly straight line. No gravity arc. It’s essentially a sniper rifle.
- Sword of the Six Sages: From the Ganondorf amiibo. It’s a two-handed claymore that hits like a truck. Plus, scanning Ganon gives you rare monster parts and barrels full of explosive stuff or meat.
- Sheik’s Mask: This one is purely for the aesthetic, but it does contribute to the stealth set bonus.
The drop rates are low. You aren't going to get the Twilight Bow on your first scan. You might not get it on your fiftieth. It’s a 2% drop rate once you’ve cleared at least one Divine Beast. Before you clear a beast, you’re mostly getting mid-tier swords and shields. The game scales the rewards based on your progress, which is a smart move by Nintendo to keep the balance from breaking completely.
Why the Guardian Amiibo is Secretly the Best
Everyone sleeps on the Guardian amiibo because it’s bulky and expensive. Big mistake. This thing drops ancient parts. If you’re trying to get the Ancient Armor set from the Akkala Tech Lab, you know how soul-crushing it is to farm Ancient Cores. Guardians are scary when you’re low-level. This amiibo lets you skip the fight. It drops metal boxes that often contain Ancient Screws, Springs, and if the RNG gods love you, a Core.
You can also use the Magnesis rune on those metal boxes. Drop them on enemies. It’s a hilarious way to clear a Bokoblin camp without using a single weapon's durability.
Managing the RNG Grind
You can only scan an amiibo once every 24 hours. That is the "official" rule. But gamers are impatient.
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You can "save-scum" your rewards. It’s simple: save your game, scan the amiibo, and if you don't like what’s in the chest, reload your save. Rinse and repeat. It’s tedious, but it’s the only reliable way to get the exclusive armor pieces without waiting three weeks of real-time. Another trick is just changing the system clock on your Switch. Close the game, move the date forward by one day, and boom—fresh scans.
The Misconception About "Amiibo Exclusive" Items
There is a common myth that you need these items to 100% the game. You don't. None of the zelda breath of the wild amiibo rewards count toward your map completion percentage or your quest log. They are purely supplemental. You aren't missing out on a secret ending if you don't have a plastic Toon Link.
What you are missing is convenience.
For instance, the Wind Waker amiibos drop a lot of fish. If you’re trying to upgrade the Zora armor, you need Hearty Bass. Farming them in the lakes is a chore. Tapping a figure and having twenty fish land on your head is just... easier. It turns the game from a survival sim into a bit more of a power fantasy.
The Value of Non-Zelda Amiibo
A lot of people don't realize that any amiibo works in this game.
Got a Mario figure? Scan it. An Animal Crossing card? Scan it. You won't get a chest with a legendary sword, but you will get basic resources. Meat, herbs, fruit. It sounds trivial, but when you’re in the middle of the Hebra Mountains and you’re out of cold-resist food, scanning a bunch of random amiibo can literally save your life. It’s a steady stream of "stuff."
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Actionable Strategy for Using Amiibo Rewards
To maximize your efficiency with zelda breath of the wild amiibo rewards, follow this specific progression. Don't just scan them randomly as soon as you leave the Great Plateau.
First, wait until you have at least one Divine Beast cleared. This "unlocks" the higher-tier loot table for most figures. If you scan them too early, you're wasting your "lucky" RNG rolls on items that have low attack power.
Second, go to a flat area. If you scan on a slope, those chests will roll away. I’ve seen chests slide off the side of a mountain into an abyss more times than I care to admit. The bridge in Hateno Village or the top of a flat Sheikah Tower are perfect spots.
Third, use the metal crates from the Guardian or Ganon amiibos to your advantage. Don't just open them and walk away. Use them to block LOS (Line of Sight) from stationary Guardians or use them as platforms in swampy areas.
Finally, if you’re looking for specific armor like the Cap of Time or the Tunic of the Wind, focus on one set at a time. Save-scumming for a specific piece is much faster than trying to get a full set through "honest" daily scans. It might feel a bit like cheating, but considering some of these figures are out of print and cost a fortune on the secondary market, you might as well get your money’s worth out of the ones you have.
Move your character to a Stable, save your progress, and start scanning. If Epona doesn't show up or that Twilight Bow stays hidden, just hit the reload button. It’s the most effective way to kit out Link without spending hundreds of hours grinding for rare drops in the world.