BotW Weapon Durability: Repair, Rust and Bonuses
How Breath of the Wild weapon durability works: why weapons can't be repaired, how Rock Octoroks renew rusty gear, the Master Sword recharge and every bonus.
Every weapon in Breath of the Wild wears out. This page covers what cannot be fixed, the two exceptions, what to do with rusty gear, the bonuses that raise a weapon’s numbers, and which weapons last longest. Numbers come from the full weapon list.
Can you repair weapons?
No. There is no way to repair a weapon, and once one starts flashing red and the game warns that it is badly damaged, it will soon break. Throw it at an enemy for one last hit.
Two weapons are exceptions:
- The Master Sword never breaks for good. When its durability runs out the blade turns black and cannot be used for 10 real-time minutes while it recharges, and it never leaves your inventory. See the Master Sword guide.
- The Bow of Light cannot break. It has a nominal durability of 100 but is only available in the final battle with Dark Beast Ganon.
What do you do with rusty weapons?
Rusty weapons and shields (Rusty Broadsword, Rusty Claymore, Rusty Halberd, Rusty Shield) are weak, but a Rock Octorok can renew them. Rock Octoroks live around Death Mountain; drop the rusty item near one — do not throw it — and it sucks it in and spits out a new item. The new item is the clean Hylian equivalent, and a higher World Level makes a Knight’s or Royal version more likely than a Traveler’s or Soldier’s. Stand back: the item comes out fast enough to hit you.
What are weapon bonuses?
Some weapons, bows and shields carry a bonus. Bonuses appear on equipment found as the World Level rises, in two grades — white, and a stronger yellow — shown by the icon color in the inventory:
| Bonus | On | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Attack Up | Melee weapons and bows (not shields) | More attack (yellow: more still) |
| Durability Up | Any | More durability (yellow: more still) |
| Critical Hit | Melee weapons | Double attack on the last hit of a combo |
| Long Throw | Melee weapons | Longer throwing range |
| Shield Guard Up | Shields | More guard (yellow: more still) |
| Quick Shot | Bows | Draws the bow faster |
| Five-Shot Burst | Only the Forest Dweller’s Bow, Lynel Bow, Mighty Lynel Bow and Savage Lynel Bow (see weapon bonuses) | Fires five arrows at once |
The bonus names are the game’s own.
Which weapons last longest?
Most durable one-handed weapons, two-handed weapons and spears:
| 211 | Spring-Loaded Hammer | 1 | 80 |
| 302 | Lightscale Trident | 22 | 70 |
| 221 | Scimitar of the Seven | 32 | 60 |
| 266 | Boulder Breaker | 60 | 60 |
| — | Biggoron's Sword | 50 | 60 |
| 223 | Ancient Short Sword | 40 | 54 |
| 256 | Double Axe | 18 | 52 |
| 270 | Ancient Bladesaw | 55 | 50 |
| 273 | Great Flameblade | 34 | 50 |
| 275 | Great Thunderblade | 32 | 50 |
Most durable bows and shields:
| 359 | Hylian Shield | 90 | 800 |
| 341 | Ancient Bow | 44 | 120 |
| — | Twilight Bow | 30 | 100 |
| 333 | Royal Bow | 38 | 60 |
| 338 | Great Eagle Bow | 28 × 3 arrows | 60 |
| 339 | Golden Bow | 14 | 60 |
| 374 | Daybreaker | 48 | 60 |
| 337 | Falcon Bow | 20 | 50 |
The Hylian Shield’s 800 durability is far above every other shield. If it does break, Granté in Tarrey Town sells a new one for 3,000 rupees once the side quest From the Ground Up is complete — without bonuses — and Link can only hold one at a time.
See also
Tears of the Kingdom handles this differently — see its durability page.
Each weapon’s white and yellow bonus ranges, and how to get weapons with yellow bonuses, are on weapon bonuses.
FAQ
Can you repair weapons in Breath of the Wild?
What do you do with rusty weapons?
How long does the Master Sword take to recharge?
How do you get more weapon slots?
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