You've probably spent hours save-scumming in front of a digital chest, hoping for that one piece of armor or a legendary sword that just won't spawn. It's frustrating. Honestly, the way Zelda Breath of the Wild amiibo drops actually function is a bit of a "black box" unless you've spent way too much time looking at the underlying code or reading data-mined spreadsheets from the early days of the Wii U and Switch versions. Most players think it’s just a flat percentage chance every time you tap that plastic figure to your controller.
That’s not quite right.
The game uses a tiered system that changes based on your progress. If you just stepped off the Great Plateau and expect to pull the Twilight Bow from the Zelda (Super Smash Bros.) amiibo, you’re going to be waiting a long time. It’s literally impossible at that stage. The game tracks how many "Great Hits" you’ve had and whether you've cleared certain milestones—like defeating a Divine Beast.
How the Tiered Loot System Actually Works
Basically, there are three loot tables for every single amiibo. You’ve got the "Common" table, the "Rare" table, and the "Great Hit" table. When you first start the game, you are locked into the Basic tier. This usually lasts until you've left the Great Plateau. Once you've progressed a bit, you move into the Middle tier. The "Big Hit" tier—where the really cool stuff like the Hero’s Shield or the Sword of the Six Sages lives—usually doesn't fully unlock its best percentages until you’ve cleared at least one Divine Beast.
It’s a progress gate.
Nintendo didn't want players starting a New Game and immediately having a 100-damage weapon. That would break the intended loop of scavenging for rusty claymores. So, if you’re hunting for the Biggoron’s Sword using the Ocarina of Time Link amiibo, make sure you've at least progressed far enough for the game to recognize you're a "serious" player.
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The Most Coveted Zelda Breath of the Wild Amiibo Drops
Let’s talk about the items people actually care about. Most of the drops are just generic fish, herbs, or elemental arrows. Helpful? Sure. Game-changing? Not really. The real prizes are the legacy items.
The Twilight Bow
This is the big one. Dropped by the Zelda amiibo from the Super Smash Bros. series, this bow doesn't use arrows. It fires light. It travels in a perfectly straight line forever. It’s broken, honestly. But the drop rate is abysmal—rumored to be around 2% once you’re in the final loot tier. You can’t even get it until you’ve beaten at least one Divine Beast. People have gone weeks without seeing it.
Epona
Unlike other drops, Epona is a "guaranteed" first-time spawn if you use the Link (Super Smash Bros.) or Twilight Princess Link amiibo. But here’s the kicker: if you spawn her on a cliffside where you can't reach a stable, or if she dies before you register her, getting her back is a nightmare. She moves into the "Great Hit" loot table with a tiny spawn chance. I’ve seen players delete their entire save file just because they lost Epona in the first ten minutes.
The Fierce Deity Set
Coming from the Majora’s Mask Link, this is widely considered the best looking (and most functional) armor set in the game. It gives the same attack buff as the Barbarian Set but looks infinitely cooler. The problem? You have to scan the amiibo for three separate pieces (Mask, Armor, Boots) and then another time for the Fierce Deity Sword.
The Secret Mechanics of Save-Scumming
We’ve all done it. You save your game, scan the amiibo, get a pile of salt, and then reload the save. It works. But there is a faster way to manipulate Zelda Breath of the Wild amiibo drops if you’re looking for a specific set.
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The game writes a "flag" to the amiibo's ID once it has been scanned for the day. To bypass this, you don't actually have to wait 24 hours. You can just change the system clock on your Switch. Close the game, jump into settings, move the day forward by one, and boom—the game thinks it’s tomorrow. It’s tedious, but if you’re trying to complete the Hero of Winds set, it’s the only way to avoid a month-long grind.
Another weird quirk: the "Great Hit" counter. The game actually has a hidden counter that tracks how many times you haven't received a rare drop. Every time you get a "Common" drop, the probability of the next scan being a "Great Hit" slightly increases. This "pity system" ensures that even the unluckiest players eventually get their items, though it resets once a rare item finally drops.
Wolf Link and the Heart Problem
The Twilight Princess Wolf Link amiibo is unique. It doesn’t drop a chest. It summons a physical wolf companion to fight alongside you. Most people are disappointed to find he only has three hearts.
To get a 20-heart Wolf Link, you technically have to play through the Cave of Shadows in the Twilight Princess HD remaster on the Wii U and save your progress to the amiibo. It’s a massive barrier to entry. Nowadays, most people just buy third-party NFC cards that come pre-programmed with the 20-heart data. It’s technically "unofficial," but considering the Wii U is a legacy console and the game is out of print, it's how 90% of the community handles it.
Exclusive Weapons You Might Have Missed
While everyone hunts for the bows and outfits, some of the melee weapons have unique properties that make them worth the scan.
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- Sea-Breeze Boomerang: (Toon Link) It has high durability compared to standard boomerangs.
- Goddess Sword: (Skyward Sword Link) A decent mid-game sword that looks iconic, though it’s quickly outclassed by the Master Sword.
- Sword of the Six Sages: (Ganondorf) It’s a heavy two-handed sword with high impact.
The Sheikah Eye Shield and the Hero's Shield (from Wind Waker Zelda) also have incredibly high parry values. If you're a player who likes to deflect Guardian beams, these are top-tier.
Why Some Drops Feel "Rigged"
Ever notice you get the same cap five times before you get the trousers? That’s because the loot tables aren't perfectly balanced. Within the "Great Hit" category, certain items still have higher weightings than others. The game doesn't check what you already have in your inventory before deciding what to drop next. It’s pure RNG (Random Number Generation) within that specific tier.
You might end up with a dozen Cap of Time hats before you ever see the Biggoron’s Sword. It’s just the nature of the beast.
Actionable Tips for Better Loot
If you’re serious about farming these items, stop just scanning and hoping. Follow these steps to maximize your efficiency:
- Clear at least one Divine Beast first. Don't waste your time farming for the Twilight Bow or the Fierce Deity Sword before this. Your chances are literally zero or near-zero.
- Use the "Save Before Scan" method. Always save your game before you touch the amiibo to the sensor. If you don't like the chest content, reload.
- Check your inventory space. If your weapon or shield slots are full, you can't open the chest. It sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people forget this and have to run around dropping items while the "daily scan" flag has already been triggered.
- Look for the "Big Hit" visual cue. When the chest drops, if it has a metallic sheen and a slightly different sound effect, you’ve hit the rare table.
- Consider NFC cards. If you can't find the physical figures (which are often out of stock or overpriced on the second-hand market), NFC cards contain the exact same data and are much easier to store.
The hunt for the perfect Zelda Breath of the Wild amiibo drops is a marathon, not a sprint. Whether you're looking for the nostalgic feel of the Hero of Time outfit or the raw power of the Twilight Bow, understanding that the game is tracking your progress is the key to not losing your mind. Stop scanning on the Great Plateau and get out into Hyrule; the better gear is waiting for you to prove you're ready for it.
Next Steps for Farming:
Start by focusing on the "Medoh" or "Ruta" Divine Beasts, as they are generally the easiest to reach early on. Once the "Divine Beast Cleared" flag is active in your save data, your chances for "Great Hit" drops increase significantly across all scanned figures. Keep a dedicated save file right in front of a stable so you can immediately register any horses like Epona the moment they appear.