Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom - Is It Possible To Repair Degraded Weapons? (2024)

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's version of Hyrule is littered with decayed weapons, an unexpected result of the Upheaval. Weapons only do a fraction of the damage compared to their pristine Breath of the Wild counterparts. Tears of the Kingdom's degraded weapons are a measure taken to ensure the Fuse ability is put through its paces, but simply being able to repair a degraded weapon would be a nice alternative to combining it with a Bokoblin Horn.

Degraded weapons in Tears of the Kingdom is essentially a gameplay mechanic given a narrative justification. During the Upheaval, which sent Hyrule Castle into the air and pieces of the Sky Islands crashing into the Surface, all the weapons in Hyrule were mysteriously degraded. Fuse is TOTK's fix for weapon durability, a controversial mechanic introduced to the series in BOTW, and the impotent weaponry is a convenient way to ensure players experiment with its robust suite of combinations.

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Degraded Weapons Can't Be Repaired In Tears Of The Kingdom

There isn't any way to take a degraded weapon in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and return it to its former, full-damage glory. Such an option would undermine a large part of the game's design - Link's Fuse ability. However, Octoroks do provide a half-measure players can take. Before launching their ranged attack, Octoroks will inhale deeply, giving players an opportunity to drop a damaged weapon. When an Octorok inhales a dropped item, it'll spit it back out with repaired weapon durability. It doesn't exactly fix the degradation caused by the Upheaval, but the trick can help players hold onto especially powerful items they've created for a while longer.

Non-Degraded Weapons Can Only Be Found In Zelda: TOTK's Depths

Although degraded weapons can't be repaired in Tears of the Kingdom, there is a way to acquire pristine armaments. Scattered throughout the Depths are altars of rock, atop which float shadowy figures holding weapons in their outstretched arms. These have seemingly survived the Upheaval unscathed, their pristine condition denoted by the double star icon next to their name. These weapons found in the Depths are essentially as effective in combat as their Breath of the Wild counterparts, and seem to have more durability than their degraded brethren in TOTK.

Luckily, their pristine condition doesn't stop them from being Fused to other items, meaning these Depths weapons can potentially be a component in some of the game's most powerful creations. Another benefit to seeking out these shadowy figures is that their offerings respawn with every Blood Moon, effectively giving players an endless supply of pristine weapons, so it may be worthwhile to drop a pin on Tears of the Kingdom's map whenever one is found so it can be easily relocated. Degraded weapons can't be repaired in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, as they're an important component to the game's combat systems, but there are a few alternatives that lessen the frustration.