Games

The Legend of Zelda: Best Uses Of Amiibo In The Franchise

Published

1 month ago

October 18, 2024

bayonetta dressed as link in bayonetta and fighting monsters in the legend of zelda twilight princes

It’s hard to believe but Amiibo is now a decade old. They launched alongside Super Smash Bros. on the Wii U in 2014. Among the first wave of figures was Link in his adult form as he appeared in the game. Other characters included Mario, Kirby, and Pikachu.

6 Zelda Games With The Weirdest Gimmicks, Ranked

Table of Contents

Nintendo has had some wild mechanics in the Zelda games, but they all seem to work better than expected.

Many Amiibo waves would continue after this supporting Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U but other games gained support too. Out of the many Nintendo franchises, The Legend of Zelda probably has the most figures. What do the best ones do? Let’s dive into the history of Zelda Amiibo to find out.

7 The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD

Switch fans are still waiting for the Wii U exclusive The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD to come to the system. It was more than a remaster for many as it included a lot of additional mechanics and content. For example, with the Wolf Link Amiibo players could unlock an extra dungeon called Cave of Shadows. It was mostly a combat-based dungeon focused solely on Link’s wolf form but it was something new and players could get a great item by completing it via the Colossal Wallet.

6 The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

Finding Epona And Wolf Link To Aid Your Quest

Riding Epona in The Legend of Zelda Breath Of The Wild

Systems

Released: March 3, 2017
Developer(s): Nintendo EPD
Publisher(s): Nintendo
Engine: Havok
ESRB: E for Everyone: Fantasy Violence, Use of Alcohol, Mild Suggestive Themes
How Long To Beat: 50 Hours
Steam Deck Compatibility: yes
X|S Optimized: no
OpenCritic Rating: Mighty
Cross Save: no
Cross-Platform Play: no

Amiibo: Wolf Link and Super Smash Bros. version of Link

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was a surprise to all because of how open it was. It was also a hard game because that freedom could lead players into territories with massively strong enemies that could destroy Link in a single hit.

Impa in Hyrule Warriors; Purah in TOTK; King Rauru's ghost in TOTK

The Legend Of Zelda: 6 Recurring Characters Who Completely Change In Different Games

The Zelda franchise has been around for a long time, and so have several characters, even if they look different in some games.

Those with the Super Smash Bros. version of Link could summon Epona to get through the open areas faster with this trusty horse from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. While great, it’s not as cool as getting the Wolf Link as an AI-driven co-op partner by using the corresponding Wolf Link Amiibo from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

5 Hyrule Warriors

Getting A Unique Weapon

Fighting enemies with a Spinner in Hyrule Warriors

Systems

Released: September 26, 2014
Multiplayer: Local Multiplayer , Local Co-Op
Engine: unity
ESRB: T for Teen: Fantasy Violence, Suggestive Themes
OpenCritic Rating: Strong

Amiibo: Link or Toon Link from Super Smash Bros.

Hyrule Warriors is an offshoot of the Dynasty Warriors franchise and fans of those games know they have tons of characters who are equipped with a varied amount of weapons. The same is true for the Zelda characters in this spinoff. Link, for example, has a sword while Linkle, his female counterpart, uses two crossbows. Characters can also get sub-weapons like bombs. One sub-weapon that the Super Smash Bros. Amiibo for Link or Toon Link can unlock is the Spinner from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. With this, players can zip along the battlefield and destroy enemies.

4 Super Mario Maker

Reimagine Link As A 2D Platforming Hero

Amiibo skins of Nintendo characters in Super Mario Maker 1

Systems

Released: September 11, 2015
Developer(s): Nintendo EAD
Publisher(s): Nintendo
Multiplayer: Local Multiplayer
Engine: Proprietary Engine
ESRB: E For Everyone due to Comic Mischief
How Long To Beat: 6 Hours
OpenCritic Rating: Mighty

Amiibo: 8-Bit Link and Toon Link, Zelda, Sheik, and Ganondorf from Super Smash Bros.

Super Mario Maker was one of the best games on the Wii U because it used the gamepad well. Players could create levels with ease thanks to the stylus. The Amiibo support was great too if players liked costumes. Nearly every Amiibo released up to that point could be used to give Mario a skin corresponding to classic Nintendo characters. For example, Zelda-based Amiibo like 8-Bit Link, Toon Link, Zelda, Sheik, and Ganondorf could be used to play through levels as these iconic characters but in 8-Bit form. It was a cheap way to spread smiles across fans from many generations before.

3 Bayonetta

This Witch Loves Her Nintendo Games

Franchise: Bayonetta
Released: October 29, 2009
Engine: Proprietary Engine
ESRB: M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes
OpenCritic Rating: Mighty

Amiibo: Link or Toon Link from Super Smash Bros.

Bayonetta began as a multi-platform series from PlatinumGames. While it was reviewed well, sales weren’t as great making many believe it would never get a sequel. Then Nintendo swooped in to help fund the sequel and with it the Wii U got an enhanced port of the original game. With Amiibo, Bayonetta could unlock costumes for Princess Peach, Samus, and Link who is the strange outlier since he is the only male hero there. Switch the normal Link or Toon Link Amiibo, Bayonetta’s tunic-based costume also changed one of her weapons, the Shuraba, to look like the fabled Master Sword.

2 Animal Crossing: New Leaf

A New Way To Interact With Zelda Characters

Zelda-themed villagers in Animal Crossing New Leaf

Systems

Released: June 9, 2013
Developer(s): Nintendo EAD
Publisher(s): Nintendo
Multiplayer: Local Multiplayer
Engine: unity
ESRB: E For Everyone due to Comic Mischief

Amiibo: Wolf Link, Toon Link, Ganondorf, and Sheik from Super Smash Bros.

Animal Crossing: New Leaf was the 3DS entry for the series. It gave players more ways to interact with their homes and friends online. Besides a bevy of Zelda-themed items from furniture to decorations, players could recruit four exclusive NPCs with Amiibo. Wolf Link could get players W. Link who looked like a wolf-man.

A collage of the most memorable reveals of Legend of Zelda games: Link in the BOTW trailer, Shigeru Miyamoto in the Twilight Princess E3 Reveal and Ganondorf in the TOTK trailer.

Best Legend Of Zelda Game Reveals, Ranked

Nintendo definitely excels at building up hype around The Legend of Zelda franchise. Here are the most memorable reveals by far.

Toon Link could bring in Medli based on the same bird character from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. A Ganondorf Amiibo would bring in Ganon as a classic blue pig-man, the original villain of the series. Finally, the Sheik Amiibo could get players a personification of Epona in Animal Crossing: New Leaf.

Giving The Dragonborn A Gift From The Hero Of Time

Player character dressed as Link in The Elder Scrolls 5 Skyrim

Released: November 11, 2011
Developer(s): Bethesda Game Studios
Publisher(s): Bethesda Softworks
Engine: Creation Engine
ESRB: M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol
How Long To Beat: 35 Hours
Steam Deck Compatibility: yes
X|S Optimized: Yes
PS Plus Availability: Extra & Premium (Special Edition)
Expansions: Skyrim: Dragonborn , Skyrim: Hearthfire , Skyrim: Dawnguard
File Size Xbox Series: 29 GB (DECEMBER 2023)
OpenCritic Rating: Strong
Cross Save: no
Cross-Platform Play: no

Amiibo: Any Amiibo from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild owes a lot to The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim who helped create a new standard for open-world RPGs. It seemed fitting that the Switch port of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim should get some exclusive items then. Most Zelda Amiibo work in the game, especially the The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild ones. With Zelda-linked Amiibo, players can unlock the Champion’s Tunic, Hylian Trousers, Hylian Shield, and Master Sword to equip onto their Dragonborn. Wielding the Master Sword alone is cool enough to check this Amiibo support out.