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Revision as of 21:15, 21 July 2013

Template:Ex-Featured [[File:File:Gale Boomerang.png.png|20x20px]] [[|]] The Boomerang is a projectile weapon that has appeared in almost every Zelda game. It is generally acquired early in the game.

Uses

File:ST Link Boomerang.png
Artwork of Link throwing the boomerang in Spirit Tracks

In general terms, the Boomerang can be used for both combat and puzzle solving. It is useful to stun enemies, although a single hit will kill frail enemies such as Keese. However, it is more commonly used to retrieve items that are out of Link's reach[1] or to solve puzzles. The boomerang first appeared in The Legend of Zelda and has gone through several design changes since then. Recently, even the way it is used has been altered: in Spirit Tracks and Phantom Hourglass, the player can draw the path that the boomerang will take, allowing a more direct control of the boomerang. Moreover, this item can also be used to turn Sparks and Anti-Fairies into Fairies in specific Zelda games.

Appearances and Locations

Typical Boomerangs

These Boomerangs function only to stun and retrieve out-of-reach items. Note that some of these incarnations of the item can be upgraded as well, but that will be covered in another section below.

The Legend of Zelda

The Boomerang is one of the first items that can be acquired in The Legend of Zelda. In both the First and Second Quests, it can be obtained by defeating a large number of Goriya in a room of the first dungeon in the game, the Eagle dungeon. Interestingly, it and the Magical Boomerang are the only major dungeon items to not be contained in an underground treasure room.

Adventure of Link

While Link cannot obtain a Boomerang as a weapon in this game, Goriyas continue to use them to attack Link.

A Link to the Past

In A Link to the Past, the Boomerang is again found early in the game, this time in Hyrule Castle. Its exact location is a few rooms before the prison where the Ball and Chain Trooper holds Princess Zelda captive, and it is the Dungeon Item, contained in a chest that is listed as a Big Chest on the map but is in fact a regular small chest. If Link fails to collect the Boomerang in the dungeon, he can also find another one in the house of the Sweeping Lady in Kakariko Village. If Link does not open either chest, he can obtain a Magical Boomerang from a chest in the Village of Outcasts later in the game, although he can also obtain this item by taking the regular Boomerang to the Waterfall of Wishing.

Unlike most other games in the series, the regular Boomerang is blue, while the Magical Boomerang is red.

Ocarina of Time

Ocarina of Time marks the first time the Boomerang is placed in a tridimensional space. It is found inside Lord Jabu-Jabu's belly, in a room infested by enemies, and becomes Young Link's most powerful ranged weapon. It provides Young Link's counterpart to Adult Link's hookshot, allowing Young Link to finally capture those out-of-reach Gold Skulltula Tokens. Although Jabu-Jabu's Belly is the last dungeon Young Link goes through before entering the Temple of Time, the Boomerang still proves invaluable when Link returns to the past to go through the Bottom of the Well and the Spirit Temple.

Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons

The Boomerang returns as a useful weapon in Oracle of Ages, and is found in Rolling Ridge as a prize from the Goron Shooting Gallery. Oracle of Seasons includes a boomerang identical to the one in Oracle of Ages, but this time, it is found in Subrosia as a prize from the Dance Hall. The Boomerang is a required item in Oracle of Seasons, but not in Oracle of Ages.

Four Swords and The Minish Cap

The traditional Boomerang makes another appearance in Four Swords. Because Four Swords is a competitive game, it is most useful for collecting Rupees before opponents but can still be used as a weapon as well. In The Minish Cap, the Boomerang can be bought in the shop at Hyrule Town for 300 Rupees.

Boomerangs with Added Characteristics

The Boomerangs listed below have other characteristics besides and along with those of stunning and item retrieval.

Link's Awakening

File:Boomerang LA.png

Link trades an item to the Goriya for the Boomerang

In Link's Awakening, the Boomerang is a very useful but optional weapon. It is one of the most powerful weapons in the game. In order to acquire it, Link must first complete a long trading sequence in order to receive the Magnifying Lens. Link must then visit Toronbo Shores and find a hidden cave on the eastern side. Inside, he will meet a tiny creature (who cannot be seen without the magnifying lens) who will offer to trade Link a boomerang for a weapon of his choice.

The Boomerang can again be used in the traditional way, but it now has a few more uses. Though minor, it can be used to cut bushes. It's simply a faster way to get the job done. Its usefulness as a weapon has also been greatly improved. In this game, few weapons will get the job done faster than the boomerang. It is one of the two weapons able to kill an Anti-Fairy, the other being the Magic Powder and the only weapon able to kill a Spark. It can also defeat certain enemies in one hit that no other weapons can, such as Ghinis. In other cases, it is surpassed slightly by weapons such as the Bow and Magic Rod. The Boomerang is perhaps most useful in defeating the final form of the Final Nightmare, Dethl. It can be a very difficult fight, but if Link has the boomerang, it is much easier. A single hit to the eye with the boomerang will defeat Dethl.

The Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass, and Spirit Tracks

The Wind Waker adds another new feature to the Boomerang. The item, found in the Forbidden Woods and guarded by a winged Mothula, can now lock on to up to five different targets.[2] This feature is often used for solving puzzles involving switches or for collecting multiple items at the same time. It is relatively weak as a weapon.

Phantom Hourglass, while showing the Boomerang with a mildly similar look as in The Wind Waker, once again reinvents its use, allowing the player to draw a specific path for it to follow using the stylus; the Boomerang in this game is found in the Temple of Fire. In Spirit Tracks, the Boomerang can be found inside the Snow Temple. It functions in the same way that it did in Phantom Hourglass with one exception: when the boomerang flies through a flame or ice flame, it will become the fire or ice boomerang.

Four Swords Adventures

The second cooperative competitive Zelda title, Four Swords Adventures, has the Links searching for Force Gems rather than Rupees, but the boomerang is still very useful for getting to the Force Gems before opponents. Unlike the original multiplayer game, the boomerang can now be held in place before returning to Link. This can be useful for retrieving moving force gems or attacking some enemies and is a great weapon at sea.

Special Variants

The following incarnations of the item have even more extra features, including a change in name.

Magic Boomerang

In The Legend of Zelda, an upgraded version of the Boomerang, the blue Magical Boomerang, could also be obtained later in the game. In the first quest, it could be found in the second dungeon, the Moon Labyrinth. However in the second quest, its location was moved to the third dungeon. The only main difference between the Boomerang and the Magical Boomerang is the distance they can be thrown. The Magical Boomerang will fly twice as far when thrown before returning to Link. A Link to the Past incorporates a Boomerang that can be upgraded to the Magical Boomerang by visiting the Waterfall of Wishing. The Great Fairy there will upgrade it if Link tells her the truth.

Oracle of Seasons also has a second Boomerang that is not found in the other Oracle game, the Magic Boomerang. Rather than being simply a distance upgrade, the Magic Boomerang is completely under Link's control. Link can guide its path around obstacles in order to solve more complicated puzzles. When the Boomerang is upgraded to a Level 2 Boomerang in Four Swords Adventures, it will have a longer reach and speed out of Link's hand faster. The Magical Boomerang also appears The Minish Cap and is acquired by fusing Kinstones with Tingle and his brothers to reveal a hidden chest underground. This Boomerang has a longer range, can change direction mid-flight, and will destroy some enemies the regular Boomerang only stuns.

Zora Boomerang

In Majora's Mask, the boomerang does not appear as an item but as an ability of Link in his Zora form. The fins in the forearms of Zora Link become boomerangs when the "B" button is charged. At this point, the actions of Link are the same as if he were holding the boomerang button in Ocarina of Time with the exception of this version being two boomerangs. The attributes of these weapons are basically the same as their previous incarnation. In the Zora Fight Song, Mikau calls these boomerangs his "double cutters".[3]

Gale Boomerang

Gale Boomerang Whirlwind

Using the Gale Boomerang

Twilight Princess further reinvents the Boomerang. The Gale Boomerang is a special boomerang inhabited by the Fairy of Winds who allows it to summon small gales in order to attack or retrieve objects. It was originally held by the possessed Ook, the leader of the Faron Woods monkeys. It is found in the Forest Temple after fighting Ook and can be used to transport objects from one area to another, solve puzzles, and put out torches. This is also the first boomerang to house the spirit of a fairy, in this case the Fairy of Winds.

The biggest difference is the mini-tornado that is produced when the Boomerang is launched. It works similarly to the boomerang in The Wind Waker, giving Link the option to lock onto up to five targets. It is used for many purposes throughout the game such as spinning fans, turning the direction of bridges, and catching Golden Bugs located across Hyrule. The Gale Boomerang is the key item needed to defeat the Forest Temple's boss, Diababa.

Other Appearances

The Legend of Zelda Game Watch

The boomerang appears in Template:GW. One appears in each room, and Link must collect it and use it to defeat all the Iron Balls.

Animated series

File:Boomerang (That Sinking Feeling).png

Zelda wielding a boomerang

The boomerang is one of the most used items in the animated series, and one hit from this weapon is capable of defeating most of Ganon's minions. It is mostly used by Princess Zelda, although Link, Moblins and Goriyas wield it as well. The boomerang first appears in "Cold Spells", where Zelda defeats various magically-possessed cleaning supplies with it. Later, in "Sing for the Unicorn", Zelda once again uses it to defeat an Armos Knight and Ganon, rescuing Link and her father in the process. The boomerang shown in "That Sinking Feeling" is given to Zelda by Link so that the two of them can fight off several Tektites that have ambushed them. Link is not shown wielding this item until the "Stinging a Stinger" episode, which he uses it to defeat a Gohma with the help of Zelda's Magic Rope.

Although the series mostly exemplifies the use of the boomerang for fighting enemies, the "Doppelganger" episode demonstrates how Zelda uses the boomerang to break free from the ropes that Ganon had tied around her hands.

The Legend of Zelda comic

The Magic Boomerang from The Legend of Zelda makes an appearance in the Day of the Triforce story of the Legend of Zelda comic. After Princess Zelda and Cassiopia arrive to the Water Town of Saria to fight off the monsters that have attacked the town, Cassiopia uses the Magic Boomerang to free her husband, the River Man, from the chains that bind him.[4]

Super Smash Bros. Series

See SmashWiki's article on Boomerang for more information.
File:Boomerang (SSBB).jpg

Toon Link using the Boomerang in Super Smash Bros. Brawl

In the Super Smash Bros. series, the Boomerang functions as Link's, Young Link's, and Toon Link's Special move. In its first appearance, it is Link's Neutral special move, while in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the boomerang serves as the Links' side special move. While the boomerang from Ocarina of Time appears in the series' first two games, the Gale Boomerang appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, replacing Link's standard Boomerang from Melee. Other than hitting and damaging the opponent, the Gale Boomerang has a "wind" effect that pushes or pulls players who get caught in the whirlwind it creates. The Wind Waker's design of the Boomerang is used by Toon Link, and, more or less, functions identically to how it did in previous games.

While performing this move, the player can tap the Control Stick to increase its range; moreover, tilting the Control Stick up or down will cause Link to aim the boomerang in the specified direction. Both Young Link and Toon Link have greater control over the boomerang than the adult counterpart. Despite this, their range is much shorter than Adult Link's.

The Boomerang from The Wind Waker also appears as a collectible sticker.

Name Image Artwork from Effect in The Subspace Emissary Usable by
Boomerang File:Boomerang Sticker.png The Wind Waker [Weapon] - Attack +4 This sticker is usable by Link, Zelda, Ganondorf, and Toon Link

Soulcalibur II

How to perform: Horizontal Attack ButtonPlusKick Button

In Soulcalibur II, the boomerang from Ocarina of Time is part of Link's moveset. To get into the Boomerang Stance, the player must press the horizontal attack button and the kick button at the same time. Pressing the horizontal attack again will cause Link to release the boomerang towards his enemy. The boomerang attack is considered to be a high attack, dealing 25 HP worth of damage to the opponent.

Trivia

  • The Adventure of Link is one of the few Zelda games where Link does not acquire the boomerang. Even so, it does make an appearance. The Goriya return and still use the boomerang as their weapon of choice.
  • Although the Boomerang was introduced in The Legend of Zelda, has appeared in nearly every game since, and is usually a dungeon item, it was not a required item to complete the game until Ocarina of Time. It is also optional in Oracle of Ages and The Minish Cap.
  • In the Super Smash Bros. fighting series and in Soulcalibur II, one of Link's Special Attacks hurls a boomerang at the opponent.

Gallery

References

  1. "If you hit an enemy with this, it will be stunned for a short time (some enemies will sustain damage when hit by the boomerang). The boomerang can also retrieve distant Rupees and Hearts." (A Link to the Past manual, pg. 37)
  2. "You got the Boomerang! Set it to and throw it with [Y], [Z], or [X]. Target specific objects by holding the button you set it to and aiming at something until the red targeting cursor changes to a [Target lock mark]. You can target up to five objects at once." — N/A (The Wind Waker)
  3. "For my deadly move, press and hold (B). Now release! It's the final blow. My double cutters!" — Mikau (Majora's Mask)
  4. Template:Cite book
TMC Forest Minish Artwork Names in Other Regions TMC Jabber Nut Sprite
Language Name
Boomerang Magical Boomerang Gale Boomerang
Japan Japanese Template:Japanese Template:Japanese Template:Japanese
French-speaking countries French Boomerang Boomerang Magique Boomerang Tornade
Federal Republic of Germany German Bumerang Sturmbumerang
Italian Republic Italian Boomerang Boomerang magico Boomerang ciclone
Spanish-speaking countries Spanish Bumerán
Items in The Wind Waker
InventoryBag ItemsQuest Status
TelescopeSailWind Waker (Item)Grappling HookTingle TunerPicto BoxIron BootsMagic ArmorBottleSpoils BagBait BagDelivery BagBoomerangHero's BowHookshotDeku LeafBombSkull HammerTWWItemNav
Up Arrow
Down Arrow
TWW Spoils Bag IconTWW Bait Bag IconTWW Delivery Bag Icon
Joy Pendant
Boko Baba Seed
Skull Necklace
Golden Feather
Knight's Crest
Red Chu Jelly
Green Chu Jelly
Blue Chu Jelly
All-Purpose Bait
Hyoi Pear
Note to Mom
Moblin's Letter
Maggie's Letter
Father's Letter
Complimentary ID
Fill-Up Coupon
Cabana Deed
Town Flower
Sea Flower
Exotic Flower
Pinwheel
Sickle Moon Flag
Big Catch Flag
Big Sale Flag
Hero's Flag
Fountain Idol
Skull Tower Idol
Postman Statue
Shop Guru Statue
Wind's RequiemBallad of GalesCommand MelodyEarth God's LyricWind God's AriaSong of PassingTriforce of CouragePiece of HeartTreasure ChartDin's PearlFarore's PearlNayru's PearlHero's SwordHero's ShieldPower BraceletPirate's CharmHero's CharmTWW Quest Status2
Wind's RequiemBallad of GalesCommand MelodyEarth God's LyricWind God's AriaSong of PassingTriforce of CouragePiece of HeartTreasure ChartDin's PearlFarore's PearlNayru's PearlMaster SwordMirror ShieldPower BraceletPirate's CharmHero's CharmTWW Quest Status
Up Arrow
Down Arrow
Click on an item
Items in Twilight Princess
ItemsBottle Items
ClawshotBall and ChainDominion RodSpinnerHero's BowIron BootsGale BoomerangLanternSlingshotFishing RodHawkeyeWater BombBomblingBombEmpty BottleHorse CallTPItemNav
Up Arrow
Down Arrow
Red Potion
Blue Potion
Ordon Goat Milk
Hot Springwater
Water
Lantern Oil
Fairy
Great Fairy's Tears
Nasty Soup
Simple Soup
Good Soup
Superb Soup
Bee Larva
Worm
Click on an item